sleighs, the snow was so deep, but it was all so jolly. Zebbie, Mr.
Stewart, Jerrine, and I went in the bobsled. We jogged along at a
comfortable pace lest the "beasties" should suffer, and every now and
then a merry party would fly past us scattering snow in our faces and
yelling like Comanches. We had a lovely moon then and the snow was so
beautiful! We were driving northward, and to the south and back of us
were the great somber, pine-clad Uintah Mountains, while ahead and on
every side were the bare buttes, looking like old men of the
mountains,--so old they had lost all their hair, beard, and teeth.




VII

ZEBULON PIKE VISITS HIS OLD HOME


_December 28, 1909._

DEAR MRS. CONEY,--

Our Thanksgiving affair was the most enjoyable happening I can remember
for a long time. Zebulon Pike came, but I had as a bait for him two fat
letters from home. As soon as I came back from his place I wrote to
Mrs. Carter and trusted to luck for my letter to reach her. I told her
all I could about her brother and how seldom he left his mountain home.
I asked her to write him all she could in one letter, as the trips
between our place and his were so few and far between. So when she
received my letter she wrote all she could think of, and then sent her