it. It is a steep and slippery way, and
in many places it is not safe to ride the horses. The sub-arctic
climate of the summit is left behind, and one is soon surrounded
by dense and luxuriant vegetation. Such a change as this, in a
short distance, shows how greatly elevation affects climate and
plant growth.

Upon every hand there is the sound of rushing water. From the cliffs
ribbon-like cascades are falling. The rivulets unite in one stream,
which roars and tumbles down the canon over logs and boulders. The
trail crosses and recrosses the torrent until the water becomes
too deep for fording, and then it leads one to a rude bridge made
of two logs with split planks laid across them.

As the canon widens, the trail leads farther from the river and
through dense forests. The woods are so silent that they become
oppressive, and the air is damp, for the sunlight is almost excluded.
The tall trees, fir, hemlock, and spruce, with now and then a cedar,
stand close together. Shrubs of many kinds are crowded among them,
while mosses and ferns cover the ground. The fallen trunks are
wrapped in moss, and young trees are growing upon them, drawing
their nourishment from the decaying tissues. In the more open spots
grow the salal bushes with their purple berries, the yellow salmon
berries, and the blue-black huckleberries.

It is difficult to get an idea of the density of a Washington forest,
or of the character of the streams, unless one has actually taken
a trip through the region. If one wishes to escape the forest by
following the streams, he will find the path blocked by fallen trees.
It is necessary continually to climb over or under obstructions,
and the traveller is fortunate if he does not fall into the cold
water. Upon the banks it is even worse; one must struggle through
dense prickly bushes and ferns, and be tripped every few rods.
Though the forest may appear at first to offer an easier way, it
will soon be found that creeping and crawling through the undergrowth
of bushes and young trees is exceedingly tiresome, and one will
gladly return to the muddy trail, thankful for its guidance.

The mountains become less precipitous and the canon widens to a
valley, until at last the trail comes out at a clearing where the
Cascade River joins the Skagit. At this point, known as Marble
Mountain, there is a ferry, also a store and several other buildings.
The cleared fields seem a relief after many miles of dense forest,
b