hail. He ``mought'' keep us all night,
but he'd ``ruther not, as we could git a
place to stay down the spur.'' Could we
get down before dark? The mountaineer
lifted his eyes to where the sun was breaking
the horizon of the west into streaks
and splashes of yellow and crimson.

``Oh, yes, you can git thar afore
dark.''

Now I knew that the mountaineer's idea
of distance is vague--but he knows how
long it takes to get from one place to
another. So we started down--dropping at
once into thick dark woods, and as we
went looping down, the deeper was the
gloom. That sun had suddenly severed all
connection with the laws of gravity and
sunk, and it was all the darker because
the stars were not out. The path was
steep and coiled downward like a wounded
snake. In one place a tree had fallen
across it, and to reach the next coil of the
path below was dangerous. So I had the
girls dismount and I led the gray horse
down on his haunches. The mules refused
to follow, which was rather unusual. I
went back and from a safe distance in the
rear I belabored them down. They cared