The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-11-13

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their white sisters to the blush. Ferns,
always rare in Colorado, sprang up in moist
places and made a verdant background to
the columbines, blue-bells, harebells, daisies
and all the western flowers whose names are
unknown to me; though love their faces.
There were fields OF purple, pink flower
not unlike the wild honeysuckle, which the
vandal ponies trampled under foot, and
munched with great delight.
Then, we would ascend, leaving the wood
behind; our path was stony, narrow and
bare, with precipice and noisy stream be-
low, on one side, and blank wall Of granite
high above, on the other. In every direction
the glance met the brown submits of noun
tains, brisGling with ruined pines, whose
scathed trunks stood as SO many reproaches
to the lightning which had robbed them Of
their tender shoots. Lower down stray
cottonwood, in advance of the season, ex-
tends bough of leaves, yellow as those Of
the mystic tree in the Eneid. Bear Creek
is small Niagara long drawn out; all
through the ascending canyon does it fall
down to meet us in succession Of cascades,
with thousand eddies, ripples and foam.
tipped streams.
When we set out our ponies emulated each
other in risky races; but now they pick
their way over rolling pebbles and jagged
rocks, and across the stream very slowly
Every few moments we stop, our calvacade
extended in a long line, to rest them. A
necessary precaution as is evinced by their
labored breath and FACILITATING sides.
What a ride it was through the woodland;
through the bare, open mountain, while
I'm sunlit fall OF rain,
In crystal vapor everywhere
Blue isles of heaven laughed between"
Leader of the van, is our friend ''CalifOr-
MIA Bill" who had been half-way up the
trail before his great white horse cleaning
through the serried ranks of the trees, is as
notable beacon as Henry Of Navarre's
white plume on the battle-f Id Of Ivry. 1t
was sunset when we entered the last wooded
tract before reaching the Seven Lakes. We
looked back; purple pillows Of mountains
were heaped behind us-.sPelion on Ossa
piled" In the west glowed the watch-fres
of the sunset, and on either hand were the
mi sty wreaths we had left beneath US. We
were above the clouds. Just here was a val
ley studded with the Colorado columbine,
not fiery red and yellow, or dinsy purple,
like the flowers of eastern gardens, but tall,
graceful on its nodding stem, each blossom
large as a teacup. In shape colu mbine,
in color what with centre of purest white
fringed with feathery gold stamens, round
a sea-green pistil and petals Of lilac
Our columbines gathered, we put our
horses to brisk galop, through the
woods, out in an open green valley, and
the lakes before us, glimmeriEg in the
last rays of daylight like the diamonds of
necklace. We were to pass the night at
the Seven Lake House, which with the ex.
ception OF the Lake House on the mountain
traiD is the only building on the desolate
steep. The Seven Lake House stands on
little eminence above the lake, gaunt and
glazing in the incompleteness OF its white
pine finishi gs. The scafolding Of an i'm
posing piazza has been erected, but it has
no steps or roof; its pillars end in vacant
gether with the greater part of the furniture,
is of this same white pine, fresh and oderous.
The baby's cradle, homemade, was Eastlake
IN its design. ard the bedsteads had a faint
suggestion of Queen Anne. missed the
cavernous Fireplace, which is a pleasant
characteristic of these mountain ranches,
where roaring fires are indispensable every
summer night. Its place was supplied by a
monster black stove, which swallowed up
the cheerful blaze. Supper was served on
pine tables spread with scarlet and white
table-cloths, with napkins TO match. We
had biscuits which something altitude,
perhaps-had pulled up to the heighth OF
lightness and fiakiness; bacon, staple dish
in Colorado; roasted potatoes, in their brown
jackets; ginger Snaps; cheese; amber syrup;
preserves; fresh butter, and tea and coffee.
Our hostess apologized for the absence Of
milk. s'There had been herd of bison
near the cows pasture, and she broke loose
and stampeded and followed their trail; the
men couldn't find her," experienced q
thrill of romantic Importance, as if we were
characters in some frontier sensation novel
Here we were, not drinking the milk of 9
wild COW, it was true, but we Mould have
been drinking milk, had not our COW, on the
confines of civilization, seen fit to run of
! with a bison herd.
Early the next morning, 1 drew back thu
brown calico curtain of my window, curious
to observe mountain morning. 1t was op
pressively still. In front of the house lay
the oval lake, smiling in the kisses of the
morning sun, and upborne by its ripples, ar
old boat swayed back and forth at the bro
ken pier. Tall. green pines crowded roune
the lake as if eager to see their forms re
Elected in its looking glass, and above, be-
yond, everywhere, rose the everlasting hills
out Of reach ''of mans last aspirations, un
fathomed, untrod. save by even and mort
and the Angels Of God"
This lake abounds in s'water-dogs," 4.
species Of newt. They are foot long will
a slippery body, generally speckled, a head
like toad's, with prominent eyes and loni
ribbon of a tail. Each foot terminates ii
five little fingers, stretched out patheticall.
sometimes when you drop one in bottle
and pour alcohol over him, as if he were
second Duke OF Clarence. Never mind, it i
the speediest death, ard he makes beauti
full cabinet specimen
This morning we began to feel that w
were really ascending Pixies Peak, as tn
ranks of lower mountains fell back, and w
traversed his higher slopes. The waving
grama grass, the columbines, the pines wer'
familiar, and kept pace with us It'll VI
reached timber-line. s'Thus far shalt thor
come and no farther" breathes nature, ant
the trees abashed by the fiat, shrink away
1t seemed SO strange having crossed tha
invisible line to stand in open space, and set
that not one Of the hardy pinegroyes hae
ventured beyond it. But the grass was still
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