e Pole Star
blazes, and a cold crescent moon hangs over the ghastliness of Long's
Peak.

ESTES PARK, COLORADO, November.

We have lost count of time, and can only agree on the fact that the
date is somewhere near the end of November. Our life has settled down
into serenity, and our singular and enforced partnership is very
pleasant. We might be three men living together, but for the unvarying
courtesy and consideration which they show to me. Our work goes on
like clockwork; the only difficulty which ever arises is that the men
do not like me to do anything that they think hard or unsuitable, such
as saddling a horse or bringing in water. The days go very fast; it
was 3:30 today before I knew that it was 1. It is a calm life without
worries. The men are so easy to live with; they never fuss, or
grumble, or sigh, or make a trouble of anything. It would amuse you to
come into our wretched little kitchen before our disgracefully late
breakfast, and find Mr. Kavan busy at the stove frying venison, myself
washing the supper dishes, and Mr. Buchan drying them, or both the men
busy at the stove while I sweep the floor. Our food is a great object
of interest to us, and we are ravenously hungry now that we have only
two meals a day. About sundown each goes forth to his "chores"--Mr. K.
to chop wood, Mr. B. to haul water, I to wash the milk pans and water
the horses. On Saturday the men shot a deer, and on going for it
to-day they found nothing but the hind legs, and following a track
which they expected would lead them to a beast's hole, they came quite
carelessly upon a large mountain lion, which, however, took itself out
of their reach before they were sufficiently recovered from their
surprise to fire at it. These lions, which are really a species of
puma, are bloodthirsty as well as cowardly. Lately one got into a
sheepfold in the canyon of the St. Vrain, and killed thirty sheep,
sucking the blood from their throats.

November ?

This has been a day of minor events, as well as a busy one. I was so
busy that I never sat down from 10:30 till 1:30. I had washed my one
change of raiment, and though I never iron my clothes, I like to bleach
them till they are as white as snow, and they were whitening on the
line when some furious gusts came down from Long's Peak, against which
I could not stand, and when I did get out all my clothes were blown
into strips from an inch to four inches in width, literally destr