132 BEACH GRASS 



its display. A series of white streamers radiated 

 from the zenith, constantly waving and changing 

 their places. Whole sections of the sky glowed a 

 blood red, as if it reflected a mighty conflagra- 

 tion or a mighty slaughter, and the snow was 

 tinged with the crimson flood. When this crim- 

 son sky was crossed with bars of white with here 

 and there patches of dark blue, it needed little 

 imagination to picture a draping of the sky with 

 Old Glory. 



On another occasion the whole sky was marked 

 by waving, curving sheets of light, concentrated 

 in spots or radiating from the zenith. The col- 

 ors were varied and delicate, suggestive at times 

 of the rainbow, at times of the lovely greens 

 and yellows of the lunar moth. These rays and 

 folds of color moved about with great speed and 

 resembled the waving of soft silken draperies — a 

 skirt dance of the skies. The Cree Indians call 

 the aurora "the dance of the spirits." 



The climate in this part of the country varies 

 irregularly not only from year to year, but also 

 from day to day. A sunny, balmy day in winter, 

 may be suddenly interrupted by a blizzard of 



