i8 Bird Comrades 



the need of rubber boots can be seen readily, but even 

 in dry and warm weather they have one decided advan- 

 tage they do not become slippery on the soles as one 

 tramps through the leaf-strewn woods or the grassy 

 fields. Every pedestrian knows that sole-leather is apt 

 to become as smooth as glass, making it difficult to 

 retain one's footing. On the other hand, rubber seems 

 to cling to the ground, no matter how much it is worn. 

 The only objection to rubbers is that they are uncom- 

 fortably warm in hot weather ; but that difficulty can be 

 overcome by frequently plunging into a cool stream and 

 standing there for several minutes. 



Let me caution you, however, not to purchase a heavy 

 pair of rubber boots. Insist on having a light pair or 

 none at all. A good pair of rubber boots are a real 

 luxury, for with them you may tramp about in all kinds 

 of damp and boggy places without fear of wetting your 

 feet, though it goes without saying .that you must be 

 careful not to wade in over the tops of your footgear. 



Of great assistance to the pedestrian is a light cane. 

 In climbing Pikes Peak one evening after dark, I doubt 

 whether I should have been able to gain the summit 

 had it not been for my tough little wild-cherry cane, 

 upon which I could lean when almost exhausted, which 

 supported my faltering steps, and which happily never 

 grew weary. Two years later it helped me to scale a 

 number of snow-capped mountains, among them Grays 

 Peak and Peak Number Eight of the Ten Mile Range. 

 Indeed, my little cane was of so much service to me that 



