I20 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



of them, felt their way down with infinite caution, and 

 no detriment to their dignity. It was a comical sight to 

 see them move along so slowly and seriously, sitting on 

 their haunches, and it looked as though they were balking 

 against gravity. 



When " Johnny " reached the bottom, and was pro- 

 ceeding along in a careless manner, he suddenly fell into 

 a deep snow-hole. He must have stayed there for some 

 minutes before we missed him, for on looking around, 

 when about to put on his pack, we espied his nose, ears, 

 and pack-saddle just above the snow. We realized that 

 he must be uncomfortable and hastened to pry him out, 

 which process was effected by grabbing his nose and tail 

 and then his middle and lifting him out. When free from 

 his bondage he walked over to be packed unconcernedly, 

 — plucky little brute that he was, — for he must have been 

 almost frozen to death. All of the animals, maybe with- 

 out appreciating it mentally, displayed a lot of grit, for 

 none of them balked once through the day. 



Now followed as trying an experience as any that had 

 preceded. It was now 5 o'clock, but we still entertained 

 the vain hope of reaching feed that night. The floor of 

 the basin over which we now proceeded was a wicked 

 mixture of rocks and snow, absolutely the worst obstacle 

 that Nature puts in the way of animals in these parts. 



There was no way of continually keeping to the snow, 

 and, in passing from the snow to the rocks, the animals 

 would lunge into the caves which always occur at the 

 juncture of rocks and snow. In doing this they gashed 

 their legs frightfully, and only escaped cutting an artery 

 or breaking a leg by a miracle. On one occasion my 

 horse's hindquarters broke through the crust with such 



