AND OTHER JI TINTING ADVENTURES. 273 



in a mantle of spotless white, which the storm-king 

 had spread upon them a few days ago. 



Notwithstanding the lateness of the season, a few 

 musquitoes began to sing about our ears as soon as 

 the sun came up. Fish el, who was full of droll 

 good nature, observed them., 



" Well, look here," he said, as he broke the ice in 

 the water pail and dipped out a basinful to wash in, 

 "I'll be doggoned if here aint a lot of these measley 

 musquitoes buzzing around here with buffalo over- 

 coats on." 



The keen mountain air at this low temperature, 

 and the grand scenery with which we were sur- 

 rounded, combined to sharpen our appetites, and 

 our breakfast beside a rousing camp-fire was enjoyed 

 as only a meal can be enjoyed amid such surround- 

 ings. As soon as the sun had risen high enough 

 to banish the frost and warm the air slightly, the 

 grass all about us was set in. motion by thousands 

 of grasshoppers who gamboled playfully, in order, 

 apparently, to warm up their benumbed limbs 

 and get an appetite for breakfast. All hands then 

 turned out and harvested a goodly supply of them, 

 for we had been advised that the trout in that stream 

 would not take a fly so late in the season. 



Then we proceeded to business; the captain and 

 Dick fishing up the stream and I down, while Sam 

 took his rifle and went across the hills in search of 

 game. The stream, where we started in, was not 

 more than three to four feet wide and two feet deep 

 in the deepest holes, yet at the first cast I hooked a 

 trout that after a few vigorous plunges took the 

 barb off my hook and departed. I put on a new 



18 



