Forsomeminutespastastrange，far-awaymusicalnote，likethemurmurofrunningwater，hadstruckmyear，andyetallabouteverythinglookeddead。Ofanimateoreveninanimatepulsationtherewasnosign。OneunbrokensheetofsnowstretchedasfarasIcouldsee，inwhichstoodthegreattreeslikemummies。Stillthesoundcontinued，seemingtocomefromundermyfeet。Istopped，and，kneelingdown，putmyeartothecrust，andthere，asdistinctaspossible，Iheardthewimplingofababybrook，crooningtoitselfunderitsthickwhiteblanket。Herethenwasthecradleofoneofthosestreamsthatlaterwouldbecomesuchanuglycustomertomeet。
Itwasbabilyinnocentnow，andtheonelivingthingbesidemyselfonthisMaydayinthegreatsnow-sheetedsolitude。
Perhapsitwasthebrookthathadunderminedthesnow。Atallevents，soonafterIovertooktheothers，theguide，fearingtotrusttoitfarther，suddenlystruckupagaintotheleft。Weallfollowed，remonstrating。Wehadnosoonergotupthanwewentdownagaintheotherside，andthispicket-fencestyleofprogresscontinuedtillweemergeduponthetopofacertainspur，whichcommandedafineviewofgorges。Unfortunatelyweourselveswereontopofsomeofthem。
Theguidereconnoiteredbothsidesforadescent，pushinghiswaythroughathickgrowthofdwarfbamboo，andbroughtupeachtimeontheedgeofanimpassablefalltothestreambelow。Atlasthetooktothearete。Itwasmaskedbytreesforsomedistance，andthencameoutasabareknifeedgeofrockandearth。Downitwescrambled，tilltheslopetothesidebecamepassable。Thiswasnowmuchlesssteep，althoughstillsteepenoughfortheguidetomakemehaltbehindatree，forfearofthestonesdislodgedbythosebehind。
Thesecamedownpastuslikecannon-balls，ricochettingbybigbounds。