42 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



the mountain that reared itself on the opposite 

 side, and betook ourselves to food and reflection. 

 It is very pleasant to lie comfortably stretched out 

 with nothing to do but to gaze with idle pleasure and 

 complete content upon grand and varied scenery. 

 The eye, now plunging into the abyss of blue 

 crossed at intervals by swiftly moving clouds, now 

 lowered and resting on the earth, pauses for a 

 minute on the dazzling snow-white summits, then 

 travels down through dark green pine woods, 

 wanders over little open glades or valleys grey with 

 withered grass, glances at steep cliffs and great 

 riven masses of rock which time and weather have 

 detached and hurled down the mountain side, and 

 falls at last upon the pale green belt of aspens that 

 fringes the river, white with snow where spanned 

 with ice, but black as ink where a rapid torrent has 

 defied the frost. Nor is the eye wearied with its 

 journey ; for mountain, valley, cliff, and glade are 

 so mingled, and are so constantly changing with 

 light and shade, that one could look for hours with- 

 out a wish to move. The mind goes half asleep, 

 and wonders lazily whether its body is really there 

 in the heart of the Rocky Mountains leading a 

 hunter's life, or whether it is not all a dream — a 

 dream of schoolboy days which seemed at one time 



