50 HEART OF THE SOUTHERN CATSKILLS 



involving nearly an all-day pull the first day 

 through a pathless wilderness. AVe ascended 

 to the topmost floor of the tower, and from my 

 knowledge of the topography of the country I 

 pointed out to them their course, and where the 

 valley of the Eondout must lie. The vast 

 stretch of woods, when it came into view from 

 under the foot of Slide, seemed from our point 

 of view very uniform. It swept away to the 

 southeast, rising gently toward the ridge that 

 separates Lone Mountain from Peek o' Moose, 

 and iDresented a comparatively easy problem. 

 As a clew to the course, the line where the 

 dark belt or saddle-cloth of spruce, which cov- 

 ered the top of the ridge they were to skirt, 

 ended and the deciduous woods began, a sharp, 

 well-defined line was pointed out as the course 

 to be followed. It led straight to the top of 

 the broad level-backed ridge which connected 

 two higher peaks and immediately behind 

 which lay the headwaters of the Rondout. 

 Having studied the map thoroughly and pos- 

 sessed themselves of the points, they rolled 

 up their blankets about nine o'clock and were 

 ofi", my friend and myself purposing to spend 

 yet another day and night on Slide. As our 

 friends plunged down into that fearful abyss, 

 we shouted to them the old classic caution, "Be 

 bold, be bold, he not too bold." It required 

 courage to make such a leap into the unknown 

 as I knew those young men were making, and 

 it required prudence. A faint heart or a be- 

 wildered head, and serious consequences might 



