In the Sierra 



quire if he knew where Professor Butler 

 was, he seemed yet more curious to know 

 what could possibly have happened that re- 

 quired a messenger for the Professor, and 

 instead of answering my question he asked 

 with military sharpness, " Who wants him ? " 

 "I want him," I replied with equal sharp- 

 ness. "Why? Do you know him ? " "Yes,'* 

 I said. "Do you know him?' Astonished 

 that any one in the mountains could pos- 

 sibly know Professor Butler and find him 

 as soon as he had reached the valley, he 

 came down to meet the strange moun- 

 taineer on equal terms, and courteously re- 

 plied, " Yes, I know Professor Butler very 

 well. I am General Alvord, and we were 

 fellow students in Rutland, Vermont, long 

 ago, when we were both young.' 1 " But 

 where is he now ? ' I persisted, cutting short 

 his story. "He has gone beyond the falls 

 with a companion, to try to climb that 

 big rock, the top of which you see from 

 here.' ! His guide now volunteered the in- 



[ 245 ] 



