My First Summer 



for I had gone but a few yards when I started 

 one from a thicket of brush. He evidently 

 considered me dangerous, for he ran away very 

 fast, tumbling over the tops of the tangled 

 manzanita bushes in his haste. Carlo drew 

 back, with his ears depressed as if afraid, 

 and kept looking me in the face, as if ex- 

 pecting me to pursue and shoot, for he had 

 seen many a bear battle in his day. 



Following the ridge which made a grad- 

 ual descent to the south, I came at length to 

 the brow of that massive cliff that stands be- 

 tween Indian Canon and Yosemite Falls, and 

 here the far-famed valley came suddenly into 

 view throughout almost its whole extent. 

 The noble walls sculptured into endless 

 variety of domes and gables, spires and bat- 

 tlements and plain mural precipices all 

 a-tremble with the thunder tones of the fall- 

 ing water. The level bottom seemed to be 

 dressed like a garden, sunny meadows here 

 and there, and groves of pine and oak ; the 

 river of Mercy sweeping in majesty through 



