My First Summer 



tangled or glued on the feet of water birds. 

 Anyhow, they are here and in hearty health 

 and voice. I like their cheery tronk and 

 crink. They take the place of song-birds at ' 

 a pinch. 



August i o. Another of those charming 

 exhilarating days that makes the blood dance 

 and excites nerve currents that render one 

 unweariable and well-nigh immortal. Had 

 another view of the broad ice-ploughed 

 divide, and gazed again and again at the 

 Sierra temple and the great red mountains 

 east of the meadows. 



We are camped near the Soda Springs on 

 the north side of the river. A hard time we 

 had getting the sheep across. They were 

 driven into a horseshoe bend and fairly 

 crowded off the bank. They seemed willing 

 to suffer death rather than risk getting wet, 

 though they swim well enough when they 

 have to. Why sheep should be so unreason- 

 ably afraid of water, I don't know, but they 

 do fear it as soon as they are born and per- 

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