Some Aspects of a Sierra Club Outing. 223 



the aristocrats are sooner or later bound to appear. 

 There is the aristocrat of cleanliness. On the dustiest 

 trail, over the smokiest camp-fire, he is seen always fresh 

 and immaculate. He must have been born clean, for he 

 spends no more time in the washing of face and raiment 

 than the rest of us do, and yet the result is so different! 

 The proverbial leopard who cannot change his spots is 

 bound by no more rigorous law than the aristocrat who 

 cannot acquire any ; stainless he is and stainless he remains 

 by no fault — or virtue — of his own, but he is not looked 

 on with favor by the spotted many. 



There is the aristocrat of leg and lung, the "hiker," 

 so called, who walks up perpendicular cliffs like a fly, 

 never misses the trail, and always reaches camp first. He 

 is harmless, but is not generally loved, for he is a little 

 overbearing and given to much talking of a certain cata- 

 logue of hours and distances which he keeps in his mind 

 and calls his record. 



Then there is the aristocrat of good-fellowship. He 

 can hike too, if he wants to, but he knows that one hour 

 of the trail is worth two in camp and that "to travel hope- 

 fully is better than to arrive." He may come late into 

 camp, but you may be sure he will come with a smile and 

 be ready on the instant to help cook dinner or to carry 

 half the dunnage-bags to their abiding-places for the 

 night. He will cobble your boots for you, he will mend 

 your clothes, and lend you his blankets when yours are 

 lost ; and though he will talk very little about it, his name 

 will be found on the highest peaks and the trout will have 

 reason to remember his rod. 



Life in the main camp is a degree more formal than 

 when on the trail. The main camp is a place where 



