Soon day was abroad, and so we went outdoors for a fresh breath.  The other woman came out just then to ask after Molly.  She invited us into her cabin, and, oh, the little Mormons were everywhere; poor, half-clad little things!  Some sour-dough biscuit and a can of condensed milk was everything they had to eat.  The mother explained to us that their “men” had gone to get things for them, but had not come back, so she guessed they had got drunk and were likely in jail.  She told it in a very unconcerned manner.  Poor thing!  Years of such experience had taught her that blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed.  She said that if Molly had not been sick she would have walked down out of the mountains and got help.

Just then two shots rang out in quick succession, and soon Gavotte came staggering along with a deer across his shoulders.  That he left for the family.  From our camp he had brought some bacon and butter for Molly, and, poor though it may seem, it was a treat for her.  Leaving the woman to dress the venison with her oldest boy’s aid, we put out across the canon for our own breakfast.  Beside our much-beaten trail hung the second venison, and when we reached our camp and had our own delicious breakfast of grouse, bread, butter, and coffee, Gavotte took Chub and went for our venison.  In a short time we were rolling homeward.  Of course it didn’t take us nearly so long to get home because it was downhill and the road was clearly marked, so in a couple of hours we were home.

Gavotte knew the two loggers were in Green River and were then at work storing ice for the railroad, but he had not known that their wives were left as they were.  The men actually had got drunk, lost their money, and were then trying to replace it.  After we debated a bit we decided we could not enjoy Christmas with those people in want up there in the cold.  Then we got busy.  It is sixty miles to town, although our nearest point to the railroad is but forty, so you see it was impossible to get to town to get anything.  You should have seen us!  Every old garment that had ever been left by men who have worked here was hauled out, and Mrs. O’Shaughnessy’s deft fingers soon had a pile of garments cut.  We kept the machine humming until far into the night, as long as we could keep our eyes open.

All next day we sewed as hard as we could, and Gavotte cooked as hard as he could.  We had intended to have a tree for Jerrine, so we had a box of candles and a box of Christmas snow.  Gavotte asked for all the bright paper we could find.  We had lots of it, and I think you would be surprised at the possibilities of a little waste paper.  He made gorgeous birds, butterflies, and flowers out of paper that once wrapped parcels.  Then he asked us for some silk thread, but I had none, so he told us to comb our hair and give him the combings.  We did, and with a drop of mucilage he would fasten a hair to a bird’s back and then hold it up by the hair.  At a few