od cheer and lightness of heart, he hopped about on the snow,
picking dainties from his immaculate tablecloth, and permitting us to
approach him quite close before he thought it worth while to take to
wing. We were happy indeed to meet so companionable a little friend, one
that, amid these lonely and awe-inspiring heights, seemed to feel so
much at ease and exhibited so confiding a disposition. Was it fancy or
was it really true? He appeared to be giving us a hospitable welcome to
his alpine home, telling us we might venture upward into cloudland or
skyland without peril; then, to make good his assurance, he mounted
upward on resilient wings to prove how little danger there was. We were
doubly glad for our little seer, for just then we needed someone to
"prophesy smooth things" to us. The bird was the brown-capped
leucosticte or rosy finch. Thus far I have used the singular number, but
the plural would have been more accurate, for there were many of these
finches on the acclivity and summit, all of them in a most cheerful
mood, their good will and cordial welcome giving us a pleasant feeling
of comradery as we journeyed together up the mountain side.

Our climb up Gray's Peak was a somewhat memorable event in our
experience, and I am disposed to dwell upon it. The valley which we had
followed terminates in a deep gorge, filled with drift snow the year
round, no doubt, and wedging itself between Gray's and Torrey's
shoulders and peaks. Here the melting snows form the head waters of
Clear Creek, whose sinuous course we had followed by rail, foot, and
burro from the city of Denver.

The trail, leaving the ravine, meandered up a shoulder of the mountain,
wheeled to the left and crept along a ridge, with some fine,
blood-curdling abysses on the eastern side; then went zigzagging back
and forth on the precipitous wall of Gray's titanic mount, until at
last, with a long pull and a strong pull, it scaled the backbone of the
ridge. All this, however, is much more easily told than done. Later in
the season, when the trail is clear of snow-drifts, sure-footed horses
and burros are ridden to the summit; but we were too early to follow the
trail even on foot. Indeed, many persons familiar with the mountains had
declared that we could not reach the top so early in the season, on
account of the large snow-banks that still covered the trail. Even the
old miner, who in the valley below pointed out the peak to us,
expressed grave doubts