CAMPING WITH THE PRESIDENT 71 



hills, I saw out of the corner of my eye the President 

 taking a header into the snow. The snow had given 

 way beneath him, and nothing could save him from 

 taking the plunge. I don't know whether I called out, 

 or only thought, something about the downfall of the 

 administration. At any rate, the administration was 

 down, and pretty well buried, but it was quickly on 

 its feet again, shaking off the snow with a boy's laugh- 

 ter. I kept straight on, and very soon the laugh was 

 on me, for the treacherous snow sank beneath me, 

 and I took a header, too. 



" Who is laughing now, Oom John ? " called out the 

 President. 



The spirit of the boy was in the air that day about 

 the Canon of the Yellowstone, and the biggest boy of 

 us all was President Roosevelt. 



The snow was getting so soft in the middle of the day 

 that our return to the Mammoth Hot Springs could 

 no longer be delayed. Accordingly, we were up in 

 the morning, and ready to start on the home journey, 

 a distance of twenty miles, by four o'clock. The snow 

 bore up the horses well till mid-forenoon, when it be- 

 gan to give way beneath them. But by very careful 

 management we pulled through without serious delay, 

 and were back again at the house of Major Pitcher 

 in time for luncheon, being the only outsiders who 

 had ever made the tour of the Park so early in the sea- 

 son. 



A few days later I bade good-by to the President, 

 who went on his way to California, while I made a 

 loop of travel to Spokane, and around through Idaho 

 and Montana, and had glimpses of the great, optimis- 

 tic, sunshiny West that I shall not soon forget. 



