o make the darkness visible.
All the men were anxious to start, and when the word was
given to march, it was greeted with cheers. It was
impossible to march in fours, therefore an order was
given for left turn, quick march. We turned, obedient to
the order, but the march was anything but quick. Then
into the solemn darkness of the pines and hemlock the
column slowly moved. Each side being snow four feet deep,
it was almost impossible to keep the track, and a misstep
buried the unfortunate individual up to his neck. Then
it began raining, and for three mortal hours there was
a continuous down pour. The lake was reached at last, to
the extreme pleasure of the corps. The wildness of the
afternoon and the rain turned the snow into slush, at
every step the men sank half a foot. All attempts to
preserve distance were soon abandoned by the men, who
clasped hands to prevent falling. The officers struggled
on, arms linked, for the same purpose. Now and then men
would drop in the ranks, the fact only being discovered
by those in the rear stumbling over them. Some actually
fell asleep as they marched. One brave fellow had plodded
on without a murmur for three days. He had been suffering,
but through the fear of being left behind in the hospital
refrained from making his case known. He tramped half-way
across last night's march reeling like a drunken man,
but nature gave out at last, and with a groan he fell on
the snow. There he lay, the pitiless rain beating on a
boyish upturned face, until a passing sleigh stopped
behind him. The driver, flashing his lantern in the
upturned face, said he was dead. 'Not yet, old man,' was
the reply of the youth, as he opened his eyes. 'I'm not
even a candidate for the hospital yet.'"

The following description of the Great Salt Plains, as
given by a _Globe_ correspondent, is also worth reproducing:
"The Great Salt Plains open out like broad, dreary marsh
or arm of the sea, from which the tide has gone out. For
about thirty-five miles the trail stretches in a
north-westerly course across this dismal expanse, and
away to the south-west, as far as the eye can reach,
nothing save marsh grass, flags, bullrushes, and
occasionally clumps of marsh willows can be seen. North-east
of the trail scattering bluffs of stunted grey willows
cluster along the horizon, and at one point along the
trail, about midway of the plain, is found a small,
solitary clump of stoneberry bushes, not more than thirty
y