The moon was so new that its light was very dim, but the stars were
bright. Presently a long, quivering wail arose and was answered from a
dozen hills. It seemed just the sound one ought to hear in such a
place. When the howls ceased for a moment we could hear the subdued
roar of the creek and the crooning of the wind in the pines. So we
rather enjoyed the coyote chorus and were not afraid, because they
don't attack people. Presently we crept under our Navajos and, being
tired, were soon asleep.

I was awakened by a pebble striking my cheek. Something prowling on the
bluff above us had dislodged it and it struck me. By my Waterbury it
was four o'clock, so I arose and spitted my rabbit. The logs had left a
big bed of coals, but some ends were still burning and had burned in
such a manner that the heat would go both under and over my rabbit. So
I put plenty of bacon grease over him and hung him up to roast. Then I
went back to bed. I didn't want to start early because the air is too
keen for comfort early in the morning.

The sun was just gilding the hilltops when we arose. Everything, even
the barrenness, was beautiful. We have had frosts, and the quaking
aspens were a trembling field of gold as far up the stream as we could
see. We were 'way up above them and could look far across the valley.
We could see the silvery gold of the willows, the russet and bronze of
the currants, and patches of cheerful green showed where the pines
were. The splendor was relieved by a background of sober gray-green
hills, but even on them gay streaks and patches of yellow showed where
rabbit-brush grew. We washed our faces at the spring,--the grasses that
grew around the edge and dipped into the water were loaded with
ice,--our rabbit was done to a turn, so I made some delicious coffee,