“After we had had breakfast, we made us crude snowshoes from the ends of grocery boxes, which we fastened to our feet with strings.  Our shoes became hard when they dried, and it was only after painful effort that we got them on at all.  We took the piece of ham, cooked the grease from it, and with this oiled our shoes as best we could.  Traveling was very slow, for we were weak and sick, so it was nearly evening before we reached Manitou.  There we met several rescue parties just starting to find us.  I can shut my eyes and see them now.  Some carried blankets and some food.  Mr. Allen had a big red sweater on his arm and a coil of heavy rope hung from his shoulder.  Old Ben was there, too, for they had sent word to him at Bruin Inn, inquiring if we were there, and when he found out we were lost he insisted on joining the rescue party.  In fact, it was he that suggested that we had probably gone up Pike’s Peak.  Ben and I have always been great friends ever since.

“We held out some way till we reached home, then we all three gave up.  O, the awful sickness that followed and the pain of frozen feet!  I was in bed nearly a month, and every time I slept I dreamed of that awful night.  I came very near slipping off this earth then.  Of course the newspapers made fools of us and all the fellows teased us nearly beyond endurance.  It was only a few weeks later that an immense mountain lion was shot near the cabin on the carriage road.  There you are, you have my story, now let’s forget it.”

Not a fellow moved.  They all sat looking intently into the dying fire.  After a few minutes Mr. Allen suggested a sleep, and before long the camp was quiet, each camper wrapped in his blanket and stretched full length on the ground.

* * * * *

Very early the next morning the transportation of equipment was begun.  The entire party went over to Fairview to bring the first load of tin dishes, plates, cups, knives, forks and spoons, kettles, pots, frying-pans, sugar cans—­and so the list went on.  The old shelves were removed from the blind end of the cabin and placed near the window in the other end.  These were to serve as pantry shelves in the kitchen corner.

After breakfast was over one group returned to the car for another load, while Ham, with a helper, pushed forward the construction of the aerial bunk.  The queer old shakedown was torn to pieces and the poles used for Ham’s bed, the rest of it was shoved out of the back door and set afire.  On this load the stove came, two fellows supporting it on the pack-saddle of old Peanuts.  It was set up near the window and a work table built at the end of it.  Another set of shelves was made for the pantry, and soon all was in readiness at that end of the house.  The old grub box was converted into a bread box, and the little old stove was set back in an out-of-the-way corner.  It was, indeed, the passing of the old to give place to the new.