148 



THE SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE; 



so dark, that I soon found myself in a sort of twilight. 

 This peculiar light gave a strange and weird appearance 

 to those objects situated at the bottom of the ravine, while 

 the autumnal frosts had touched the foliage of the trees 

 growing from its sides, as well as those which overhung 

 it, imparting to it many of the most beautiful colors of the 

 rainbow, which it rivalled in beauty. Great rocks and 

 grand boulders, frequently covered with ferns, were often 

 seen in the bottom and on the sides of this half-lighted 

 chasm. Grandeur and beauty were here combined. As I 

 proceeded up this mountain gorge, the scenes presented 

 were truly kaleidoscopic : the surrounding landscape pre- 

 sented an endless variety of beautiful colors, which a mar- 

 vellous play of light and shade blended in the formation 

 of pictures that were frequently artistic, although at other 

 times they were grotesque and comical. 



Slowly I advanced through this fairy-land, often halting, 

 and sometimes seating myself on some convenient rock 

 in order to study more carefully the effect of a passing 

 cloud, or the flight of a bird which chanced to come in 

 such a position as to throw its shadow within my view. 

 In this manner the time passed rapidly, and my promise to 

 meet the photographer at the head of the lake had been 

 completely forgotten. It was not until late in the afternoon 

 that I was stimulated, by the increasing darkness in the 

 deep, dark mountain gorge, to quicken my pace, in order 

 that I might be able to return to camp before nightfall. 



Finally, hurried forward by the thought that I might 

 be compelled to spend a night in the woods, where the 

 charming scenes just described had been dispelled by the 



