soon
out of that tent, but of course when I moved all those things had moved,
too, and wholly disappeared. So I was called foolish to be afraid in a
tent after the weeks and months I had lived in camp. But just then Mrs.
Stokes ran from her tent, Major Stokes slowly following, and then it
came out that there had been trouble over there also, and that I was
not the only one in disgrace. Mrs. Stokes had seen queer shadows on her
canvas, and coming to me, said, "Will says those things are squirrels!"
That was too much, and I replied with indignation, "They are not
squirrels at all; they are too small and their tails are not bushy."

Well, there was a time! We refused absolutely, positively, to go back
to our tents until we knew all about those darting shadows. We saw that
those two disagreeable men had an understanding with each other and were
much inclined to laugh. It was cold and our wrappers not very warm,
but Mrs. Stokes and I finally sat down upon some camp stools to await
events. Then Faye, who can never resist an opportunity to tease, said to
me, "You had better take care, mice might run up that stool!" So the cat
was out! I have never been afraid of mice, and have always considered it
very silly in women to make such a fuss over them. But those field mice
were different; they seemed inclined to take the very hair from your
head. Of course we could not sit up all night, and after a time had to
return to our tents. I wrapped my head up securely, so my hair could not
be carried off without my knowing something about it. Ever so many times
during the night I heard talking and smothered laughter, and concluded
that the soldiers also were having small visitors with four swift little
legs.

We had more delicious trout for our breakfast; that time fried with tiny
strips of breakfast bacon. The men had been out on the lake very early,
and had caught several dozen beautiful fish. The dinner the evening
before had been much like an ordinary picnic, but the early breakfast up
on the side of a mountain, with big boulders all around, was something
to remember. One can never imagine the deliciousness of the air
at sunrise up on the Rocky Mountains, It has to be breathed to be
appreciated.

Everyone fished during the morning and many fish were caught, every one
of which were carefully packed in wet grass and brought to Birch Creek,
to the unfortunates who had not been on that most delightful trip to
Fish Lake. After luncheon w