the aid of signs,
easily comprehended the old man's simple ideas. 'Rock upon rock--rock
upon rock--snow upon snow--snow upon snow,' said he; 'even if you get
over the snow, you will not be able to get down from the mountains.' He
made us the sign of precipices, and showed us how the feet of the horses
would slip, and throw them off from the narrow trails led along their
sides. Our Chinook, who comprehended even more readily than ourselves,
and believed our situation hopeless, covered his head with his blanket,
and began to weep and lament. 'I wanted to see the whites,' said he; 'I
came away from my own people to see the whites, and I wouldn't care to
die among them; but here'--and he looked around into the cold night and
gloomy forest, and, drawing his blanket over his head, began again to
lament.

"Seated around the tree, the fire illuminating the rocks and the tall
boils of the pines round about, and the old Indian haranguing, we
presented a group of very serious faces.

"February 5.--The night had been too cold to sleep, and we were up very
early. Our guide was standing by the fire with all his finery on;
and seeing him shiver in the cold, I threw on his shoulders one of my
blankets. We missed him a few minutes afterwards, and never saw him
again. He had deserted. His bad faith and treachery were in perfect
keeping with the estimate of Indian character, which a long intercourse
with this people had gradually forced upon my mind.

"While a portion of the camp were occupied in bringing up the baggage to
this point, the remainder were busied in making sledges and snowshoes. I
had determined to explore the mountain ahead, and the sledges were to be
used in transporting the baggage.

"Crossing the open basin, in a march of about ten miles we reached the
top of one of the peaks, to the left of the pass indicated by our guide.
Far below us, dimmed by the distance, was a large, snowless valley,
bounded on the western side, at the distance of about a hundred miles,
by a low range of mountains, which Carson recognized with delight as
the mountains bordering the coast. 'There,' said he, 'is the little
mountain--it is fifteen years ago since I saw it; but I am just as sure
as if I had seen it yesterday.' Between us, then, and this low coast
range, was the valley of the Sacramento; and no one who had not
accompanied us through the incidents of our life for the last few
months, could realize the delight with which at last we l