104 Bird Comrades 



rocks at frequent intervals to rest our aching limbs and 

 fill our lungs with the rarefied air; up and up and up, 

 until at last, with a long pull and a strong pull, we stood 

 on the sky-haunting ridge above all the surrounding 

 elevations, looking (Jown upon the rest of the world, 

 which seemed to be crouching at our feet. 



Long before we reached the summit we were saluted 

 by a new bird voice one that had not been -heard 

 farther down the mountain. It was a cordial chirp, 

 which seemed to bid us welcome to the alpine region and 

 to assure us that there was no risk in climbing to these 

 sky-aspiring summits. A glance proved that our little 

 salutarian was the brown-capped rosy finch, which I had 

 not seen since my ascent of Pikes Peak. Down in the 

 green, copsy valley at the base of the mountain we had 

 met with the white-crowned sparrows and Wilson and 

 Audubon warblers ; then, as we began to climb the steep 

 shoulder of the mountain, the American pipits had become 

 our comrades, accompanying us about half way up the 

 elevation; now all other birds had disappeared and we 

 entered the arctic precincts of the leucostictes, which, like 

 a gallant bodyguard, escorted us to the summit, cheering 

 us on with their friendly chirping. The bailiwicks of the 

 pipits and the rosy finches slightly overlapped, as did 

 also those of the pipits and the white-crowned sparrows 

 near the great mountain's base. However, no pipits 

 ventured to the upper story of this elevated region at 

 least, not at the time of our visit, although they may 

 have ascended to the summit later in the season. 



