46 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



undrifted snow. Southward it extended mile after 

 mile, rising higher and higher into the sky in broken, 

 snow-covered peaks. To the north the few small 

 broken cliffs and low buttes emphasized the track- 

 less solitude. This plateau or moorland was less 

 than one mile wide and comparatively smooth. 

 Its edges descended precipitously two thousand 

 feet into cirques and canons. 



Southward I travelled along the nearly level 

 expanse of undrifted snow. Looking back along 

 the line of my ski tracks, I saw a mountain lion 

 leisurely cross from east to west. Apparently 

 she had come up out of the woods for mad play and 

 slaughter among the unfortunate snowbound folk 

 of the summit. She stopped at my tracks for an 

 interested look, turned her head, and glanced 

 back along the way I had come. Then her eyes 

 appeared to follow my tracks to the boulder pile 

 from behind which I was then looking. 



Playfully bouncing off the snow, she struck into 

 my ski prints with one forepaw, lightly as a kitten. 

 Then she dived into them, pretended to pick up 

 something between her forepaws, reared, and with 

 a swing tossed it into the air. Then her playful 

 mood changed and she started on across the Divide. 

 After several steps she stopped, looking back as if 

 she had forgotten something but was a little too 

 lazy to retrace her steps. But finally she came 

 back. She walked along my ski tracks for a few 

 steps, then began to romp, now and then making 



