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you mix of corn…meal three cups； flour one cup； sugar four spoonfuls； salt
one spoonful； baking…powder four spoonfuls； and lard twice as much as
for biscuits。 It also is good； very good。
The flapjack is first cousin to bread； very palatable； and extremely
indigestible when made of flour； as is ordinarily done。 However； the self…
raising buckwheat flour makes an excellent flapjack； which is likewise
good for your insides。 The batter is rather thin； is poured into the piping
hot greased pan； 〃flipped〃 when brown on one side； and eaten with
larrupy…dope or brown gravy。
When you come to consider potatoes and beans and onions and such
matters； remember one thing： that in the higher altitudes water boils at a
low temperature； and that therefore you must not expect your boiled food
to cook very rapidly。 In fact； you'd better leave beans at home。 We did。
Potatoes you can sometimes tease along by quartering them。
Rolled oats are better than oatmeal。 Put them in plenty of water and
boil down to the desired consistency。 In lack of cream you will probably
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want it rather soft。
Put your coffee into cold water； bring to a boil； let boil for about two
minutes； and immediately set off。 Settle by letting a half cup of cold
water flow slowly into the pot from the height of a foot or so。 If your
utensils are clean； you will surely have good coffee by this simple method。
Of course you will never boil your tea。
The sun was nearly down when we raised our long yell。 The cow…
puncher promptly responded。 We ate。 Then we smoked。 Then we
basely left all our dishes until the morrow； and followed our cow…
puncher to his log cabin； where we were to spend the evening。
By now it was dark； and a bitter cold swooped down from the
mountains。 We built a fire in a huge stone fireplace and sat around in the
flickering light telling ghost…stories to one another。 The place was rudely
furnished； with only a hard earthen floor； and chairs hewn by the axe。
Rifles； spurs； bits； revolvers； branding…irons in turn caught the light and
vanished in the shadow。 The skin of a bear looked at us from hollow
eye…sockets in which there were no eyes。 We talked of the Long Trail。
Outside the wind； rising； howled through the shakes of the roof
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XV
ON THE WIND AT NIGHT
The winds were indeed abroad that night。 They rattled our cabin；
they shrieked in our eaves； they puffed down our chimney； scattering the
ashes and leaving in the room a balloon of smoke as though a shell had
burst。 When we opened the door and stepped out； after our good…nights
had been said； it caught at our hats and garments as though it had been
lying in wait for us。
To our eyes； fire…dazzled； the night seemed very dark。 There would
be a moon later； but at present even the stars seemed only so many
pinpoints of dull metal； lustreless； without illumination。 We felt our way
to camp； conscious of the softness of grasses； the uncertainty of stones。
At camp the remains of the fire crouched beneath the rating of the
storm。 Its embers glowed sullen and red； alternately glaring with a half…
formed resolution to rebel； and dying to a sulky resignation。 Once a
feeble flame sprang up for an instant； but was immediately pounced on
and beaten flat as though by a vigilant antagonist。
We； stumbling； gathered again our tumbled blankets。 Across the
brow of the knoll lay a huge pine trunk。 In its shelter we respread our
bedding； and there； standing； dressed for the night。 The power of the
wind tugged at our loose garments； hoping for spoil。 A towel； shaken by
accident from the interior of a sweater； departed white…winged； like a bird；
into the outer blackness。 We found it next day caught in the bushes
several hundred yards distant。 Our voices as we shouted were snatched
from our lips and hurled lavishly into space。 The very breath of our
bodies seemed driven back； so that as we faced the elements； we breathed
in gasps； with difficulty。
Then we dropped down into our blankets。
At once the prostrate tree…trunk gave us its protection。 We lay in a
little back…wash of the racing winds； still as a night in June。 Over us
roared the battle。 We felt like sharpshooters in the trenches； as though；
were we to raise our heads； at that instant we should enter a zone of danger。
So we lay quietly on our backs and stared at the heavens。
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The first impression thence given was of stars sailing serene and
unaffected； remote from the turbulence of what until this instant had
seemed to fill the universe。 They were as always； just as we should see
them when the evening was warm and the tree…toads chirped clearly
audible at half a mile。 The importance of the tempest shrank。 Then
below them next we noticed the mountains； they too were serene and
calm。
Immediately it was as though the storm were an hallucination；
something not objective； something real； but within the soul of him who
looked upon it。 It claimed sudden kinship with those blackest days when
nevertheless the sun； the mere external unimportant sun； shines with
superlative brilliancy。 Emotions of a power to shake the foundations of
life seemed vaguely to stir in answer to these their hollow symbols。 For
after all； we were contented at heart and tranquil in mind； and this was but
the outer gorgeous show of an intense emotional experience we did not at
the moment prove。 Our nerves responded to it automatically。 We
became excited； keyed to a hig