down to the valley now and then; and Indians never bother him. He says that the elevation does not affect him much, as he had become somewhat _used_ to the light air. Upon inquiry concerning the weather, he told us that he was sometimes visited by violent thunder-storms; and the lightning played upon the mountain-top, at times ingulfing him in electric fire and rocking his little house. Dense clouds of vapor hung around the mountain far below, and we fully realized that we were indeed above the clouds. After descending we learned that while we were upon the summit, with the sun brightly shining above our heads and the snow glittering beneath our feet, a fine _warm_ shower was falling from the clouds into the valley below. After having enjoyed the novelty of wading snow-banks in the summer-season to our satisfaction, we were ready to descend. So, with many happy wishes for our mountain friend, we began to go down. This, however, was not very _pleasant_; for every step the burro made he jerked his rider severely. Will remarked that he did not mind riding donkeys as long as they stood on their hind feet; but he could not go it when they stood on their heads. It is certainly _remarkable_ to see these small animals carrying more than their own weight upon their backs; and, notwithstanding the steepness and roughness of the road, they seldom lose their footing,--though I once saw one descending a steep bluff with a load upon his back that made him groan, and losing his footing, he tumbled down the mountain and dashed his life out upon the rocks in the gully below. They have proved to be of great _service_ in mountain regions; and hundreds of them are daily climbing and descending their rocky sides. In due time our party arrived safely at Manitou--the trip having cost us just five dollars apiece. We had now _seen_ and _experienced_ the changes in the atmosphere from the lovely valley below, to the mountain-top far above the clouds. We had gone in one day from where the air was perfumed with the odor of sweet, tinted blossoms and flowers, to the land of snow-banks where vegetation did not grow. We had seen the tall, graceful pines dwindle to low, dwarfy shrubbery, and then give way to the cold, bare mountain. It was a _lesson_--a practical and instructive one. We now felt considerably exhausted, which we manifested by retiring an hour earlier than usual. We felt a little sore the next morning, but were soon as nimble as ever. It usually takes between five and six hours to ascend, and between four and five to descend; and many persons can not stand it to go up at all. The trip should not be made in one day. We had now been here some days; and though it seemed to us a life-time could be spent in this beautiful valley, we were compelled to leave for other scenes.