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Moss is on the north side of tree-trunks. A steep slope compels a zigzag, corkscrew ascent, but the slope of the ground guides the climber as to the way to go; for slope means valley; and in valleys are streams; and in the stream is the 'float, which is to the prospector the one shining signal to be followed. Timber-line is passed till the forests below look like dank banks of moss.
A short distance from the edge of the timber-line he stood for a moment upon the spot where the wolves had overtaken them an hour before. Not one of his four dogs had lived. The snow was red with their blood, and their bodies lay stiff where they had fallen under the pack. Pierre shuddered as he looked at them.
"I go up that ridge which you see faintly at the left of the main canon, and through that deep notch which is above timber-line." The girl's eyes widened with awe of the big, silent, dark world he indicated. "Aren't you afraid to start out on such a trip alone I mean, don't you dread it?" "I'll be sorry to start back, yes, but not because of the dark.
In winter snow everywhere on hills. Red-skins not like cold; too much cold, wigwam no good." "That's it, you see, Tom. We are here a long way above the sea-level, and so in the hills you soon get above the timber-line. It's barren land there, just rock, without grass enough for horses, and in winter it is so all-fired cold that the Indians can't live there in their wigwams.
He chafed at the birds' ingratitude, but he found speedy consolation in watching and befriending the newcomers. He surely would have been proud and highly pleased if he had known that many of the former inhabitants of the interior swamp now grouped their nests beside the timber-line solely for the sake of his protection and company. The yearly resurrection of the Limberlost is a mighty revival.
It was nearly two o'clock when they began to drop down behind the rocky ridges of the eastern slope, and soon, in the bottom of a warm and sheltered hollow just at timber-line, Berrie drew her horse to a stand and slipped from the saddle. "We'll rest here an hour," she said, "and cook our grouse; or are you too hungry to wait?" "I can wait," he answered, dramatically.
As he descended, Tish announced that there must be another photographer on top, as he was "registering" signs of terror a moving-picture expression which she had acquired from Charlie Sands and looking back frequently over his shoulder. We waited until he reached timber-line, and then withdrew to a group of trees. It was not our intention to allow him to see us and spoil everything.
There was a wind the winter day above timber-line without its wind is as rare as a thawing Christmas and it cut like knives through any garmenting lighter than fur or leather. The cab of the 206 was old and weather-shaken, and Ford pulled the collar of his buffalo coat about his ears when the grunting of the exhaust and the shrilling of the wheels on the snow-shod rails stopped abruptly.
If he ever shows up I'll put him where he'll have all night to be sorry in." "When did this take place?" "Yesterday about two. Of course Wayland couldn't ride, he was so dizzy and kind o' confused, and so I went into camp right there at timber-line. Along about sunset Nash came riding up from this side, and insisted on staying to help me so I let him." Mrs. McFarlane's tense attitude relaxed.
At the edge of timber-line he showed a gnarled and knotted spruce-tree, twisted out of all semblance to a beautiful spruce, bent and storm-blasted, with almost bare branches, all reaching one' way. The tree was a specter. It stood alone. It had little green upon it. There seemed something tragic about its contortions. But it was alive and strong. It had no rivals to take sun or moisture.
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