^\^uere are you going ? " was the question 

 JJw asked me one snowy winter day. After 

 hearing that I was off on a camping-trip, to be 

 gone several days, and that the place where I in- 

 tended to camp was in deep snow on the upper 

 slopes of the Rockies, the questioners laughed 

 heartily. Knowing me, some questioners realized 

 that I was in earnest, and all that they could say 

 in the nature of argument or appeal was said to 

 cause me to " forego the folly." But I went, and 

 in the romance of a new world — on the Rockies 

 in winter — I lived intensely through ten strong 

 days and nights, and gave to my life new and 

 rare experiences. Afterwards I made other win- 

 ter excursions, all of which were stirring and 

 satisfactory. The recollection of these winter 

 experiences is as complete and exhilarating as 

 any in the vista of my memory. 



Some years after my first winter camping-trip, 

 I found myself holding a strange position, — that 



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