These　two　mountains；　which　belong　to　the　great　system　of　which　Marcy　is　the　giant　centre；　and　are　in　the　neighborhood　of　five　thousand　feet　high；　on　the　southern　outposts　of　the　great　mountains；　form　the　gate…posts　of　the　pass　into　the　south　country。　　This　opening　between　them　is　called　Hunter's　Pass。　　It　is　the　most　elevated　and　one　of　the　wildest　of　the　mountain　passes。　　Its　summit　is　thirty…five　hundred　feet　high。　　In　former　years　it　is　presumed　the　hunters　occasionally　followed　the　game　through；　but　latterly　it　is　rare　to　find　a　guide　who　has　been　that　way；　and　the　tin…can　and　paper…collar　tourists　have　not　yet　made　it　a　runway。　　This　seclusion　is　due　not　to　any　inherent　difficulty　of　travel；　but　to　the　fact　that　it　lies　a　little　out　of　the　way。
  We　went　through　it　last　summer；　making　our　way　into　the　jaws　from　the　foot　of　the　great　slides　on　Dix；　keeping　along　the　ragged　spurs　of　the　mountain　through　the　virgin　forest。　　The　pass　is　narrow；　walled　in　on　each　side　by　precipices　of　granite；　and　blocked　up　with　bowlders　and　fallen　trees；　and　beset　with　pitfalls　in　the　roads　ingeniously　covered　with　fair…seeming　moss。　　When　the　climber　occasionally　loses　sight　of　a　leg　in　one　of　these　treacherous　holes；　and　feels　a　cold　sensation　in　his　foot；　he　learns　that　he　has　dipped　into　the　sources　of　the　Boquet；　which　emerges　lower　down　into　falls　and　rapids；　and；　recruited　by　creeping　tributaries；　goes　brawling　through　the　forest　basin；　and　at　last　comes　out　an　amiable　and　boat…　bearing　stream　in　the　valley　of　Elizabeth　Town。　　From　the　summit　another　rivulet　trickles　away　to　the　south；　and　finds　its　way　through　a　frightful　tamarack　swamp；　and　through　woods　scarred　by　ruthless　lumbering；　to　Mud　Pond；　a　quiet　body　of　water；　with　a　ghastly　fringe　of　dead　trees；　upon　which　people　of　grand　intentions　and　weak　vocabulary　are　trying　to　fix　the　name　of　Elk　Lake。　　The　descent　of　the　pass　on　that　side　is　precipitous　and　exciting。　　The　way　is　in　the　stream　itself；　and　a　considerable　portion　of　the　distance　we　swung　ourselves　down　the　faces　of　considerable　falls；　and　tumbled　down　cascades。　　The　descent；　however；　was　made　easy　by　the　fact　that　it　rained；　and　every　footstep　was　yielding　and　slippery。　　Why　sane　people；　often　church…members　respectably　connected；　will　subject　themselves　to　this　sort　of　treatment；be　wet　to　the　skin；　bruised　by　the　rocks；　and　flung　about　among　the　bushes　and　dead　wood　until　the　most　necessary　part　of　their　apparel　hangs　in　shreds；is　one　of　the　delightful　mysteries　of　these　woods。　　I　suspect　that　every　man　is　at　heart　a　roving　animal；　and　likes；　at　intervals；　to　revert　to　the　condition　of　the　bear　and　the　catamount。
  There　is　no　trail　through　Hunter's　Pass；　which；　as　I　have　intimated；　is　the　least　frequented　portion　of　this　wilderness。　　Yet　we　were　surprised　to　find　a　well…beaten　path　a　considerable　portion　of　the　way　and　wherever　a　path　is　possible。　　It　was　not　a　mere　deer's　runway：　these　are　found　everywhere　in　the　mountains。　　It　is　trodden　by　other　and　larger　animals；　and　is；　no　doubt；　the　highway　of　beasts。　It　bears　marks　of　having　been　so　for　a　long　period；　and　probably　a　period　long　ago。　　Large　animals　are　not　common　in　these　woods　now；　and　you　seldom　meet　anything　fiercer　than　the　timid　deer　and　the　gentle　bear。　　But　in　days　gone　by；　Hunter's　Pass　was　the　highway　of　the　whole　caravan　of　animals　who　were　continually　going　backward；　and　forwards；　in　the　aimless；　roaming　way　that　beasts　have；　between　Mud　Pond　and　the　Boquet　Basin。　　I　think　I　can　see　now　the　procession　of　them　between　the　heights　of　Dix　and　Nipple　Top；　the　elk　and　the　moose　shambling　along；　cropping　the　twigs；　the　heavy　bear　lounging　by　with　his　exploring　nose；　the　frightened　deer　trembling　at　every　twig　that　snapped　beneath　his　little　hoofs；　intent　on　the　lily…pads　of　the　pond；　the　raccoon　and　the　hedgehog；　sidling　along；　and　the　velvet…　footed　panther；　insouciant　and　conscienceless；　scenting　the　path　with　a　curious　glow　in　his　eye；　or　crouching　in　an　overhanging　tree　ready　to　drop　into　the　procession　at　the　right　moment。　　Night　and　day；　year　after　year；　I　see　them　going　by；　watched　by　the　red　fox　and　the　comfortably　clad　sable；　and　grinned　at　by　the　black　cat；the　innocent；　the　vicious；　the　timid　and　the　savage；　the　shy　and　the　bold；　the　chattering　slanderer　and　the　screaming　prowler；　the　industrious　and　the　peaceful；　the　tree…top　critic　and　the　crawling　biter；just　as　it　is　elsewhere。　　It　makes　me　blush　for　my　species　when　I　think　of　it。　　This　charming　society　is　nearly　extinct　now：　of　the　larger　animals　there　only　remain　the　bear；　who　minds　his　own　business　more　thoroughly　than　any　person　I　know；　and　the　deer；　who　would　like　to　be　friendly　with　men；　but　whose　winning　face　and　gentle　ways　are　no　protection　from　the　savageness　of　man；　and　who　is　treated　with　the　same　unpitying　destruction　as　the　snarling　catamount。　　I　have　read　in　history　that　the　amiable　natives　of　Hispaniola　fared　no　better　at　the　hands　of　the　brutal　Spaniards　than　the　fierce　and　warlike　Caribs。　　As　society　is　at　present　constituted　in　Christian　countries；　I　would　rather　for　my　own　security　be　a　cougar　than　a　fawn。
  There　is　not　much　of　romantic　interest　in　the　Adirondacks。　　Out　of　the　books　of　daring　travelers；　nothing。　　I　do　not　know　that　the　Keene　Valley　has　any　history。　　The　mountains　always　stood　here；　and　the　Au　Sable；　flowing　now　in　shallows　and　now　in　rippling　reaches　over　the　sands　and　pebbles；　has　for　ages　filled　the　air　with　continuous　and　soothing　sounds。　　Before　the　Vermonters　broke　into　it　some　three…　quarters　of　a　century　ago；　and　made　meadows　of　its　bottoms　and　sugar…　camps　of　its　fringing　woods；　I　suppose　the　red　Indian　lived　here　in　his　usual　discomfort；　and　was　as　restless　as　his　successors；　the　summer　boarders。　　But　the　streams　were　full　of　trout　then；　and　the　moose　and　the　elk　left　their　broad　tracks　on　the　sands　of　the　river。　But　of　the　Indian　there　is　no　trace。　　There　is　a　mound　in　the　valley；　much　like　a　Tel　in　the　country　of　Bashan　beyond　the　Jordan；　that　may　have　been　built　by　some　pre…historic　race；　and　may　contain　treasure　and　the　seated　figure　of　a　preserved　chieftain　on　his　slow　way　to　Paradise。　　What　the　gentle　and　accomplished　race　of　the　Mound…　Builders　should　want　in　this　savage　region　where　the　frost　kills　the　early　potatoes　and　stunts　the　scanty　oats；　I　do　not　know。　　I　have　seen　no　trace　of　them；　except　this　Tel；　and　one　other　slight　relic；　which　came　to　light　last　summer；　and　is　not　enough　to　found　the　history　of　a　race　upon。
  Some　workingmen；　getting　stone　from　the　hillside　on　one　of　the　little　plateaus；　for　a　house…cellar；　discovered；　partly　embedded；　a　piece　of　pottery　unique　in　this　region。　　With　the　unerring　instinct　of　workmen　in　regard　to　antiquities；　they　thrust　a　crowbar　through　it；　and　broke　the　bowl　into　several　pieces。　　The　joint　fragments；　however；　give　us　the　form　of　the　dish。　　It　is　a　bowl　about　nine　inches　high　and　eight　inches　across；　made　of　red　clay；　baked　but　not　glazed。　　The　bottom　is　round；　the　top　flares　into　four　comers；　and　the　rim　is　rudely　but　rather　artistically　ornamented　with　criss…cross　scratches　made　when　the　clay　was　soft。　　The　vessel　is　made　of　clay　not　found　about　here；　and　it　is　one　that　the　Indians　formerly　living　here　could　not　form。　Was　it　brought　here　by　roving　Indians　who　may　have　made　an　expedition　to　the　Ohio；　was　it　passed　from　tribe　to　tribe；　or　did　it　belong　to　a　race　that　occupied　the　country　before　the　Indian；　and　who　have　left　traces　of　their　civilized　skill　in　pottery　scattered　all　over　the　continent　？
  If　I　could　establish　the　fact　that　this　jar　was　made　by　a　prehistoric　race；　we　should　then　have　four　generations　in　this　lovely　valley：…the　amiable　Pre…Historic　people　（whose　gentle　descendants　were　probably　killed　by　the　Spaniards　in　the　West　Indies）；　the　Red　Indians；　the　Keene　Flaters　（from　Vermont）；　and　the　Summer　Boarders；　to　say　nothing　of　the　various　races　of　animals　who　have　been　unable　to　live　here　since　the　advent　of　the　Summer　Boarders；　the　valley　being　not　productive　enough　to　sustain　both。　　This　last　incursion　has　been　more　destructive　to　the　noble　serenity　of　the　forest　than　all　the　preceding。
  But　we　are　wandering　from　Hunter's　Pass。　　The　western　walls　of　it　are　formed　by　the　precipices　of　Nipple　Top；　not　so　striking　nor　so　bare　as　the　great　slides　of　Dix　which　glisten　in　the　sun　like　silver；　but　rough　and　repelling；　and　consequently　alluring。　　I　have　a　great　desire　to　scale　them。　　I　have　always　had　an　unreasonable　wish　to　explore　the　rough　summit　of　this　crabbed　hill；　which　is　too　broken　and　jagged　for　pleasure　and　not　high　enough　for　glory。　　This　desire　was　stimulated　by　a　legend　related　by　our　guide　that　night　in　the　Mud　Pond　cabin。　　The　guide　had　never　been　through　the　pass　before；　although　he　was　familiar　with　the　region；　and　had　ascended　Nipple　Top　in　the　winter　in　pursuit　of　the　sable。　　The　story　he　told　doesn't　amount　to　much；　none　of　the　guides'　stories　do；　faithfully　reported；　and　I　should　not　have　believed　it　if　I　had　not　had　a　good　deal　of　leisure　on　my　hands　at　the　time；　and　been　of　a　willing　mind；　and　I　may　say　in　rather　of　a　starved　condition　as　to　any　romance　in　this　region。
  The　guide　said　thenand　he　mentioned　it　casually；　in　reply　to　our　inquiries　about　ascending