252 CRUISINGS IN THE CASCADES 



Finally, after several days in this canon, they 

 reached the head of it and came ont on a high pla- 

 teau which was covered with ' heavy pine timber 

 interspersed with beautiful parks or meadows and 

 thickets of aspen and alder. Numerous springs boil- 

 ing up here coursed down into the canon from which 

 they had just emerged, and fed the creek which ran 

 through it. Pressing forward across this forma- 

 tion for a distance of about ten miles, they reached 

 the base of one of the great snow-capped peaks, 

 near the top of which they expected to tind the par- 

 ticular game of which they were in search. But 

 this mountain was so precipitous and so rough that 

 it was impossible for them to get their horses up it in 

 any way. They discussed various plans of accom- 

 plishing their object. It was highly dangerous to 

 leave their horses here alone, lest the bears or 

 mountain lions, which were so numerous in the 

 vicinity, should stampede and run them off. It was 

 impossible for either man to go alone and bring 

 down two of the skins and heads suitably prepared 

 for mounting, as they, with the other load which it 

 was necessary to take along, would be more than 

 any one man could carry. It would take two days 

 to make the ascent, have a few hours for hunting, 

 and return to where they then were, and in order to 

 pass the night at all comfortably in that high alti- 

 tude a liberal supply of blankets must be carried. 



They therefore decided, as the only feasible plan, 

 to make camp where they were and start up early 

 the next morning, leaving their horses behind. 

 They made all possible preparations that night, and 

 the next morning arose at four o'clock. By sunrise 



