262 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



enjoy living in the midst of the great unknown in 

 a log cabin with one other person, and that person 

 no stronger than myself, with no conveniences, 

 and likely to be completely buried in snow at any 

 minute. 



"Now, if this hadn't been actually put before 

 me as a proposition, my theorizing might picture 

 it as the most wonderful experience I could wish 

 for — yes, I should love to be snowed in and have 

 wolves howl outside, and get the whole atmosphere 

 thoroughly absorbed into my system, as you prob- 

 ably have done already. ... I wonder if 

 you have sort of gone crazy about the place, the 

 way those wanderers do who go into the mountains 

 and never come back. If so, I think you need a 

 guardian. You must have some strong person 

 with you, and a dog, a big dog. Where is the 

 nearest doctor? Facts are not pleasant things 

 to rub into your dreams when you're dreaming, 

 but they're mighty pleasant things when you're 

 living." 



The wild predictions of the city lady, who had no 

 knowledge of the romance of homesteading, and 

 was without sympathy for the simple, splendid life 

 that may be lived in the mountain frontier, did not 

 come true. 



City people and others have listed several ab- 

 solute necessities for every homesteader: a gun, a 

 dog or a cat, a sewing machine, a victrola, a tele- 

 phone, a burro, and, of course, a companion. This 



