Page:Life Amongst the Modocs.djvu/96



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nothing but snow! To right and to left, up and down the buried stream, were cabins covered with snow, white and cold as tombs and stones of marble in a churchyard.

And still the snow came down steadily and white, in flakes like feathers. It did not bloAV or bluster about as if it wanted to assert itself. It seemed as if it already had absolute control ; rather like a king, who knows that all must and will bow down before him. Steady and still, strong and stealthy, it came upon us and possessed the earth. Not even a bird was heard to chirp, or a squirrel to chatter or protest. High over head, in the clouds as it seemed, or rather back of us, a little on the steep and stu pendous mountain, it is true a coyote lifted his nose to the snow, and called out dolefully ; but that, may be, was a call to his mate across the canon, in the clouds on the hill-top opposite. That was all that could be heard.

The trail was blocked, and the butcher came no more. This was a sad thing to us. I know that more than once that morning the Prince went to the door, and looked up sharply toward the point where the mule made his appearance when the trail was open, and that his face expressed uncommon concern when he had settled in his mind that the beef supply was at an end.

It is pretty certain that the two butchers had been waiting for some good excuse to shut up shop with out offending the miners, until their claims s