按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
no feed； no comfort； and the way is strewn with the bones of horses。
This is known as the 〃Basin Trail。〃 After taking it； you prefer the others…
…until you try them。
The finish of the second route is directly over the summit of a
mountain。 You climb two thousand feet and then drop down five。 The
ascent is heart… breaking but safe。 The descent is hair…raising and unsafe：
no profanity can do justice to it。 Out of a pack…train of thirty mules； nine
were lost in the course of that five thousand feet。 Legend has it that once
many years ago certain prospectors took in a Chinese cook。 At first the
Mongolian bewailed his fate loudly and fluently； but later settled to a
single terrified moan that sounded like 〃tu…ne…mah！ tu…ne… mah！〃 The
trail was therefore named the 〃Tu…ne… mah Trail。〃 It is said that 〃tu…ne…
mah〃 is the very worst single vituperation of which the Chinese language
is capable。
The third route is called 〃Hell's Half Mile。〃 It is not misnamed。
Thus like paradise the canon is guarded； but like paradise it is
wondrous in delight。 For when you descend you find that the tape…wide
trickle of water seen from above has become a river with profound
darkling pools and placid stretches and swift dashing rapids； that the dark
green sluggish flow in the canon…bed has disintegrated into a noble forest
with great pine…trees； and shaded aisles； and deep dank thickets； and brush
openings where the sun is warm and the birds are cheerful； and groves of
cottonwoods where all day long softly； like snow； the flakes of cotton float
down through the air。 Moreover there are meadows； spacious lawns；
opening out； closing in； winding here and there through the groves in the
manner of spilled naphtha； actually waist high with green feed； sown with
flowers like a brocade。 Quaint tributary little brooks babble and murmur
down through these trees； down through these lawns。 A blessed warm
76
… Page 77…
THE MOUNTAINS
sun hums with the joy of innumerable bees。 To right hand and to left； in
front of you and behind； rising sheer； forbidding； impregnable； the cliffs；
mountains； and ranges hem you in。 Down the river ten miles you can go：
then the gorge closes； the river grows savage； you can only look down the
tumbling fierce waters and turn back。 Up the river five miles you can go；
then interpose the sheer snow…clad cliffs of the Palisades； and them； rising
a matter of fourteen thousand feet； you may not cross。 You are shut in
your paradise as completely as though surrounded by iron bars。
But； too； the world is shut out。 The paradise is yours。 In it are trout
and deer and grouse and bear and lazy happy days。 Your horses feed to
the fatness of butter。 You wander at will in the ample though definite
limits of your domain。 You lie on your back and examine dispassionately；
with an interest entirely detached； the huge cliff…walls of the valley。
Days slip by。 Really； it needs at least an angel with a flaming sword to
force you to move on。
We turned away from our view and addressed ourselves to the task of
finding out just when we were going to get there。 The first day we
bobbed up and over innumerable little ridges of a few hundred feet
elevation； crossed several streams； and skirted the wide bowl…like
amphitheatre of a basin。 The second day we climbed over things and
finally ended in a small hanging park named Alpine Meadows； at an
elevation of eight thousand five hundred feet。 There we rested…over a
day； camped under a single pine… tree； with the quick…growing mountain
grasses thick about us； a semicircle of mountains on three sides； and the
plunge into the canon on the other。 As we needed meat； we spent part of
the day in finding a deer。 The rest of the time we watched idly for bear。
Bears are great travelers。 They will often go twenty miles overnight；
apparently for the sheer delight of being on the move。 Also are they
exceedingly loath to expend unnecessary energy in getting to places； and
they hate to go down steep hills。 You see； their fore legs are short。
Therefore they are skilled in the choice of easy routes through the
mountains； and once having made the choice they stick to it until through
certain narrow places on the route selected they have worn a trail as
smooth as a garden…path。 The old prospectors used quite occasionally to
77
… Page 78…
THE MOUNTAINS
pick out the horse…passes by trusting in general to the bear migrations； and
many a well…traveled route of to…day is superimposed over the way…
through picked out by old bruin long ago。
Of such was our own trail。 Therefore we kept our rifles at hand and
our eyes open for a straggler。 But none came； though we baited craftily
with portions of our deer。 All we gained was a rattlesnake； and he
seemed a bit out of place so high up in the air。
Mount Tunemah stood over against us； still twenty…two hundred feet
above our elevation。 We gazed on it sadly； for directly by its summit； and
for five hours beyond； lay our trail； and evil of reputation was that trail
beyond all others。 The horses； as we bunched them in preparation for the
packing； took on a new interest； for it was on the cards that the unpacking
at evening would find some missing from the ranks。
〃Lily's a goner； sure；〃 said Wes。 〃I don't know how she's got this far
except by drunken man's luck。 She'll never make the Tunemah。〃
〃And Tunemah himself；〃 pointed out the Tenderfoot； naming his
own fool horse； 〃I see where I start in to walk。〃
〃Sort of a ‘morituri te salutamur；' 〃 said I。
We climbed the two thousand two hundred feet； leading our saddle…
horses to save their strength。 Every twenty feet we rested； breathing
heavily of the rarified air。 Then at the top of the world we paused on the
brink of nothing to tighten cinches； while the cold wind swep