bruised, and saddle-worn,
Fell in the sloughs to rise no more.

Yet still we rode right on and on,
And shook our clenched hands at the clouds,
Daring the winds of early dawn,
And the dread torrent roaring loud.

So long we rode, so hard, so far,
We seemed condemned by stern decree
To ride until the morning star
Should sink forever in the sea.

Yet now, when all is past, I dream
Of every mountain's shining cap.
I long to hear again the stream
Roar through the foam-white granite gap.

The pains recede. The joys draw near.
The splendors of great Nature's face
Make me forget all need, all fear,
And the long journey grows in grace.

THE GREETING OF THE ROSES

We had been long in mountain snow,
In valleys bleak, and broad, and bare,
Where only moss and willows grow,
And no bird wings the silent air.
And so when on our downward way,
Wild roses met us, we were glad;
They were so girlish fair, so gay,
It seemed the sun had made them mad.

CHAPTER XVII

THE WOLVES AND THE VULTURES ASSEMBLE

About noon of the fiftieth day out, we came down to the bank of a
tremendously swift stream which we called the third south fork. On a
broken paddle stuck in the sand we found this notice: "The trail
crosses here. Swim horses from the bar. It is supposed to be about
ninety miles to Telegraph Creek.--(Signed) The Mules."

We were bitterly disappointed to find ourselves so far from our
destination, and began once more to calculate on the length of time
it would take us to get out of the wilderness.

Partner showed me the flour-sack which he held in one brawny fist. "I
believe the dern thing leaks," said he, and together we went over our
store of food. We found ourselves with an extra supply of sugar,
condensed cream, and other things which our friends the Manchester
boys needed, while they were able to spare us a little flour. There
was a tacit agreement that we should travel together and stand
together. Accordingly we began to plan for the crossing of this swift
and dangerous stream. A couple of canoes were found cached in the
bushes, and these would enable us to set our goods across, while we
forced our horses to swim from a big bar in the stream above.

While we were discussing these thing around our fires at night,
another tramper, thin and weak, came into camp. He was a little man
w