388 RECREATION 



poor country where a hunter can't find a arranging and assorting them in my 



good camp," said Pete to me while con- mind in their proper order and place. I 



versing on this subject. eliminated the dream portion from the 



Big Pete had chosen an ideal spot for realities with comparatively little trouble 



our present camp, located on a grassy until I reached the part where I had 



shelf on a hillside, with just sufficient awakened in the night, and had seen the 



grade for perfect drainage. Near by a wolves, the eagle, and the wild hunter, 



spring of ice-cold water burst from the This incident was yet unlabeled on ac- 



rocky foundation of the slope where count of the doubt in my mind as to its 



our campfire blazed. The water of the reality, when Big Pete, chancing to look 



spring fell upon some broken stone a my way, caught a glimpse of my face, 



few feet below, then ran gurgling over threw back his head, and burst forth 



a pebbly bed until it reached a swail into a peal of uproarious laughter, 



quite a distance from our camp, and "Slick and sa'tin! Tenderfoot," he 



from which we were sheltered by a exclaimed, "if you ain't got the worst 



dense and miasma-proof screen of for- head on I've seed in many a day! And 



est trees. oh ! oh ! what a James Dandy pair of 



"Moseyed, by gum ! I'll be tarnally black eyes ! And what a nose ! You 



tarnashuned if that spook hain't pulled look as if you'd been gander-plucked by 



out!" was the exclamation that awak- the grizzly!" And off he went again, 



ened me the morning after the bear- laughing until the tears ran down his 



hunt. cheeks. 



Lazily opening my eyes, I gazed a I must confess I felt grieved at my 

 moment at the sun, just rising over the friend's merriment. I thought it was 

 mountain, then closed them again to en- my hurry to assist him that caused my 

 joy that most alluring of all rests, the mishap. Of course, it did not then oc- 

 short morning sleep stolen from the ear- cur to me that it was my own blunder- 

 ly hours of the day, when you think a ing. We are so little in the habit of 

 little, then dream a little, until some- blaming ourselves when mishaps are en- 

 thing arouses you to the consciousness countered ; but when I tried to show my 

 that your dreams were but illustrations grieved feelings by a reproachful look 

 of your previous reveries, and without Pete shouted : 



effort you continue the same line of "Don't! Don't! If you look at me 



thought until imperceptibly and gradu- that way again it will kill me !" And 



ally it crystallizes, taking form and he rolled over on the sod in an ecstasy 



color and action, and you are once more of uncontrollable mirth, 



in dreamland. I resigned myself to the position, and 



I attempted to change my position, waited patiently for him to control his 



and a sharp pain in my ankle thorough- merriment ; when he at last tired of 



ly awakened me ; but still I lay quiet be- kicking his long legs in the air, and so- 



cause it was some time before I could bered up a bit, he asked me if I wanted 



collect my scattered senses, and separate a slip of cottonwood bark to put my hat 



in my mind the real incidents and the on with. I thanked him, and told him 



dream phantasms. I needed no shoe-horn for that purpose. 



The pain in my ankle, the swelled and He then went to the saddle-bags and 



irritated condition of my nose, plainly brought a small hand-mirror from my 



demonstrated to me that there was no scanty toilet-set, which he presented to 



dream about my injjuries. Upon rising me. I took one look at my scratched 



to a sitting posture, I discovered that face, and forgave Pete, especially as just 



my head and leg were neatly and skil- then the morning breeze coming my 



fully bandaged with strips of fine linen. way, filled my damaged nostrils with 



I sat for a while busily collecting the in- the fragrance of toasting meat, 



cidents of the past twenty-four hours, Ah, you overfed inhabitant of the 



