femt Jbe 



be the early victim of eager running water and 

 insatiable gravity. 



Probably the part of this burn that was most 

 completely devastated was a tract of four or five 

 hundred acres in a zone a little below timber- 

 line. Here stood a heavy forest on solid rock 

 in thirty-two inches of humus. The tree-roots 

 burned with the humus, and down crashed the 

 trees into the flames. The work of a thousand 

 years was undone in a day! 



The loss of animal life in this fire probably 

 was not heavy; in five or six days of exploring 

 I came upon fewer than three dozen fire vic- 

 tims of all kinds. Among the dead were ground- 

 hogs, bobcats, snowshoe rabbits, and a few 

 grouse. Flying about the waste were crested 

 jays, gray jays ("camp birds "), and magpies. 

 Coyotes came early to search for the feast pre- 

 pared by the fire. 



During the second day's exploration on the 

 burn, a grizzly bear and I came upon two roasted 

 deer in the end of a gulch. I was first to arrive, 

 so Mr. Grizzly remained at what may have been 

 a respectful distance, restlessly watching me. 



149 



