While around camp the men put in their time throwing quoits and reading. Horseshoes were used as quoits, while the reading matter consisted of a large number of magazines and papers, which were presented to the companies by kindly disposed people in the vicinity.
About three-quarters of a mile from camp, we located a very good place for bathing, which, despite the icy coldness of the water, received a number of visitors daily. The orders were that no one was to leave camp without permission, but the man who asked permission made a fatal mistake. To ask permission to do any thing was a great mistake, for one invariably met with a refusal. Now, when a sensible man discovers that he has made a mistake, he is not likely to repeat it. The result was, that a number of luminous minds, when they yearned to go into town, or explore the surroundings, or breathe the purer air from some hilly height, and view Donner lake from afar, naturally took French leave.
An object of particular interest to us all since our arrival at Truckee, and the subject of much conjecture when we saw it for the first time, on the night of our arrival, ablaze with electric lights, was a small, circular building, on the crest of the hill to our left. We soon found it was a museum, containing a large number of interesting curios, relics of the Donner party, and the famous rocking stone. Admission on Saturday to the museum being free, a number of us were piloted up there by Lieutenant Filmer. The center of interest, situated in the center of the building, and resting exactly in the center of a huge, flat-topped boulder, was the rocking stone. This stone weighs in the neighborhood of sixteen tons, and is so balanced that with a very slight pressure of the hand it can be rocked to and fro. Our attention was drawn by the exhibitor to its peculiar shape and significant position, and, in order that these peculiarities might be more easily discerned, we mounted a ladder that led to a little gallery that overlooked the rocking stone. From this position the stone appeared heart-shaped and pointed north. The exhibitor told us the boulder upon which the stone and building rested was in shape a fac simile of the smaller stone, only that it was flat on the top. Before this building was put up, and while the stones were exposed to the elements, it was the subject of much comment why the snow which falls to a great depth in these parts, never collected on the top of these stones. This was due to their situation. The wind had a constant sweep over them, and carried off the snow before it collected.
The peculiar position of these rocks is attributed by scientists to the action of glaciers, or floods.
After giving some time to an examination of the numerous interesting curios with which this little building was stocked, we proceeded up the mountain side, until we came to a circular fence, that aroused our curiosity, and, on looking over it, we found a froggery in full operation. Myriads of frogs. More frogs than the boys, collectively, had seen in all their lives. It was a frog Elysium. In the center of the inclosure was a small pond fed with fresh mountain water that was borne to the spot by a miniature V-shaped flume made of two planks. In the center of the pond a little fountain gently murmured, soothing, no doubt, the poetic soul of Mr. Frog who sat on a convenient plank, blinking at the sun and all creation. A stone cast among them created a small panic; frogs hopped in all directions.
Still further up the side of the hill we climbed until, reaching its crest, there, far away in the distance, we beheld Donner lake. A desire to go to the lake filled the breast of every man present. The lieutenant was also of the same mind, but in a moment of weakness, as we were making for the road that led to the lake, he dispatched private O’Brien with his compliments to Major Burdick, asking permission to go to Donner lake. We waited on the road for O’Brien’s return. Though William has no wings attached to his feet, his shoulders, or his cap, he is very speedy, and soon returned bearing to Lieut. Filmer the compliments of Major Burdick, and a message to the effect that he did not think it advisable to take the men such a great distance from camp, as they might be called upon at any time for train guard or other duties. We then reluctantly retraced our steps along the road towards camp. No further compliments were sent to Major Burdick that day, though under the guidance of our gallant lieutenant we cut across the country and visited the sawmill on the banks of the Truckee, and wound up the trip with a swim.
Shortly after our return to camp, the redoubtable Bowne and Adams were seen coming from the direction of town. They had just arrived from Colfax, as train guards, where they had been sent the day previous on a similar mission. A peculiar characteristic of these two gentlemen is, that once they don the uniform of a soldier their whole nature seems to change, and a more desperate looking, or bloodthirsty pair it would be hard to find. On this occasion, when they returned begrimed with soot and dirt, glaring at us through bloodshot eyes, with sunburnt, perspiring unshaven faces, their ferocious appearance was enough to strike terror into the heart of any one. Private Adams, when asked to explain the reason of this wondrous transformation, answered with the following lines from the immortal Shakespeare:
“In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As mild behavior and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,