IVith the Sierra Club in 1914 



249 



sank his little bill, over and over again, until all were thor- 

 oughly investigated. At the end of this fruitless activity, 

 he sat down on the handkerchief as if he thought it were 

 a shrub. This, we think, more than authenticates the old 

 anecdote about Apelles. 



The great social event of the entire trip was the Club's 

 participation in the Fourth of July celebration of Yosemite 

 village. A parade, some two hundred strong, marched from 

 our camp to the center of festivities, a striking example 

 of the marvels that can be accomplished when creative 

 genius works upon even the most frugal materials. From 

 thirty-pound packs, of which one-half was composed solely 

 of shoes, bed, and tooth brush, emerged elaborate cos- 

 tumes for a fife and drum corps, American Indians, Scotch 

 Highlanders, Arctic explorers and tourists. Triumphant 

 music led us on, and our path was strewn with veritable 

 hard-tack. It may be added that a cash prize amounting 

 to two dollars and fifty cents in American money was 

 awarded to one of our number for the most beautiful cos- 

 tume of the day. Furthermore, a native was heard to mur- 

 mur as we passed : ''Do you suppose they've dressed up 

 special, or is this the way the Club always dresses on it^i 

 hikes?" 



On Monday morning, the sixth of July, with numbers 

 augmented to a grand total of two hundred and thirty- 

 five we rose early and took up our march to Little Yo- 

 semite. Those of us who were new Sierrans learned our 

 first two lessons of the march : that real hard tack, well 

 chewed, is the sweetest of earth's gustatory pleasures, and 

 that when to this is added a square of rich cheese and a 

 bit of salty beef, the viands become sublimated, divine; 

 also that water scooped up in a tin C4'p from cold rills of 

 liquid Sierran snow quenches no mortal thirst. It is stage 

 water, and the mere gesture of drinkin is all there is to 

 the whole performance. 



It was a short trip and beautiful. Ever to be remembered 

 was Vernal Falls in the gray early morning light, a tre- 

 mendous, down-plunging solid column of - vater with sur- 

 face marvelously fretted with darting rocke*:s of foam and 



