154 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



often in strata overlapping like the layers of an onion, — 

 a circumstance in itself, by association of ideas, far from 

 disagreeable to the mind of the hungry mountaineer. 



No trip would be complete without an occasional 

 bother with pack-animals; we had something of this 

 sort in the disappearance near Pattee Meadow of one 

 of the mules with his precious burden. Two of us had 

 stayed behind to remonstrate with the Skate, who had 

 refused to keep up, and when we pushed on, after a 

 brief delay, the new mule, who was ahead, had dis- 

 appeared, and, not knowing his precise personal equa- 

 tion, we feared that he had lit out or perchance lost 

 interest in the expedition and come to the decision that 

 home and a life of leisure possessed greater charm than 

 strange scenes, however fair. For half or three quarters 

 of an hour we had the hateful sensation of ''lost stock," 

 during which time we scurried around over the face of 

 the earth in a manner not dissimilar to that in which 

 ants disport themselves when their domicile has been 

 disturbed; till all at once, apparently from nowhere in 

 particular, just as happens in a dream, there was the 

 lost mule again in the trail, racking along at his best 

 gait to find us, apparently as much interested in the 

 celerity of progress as we were ourselves. Many scat- 

 tered boulders were here, and perhaps he had chosen 

 one of these with some exercise of good judgment be- 

 hind which for the moment to hide. Our joy at seeing 

 him again effaced all resentment, and every one good- 

 humoredly swung into line. 



Camp was made at Rowell Meadow; once a good 

 pasture, now infested with cattle. Feed was correspond- 

 ingly short ; but nothing better was in sight, so they had 

 to go through the empty motions of filHng their bellies, 

 and we were up bright and early to get on our way 

 and give them a more satisfying opportunity. The senior 

 partner of our pleasant band was stirring at 4 o'clock, 

 and had changed all of the pickets before the rest 

 of us were awake. The distinguished-looking vaquero. 



