SOU/iCES OF THE SASKATCHEWAN 127 



a great saving of energy in forcing our way through the under- 

 brush. The sunlight was painfully brilliant on the snow, which 

 was Fully a foot in depth at 7,000 feet. At this altitude, in a last 

 clump of spruce trees, I hung my camera to a branch and took 

 a short rest, as the climb so far had been very exhausting. 



A Iter a pause of ten minutes the sharp air urged a recommence- 

 ment of the ascent. The brilliant glare of an hour previous had 

 given place to a somewhat cloudy sky, as a belt of heavy cirrus 

 was drifting along over the mountains in a great line running 

 north and south. The sun shone through it feebly, and was sur- 

 rounded by a halo. I soon began to have doubts of my ability 

 to succeed in the ascent, as my strength began to fail under so 

 much exertion in the deep snow. The bushes, rocks, and other 

 inequalities of the ground were buried, so that I frequently 

 stumbled and fell. Moreover, it now became apparent that the 

 size of the mountain had been much underestimated, for the 

 heights on the right rose tremendously even after an altitude of 

 7,500 feet had been reached. The inclination was very steep, 

 and the glare of the now returned sun on the vast expanse of 

 snow and the absence of anything to fasten the eyes upon for 

 relief produced a curious sensation of dizziness, due perhaps in 

 part to exhaustion. I felt, however,. the importance of reaching 

 the summit, as it meant practically the success of the entire trip. 

 Moreover, the extraordinarily fine weather on this critical day 

 of the trip seemed too providential to be lost from any lack of 

 exertion or ambition. 



Summoning, then, all my resolution, I made reasonable pro- 

 gress for a time, but soon, in spite of every eager desire for suc- 

 cess and ambition to reach the summit, the contest between 

 will-power and tired muscles became doubtful, as the snow grew 

 deeper with higher altitude, the slope steeper, and the far-off 

 summit seemed no nearer. Every few yards- of progress was 

 invariably terminated by a fall in the snow, and it seemed better 

 tn rest for a moment in whatever position chance had it than to 

 get up at once. 



A little later a view appeared that in itself well repaid the 

 labor of the climb. On the right Avas an expanse of spotless 

 snow, exceedingly steep, vast in extent, and dazzling in bril- 

 liancy. Its rounded contours were sharply outlined against the 

 sky, but there was no interruption of stone or cliff in the mo- 

 notonous covering of snow, nor any scale b}' which to judge of 

 size or distance. The chief object of interest in the view was a 



