MOUNT RAINIER 



and the Nesqually, winding like a thread of silver 

 through the dark forests. From the foot of the glacier 

 for several miles the bed of the river was very white, 

 from the granite bowlders that covered the bed of the 

 stream. The water, too, was of a decidedly chalkier 

 color near its source. 



We had no time, however, to study the beauties 

 that lay before us. We had already discovered that 

 there was no telling from appearances how far we had 

 to go. The travel was very difficult ; the surface of 

 the snow was porous in some places, and at each step 

 we sunk to our knees. Carroll and the Indian gave 

 out early in the afternoon, and returned to camp. The 

 doctor began to lag behind. Dogue stuck close to me. 

 Between four and five o'clock we reached a very diffi- 

 cult point. It proved to be the crest of the mountain, 

 where the comparatively smooth surface was much 

 broken up, and inaccessible pinnacles of ice and deep 

 crevasses interrupted our progress. It was not only 

 difficult to go ahead, but exceedingly dangerous ; a 

 false step, or the loss of a foot-hold, would have been 

 certain destruction. Dogue was evidently alarmed, 

 for every time that I was unable to proceed, and turned 

 back to find another passage, he would say, "/ guess, 

 Lieutenant, we Better go pack" 



Finally we reached what may be called the top, for 

 although there were points higher yet, 1 the mountain 

 spread out comparatively flat, and it was much easier 

 to get along. The soldier threw himself down ex- 

 hausted, and said he could go no farther. The doctor 

 was not in sight. I went on to explore by myself, but 

 I returned in a quarter of an hour without my hat, 

 fully satisfied that nothing more could be done. It was 

 after six o'clock, the air was very cold, and the wind 

 blew fiercely, so that in a second my hat which it car- 

 ried away was far beyond recovery. The ice was form- 

 ing in my canteen, and to stay on the mountain at such 



1 He here gives evidence that he had not reached the summit. 

 86 



