nds, but they would not protect from rain and the
great colds and snows of the high Rockies.

Dick noticed many footprints of animals at the margin of the
stream, some of great size, which he had no doubt were made by
grizzlies or silver tips. He also believed that the beaver might
be found farther down along this cold and secluded water, but he
was not interested greatly just then in animals; he was seeking
for that most necessary of all things--something that must be
had--a home.

It seemed to him at the end of his estimated mile that the brook
was going to flow directly into the mountain which rose before
him many hundreds of feet; but when he came to the rocky wall he
found that the valley turned off at a sharp angle to the left,
and the stream, of course, followed it, although it now descended
more rapidly, breaking three times into little foamy falls five
or six feet in height. Then another brook came from a deep cleft
between the mountains on the eastern side and swelled with its
volume the main stream, which now became a creek.

The new valley widened out to a width of perhaps a quarter of a
mile, although the rocky walls on either side rose to a great
height and were almost precipitous. Springs flowed from these
walls and joined the creek. Some of them came down the face of
the cliffs in little cascades of foam and vapor, but others
spouted from the base of the rock. Dick knelt down to drink from
one of the latter, but as his face approached the water he jumped
away. He dipped up a little of it in his soft hat and tasted
it. It was brackish and almost boiling hot.

Dick was rather pleased at the discovery. A bitter and hot
spring might be very useful. He had imbibed--like many
others--from the teaching of his childhood that any bitter liquid
was good for you. As he advanced farther the valley continued to
spread out. It was now perhaps a half mile in width, and well
wooded. The creek became less turbulent, flowing with a depth of
several feet in a narrow channel.

The whole aspect of the valley so far had been that of a
wilderness uninhabited and unvisited. A mule deer looked
curiously at Dick, then walked away a few paces and stood there.
When Dick glanced back his deership was still curious and
gazing. A bear crashed through a thicket, stared at the boy with
red eyes, then rolled languidly away. Dick was quick to
interpret these signs. They were unfamiliar with human presence,
and he