ing that they could not even stop to be 

 afraid of us. As all the party, but my- 

 self, knew, this meant bad weather and 

 winter; for these cute, overgrown rats 

 are reliable barometers, and they gave 

 every indication that they were belated 

 in getting their food supply, which had 

 been garnered in the autumn after the 

 manner of their kind, properly housed 

 for winter use. 



All that day we worked our way 

 through the forest with the silent snow 

 deepening around us, ever up and up, 

 eight thousand, nine thousand, ten thou- 

 sand feet. It was an endless day 01 

 freezing in the saddle, and of snow 

 showers in one's face from the overladen 

 branches. I was frightfully cold and 

 miserable. Every minute seemed the 

 last I could endure without screeching. 

 But still our Host pushed on. It was 



