CHAPTER I 



SNOW-BLINDED ON THE SUMMIT 



^S I climbed up out of the dwarfed woods 

 /-\ at timberline in the Rocky Mountains, 

 and started across the treeless white sum- 

 mit, the terrific sun glare on the snow warned 

 me of the danger of snow-blindness. I had lost 

 my snow glasses. But the wild attractions 

 of the heights caused me to forget the care of 

 my eyes and I lingered to look down into canons 

 and to examine magnificent snow cornices. 

 A number of mountain sheep also interested 

 me. Then for half an hour I circled a con- 

 fiding flock of ptarmigan and took picture after 

 picture. 



Through the clear air the sunlight poured with 

 burning intensity. I was 12,000 feet above the 

 sea. Around me there was not a dark crag nor 

 even a tree to absorb the excess of light. A wilder- 

 ness of high, rugged peaks stood about — splendid 

 sunlit mountains of snow. To east and west they 

 faced winter's noonday sun with great shadow 

 mantles flowing from their shoulders. 



As I started to hurry on across the pass I began 

 to experience the scorching pains that go with 



