306 OUR NATIONAL PARKS 



ranks of Sequoia-crowned headlands stretching 

 far into the hazy distance, and plunging vaguely 

 down into profound canon depths foreshadowing 

 weeks of good work. I had now been out on 

 the trip more than a month, and I began to fear 

 my studies would be interrupted by snow, for 

 winter was drawing nigh. " Where there is n't 

 a way make a way," is easily said when no way 

 at the time is needed, but to the Sierra explorer 

 with a mule traveling across the canon lines of 

 drainage the brave old phrase becomes heavy 

 with meaning. There are ways across the Sierra 

 graded by glaciers, well marked, and followed 

 by men and beasts and birds, and one of them 

 even by locomotives ; but none natural or artifi- 

 cial along the range, and the explorer who 

 would thus travel at right angles to the glacial 

 ways must traverse canons and ridges extending 

 side by side in endless succession, roughened 

 by side gorges and gulches and stubborn chapar- 

 ral, and defended by innumerable sheer-fronted 

 precipices. My own ways are easily made in any 

 direction, but Brownie, though one of the tough- 

 est and most skillful of his race, was oftentimes 

 discouraged for want of hands, and caused end- 

 less work. Wild at first, he was tame enough 

 now ; and when turned loose he not only refused 

 to run away, but as his troubles increased came 

 to depend on me in such a pitiful, touching way, 

 I became attached to him and helped him as if 



