Inspection of Pike's Peak in its Winter Season. 197 



must solve before the following night pulled its shadows over us. It 

 was agreed that we must make a very early start on the morrow and 

 that we should try and get as much rest as possible to prepare for the 

 coming struggle. So we " turned in " on that pile of buffalo robes, 

 bear skins, horse blankets, etc., in the corner of the room, dispensing 

 with all unnecessary toilet preparations. 



It was a novel experience and I was not tired enough to be per- 

 fectly oblivious of my surroundings. Morpheus could not control me 

 except by snatches of sleep. My thoughts flitted from one thing to 

 another and finally rested upon the probability of coming into bodily 

 contact with one of those monstrous mountain rodents which our host 

 had been spinning pretty large yarns about. I had just arrived at the 

 conclusion that his statements were hardly creditable, when I was 

 startled by a crash that seemed to shake the cabin. Upon recovering 

 my senses, I discovered that the Sergeant was shaking as if he had the 

 ague. I first thought that he was completely overcome by fright, 

 but in a moment realized that the source of his disturbance was an 

 attempt to suppress laughter. Just as he was about to explain the 

 situation there came another crash, followed by thumping leaps 

 from one side of the room to the other. The Sergeant called out 

 "Mountain rats !" and then I quietly subsided. The crash was due 

 to their running along the pantry shelves, in the kitchen, and knock- 

 ing off every culinary utensil on the floor. These mountain rats have 

 webbed legs, like the flying squirrel, and are of enormous size. 

 They can survive the coldest weather and are found in great numbers 

 on the Peak. 



At 6:30 in the morning we were ready for a renewal of the journey. 

 We first held a consultation, the mountaineer being invited to join in 

 the discussion, to determine whether it was best to go on foot or use the 

 mules. It was finally decided to employ the mules as long as possible and 

 then send them back to the "Half-way House" in care of the mount- 

 aineer. For about four miles the trail passed over a high table-land, 

 completely encircled by towering cones, which had the appearance of 

 having been, in past ages, the bed of a mountain lake. A portion of it 

 was covered with wiry grass and the remainder with bushes and various 

 kinds of stunted pine. There was little or no snow on the grassy por- 

 tion, but upon entering the timber it was all about us and rapidly 

 increased in depth as we advanced. We soon lost the trail and then 

 almost immediately the mules became unmanageable and, in plunging 

 about, sank into the snow up to their necks. They came near dragging 

 us down the mountain side before it was possible to extricate them, and 



