"But there are times when even the most valiant defenders of the forest are momentarily overpowered. There comes a blizzard; the gale howls and shrieks as it tears back and forth for days at a stretch, trying to force a passage through the defence line. And sometimes a little soldier is rooted up with malignant fury, and used by the merciless gale to batter at his companions. This generally proves futile, however.
"It is not always in the wintertime that the most terrific blizzards occur in the Rockies. In July, when all the country is pining for a breeze, these peaks produce blizzards that surpass anything heard of in winter, and these summer storms are the most destructive, as the trees are green and full of tender tips, that are ruthlessly torn off during the gale.
"Then, too, the summer months generally produce the awful snowslides you hear about, that are quite common in the Rockies."
"Oh, I wish we could see one of them!" exclaimed Julie, impulsively.
"Child, you don't know what you are saying!" said Mr. Gilroy, earnestly. "If you ever went through one, as I have, you'd never want to experience another, I assure you."
"Oh, Gilly! Do tell us about it," cried the scouts.
And Mr. Vernon added, "Yes, Gilroy, do tell us the story."
"It was many years ago, while I was on a geological trip through the Rockies. Tally and I were ready to start for a several days' outing on the peaks when the man we lodged with said, 'You are going out at a bad time. Some big slides have been reported recently.'
"I, like Julie here, said, 'I'd like the excitement of riding a slide.'
"The rancher said I was locoed, but he went about his business after that. So I took my snowshoes in case I met a slide and had to ride it.
"Tally and I were soon climbing the trail, and as we went higher and higher, I felt pleasantly excited to see several small slides start from distant peaks and ride ruthlessly over everything to gain a resting-place.
"Then we both heard a rumble and stood looking about. We now beheld a slide quite close at hand--on our own ridge but on the far side. It coasted slowly at first, but gathered momentum as it went, until it was flying downwards.
"It was about fifty feet wide and several hundred feet long, but it cut a clean channel through the forest, carrying great trees, rocks, and other objects on its crest. Before it had traveled five hundred yards, it had gathered into its capacious maw tons of débris, besides the vast blanket of snow it started out with. All this made a resistless force that swept over other forest impedimenta, dragging all along with its flood.