16 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



air. With touch and clasp I kept in contact with 

 the trees. Again my nostrils picked up aspen 

 smoke. This time it was much stronger. Per- 

 haps I was near a house! But the whirling air 

 currents gave me no clue as to the direction from 

 which the smoke came, and only echoes responded 

 to my call. 



All my senses worked willingly in seeking wire- 

 less news to substitute for the eyes. My nose 

 readily detected odours and smoke. My ears 

 were more vigilant and more sensitive than usual. 

 My fingers, too, were responsive from the instant 

 that my eyes failed. Delightfully eager they were, 

 as I felt the snow-buried trees, hoping with touch 

 to discover possible trail blazes. My feet also were 

 quickly, steadily alert to translate the topography. 



Occasionally a cloud shadow passed over. In 

 imagination I often pictured the appearance of 

 these clouds against the blue sky and tried to esti- 

 mate the size of each by the number of seconds its 

 shadow took to drift across me. 



Mid-afternoon, or later, my nose suddenly de- 

 tected the odour of an ancient corral. This was a 

 sign of civilization. A few minutes later my staff 

 came in contact with the corner of a cabin. J 

 shouted " Hello !" but heard no answer. I con- 

 tinued feeling until I came to the door and found 

 that a board was nailed across it. The cabin was 

 locked and deserted ! I broke in the door. 



In the cabin I found a stove and wood. As 



