A NIGHT ON SHASTA'S SUMMIT 



name in a frightened, startled way, each fear- 

 ing the other might be benumbed or dead. The 

 ordinary sensations of cold give but a faint 

 conception of that which comes on after hard 

 climbing with want of food and sleep in such 

 exposure as this. Life is then seen to be a fire, 

 that now smoulders, now brightens, and may 

 be easily quenched. The weary hours wore 

 away like dim half-forgotten years, so long 

 and eventful they seemed, though we did 

 nothing but suffer. Still the pain was not al- 

 ways of that bitter, intense kind that precludes 

 thought and takes away all capacity for enjoy- 

 ment. A sort of dreamy stupor came on at 

 times in which we fancied we saw dry, resinous 

 logs suitable for campfires, just as after going 

 days without food men fancy they see bread. 



Frozen, blistered, famished, benumbed, our 

 bodies seemed lost to us at times — all dead 

 but the eyes. For the duller and fainter we 

 became the clearer was our vision, though only 

 in momentary glimpses. Then, after the sky 

 cleared, we gazed at the stars, blessed immor- 

 tals of light, shining with marvelous brightness 

 with long lance rays, near-looking and new- 

 looking, as if never seen before. Again they 

 would look familiar and remind us of star- 

 gazing at home. Oftentimes imagination com- 

 ing into play would present charming pictures 



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