of che southern oierra 1'orest. Ilia pride in hia own district 

 was evidently aroused. K would show us a view whioh he was 



lief everything I had seen. In order to reaoli a 

 vantc_;e point iron whioh to witness the -j.^orane and fron 

 whioh'l would also "be able to see a lar^e part of the I'.aripo- 

 sa Ranker District, and also to enable ne to inspect an im- 

 portant factor in fire protection, we made undoubtedly the steep- 

 ascent which I had ever attempted en horseback, and at 

 its end reached a fire-line whioh MoJ.eod had under -process of 

 construction, a '.Tide, olear break piled ten and fifteen feet 



1: with brush whioh was later to be burned, '..e followed the 

 firo break up hill and down dale, regardless of ^rado, and it 

 was hard going in the nev/ly plowed earth bristling with shc.rp, 

 freshly-cut stumps and snags. But the prospect of the scene 



miaed us at our journey's end spurred me on. I>"rjv tir.es 

 already had I fceen rewarded for a particularly arduous climb 

 the vista from the summit, ar.d this vras to be an especial 

 treat after an especially hard climb. Keanwhile, I had tried 

 not to see the clouds feathering, or the mist vhioh "as rapidly 

 stealing in around us, but turned up ny ooc.t ooll&r and hoped. 

 ;as third in line a bad third, as I usually wao rhen rid- 

 over rouh country with these seasoned veterans, and Pat 

 was kept busy riding-l*- running back to see if I were still 

 ocning. ",rhen I did reach the top, my friends had already dis- 

 mounted, and IIoLeod was standing like irapol.eon in the pasa of 

 ..Ips. But how dejected! He pathetically wcved his hand 

 rd whet I assumed, was the panorama. "The view was off 

 there", was all that he said, and I thought I detected a minor 

 note ii: his voice. Cur vision could not pierce five feet into 

 o mist. 



"father may interfere with a Torest officer's vision, but 

 not with his industry. The mist turned to rain, but we upheld 

 the traditions of the oervioo that ?.iteraoon by diS in 6 a <puar- 

 cer of a mile of post holes and toting the posts to the:n. I 

 generously and unerringly picked out all the rooty places in 

 which to dis ny holes, so of course seemingly dug less than 

 ay share. I can assure you that I did not do less than my 

 shar of toil. 3teween the four of us (Duncan hid arrived on 

 t;-.e scene), we managed to earry ten posts a trip. Cnoe or trwlo 

 carried as many as two. 



The last day of my stay in the Forest was devoted to an 

 '.er.pt to reach Signal Peak Lookout. Again the late snows 

 stood in the way. Rangers I'.oLeod and Duncan and Lookout Snith- 

 er had started from their homes about four in the morning and 



