its lower
side, about five thousand feet below--all that distance before landing
and filling the ravines about that section.

"All the way down, from Grizzly Gulches to the bottoms that run along
Bear Forks branches, the avalanche tore up trees, boulders, moraine, and
other heavy matter, that generally forms a dam for smaller slides than
this one was. But this time, entire forests were shoved along, still
standing, just like a great cake of icing with fancy frosting of colored
sugar on top of it, is pushed off from a slice of birthday cake, when the
knife loosens it. The moment any part of this avalanche came up against a
cliff, or rolled over into vast ravines, that much of the sliding forest
tumbled up against itself, or fell into the gulch to instantly fill up
the cleft and cause the remaining slide to roll over it.

"The end of that avalanche did not come until it reached the valley of
Bear Forks, just below Pebbly Pit ranch. If your home had not been snugly
located up in that crater, but had been down in the valley by the river,
it would have been completely covered with the tons of trash that still
remained after having rolled for miles, and finally worn itself out on
the banks of the stream.

"All the branches of Bear Forks that start up on the side of the
mountain, are choked, and the waters rushed in every direction, starting
smaller slides by up-rooting trees and loose stones and shale.

"The miners followed Mike's example, and ate a hearty dinner, although
they were all crazy to ride back and ascertain the extent of the damage
caused. Mike was for their going quietly on home, but not one of the
others would agree to this. So they turned back and rode as far as the
trail was passable. But they could not climb over the great mass of
debris that was piled up, shortly after leaving Four Blaze Tree. And the
queer sensation of not seeing the old familiar top on Grizzly Peak,
unnerved them for further adventure that day.

"They got home past midnight, to hear the account of what happened as
witnessed by Anne, and Mr. and Mrs. Brewster.

"At the first rolling of the slide, Anne ran out of the ranch-house and
watched anxiously, as she knew the men were up at the mine. She saw such
a strange sight that she rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not
dreaming. She says, she saw the top of Old Grizzly break right off as if
someone had cleft it at a given point down from the peak. And this
gigantic mass of ice, still