The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-07-31
est lay behind IT.. The timber line was

ana we started at D O'CLOCK lOr the SUM-
NIT. To u surprise it was dark when
we passed the timber line. Then heavy
dark clouds gathered all about and
Rugged the ground, completely obscur-
ing the new moon, which was disposed
to act as a friendly lamp to our path.
The temperature lowered rapidly after
the setting of the sun, and we were
Cold and numb. So to keep warm we
dismounted and led the pony occasion
ally for a short distance. The rarified
air made the exercise most exhaustive,
and walking was certainly difficult on
the bald sides of the peak, which was
covered with loose stones! In the hope
that the summit lay on the nearest
point, we sped the pony forward, only
to find that the trail led on and on. A
second and a third time were we disap-
pointed. The cold was now most in
tense, and, although we had donned
extra clothing before starting and wore
the rubber coat, we became thoroughly
chilled. The darkness was almost thick
enough to cut into chunks FINALLY
the trail led up the side of the noun
tain at an angle of As degrees, and
over loose stones, which would roll from
under the pony's feet, retarding his
progress and causing him to snort and
paw and look about in alarm. 1t began
to look serious when the animal refused
to move under the most vigorous appli-
cation of a heavy switch, and we began
to count upon the prospects of passing
the night upon the rocks. We dis.
mounted and endeayored to lead the
pony, but we couldn't find the trail.
He had lost it, hense his refusal to
move. Things wore a still more SER
ious aspect, and we confess to a prone
ness on the part of each individual
hair of our head to erect itself like u
flagstaff. Not being a smoker we had
no matches to assist in discovering the
proper path, so we retraced our steps
and found that the pony had gone aside
on a little trail that led to a small
spring. Another start was made, and
we felt better. The trail Ia now
more distinct, as it lay between large
rocks, still it was as steep as ever.
Then the pony halted again. More
snorting and paving. More hair ris-
ing. 10 turn back would be folly; to
go ahead only presented more uncer-
tainties. Ii we had been provided with
blankets we would have camped then
and there, for the trail was again lost,
and the summit, we didn't know
where it was. Fully five minutes were
consumed in finding the path. The
pony had again wandered off ina sort
of gutter made by a streamlet, and
might have gone on had Lot a huge
stone completely blocked the way.
Several times was this experience
repeated, each time accompanied by the
snorting and paving on the part of the
pony and the hair exercise on the mart
of ourself. We could keep from being
thoroughly disabled by cold only by
walking as much as our breathing
organs and the light air would allow.
Just as we had about concluded that
there was no summit to the mountain,
and no house there either, and no prob
ability of our getting shelter for the
night, the outlines of a low, square
building were discovered. Happy mo-
ment! The pony neighed with delight
while we ourself felt as if we had lust
made a glorious Fourth of July speech
and were listening to the applause of
ten thousand enthusiastic people. Had
we an American flag about our clothes,
we would have planted it on the spot.
But it was joy enough on that coolest,
dreariest night in our lifetime to get
inside of a building and grasp the
friendly hand of a human being in that
region of eternal solitude, dedicated to
bowling winds and bleak, wild desola-
ton. o."
We received a warm welcome from
Corporal E. Davis. the oficer in charge
of the signal station, and ]. X. Swee-
ney, his assistant. A letter of intro
duction from Sergeant Smith, the sig.
nal officer at cheyenne, was read, and
we sat down to a warm FIRE of wood in
a big box-shaped stove. The pony was
kindly put in the stable, under the same
roof. While thawing out by the stove