New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-14

knife his belt ms revolver IN MS whs,coht ns
saddle covered with old beaver skin from Whcn ,,o
paws hung down; his camping blankets DchIh mn, W
rife laid the saddle ~ front "i NM n
awful look Nc Iulin IA one coui see ny way oi .o'
asl he rode small Arab mare nS % atesg,hsr too light
for him. aud he reted her necessarily 10 MAKE her u'
play herself. =. H., +, .,.r,od
over the half mic OF level grass At hand gallon anu
then throwing his mar on her when u1s soo
made mo forget his appearance. entered INTO conversa
ton which lasted fer more , ,nnn streams ensIe e
nrupt ascents and desceus. and other incidents OF
mountain travel The re was one LIE o NJ s,rcom Of
mountains on monntains eliminating III tne rem, nn,-
OF Longs Pea which looked yeI gIn'l ' zoo ,t
lier as we crossed attendant moun'ab ll,ouV lsc
bch TIE slantng sun added fresh beauty every hour
There dark pines against Ienon SKY s,aa pan and
Infinite blue floods of golden glory pouring througn
CANYONS OF enormous dc H. an % toD NJ wood and
aspen haunting in red and gold 20 intensity the bne
frnccd with cices tho strange sough OF gusts moving
among he pine tops-sigbs and sounds NOT OF me ,owrr
earth bnt of the solitary bcaS -hauntec frozen upper
al itncs From, the dry huff grass of Estes PARK we
turned of M trail on The side OF nuhg goIEJ
mn sfeep pnc-clcthcd hill down 10 small valley. ric
I'm nnc susc,red hay about eighteen inches h'gn, ara
incosed by high mountains ylosc dct Es hoIl'w en-
tains Uncovered lake. fifty named The Lake or the
Lilies" An how magical IT'S bcant, was, as IL slept III
silence while there the dark pines were r yi,e inv y
cups and dorK green leaves rested on amethyst coored
From this we assembled into the purple gloom Of great
pine forests which oothe the skirts Of the mountains nv
10 hcgh; of about 1000 feet aud rom their cniii
Thcre ana AT submits, of " the land very Tar
" ~, ~ an. land nearer now in all its grandeur
~ , mir j., snbii,nity bv noarness-gmpsez. too
Though broken vista ~ purple gorgcs. OF te iliim
nls Plains lylng dcaz ri ~ the late sunlight. their
baked brown cxpanSe .n-igurcd into the hkcLcss o.
n sunset sea railing infinitely IN waves oI misty goo
We rode UPWARDS through the gloom on steep t:all
lye throurh he forest all my int lcct concentrate
ou avoiding being draggcd of my horse Dy nnnuln-
hTnuchcs or having ne BLANKET, badly torn. those 81
nv eo.np
which there hardy room u pass-ihr nrIsth hl'E
and eouire 10 ston every rods though their
riders except iyscii. Hio0; The gloom oi the
dense. ancient silent forest - 10 me "wc-hspH-
ing On such an evening II is souudess. except
for tne nrancncs creaains in TIC soft wiua
the FIR, quCnt snap Of dccayed uMb'r ana
murInur in the pine tops oI not distant wate'-
fall ali tcnaln- 10 produce oeytucSs aud sadncsS
hardly aiin to pain There no lunpficis axe his
ever rung The trees me when they have al aimed their
prime and stand there deed and bare Ill the hcrce
mountain winds lay them ircstraie. Inc plner grew
smaller and more sparse aa ascrnied and the last
str ,glcrs wore tortured. Warr-ug look The timber
line passed. hut yet mite hgh'r s"ic 81 mon"
tam meadow dipped 10 southwest toward bright
str am ric6lug under ice aud icicios n'n there s"Ne
oi The beautiful silver spruce marked oui ctihlhS-
ground. The trees in miniaiuc hut 50 'Nuisltsy
arranged that one misnt Wen aSk what ARTISTS ana
had planted them, scattering them here, chps thrii
there ana training their slim spires toward hciNen.
Haraftcr wh,ucScr call up memories OF tre goI "ui
Tie WOW nom Tins camping gtodnd WIZ cone up Luo"-
inr east cc!ccs oncued 10 the distant flan> then fi'-
ur into purpe gray. Mountains with pine clothed skirts
IN ranges, or SoharN ultch th"il ElaN Shihis'
while close behind but nearly 5000 feet above NJ. tow
cred the bald white cics Of Lon - Peak iis huge rtcii-
crs red with Tie Irht OF a long lost to our eyes.
Close IN us IN the governed s;dc OF ihc Peak, snow
that owing to Its position, - eternal Soon the alter
glow came on and before II faded a hS hai moon L,s
ont of The heavens shining through Inc silver blue ioil-
rr of the puee on The Tigd back ground al snow ANA
turning The hole into iaifyldrd ihe phDto when
ocrnulraues tins letter Is bv courageous Denver ar
isl no icnptcn the ascent Just before arrived, but.
after camping ouf at the timber me Tor Week, WIS
faiicd nv The perpcfuai storms aud driven dawn
AGAIN, leaving some very valuable apparatus about
Unsadl ing ana picketng the horses securely mailing
he brds %
warmed us al. "Jn Duili M n great hie ara before
lour we were all sitting round 10 II supper IL ddn
matter much that had 10 drink our tea ou' ui Inc
battered mcat-'iEs n winch II WIS boiled, ana ear
STRIPS Of beef rocking wn pine suoka without plates OF
"T.elt jim as a gentlemen and you'll find him onc.'
had been told aud though his manner was ccr!dinN
boldcr and frccr than that Of gentlemen seneralA
40 imaginary iauit could be found. lie was very
child of nature; The desperate was altogether cur OF
sight He WAS very courteous and even snd TO me,
Which WIS fortunate, the Young men nau niue
idea of showing even ordinary civitle. Ihat nlStt
/ made the ocqu iinance OF MS doG Kihs, sau "a
he the best huniinS-1og IN Colorado WIN ,he D,ns
and legs OF collie. but head approaching tnat OF u
masti, noble face with wisiful human expression
and the most uuthu eyes ever saw III nn ANNA 81.
His master loves him II he lovrs ayhng' Dut III rs
savage moods Nl-treatS him. " Rings devotion never
swcIvcs aud his truthful eyes rarely taken on his
masters face. He is almost human ia his inteigence
any one but jun" In tone as II speaking 10 human
being. his master. pointing To me- sand; - king 20 To-
nj once came to me- looked into my face, laid his head
on my shoulder and then lay down beside me with ms
face.
The night on the mountains proved more free from
discomforts than many fashionable hotels. In the
evening after supper. one of the young men sang q
Latin students song and two negro melodies; the
other. "Sweet Spirit, Hear Nv Prayer" " MonI-
tain jim sang one of Moores melodies III singular
falsetto. and all together sang " The star-spangled
Banner" aud The Red. White, and Blue" Then
Jim" recited poem Of his own composition, and
told some fearful Indian stories. group of small
silver spruces, away from the fire, was the lady's
sleeping place. The artist who hal been there had
woven and interaced their lower branches so as to
form bower affording at once n shelter from the
wind and an agreeable privacy. Ii was thickly
slrown with young pine shoots, which, when covered
with blanket, with an inverted saddle for Il phi
low. made luxurious bed. The mercury al o'clock
was l2o below the freezing point. She could not
sleep. but tho night passed RAPIDLY. The faithful
Ring" was at her side. and was much perturbed
in spirit at the bowling of the wild animals. DAY
dawned long before the sun rose, pure and lemon
colored The rest were looking after the horses,
when one of the students came running to tell me
that must come further down the SLOPE, for Jim
said he had never seen such n sunrise. From the
chill gray peak above, from the everlasting SHOWS,
from the svered pines, down through mountain
ranges with their depths OF Tyran purple we
looked to where the Plains lay cold, in blue gray,
like morning sea against a far horizon. Suddenly.
as a dazzling streak ut first but charging rapidly
into dazzling sphere, the sun wheeled above the
gray line, light and glory as when it first
created Jim invOluntarily and reverently un-
covered his head and exclaimed, believe there is
a Godv | felt as if, Parsee-kc. | must worship.
The gray of the Plains changed to purple, the sky
was all one rose-rcd flush, on which vermlion
cloud-st1eaks rested; the ghosty peaks cleaned
like rubcs the earth and heavens ncwcre-
ated. Surely the Most High dwellcth not in tenn
pies made with hands" For full hour those Plains
simulated the ocean, down to whose lmitless ex-
panse of purple, cliffs. rocks, and promontories