MOUNT RAINIER 



impede and frustrate our own efforts.- Knowing that 

 he would be safe in camp until our return, we hastily 

 concluded to proceed without him, trusting to our 

 rifles for a supply of meat. 



Sluiskin led us along the side of the ridge in a south- 

 erly direction for two miles farther, to a well-sheltered, 

 grassy hollow in the mountain-top, where he had often 

 previously encamped. It was after dark when we 

 reached this place. The usual spring had gone dry, 

 and, parched with thirst we searched the gulches of the 

 mountain-side for water an hour, but without success. 

 At length the writer, recalling a scanty rill which trickled 

 across their path a mile back, taking the coffee-pot and 

 large canteen, retraced his steps, succeeded in filling 

 these utensils after much fumbling in the dark and con- 

 sequent delay, and returned to camp. He found Van 

 Trump and the Indian, anxious at the long delay, 

 mounted on the crest of the ridge some two hundred 

 yards from camp, waving torches and shouting lustily 

 to direct his steps. The mosquitoes and flies came 

 in clouds, and were terribly annoying. After supper 

 of coffee and bread, we drank up the water, rolled our- 

 selves in our blankets, and lay down under a tree with 

 our flags floating from under the boughs overhead. 

 Hot as had been the day, the night was cold and frosty, 

 owing, doubtless, to the altitude of our camp. 



At the earliest dawn next morning we were moving 

 on without breakfast, and parched with thirst. Sluis- 

 kin led us in a general course about north-northeast, 

 but twisting to nearly every point of the compass, and 

 climbing up and down thousands of feet from moun- 

 tain to mountain, yet keeping on the highest backbone 

 between the headwaters of the Nisqually and Cowlitz 

 rivers. After several hours of this work we came to a 

 well-sheltered hollow, one side filled with a broad bed 

 of snow, at the foot of which nestled a tiny, tranquil 

 lakelet, and gladly threw off our heavy packs, assuaged 

 our thirst, and took breakfast, bread and coffee 



