essly through the forest, charged with the unutterable stillness
of infinite ethereal space; but, as the shadows paled, there was
unfolded a fairyland of enchanted wonders that I shall always remember.
Invisible hands of artistry had draped the countless pines with garlands
and wreaths of white with filmy aigrettes and huge, ponderous globes and
festoons woven by the frost in an exquisite and fantastic handiwork; and
when the sun came out, as it did for a few moments, every ornament on
those decorated Christmas trees glittered and twinkled with the magic of
ten thousand candles. It was enchanted toyland spread before us and we
were held spell bound by a profusion of airy wonders that unfolded
without end as we threaded our way through the forest flanked by the
straight, towering trunks.

After a few miles the ponies could go no further through the high
drifts, so we left them and made our way on snowshoes a long distance to
a group of log houses the reported rendezvous of the Bolsheviks, but
there were no Bolos there, nor any signs of recent occupancy, so we
burned the huts and very wearily dragged our snow shoes the long way
back to the ponies. They were wet with sweat when we left them belly
deep in the snow; but there they were, waiting with an attitude of
patient resignation truly Russian and they made the journey homeward
with more speed and in higher spirits than when they came. There is only
one thing tougher than the Russian pony and that is his driver, for the
worthies who conducted us on this lengthy journey walked most of the way
through the snow and in the intense cold, eating a little black bread,
washed down with hot tea, and sleeping not at all.

[Illustration: Hundreds of men standing in front of a towering white
building.]
WAGNER
Something Like a Selective Draft

[Illustration: Several soldiers under a log shelter, tending an
artillery piece.]
WAGNER
Canadian Artillery, Kurgomin

[Illustration: Small tower of logs in a snow covered forest.]
U. S. OFFICIAL
Watch-Tower, Verst 455

[Illustration: Three soldiers on sentry duty.]
U. S. OFFICIAL
Toulgas Outpost

[Illustration: Wounded (dead?) soldier propped against a wall.]
U. S. OFFICIAL
One of a Bolo Patrol

[Illustration: Soldiers marching through a snow covered forest.]
U. S. OFFICIAL
Patrolling

Those long weeks of patrol and sentry duty were wearing on the men.
Sentinels were continually seeing things at night that were n