94 THE LOG OF A TIMBER CRUISER 
a week’s work away, was the Animas, of which we 
had already heard so much. We anticipated, half in 
relief, half in anxiety, an early encounter with this 
dreaded canyon and its tributaries. 
But just at this time the rainy season rather unex- 
pectedly set in. A mild drizzle began on the seven- 
teenth of June and was followed by a steady down- 
pour that lasted’ three days. We spent this time in 
camp, jibing the contours of adjoining runs and 
transferring maps and estimates from our field note- 
books to permanent section plats. Then on the 
twenty-first Frazer decided to cross to the west side 
and work northward from where we had left off un- 
til the constant rain should cease. 
“Tf we attempt the Animas now,’’ he explained, 
‘‘we’ll find ourselves up against it for fair. We 
could never stand that and the rain at the same 
time.’’ 
Some of us who had never gone through a rainy 
season in the mountains were inclined to believe the 
move unnecessary, but later were prone to admit its 
wisdom. For besides the usual difficulties the 
eruiser had now the added discomfort of being wet 
through at least once a day. 
Each morning we started out under a cloudless 
sky. Almost invariably, as the forenoon wore along, 
a storm would overtake us. It was usually heralded 
by a first faint mutter of thunder, just audible. A 
few moments later a small black cloud appeared 
