ecome more and more
distinct, and the different chains and ridges stand out more sharply as
we approach."

"Yes, indeed. You notice by the speed of the train that we are already
mounting upwards. You see the prairies pass into the foot of the hills.
We shall soon come into the zone of dwarf oaks and mahogany trees.
Higher up are slopes covered with fine pine woods, and willows and
alders grow along the banks of the streams."

"You speak of trees. Is it true, as a skipper on Lake Michigan told me,
that there are trees here in the west which are over three hundred feet
high?"

"Quite true. Your informant meant, of course, the two species of the
coniferous family which are called mammoth trees, because they are the
giants of the vegetable kingdom, as the mammoths were of the animal
kingdom. They grow on the western flanks of the Sierra Nevada in
California. When one sees these heaven-aspiring trees one is tempted to
believe that their only aim in life is to rise so high that they may
look over the crest of the coast range and have a free view of the
Pacific Ocean. One of these giants which fell long ago had a height of
435 feet and a girth of 110 feet at the base. It was called the 'Father
of the Forest.' The trunk is hollow. There is also another fallen
mammoth called the 'Riding School,' because a man on horseback can ride
some way into the inside. These trees are supposed to be several
thousand years old. The place in the Sierra Nevada where the last giants
stand on their ancient roots is protected and is the property of the
whole people. If the law did not protect the trees, they would go the
same way as the bisons and Indians."

"Is there not also a reserved area in the Rocky Mountains?"

"Yes; the Yellowstone National Park in the state of Wyoming. It is a
wonderful place, and whole books have been written about it. There are
as many as four thousand hot springs and a hundred geysers in the lower
part of the valley between the crests of the Rocky Mountains. The Giant
Geyser shoots up to a height of 250 feet, and 'Old Faithful' spouts up
once an hour. The Park contains many other natural wonders, and there
are preserved herds of wild animals, such as elks, antelopes, and stags.
Even beavers have found a refuge in its streams."

"Are there dangerous beasts of prey in these mountains?" asks Gunnar
while the train puffs and rolls heavily up a dark valley.

"Yes; the grizzly bear is the largest of them. He is not s