SNOW-BLINDED ON THE SUMMIT 17 



soon as I had a fire going I dropped snow upon the 

 stove and steamed my painful eyes. After two 

 hours or more of this steaming they became more 

 comfortable. Two strenuous days and one toil- 

 some night had made me extremely drowsy. Sit- 

 ting down upon the floor near the stove I leaned 

 against the wall and fell asleep. But the fire 

 burned itself out. In the night I awoke nearly 

 frozen and unable to rise. Fortunately, I had on 

 my mittens, otherwise my fingers probably would 

 have frozen. By rubbing my hands together, 

 then rubbing my arms and legs, I finally managed 

 to limber myself, and though unable to rise, I 

 succeeded in starting a new fire. It was more 

 than an hour before I ceased shivering; then, as 

 the room began to warm, my legs came back to 

 life and again I could walk. 



I was hungry. This was my first thought of 

 jfood since becoming blind. If there was anything 

 to eat in the cabin, I failed to find it. Searching 

 my pockets I found a dozen or more raisins and 

 with these I broke my sixty-hour fast. Then I 

 had another sleep, and it must have been near 

 noon when I awakened. Again I steamed the 

 eye pain into partial submission. 



Going to the door I stood and listened. A camp- 

 bird only a few feet away spoke gently and con- 

 fidingly. Then a crested jay called impatiently. 

 The camp-bird alighted on my shoulder. I tried 

 to explain to the birds that there was nothing to 



