148 CAMP FIRE REMINISCENCES 
some little ponds on a small plateau covered with 
short grass and overlooking a vast basin, at the bot- 
tom of which we could see azure spots which rep- 
resented lakes, set in the usual dark green forest. 
A. deep canyon led away from this basin which 
I was told was one of the best places for sheep. 
We spent a long time examining the cliffs for white 
spots, but not seeing any, retraced our steps. On 
the way back, we frequently heard the peculiar 
whistle of the marmot, and for a time could not 
make out what it was. 
I was the first to arrive at camp, C. and J. coming 
in as it was getting dark, and dragging with them 
the skins of three big goats which they had been 
fortunate enough to meet, face to face, on a ledge 
just as they turned a corner. The one killed by 
C. was the largest, but they were all fine, and 
the horns were thick. Now that there was game 
in camp we were very cheerful, and decided to 
move our quarters one day’s pack further in, so 
next morning we sent a man with an axe to clear 
a trail for the horses into a quiet valley of which 
Dawson knew, and which had not been visited by 
man for some years. We started about nine, and 
going down the valley reached two little lakes 
around which there were plenty of elk tracks. 
Passing on, we came to heavy timber, and seeing 
some fresh blazes, turned west up a rather steep 
slope. The man with the axe had been ahead, 
boughs had been cut and occasional logs chopped so 
that the pack animals were able to get through. No 
unnecessary chopping had been done, and one unac- 
