rels, black and brown, ran up and down, busy with
their winter hoard.
Once on the summit we dismounted, drew the sinches till the mules grunted and put in a protest with their teeth and heels, and then began the de scent.
The Prince had been silent all day, but as we were mounting the mules again, he said
" We may have a rocky time down there, my boy. The grass is mighty short with me, I tell you. But I have thought it all out, clean down to the bed-rock, and this is the best that can be done. If we can manage to scratch through this winter, we will be all right for a big clean up by the time the snows fly over again ; and then, if you like, you shall see an other land. There ! look down there," he said, as we came to the rim of a bench in the mountain, and had a look-out below, u that is the place where we shall winter. Three thousand people there ! not a woman, not a child ! Two miles below, and ten miles a-head!"
Not a woman ? Not much of a chance for a love affair. He who consents to descend with me into that deep dark gorge in the mountains, and live the weary winter through, will see neither the light of the sun, nor the smiles of woman. A sort of Hades. A savage Eden, with many Adams walking up and down, and plucking of every tree, nothing forbidden here; for here, so far as it would seem, are neither laws of Go
