135- 



where ? The limit of endurance had 

 been reached long ago. But when 

 endurance gives out one still has the 

 will and slowly I crawled and stum- 

 bled along. There was yet plenty of 

 half-light and as soon as we reached 

 the timber Nimrod saw many tracks 

 of wild things. He could examine 

 them at his leisure, as a five minutes* 

 scramble meant a ten minutes' halt 

 for me. Fortunately it was down 

 hill, one could slide part of the time. 

 What did a bruise or two more mat- 

 ter? Nimrod pointed out many rotten 

 logs torn open by the paws of hungry 

 black bears and grizzlies, seeking 

 for their favourite summer relish, 

 wood ants. He followed the fresh 

 track of a mountain lion that was 

 stalking a blacktail. He showed 

 where the doe had stopped to feed, 

 had taken alarm and bounded off. 

 There were moose, lynx, yes, and 

 elk and wolf tracks. This wooded, 

 watered spot was evidently a favour- 

 ite resort. It was uncanny in the 

 deepening gloom to feel that the 

 woods about were full of eyes and 

 noses and claws and jaws. 



At last, after infinite weariness, 



