of t$ 



gusty winds on mountain-slopes " sometimes 

 shoot off a cannon." These explosive blasts 

 touch only a short, narrow space, but in this 

 they are almost irresistible. 



Isolated clouds often soften and beautify the 

 stern heights as they silently float and drift 

 among peaks and passes. Flocks of these sky 

 birds frequently float about together. On sunny 

 days, in addition to giving a charm to the peaks, 

 their restless shadows never tire of readjusting 

 themselves and are ever trying to find a found- 

 ation or a place of rest upon the tempestuous 

 topography of the heights below. Now and then 

 a deep, dense cloud-stratum will cover the crests 

 and envelop the summit slopes for days. These 

 vapory strata usually feel but little wind and 

 they vary in thickness from a few hundred to a 

 few thousand feet. Sometimes one of these rests 

 so serenely that it suggests an aggregation of 

 clouds pushed off to one side because temporarily 

 the sky does not need them elsewhere for either 

 decorative or precipitative purposes. Now and 

 then they do drop rain or snow, but most of 

 the time they appear to be in a procrastinating 



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