The Effect Of The
Combination Of Winter And Summer Was Singular.
The trail ran on
the north side the whole time, and the snow lay deep and pure
white, while
Not a wreath of it lay on the south side, where
abundant lawns basked in the warm sun.
The pitch pine, with its monotonous and somewhat rigid form, had
disappeared; the white pine became scarce, both being displayed
by the slim spires and silvery green of the miniature silver
spruce. Valley and canyon were passed, the flaming ranges were
left behind, the upper altitudes became grim and mysterious. I
crossed a lake on the ice, and then came on a park surrounded by
barren contorted hills, overtopped by snow mountains. There, in
some brushwood, we crossed a deepish stream on the ice, which
gave way, and the fearful cold of the water stiffened my limbs
for the rest of the ride. All these streams become bigger as you
draw nearer to their source, and shortly the trail disappeared
in a broad rapid river, which we forded twice. The trail was
very difficult to recover. It ascended ever in frost and snow,
amidst scanty timber dwarfed by cold and twisted by storms,
amidst solitudes such as one reads of in the High Alps; there
were no sounds to be heard but the crackle of ice and snow, the
pitiful howling of wolves, and the hoot of owls. The sun to me
had long set; the peaks which had blushed were pale and sad; the
twilight deepened into green; but still "Excelsior!" There were
no happy homes with light of household fires; above, the spectral
mountains lifted their cold summits. As darkness came on I began
to fear that I had confused the cabin to which I had been
directed with the rocks. To confess the truth, I was cold, for
my boots and stockings had frozen on my feet, and I was hungry
too, having eaten nothing but raisins for fourteen hours. After
riding thirty miles I saw a light a little way from the track,
and found it to be the cabin of the daughter of the pleasant
people with whom I had spent the previous night. Her husband had
gone to the Plains, yet she, with two infant children, was living
there in perfect security. Two pedlars, who were peddling their
way down from the mines, came in for a night's shelter soon after
I arrived - ill-looking fellows enough. They admired Birdie in a
suspicious fashion, and offered to "swop" their pack horse for
her. I went out the last thing at night and the first thing in
the morning to see that "the powny" was safe, for they were very
importunate on the subject of the "swop." I had before been
offered 150 dollars for her. I was obliged to sleep with the
mother and children, and the pedlars occupied a room within ours.
It was hot and airless. The cabin was papered with the
Phrenological Journal, and in the morning I opened my eyes on the
very best portrait of Dr. Candlish I ever saw, and grieved truly
that I should never see that massive brow and fantastic face
again.
Mrs. Link was an educated and very intelligent young woman.
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