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diff --git a/44671-0.txt b/44671-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..95edbaf --- /dev/null +++ b/44671-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7604 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44671 *** + +Transcriber's note: + Spelling and punctuation inconsistencies been harmonized. + Obvious printer errors have been repaired. Italic text has been + marked with _underscores_. Please see the end of this book for + further notes. + + + + +JACK IN THE ROCKIES + + + + +_By the same Author_ + + + JACK THE YOUNG COWBOY + JACK THE YOUNG TRAPPER + JACK THE YOUNG CANOEMAN + JACK THE YOUNG EXPLORER + JACK IN THE ROCKIES + JACK AMONG THE INDIANS + JACK THE YOUNG RANCHMAN + PAWNEE HERO STORIES AND FOLK TALES + BLACKFOOT LODGE TALES + THE STORY OF THE INDIAN + THE INDIANS OF TO-DAY + THE PUNISHMENT OF THE STINGY + AMERICAN DUCK SHOOTING + AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING + TRAILS OF THE PATHFINDERS + + + + [Illustration: "THROWING HIS GUN TO HIS SHOULDER HE FIRED + AT THE ANIMAL." _Page 221_] + + + + + JACK + IN THE ROCKIES + + OR + A BOY'S ADVENTURES WITH A PACK TRAIN + + BY + GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL + + _Author of_ "_Jack the Young Ranchman_," "_Jack Among the Indians_," + "_Pawnee Hero Stories_," "_Blackfoot Lodge Tales_," + "_The Story of the Indian_," "_The Indian + of To-Day_," _Etc._ + + _Illustrated by_ + EDWIN WILLARD DEMING + + + [Illustration] + + + + + NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS + + + + + Copyright, 1904, + BY FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY + + + _All rights reserved_ + + _Thirteenth Printing_ + + + _Printed in the United States of America_ + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I THE INDIANS OF FORT BERTHOLD 9 + + II THE BATTLE OF THE MUSSELSHELL 27 + + III THE START FOR THE BLACKFOOT CAMP 43 + + IV OLD FRIENDS AND NEW 56 + + V BUFFALO HUNTING WITH THE BLACKFEET 73 + + VI AMID WONDERS OF THE YELLOWSTONE + PARK 86 + + VII GEYSERS AND HOT SPRINGS 97 + + VIII ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE 109 + + IX AN ELK HUNT UNDER THE TETONS 122 + + X TRAILING BLACK-TAILS 137 + + XI TRACKS IN THE SNOW 147 + + XII WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE ELK? 160 + + XIII A PACK HORSE IN DANGER 172 + + XIV A BIGHORN 180 + + XV A CHARGING GRIZZLY 189 + + XVI SOMETHING ABOUT BEARS 194 + + XVII THE STORY OF A MAN KILLER 202 + + XVIII JACK'S FIRST MOOSE 216 + + XIX WATCHING A BEAR BAIT 228 + + XX A PUZZLING TRAIL 240 + + XXI HUGH GOES "ON DISCOVERY" 248 + + XXII STEALING FROM HORSE THIEVES 257 + + XXIII "DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON" 266 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + "THROWING HIS GUN TO HIS SHOULDER + HE FIRED AT THE ANIMAL" _Frontispiece_ + + "HE REACHED FAR FORWARD, AND GRASPED THE + LONG HAIR ON THE BUFFALO'S HUMP" 82 + + "ALMOST BELOW THEM, FEEDING, WERE TWO + GOOD SIZED RAMS" 183 + + "'HANDS UP'! HUGH CALLED" 268 + + + + +FOREWORD + + +At the time Jack Danvers journeyed through the Yellowstone National +Park, that wonderful country was little known. Since then it has +become famous, and people from all parts of the globe go to visit +it. There is no more delightful summer excursion possible than a +trip to the National Park where--if one can take a pack train and +journey away from the beaten roads and trails--it is still possible +to see elk and deer and many other wild animals, almost in their +old time abundance. + +In the spring of 1903 President Roosevelt did just this, and on his +return wrote a most interesting article about what he saw, telling +of the abundance of the elk, the familiarity of the deer, the +shyness of the antelope and the tameness of the mountain sheep. + +American boys and girls are happy in having in their own country so +lovely and so marvelous a region. + + + + +Jack in the Rockies + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE INDIANS OF FORT BERTHOLD + + +With noisy puffings the steamboat was slowly pushing her way +up the river. On either side the flat bottom, in some places +overgrown with high willow brush, in others, bearing a growth of +tall and sturdy cottonwoods, ran back a long way to the yellow +bluffs beyond. The bluffs were rounded and several hundred feet in +height, rising imperceptibly until they seemed to meet the blue +of the sky, so that the boat appeared to be moving at the bottom +of a wide trough. Hour after hour she pushed on, meeting nothing, +seeing nothing alive, except now and then a pair of great gray +geese, followed by their yellow goslings; or sometimes on the shore +a half-concealed red object, which moved quickly out of sight, and +which observers knew to be a deer. + +On the boat were two of our old friends. From the far East had +come Jack Danvers, traveling day after day until he had reached +Bismarck, Dakota, where he found awaiting him Hugh Johnson, as +grave, as white-haired, and as cheery as ever. At Bismarck they +had taken the up-river steamer, "Josephine," and the boat had +sailed early on the morning of July 5th. + +Hugh and Jack were on their way back up to the Piegan country. They +had separated at Bismarck the previous autumn, and while Hugh kept +on down the river, to take a west-bound train, which should carry +him back to Mr. Sturgis' ranch in Wyoming, Jack had gone East, to +spend the winter in New York. He had had a year of hard work at +school, for his experience of the previous winter had taught him +that it paid well to work in school, and to make the most of his +opportunities there. This made his parents more willing to have him +go away to this healthful life, and he found that if he did his +best he enjoyed all the better the wild, free life of the prairie +and the mountains, which he now hoped would be his during a part, +at least, of every year. + +His summer with the Piegans had taught him many things known to +few boys in the East, and given him many pleasures to which they +are strangers; and the more he saw of this prairie life the more +he enjoyed it, and the more he hoped to have more and more of it. +Sometimes, when he awoke early in the morning, or at night, after +he had gone to bed, as he lay between sleeping and waking, he used +to go over in his mind the scenes that he had visited, and the +stirring adventures in which he had taken part, and these memories, +with the hope of others like them, gave him a pleasure that he +would not have parted with for anything. + +Often when he was in New York, walking through narrow city +streets, looking up at high buildings, hearing the roar and rattle +of the passing traffic, and watching the people hurry to and fro, +each one absorbed in his own business, it was hard to realize that +away off somewhere, only a few days' journey distant, there was a +land where there was no limit to the view, where each human being +seemed absolutely free, and where it was possible to travel for +days and days without seeing a single person. Always interwoven +with his dreams and his imaginings about this distant country was +the memory of the friend Hugh, to whom he was so deeply attached. +It hardly seemed to him possible to go anywhere in the West, except +in company with Hugh, and until he had joined him, it never seemed +as if his journey had begun, or was really going to be made. + +All through the day the boat went on, turning and twisting, and +at different times facing all points of the compass. Sometimes +the sun would be shining on the port side of the boat, a little +later on the starboard side, then it would be ahead, and again +behind. Hugh and Jack spent their time chatting on the upper deck +of the boat, Hugh smoking vigorously, to keep off the mosquitoes, +while Jack, the edges of his handkerchief under his hat and tucked +inside his coat collar, to leeward of Hugh, took advantage of the +constant stream of smoke that poured from his pipe. They had much +to tell each other of the winter that had passed, and much to say +of the trip on which they were now starting. Fort Benton was their +destination, and until they reached there, and saw their friend +Joe, the Blackfoot Indian who was to meet them with the horses, +they were uncertain what they should do. + +There were not a few passengers on the boat. Some of them were +carefully dressed persons, wearing long frock coats, white shirts, +and a modest amount of jewelry, residents of the thriving towns +of Helena or Virginia City, Montana; others were army officers, +on their way to posts in the Northwest, or now starting out on +some exploring expedition; while others still were persons of +whose occupation and destination it was hard to judge from their +appearance. + +Among them was a middle-aged man who Jack thought, from his +conversation, had long been a resident of the plains, and who told +Jack something about a trade that he had long practised--that of +wolfing. + +"Why, young fellow," he said, "it is only a few years ago since +there was good money in wolfin', but I had to quit it down in the +southern country for wolves got too scarce when the buffalo got +killed off. Wherever there was buffalo there was plenty of wolves, +for the wolves made their livin' off the herds, just like the +Indians; and when I say wolves I mean big wolves, coyotes, foxes, +and swifts. + +"In the autumn, as soon as the fur began to get good, I used to +start out and find a herd of buffalo, and after shootin' two or +three of them, I'd skin them down, and rip them up, and put from +one to three bottles of strychnine in each carcass. After the blood +that lay in the ribs had been poisoned good, I'd smear that over +the meat on the outside. Generally I'd try to kill my buffalo +close to where I was goin' to camp, and after I had put out my +baits I went to camp and slept until near day. Then, before I could +see, I'd get up, cook my breakfast, hitch up, if I had a team, +and go round to all my baits. Likely, around each one I'd find my +half dozen to fifteen wolves, and sometimes it would take me two +or three days to skin them. Likely enough, if the weather turned +right cold, I got a good many more wolves than I could skin, and +had to stack them up, and wait till I got time. It was mighty hard +work now, and don't you forget it. Then, too, there was always a +chance that Indians might come along and make trouble for me. You +take a man out on the prairie, ten years ago, and even the friendly +Indians were likely to scare him a whole lot, or take his hides, +even if they didn't take away his gun and his horses. As for the +hostiles, if they got too close to a man it was all up with him. +But I never had no trouble with them, except once, and then I was +camped in the dug-out, with plenty of provisions, and there was +only three of the Indians. I saw them comin', and suspected who +they were, and managed to get my horses into the dug-out with me +and stood 'em off. They scared me bad though. + +"I should think so," said Jack. + +The man stopped talking to fill his pipe and after he had lighted +it puffed thoughtfully. Then he continued: "There's another way +I've wolfed it, and that is by draggin' a bait over quite a scope +of country, and droppin' pieces of poisoned meat along the trail. +I used to do that when I couldn't find animals to kill for bait. +This worked pretty well for awhile but it's no good any more down +in that country." + +"I've seen coyotes killed by putting poisoned tallow in auger +holes, bored in chunks of wood," said Jack. + +"Yes," said the man, "that's good sometimes, and they stay there +lickin' and lickin' up the bait until they die right there. You +don't have to look over much country to find your wolves." + +"What kind of meat did you use when you were dragging the bait?" +asked Jack. + +"Most any kind would do," replied the wolfer; "sometimes it would +be a piece of buffalo meat, sometimes a shoulder of a deer, but +the best bait of all is a beaver carcass; there's lots of grease +and lots of smell to that, and the wolves and coyotes are sure to +follow it. This draggin' a trail is good too, because the wolves, +when they go along and snap up the poisoned bait, don't go off, but +keep right on followin' the trail, and you find them there, maybe +quite a long way from where they pick the bait. + +"Where are you goin', young fellow; you and that old man I see you +talking with?" + +"We're going up to Benton," said Jack, "and I don't know where +we're going from there. I expect we'll meet a friend there, with +our horses, and then we're going to make a trip, off maybe on the +prairies, and maybe into the mountains; we can't tell yet." + +"Sho," said the man, "you're sure goin' to have a good time. I've +got to get a job when I get to Benton; somethin' that'll keep me +until it comes time for fur to get good." + +The next morning when Jack and Hugh left their stateroom a heavy +fog hung low over the river and the boat was not moving, but was +tied up to the bank, for it was so thick that there was danger of +running aground on the frequent sand-bars, and as the river was +now falling, the captain was unwilling to take the chance of such +delay. On the lower deck was a dug-out canoe, the property of a +temporary passenger, who was going only to Fort Berthold, and, +after breakfast, Jack suggested to Hugh that they should borrow +this canoe and go off a little way up the river, taking their guns, +and seeing whether they could kill anything. Hugh said this could +not be done, explaining that it would be easy enough to get lost, +which would be bad for them, and very irritating to the captain, +who might feel it necessary to wait for them; and besides this, +the fog might lift at any moment, when the boat would move onward +much faster than they could paddle. As it happened, the fog lifted +almost immediately, and the boat set forward; and a little before +noon the village of the Rees, Gros Ventres and Mandans, high up on +the bluff above the river, was seen; and soon after the boat tied +up, and all hands went ashore. + +The bluff rose steeply from the river, and up and down its face +were steep trails, worn by the feet of women passing up and down +as they carried water and the driftwood which they gathered, up to +the village. On the top of the bluff stood the bee-hive shaped gray +houses, which Hugh told Jack were much like those occupied by the +Pawnees. + +They began to climb the bluff toward the village, and Jack asked +Hugh about the Indians who lived here. + +"In old times," said Hugh, "these Indians were scattered out up and +down the river. The Gros Ventres lived furthest up, between here +and Buford, and the Rees and Mandans lived further down the stream. +A long time ago,--back maybe more than a hundred years,--the Rees +and the Mandans all lived together, away down below here; but then +they had some sort of a quarrel among themselves, and the Mandans +moved on up the stream, and for a long time camped near the mouth +of the Knife River. For a while after that there was some fighting +between the Rees and Mandans, but after a time they made peace, +and gradually the tribes came together again; and now for a long +time they've all lived together in this village of Berthold. In old +times each of these villages was a big one, but since the white +men came among them, and brought smallpox, and liquor, and all the +other things that the white men bring, they are dying off fast, and +I don't believe that now there is more than eight or nine hundred +of these Indians all together. You know these Rees here are kind +of kin to the Pawnees; they speak near the same language, so that +I can talk with 'em, and they call the Pawnees their relations. I +think they used to be a part of the Skidi band. Nobody knows just +when they separated from the Pawnees, but it must have been a good +while ago." + +Hugh paused, and Jack asked: "Does any one know how they came to +separate, Hugh? Is there any tradition about it?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "there is. The old story is that all the Pawnees +were out hunting, and the Sioux got around some of 'em, and cut +'em off from the rest and kept fighting 'em, and driving 'em, and +fighting and driving, until they got 'em away up on the Missouri +River, so far from their friends that they had to winter there. +Then, along back, maybe about 1830, soon after the beginning of the +fur trade on the upper river, the Rees fought the white folks, and +were generally hostile. After that they went back and joined the +Pawnees, but they couldn't get along well with the Pawnees, and +quarreled with them, and finally the Pawnees drove 'em off. So they +came on back up the river. It was after that that they joined the +Mandans, and they've lived together ever since." + +By this time they had reached the top of the bluff, and were now +close to the houses, on whose curious domed roofs many people were +sitting,--women busy with their work, young men wrapped in their +robes, and looking off into the distance, and little girls playing +with their dolls or their puppies. The ground in the village all +about the houses was worn bare by the passage of many feet; Indians +were going to and fro, women carrying water and wood, men naked, or +wrapped in their summer sheets, little boys chasing each other, or, +with their ropes trying to snare the dogs, which were usually too +cunning for them. + +Jack was greatly interested in the houses, and wished to look +into one, and to this Hugh said there would be no objection. The +entrance of each house was by a long passage-way, closed above, +and at the sides, and passing through this, they found themselves +at the door. Jack expected to go into a room that was dark; but +this was not so. Above the center of the large room was a wide +open space, which answered both for chimney and for window. About +the fireplace, which was under the smoke hole, at the corners of a +square, stood four stout posts, reaching up to and supporting the +rafters of the roof. The floor of the house was swept clean, and +all around the walls were raised platforms, serving for beds, and +separated by screens of straight willow sticks strung on sinew, +from the adjacent bed on either side. In front of some of the beds +similar screens hung down like curtains so that the bed could +be cut off from the observation of those in the house. Over the +fireplace hung a pot, and two pleasant-faced women were sitting +near it, sewing moccasins. They looked up pleasantly, as the +strangers stood in the doorway, and Hugh spoke a few words to them, +to which they made some answer. Then the strangers withdrew. + +Keeping on through the village, they walked out on the higher +prairie, toward the tribal burying-ground, but not such a +burying-ground as Jack was accustomed to see. Here were placed the +dead, wrapped up in bundles, on platforms raised on four poles, +eight or ten feet above the ground. Evidently no attention was paid +to them after burial, for many of the poles which supported the +platforms had rotted and fallen down, and, in the older part of +the graveyard the ground was strewn with pieces of old robes and +clothing, and with white bones. + +Hugh told Jack that farther away, and down on lower ground, where +the soil was moist, the Rees, Mandans, and Gros Ventres had farms, +where they raised corn, beans, pumpkins, and squashes, and that in +old times they used to raise tobacco. + +It was now time to return to the boat, for the wait was to be only +a short one, and on their way back he told of something that had +happened not many years before in the Mandan village. + +"The people were hungry," said Hugh, "and there was no food in +camp. They sent young men off in all directions to look for +buffalo, but none could be found. As the people grew hungrier and +hungrier the White Cow Society made up their minds that they would +give a dance, and try to bring the buffalo. They did this, and +danced for a long time; but no buffalo were found, and there were +no signs that any were coming. Still the people of the White Cow +Society danced, and still the other people watched them, and prayed +that they might bring the buffalo. One day, after they'd danced +for ten days, suddenly a big noise was heard in the village, and +when the people rushed out of the lodges to see what was happening, +there, among the lodges, was a big buffalo bull, charging about +right close to the lodge in which the White Cow Society were +dancing. All the dogs in the village seemed to be about him, +barking at his head, and biting at his heels, and he was trying +only to get away, and paying no attention to the Indians that were +all about him. + +"Then everybody was glad, for all could see that the Master of Life +had sent this bull, to answer their prayers; and all believed that +he had come ahead of the main herd, which would soon follow him. +Before he had got out of the village, the bull was shot. The White +Cow Society came out of their lodge, and danced around the village, +and while they were doin' this, one of the scouts came in, and +reported that a big band of cows was not far off. Then everybody +was glad, and all wondered at the strong medicine of the White Cow +Society. The next day the men went out and made a surround, and +killed plenty of cows, and brought in the meat, and there came a +terrible storm, and when the storm cleared off the whole prairie, +beyond the ridge near Knife River, was black with buffalo. Now +there was plenty in the camp, and every one was happy. The men went +out and brought in fat meat, and it was dried, and no more that +winter was there any suffering for food." + +"That's a good story, Hugh," said Jack, "but do you suppose the +dancing of the White Cow Society really brought the buffalo?" + +"I couldn't tell you, son. The Indians believed it did, but I don't +suppose any white folks would. But I've seen so many queer things +follow these medicine performances that I don't know what to think +about them, myself." + +By this time they had reached the shore, and looking around, as +they passed over the gang-plank to the deck, they saw the captain +and purser coming down the trail just behind them. The deck hands +were already beginning to cast off the fasts, and a moment later +the whistle sounded, the boat's nose turned out into the river, and +the steady thump, thump of the paddle-wheel began again. On the +bank stood the three or four white men belonging to the agency, +and up and down the bottom, and clustered in little groups on the +bluffs, were Indians, dressed in buckskin, or in bright-colored +cloth, who stood motionless, watching the steamer as she slowly +moved away. + +"That's a mighty interesting place, Hugh; and I want to get you to +tell me all about it. Who are the Gros Ventres, and who are the +Mandans? You've told me about the Rees, but I want to know about +the others." + +"Well, son," said Hugh, "I don't know as I can tell you very much +about them, but I'll try. The Gros Ventres are close relations +to the Crows; in fact, many people call them the River Crows, to +distinguish them from the real Crows, that live up close to the +mountains, on the head of the Yellowstone. Those fellows are called +the Mountain Crows, and there's a good many more of them than +there are of these. These people, I suppose, got their name, Gros +Ventres, from the French, and I never heard why it was given to +'em. I never could see that they were any fatter, or had any bigger +bellies, than other Indians, and I never found out any reason for +the name. They don't call themselves by any such name as that; +their name for themselves is _Hi d[)a]t sa_, and that's said to +mean, willows. Anyhow, they used to be called Willow Indians; so I +have been told. + +"In old times, they say that there were three tribes of them, but +the other tribes have been lost, or forgotten, and now they're all +together--all one bunch of Indians. There's one thing you want +to remember, that there are two different outfits of Indians, +both called Gros Ventres; one of them, these people here, whom we +know as the Gros Ventres of the Village, or Gros Ventres of the +Missouri; the others are the Gros Ventres of the Prairie, whose +country is east of the Blackfoot country, and who used to be +friendly with the Blackfeet, and then fought them for a long time, +and now are friendly again. Those Gros Ventres of the Prairie are +no kin at all to these people, but are a part of the Arapahoes, +from whom, according to the old story, they split off a long, long +time ago. They talk the Arapahoe language, and call the Arapahoes +their own people, and still visit them back and forth. Nowadays +they have an agency along with the Assinaboines, further west, at +Fort Belknap, over on Milk River. Ninety-nine men out of every +hundred get these Arapahoes and these River Crows mixed up, just +for the reason that the French called them both Gros Ventres. Don't +you ever do that, because when a man makes that mistake it shows +that he don't know nothing about Indians. Try to remember that, +will you?" + +"Of course I will, Hugh. I don't want to make any mistakes, +especially now since I have been out and seen something of real +Indians. People back East, and especially all the fellows at +school, think that I know everything about Indians now. They're all +the time asking me questions about them, who they are, and where +they live, and I should hate to make any mistakes in my answers. +Now tell me, who are the Mandans?" + +"I don't know as much about the Mandans as I do about the Gros +Ventres of the Village," said Hugh, "and yet I've heard a lot about +them. They're a kind of queer people; lots of 'em used to have +yellow hair and gray eyes, and lots of 'em now have gray-haired +children, same as you have seen among the Blackfeet. I got hold of +a book once with lots of pictures of Indians in it; mighty good +pictures, too, they were. 'T was written by a man named Catlin, who +came up the river, painting pictures of Indians, a long time ago; +maybe fifty years. He said he thought the Mandans were Welshmen, +and told some story about some foreign prince that brought a +colony of Welshmen over here, and Catlin thought that maybe the +Mandans were descended from that colony. Anyhow they've lived by +themselves, so the story goes, for a great many years; but I've +heard the old men say that long, long ago the tribe came from +away back East somewhere. They followed down a big river that ran +from east to west, likely it may have been the Ohio River, until +they came to the Mississippi, and then they struck off northwest, +and camped on the Missouri, and they have been traveling up the +Missouri, a little way at a time, for an almighty sight o' years. + +"This book of Catlin's that I tell you about has got a whole lot +o' stuff about the Mandans, and it is mighty good readin'. You +had better get hold of it sometime when you get back East; it'll +tell you more about 'em than I can. The Mandans have always been +farmers, and raised good crops of corn, and that and their buffalo +give them a pretty good living. But now the buffalo are getting +scarce, and when they give out the Mandans will have to live on +straight corn, I am afraid. There's one thing about the Mandans +that's worth rememberin', they make the best pots of any people +that I know of on the plains. I expect that in old times maybe the +Pawnees made just as good pots, but since the white folks began to +bring brass and copper kettles into the country the Pawnees have +forgotten how to make pots; but the Mandans still keep it up, and +make some pots, big and little----" + +"Oh, Hugh!" called Jack at this moment, "Look at the buffalo!" and +he pointed toward the high bluffs on the south side of the river, +and there were three dark spots, running as hard as they could up +the hill. + +"Sure enough," said Hugh, "there's the first buffalo we've seen. +Don't they look like three rats scuttling off over the hills, as +fast as they can go. Before long, now, we ought to see plenty of +'em along the river; though we ain't likely to see many buffalo +before we get above Buford." + +The boat pushed slowly up the river's muddy current, and Hugh and +Jack continued to talk about the Indian village on the hill. + +"A mighty queer thing happened once at that village, son," said +Hugh. "You've heard, maybe, that in some tribes of Indians they +have sort of prophets, or men that foretell things that are going +to happen. I have seen a little of that sort of thing myself, +that I never could explain. Besides that, they've got some way of +learning news that we don't understand anything about. Of course it +may not be as quick as railroads and telegraphs, but its quick. +Let me tell you something that happened there at Berthold, some +years ago, and the man that it happened to lives in the upper +country now, and you may likely run across him some time when you +are up there. He is a Dutchman, and his name is Joe Butch. + +"Along in 1868, Joe was working at Berthold, for a trader there, +and the trader got into some sort of a quarrel about a horse with +old White Cow, chief of the Mandans, and I guess old White Cow was +pretty sassy, and maybe he threatened to do something, and Joe +killed him. Well, as soon as he had killed the old man, Joe he +knew that that wasn't no place for him, because the Mandans would +be pretty sure to kill him; so he hops onto his horse, and rides +as hard as he could for Buford, that's eighty miles up the river, +next place we stop at. When he got to Buford he found there a big +camp of Assinaboines, and they were having a big dance, because +the chief of the Mandans, their enemies, had just been killed. +Now, how do you suppose those Assinaboines knew that White Cow had +been killed? Joe didn't waste no time getting onto his horse, and +he rode as hard as he could to Buford; and its a sure thing that +nobody got there before him with the news. I never understood how +they found that out, and I never expect to." + +"That seems a wonderful thing, Hugh," said Jack. "I don't see how +they could have found it out if nobody told them, and if there were +no telegraphs." + +"Well, it's sure there were no telegraphs," said Hugh, "and I don't +see how anybody could have told them. Joe killed the man, and +started on his ride right off, and had a good horse. That's one of +the things that always beat me." + +The hours passed swiftly by for Jack and Hugh, as they watched +the river banks on either side. The boat had met a flood of water +just above Berthold, which, if it made progress against the strong +current more slow, nevertheless saved time by deepening the water, +so that they did not run aground on sand-bars. Several times during +the morning, antelope were seen feeding in the bottom, lifting +their heads to gaze at the boat, as it puffed and snorted along, +but not being enough alarmed to take to flight. After supper that +night, as they sat on the deck about sundown, Hugh, watching the +banks, pointed out no less than three distant spots on the wide +bottom, which he told Jack were bears digging roots. They were a +long way off, yet with his glasses Jack was able to make out their +forms, and to recognize them as bears. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE BATTLE OF THE MUSSELSHELL + + +Early next morning the boat stopped at Fort Buford, above the mouth +of the Yellowstone River. + +The wait was to be only a short one, and no one left the boat. Jack +was interested in looking from the upper deck at the post, where +there were a number of soldiers, and it looked like a busy place. +Away to the left was seen the broad current of the Yellowstone +coming down between timbered banks. As the two friends sat on the +upper deck and looked off toward the shore, Hugh, in response to +some question by Jack, said: + +"Yes, in old fur-trading days this used to be a mighty interesting +place. Just above here was one of the great trading posts of old +times, and pretty much all the tribes of the northern prairie used +to come here to get their ammunition, and whatever other stuff they +could buy. Old man Culbertson was here for a long time, and lots +of people from back east and from foreign parts used to come up +the river as far as this. Sometimes they used to have great fights +out here on this flat, when two hostile tribes would come in to +trade and would get here at the same time. I've heard great stories +about the way the Indians used to fight here among themselves +almost under the walls of the post; and, then, again, sometimes +the Indians used to crawl up as near to the fort as they could, +and try to run off the horse herd, which would be feeding right +out in front of the post. Sometimes they'd get 'em; sometimes they +wouldn't, but would get one of the herders. On the whole, however, +the place wasn't often attacked, because the Indians couldn't +afford to quarrel with the people who furnished them with their +goods. When 'twas Fort Union, 'twas a mighty lively place." + +"Why Hugh," said Jack, "do you mean to tell me that this is old +Fort Union?" + +"Sure," said Hugh. + +"Why," said Jack, "I've read lots about Fort Union. Don't you know +that in 1843 Audubon, the naturalist, and a party of his friends, +came up here to find out a lot about the Western birds and animals? +I've read a lot of Audubon, and he speaks constantly of Fort Union, +and about the things he used to see here, and the buffalo hunting, +and about Mr. Culbertson. Dear me! dear me! when I was reading +about it I never thought that I would see Fort Union." + +"Well," said Hugh, "this is the place; and if this man Audubon was +out here in 1843, that, I think, was just the year before they +had the big smallpox here. Men that were here at the time tell me +that there were two or three big camps of Indians here, and that +they got the smallpox in the fall, just before the ground froze, +and the Indians died off like wolves about a poisoned carcass; and +the ground was hard, and they could not dig graves for them, and +they just stacked up the bodies outside of the fort, in rows, like +so much cord-wood, and had to wait till the ground melted in the +spring before they could bury 'em. There must have been a pile of +Indians died." + +"Well, what did they do for smallpox, Hugh? How did they cure +themselves?" + +"Why, they didn't know anything about curing themselves, son. When +a man got smallpox, or got sick, he just went into a sweat-lodge, +and took a sweat, and came out and plunged into the river to cool +off, and the ice was running, and some of 'em never came up again, +and some of those that did come up were so weak from the shock that +they could not get to the shore, and just drowned. If we get to the +Blackfoot camp this summer, you ask old man Chouquette about it. He +was here then; he'll tell you about it, just the same as he told +me." + +While Hugh had been talking, the boat had cast off and had once +more started up the river. + +It was afternoon, and Hugh was dozing in his chair, tilted up +against the cabin, while Jack as usual was watching the river +banks, when suddenly from behind a little hill that formed the end +of a hog back, which extended well out into the bottom, he saw a +herd of seventy or eighty buffalo, come running as hard as they +could across the bottom, and plunge into the river just above the +boat. The great animals ran as if frightened, and seemed to regard +nothing but the danger behind them. As the boat went along, and +the buffalo swam to cross the stream, they came nearer and nearer +together, and at last it was evident that the buffalo would pass +very close to the boat. They swam rapidly, and with them were +many little calves, swimming on the down stream side of their +mothers, and going swiftly and easily. Jack shouted to Hugh, who, +with him, watched the buffalo, and in a very few minutes the boat +was actually in the midst of the herd. The animals did not attempt +to turn about, but swam steadily after their leaders, and some of +them actually swam against the boat, and, only then seeming to +understand their danger, turned about and, grunting, snorting, and +bellowing, climbed up on each other in tremendous fright. As they +came to the boat Jack at first had started to get his rifle, but +Hugh called him back, and they both descended to the lower deck, +where, with the other passengers, and the deck hands, they were +actually within arms length of the buffalos. The mate, forming a +noose with a rope, threw it over the head of a two-year-old, and +half a dozen of the roustabouts, pulling on the rope, lifted the +animal's head up on the deck, when the mate killed it, and it was +presently hauled aboard and butchered. As they returned to the +upper deck, having watched the buffalo, after the boat had passed, +swim to the other bank and climb out of the water, and then stop +and look at the boat, Jack said to Hugh, "Well, I saw a lot of +buffalo last year, but it sort of excites one to see them again as +close as those were." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "that's so; but there was no use in your getting +your gun, as you started to. I don't want you to act like all the +rest of these pilgrims that come up the river, and to be shooting +at everything you see that's alive. There'd have been no more fun +in shooting one of those buffalo in the water there, than there'd +be in shooting a cow on the range. Of course, if a man's hungry, +it's well enough for him to butcher; but if he just wants meat, +and there's somebody else to do the butchering, he might just as +well let him do it. I always used to like to hunt, and I do still, +but it's no fun for me to kill a calf in a pen, or to chop off a +chicken's head. + +"That's so, Hugh," said Jack; "it would have been no more to shoot +one of those buffalos in the water than it was for the mate to kill +that two-year-old." + +"That's so," said Hugh; "it would have been just the same thing, +and you don't envy him the work he did, I expect." + +"No indeed," said Jack, "not much." + +"Now, if you want to fire a few shots," said Hugh, "if you want +a little practice with your gun, get it out the next time we get +close to the bank, and shoot at a knot in some cottonwood tree. I +can watch with the glasses and see where you hit, and you can get +some practice with your rifle, but won't show up a tenderfoot." + +The sun was low that evening when they reached Wolf Point, the +agency for the Assinaboine Indians, and it seemed as if all +the Indians there must have clustered about the landing-place +to welcome the boat; men, clad in fringed buckskin shirts and +leggings, and with eagle feathers in their hair; bright-shawled +women, carrying babies on their backs; small boys, naked, save +for a pair of leggings and a breech-clout; and little girls, some +wearing handsome buckskin dresses, trimmed with elk-teeth, and +clinging to their mothers' skirts, made up the assemblage. Most +interesting to Jack were the many travois, each one drawn by a +dog. Some of these were very wolf-like in appearance; others might +have been big watch dogs taken from the front door yard of some +eastern farm house. All seemed well-trained and patient; and when, +a little later, some of them started off for the agency buildings, +dragging loads that had been piled on the travois, they bent +sturdily to their work, and dug their feet into the ground. + +"There's something, son," said Hugh, "that we are not going to see +much longer. The dog travois has seen its best days, and before +long dogs won't be used any more for that work. Why, I hear that +even up in the North, dogs are not used in winter for hauling half +as much as they used to be; and down here, the first thing you +know, all these Indians will be having wagons, and driving them +'round over the prairie. Why, do you know, it ain't so very long +ago since these Assinaboines had hardly any horses. They didn't +want 'em; they said horses were only a nuisance and a bother to +'em, and their dogs were better. Horses had to be looked after; +driven in and caught up whenever they were to be used, and then +they had to be watched to keep people from stealing them; but dogs, +instead of running away when you wanted to catch them, would come +running toward you; they never ran off nor were stolen. Nowadays, +though, the Assinaboines have got quite a good many horses, and I +expect to live long enough to see the time when dog travois will be +a regular curiosity." + +"Who are the Assinaboines, Hugh," said Jack. "What tribe are they +related to?" + +"They're Sioux," said Hugh, "and talk the Sioux language. Of course +it's a little different from that talked by the Ogallalas and the +down river Sioux; but still they can all understand each other, and +they call themselves Lacotah, which of course you know is the name +that all the Sioux have for themselves." + +"And yet," he continued, "they have been at war with the Sioux and +with the Sioux' friends for a good many years. I reckon there ain't +any one that rightly knows when the Assinaboines split off from +the main stock; it must have been a long time ago. But you talk +with the Assinaboines, and they'll tell you--just as most of the +other Sioux'll tell you--about a time long ago, in the lives of +their fore-fathers, when their people lived at the edge of the salt +water. I expect maybe that means that they migrated a long way, +either from the East or from the West, very far back." + +"My!" said Jack, "if we could only know about all these things that +happened, and what the history of each tribe was, wouldn't it be +interesting?" + +"It sure would," said Hugh. + +"Well, Hugh," continued Jack, "what does Assinaboine mean? Has it +any real meaning, like some of these other names of Indian tribes +that you tell me about?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "it has a meaning, and I reckon it's a Cree word. +_Ass[)i]ne_ means stone in Cree, _poit_ means cooked, or cooking, +and the Assinaboines are called stone-cookers, or stone-roasters, +I suppose because they used to do their cooking with hot stones. +But of course that don't mean much, because pretty nearly all the +Indians that I know of used to boil their meat with hot rocks, +except those that made pots and kettles for themselves out of clay. +Nobody knows, I reckon, when the Pawnees and Mandans first learned +how to make pots. I expect that was a long time ago, too. But most +of these Indians used to boil meat in a kettle made of hide, or the +paunch of a buffalo, filled with water. Then they'd heat stones in +the fire, and put them in the water, taking them out as they got +cool and putting in others, until the water boiled and the food was +cooked." + +"But," said Jack, "I should think when they cooked the hide or +paunch it would break, and let the water spill out." + +"No," said Hugh. "It would of course, if you kept cooking long +enough; but one of these kettles would only last to cook a single +meal; you couldn't use it a second time, but it was all right for +one cooking. I have seen a hide kettle used, and eaten from it." + +Jack sat thinking, for awhile, and then he turned to Hugh and said: + +"I tell you, Hugh, if all you know about Indians, and about this +Western country were put in a book, it would make an awful big one, +wouldn't it?" + +"Well, I don't know, son," said Hugh, "maybe it might; but a man +has got to learn the life he's lived; if he doesn't, he won't +amount to nothing. I expect if all that you know about the East was +put in a book it would make quite a sizable one." + +"Oh," said Jack, "that's nothing. The things I know don't amount to +anything, and everybody else knows them a good deal better than I +do." + +"Well, I tell you," said Hugh, "the things that are new and strange +to you seem kind o' wonderful, but they don't seem wonderful to +me; but I remember one time you were telling me something about +catching fish down at the place called Great South Bay, and talking +about seeing the vessels sailing on the ocean, and to me that +seemed mighty wonderful." + +By this time the boat had left the landing-place, and the light was +growing dim. They turned and looked back, and there across the wide +bottom was moving toward the Post, a long string of people, men and +women and children and dog travois, so that it looked almost like +a moving camp. Hugh and Jack sat for a while longer on the deck +talking, and then, as the mosquitoes got bad, they turned in. + +The next afternoon the boat reached Fort Peck, then one of the +most important Indian agencies on the Missouri River. It stood +on a narrow bench, a few log buildings surrounded by a stockade, +and back of it the bluffs rose sharply, and were dotted with +the scaffolds of the dead. It seemed to Jack that there must be +hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of these graves in sight. +From the poles of some of them long streamers were blown out in the +wind, which Hugh told him were offerings tied to the poles of the +scaffolds by mourning relatives. But few living Indians were seen +here, and there were only three or four white men seen about the +trading post. They did not leave the boat, which soon pushed on +again. + +"The Indians about here have been awful mean," said Hugh; "Lots of +things were brought in here that the Sioux took from the Custer +battlefield. Somebody told me that Custer's gold watch was brought +in here by an Indian, who wanted to know how much it was worth: +but so many questions were asked him about it that he just put the +watch in his sack and lit out, and has not been seen here since." + +As the boat passed the mouth of the Musselshell early next morning +Hugh pointed shoreward, and said: + +"Do you see that place over there where that creek comes in, son?" + +"Why, of course I see it, Hugh," said Jack, "and the timber that +runs along it. What creek is it?" + +"You ought to know," said Hugh, with a laugh; "you got scared in it +a whole lot last summer." + +"Why, Hugh, is that the Musselshell?" said Jack. + +"That's what it is," said Hugh; "and seeing the mouth of the river, +and them sticks there on the flat, reminds me of the big fight +that took place there some years back. I wonder if you ever heard +about it. I meant to tell you last summer, but somehow it slipped +my mind. It was there that Liver-Eating Johnson got his name. They +used to say that he cut out the liver of an Indian that got killed +in that fight and ate it. Of course he never did, but they tell the +story about him, and I rather think he was kind o' proud about it +after a little while, and liked the name. + +"I think it was in 1869 that the fight took place, along in the +spring. + +"You know the steamboats always have trouble in coming up to +Benton in the low water; and along about 1866, after the mines got +paying, and when the fur trade was good, some men at Helena formed +a company to make a road and start a freight line down to some +point on the river that the boats could always get to. These men +didn't know much about the river, and they chose the mouth of the +Musselshell for the point where their road, which began at Helena, +should end. + +"Now, I suppose if they'd raked the whole river with a fine-tooth +comb they couldn't have found a poorer place for a town, nor a +poorer country to travel through, than this one they pitched on. +The place chosen for the town was that little neck of land between +the Musselshell and the Missouri. The soil is a bad-land clay, +which in summer is an alkali desert, and in spring is a regular +bog, in which a saddle-blanket would mire down. Then, all along +the Musselshell was a favorite camping and hunting ground for the +Indians, and in those days Indians were bad. Well, they made up +their company, and started their town. There weren't many settlers, +but a few people, mostly hunters and wood-choppers, stopped there; +and of course, wherever there were a few people gathered together, +there was sure to be a store and a few saloons. + +"I think it was along in 1868 that a man came down there with a +fine train of mules. Likely he expected to get some freighting to +do when the boats came up the river. The stock was turned out, and +some men were on guard, when a party of Sioux charged in among +them, killed two of the men, and ran off every hoof of stock. The +thing was done in a minute; and before the men could get out of +their houses and tents the stock was gone, and the Indians along +with it: all except one young fellow, who, just to show what he +could do, charged back and rode through the crowd, making fun of +them as he went along. So far as anybody knew, not one Indian got +hit. + +"It was not very long after that that the Sioux came down and +charged into the Crow camp, and ran off eight hundred head of +horses. Of course that made a big excitement. The Crows jumped on +their horses an pursued and they had quite a fight, and some of the +Indians got killed. + +"During the Spring of 1869, the Indians used to attack the town +every few days; a Crow squaw that was living there got shot through +the body, and a white woman was wounded, knocked down, and scalped, +but I reckon she's living yet. Anybody that went out any distance +from the town was sure to be shot at and chased. It was a time for +a man to travel 'round with his gun loaded, and in his hand all the +time. The Indians didn't do much of anything, but they kept the +people scared up everlastingly. It got to be so, finally, that the +Indians would charge down near the town, and then swing off and run +away, and pretty much all the men would run out and run after them, +shooting as long as the Indians were in sight. + +"One morning there were a couple of Crow women out a little way +from town, gathering sage brush for wood, and the Indians opened +fire on them. The white men all rushed out and after the Indians, +who numbered sixteen. They ran on foot over toward the Musselshell, +and then up the bottom, not going very fast, and the white men +were gaining on them, and thinking that now they would force +them to a regular fight; when suddenly, from a ravine on the +Musselshell, a shot was fired, which killed a man named Leader. + +"That stopped the whites right off, and they turned to run; and if +the Indians had charged 'em then, I expect they'd have got every +last one of 'em. But Henry McDonald saw what would happen if they +ran, and, bringing down his rifle, swore he'd shoot the first man +who went faster than a walk. + +"They could see now that there was quite a body of Indians in the +ravine on the bank of the Musselshell, but they couldn't tell how +many. There was some little shooting between the two parties. Most +of the whites moved back to the settlement; but there were half +a dozen men who did not retreat; but getting under cover, within +thirty or forty yards of the Indians, held them there. They kept +shooting, back and forth, and presently a man named Greenwood got +shot through the lungs, and had to be carried back. The other men +stood their ground, and the Indians, knowing that they had to do +with good shots, did not dare to show their heads. + +"After two or three hours of this sort of thing, it began to rain, +a mighty lucky thing for the white men. They were all armed with +Henry rifles, or needle-guns, while the Indians, for the most part, +had bows and arrows, with some flintlock guns. They had stripped +themselves for war, and had no clothing with which they could +cover their gun-locks and bow-strings to keep them from getting +wet. After a little of this, the white men began to see that +the Indians were practically disarmed, and began to think about +charging them; but when they raised up to look, they saw that there +was a big party of men there, and that the only way to get them, +except in a hand to hand fight, was for some of the party to cross +the Musselshell, and get to a point where they could shoot into the +ravine, thus driving the Indians out and placing them between two +fires. Three men started to do this. + +"When the Indians saw what the white men were trying to do, they +ran down to the mouth of the ravine and tried to shoot at them; +but their strings were wet, and the arrows had no force and hardly +reached the men, and very few of their guns would go off. The +three men got across the river, and went down to a point opposite +the ravine, and began to shoot at the Indians; but by this time +all the men in the settlement had collected together, about eight +hundred yards behind the Indians, and seeing these three men on +the other side of the stream took them for Indians and began to +shoot at them; so that the three white men who had crossed had to +get away and re-cross the Musselshell. By this time half a dozen +other men got around on the lower side of the Indians, and then +again three men crossed the river and commenced to shoot up the +ravine. This was too much for the Indians: they jumped out of +their hole and started to get away, and everybody was shooting at +them as hard as they could. The fire from the body of men near the +town still continued, and obliged the men who were doing the real +fighting to keep more or less under cover. The Indians broke for +the Musselshell, crossing it where they could, and most of them got +away; but thirteen were killed, and it was said that a good many +more died on the way to camp, and only one of the ninety and more +who were in the fight escaped without a wound. The next day after +that, the white men found the place where the Indians had stripped +for the fight and left their things, and there over a hundred robes +and two war bonnets and a whole lot of other stuff were found. Most +of it was sold, and the money given to Greenwood, who was wounded. +Jim Wells and Henry McDonald, I heard, each got a war bonnet. + +"The freight road was given up, and pretty much everybody left the +place,--except some traders who stopped there a little longer. Then +Carroll was started, up near the Little Rockies, and in a very much +better place, and that was the end of Musselshell City. It was at +this same place that Johnson claimed to have made for himself a +razor strap from a strip of skin that he cut from an Indian's back: +but Johnson was always a good man to tell stories, and you never +could be quite sure when he was telling the truth and when he was +joking. + +"A few years ago there used to be lots of talk about that fight, +and the people called it one of the biggest lickings that the +Indians ever got in this part of the country." + +Pushing along up the river, the boat passed beyond the Musselshell, +and then up by Carroll, and the Little Rocky Mountain, and the +Bearspaw,--and at last one day, about noon, Fort Benton came in +sight. + +For the last two hundred miles they had seen a good deal of +game. Buffalo were almost always in sight on the bluffs, or in +the bottom; elk, frightened by the approach of the steamer, tore +through the willow points; deer, both black-tail and white-tail, +were often seen, and on several occasions mountain sheep were +viewed--once in the bottom and at other times on the high bad-land +bluffs. One of the herds was a large one, which Hugh said must +contain seventy-five or a hundred animals. + +As Benton was approached, Jack began to feel more and more excited. +Here he hoped to meet Joe, who had been warned some months before +by Mr. Sturgis that Hugh and Jack would be at Benton early in July: +and Joe would have with him the horses, a lodge, and all their +camp equipage; so that, if nothing interfered to prevent, the next +morning they could start out on their trip. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +FOR THE BLACKFOOT CAMP + + +As the boat slowly drew near the wharf, Hugh and Jack, from the +upper deck, recognized first the old adobe fort and then, one after +another, the different buildings of the town. The arrival of the +steamer was always a great event in Benton, and pretty much all +the inhabitants of the town were seen making their way toward the +water's edge. The throng was made up of whites and Indians, with an +occasional Chinaman: for already Chinamen had begun to come into +the country. At first the two watchers from the steamboat could +recognize no faces, but, as the boat drew nearer and nearer, Hugh +suddenly let his hand fall on Jack's shoulder and said, "There's +Baptiste, and I believe that's Joe standing near him." + +"Oh, where are they, Hugh? I can't see either of them:" and then a +moment later, after Hugh had told him where the two stood, he saw +them; and springing up on the rail, and holding to a stanchion, he +waved his hat, and shouted out to Joe, who had already recognized +him and made joyous gestures in response. + +A little later, the four were cordially shaking hands on the shore: +and presently, when the crowd of passengers had left the boat, the +two old men and the boys went on board again and, mounting to the +upper deck, talked together. Jack's first question to Joe was as to +the whereabouts of the camp. + +"Down east of the Judith Mountains somewhere, I expect," said Joe +in reply. "They went down there to kill buffalo; there's lots +of buffalo over on the Judith, or between the Judith and the +Musselshell. I guess they'll be there all summer, and before I left +the camp I heard that they would make the medicine lodge somewhere +out in that country." + +"What about the hostiles, Joe?" said Jack. "Have they seen any +Sioux lately?" + +"No," said Joe, "but I've heard that there are a few passing back +and forth, between the lower country and Sitting Bull's camp, over +across the line." + +"Like enough," said Hugh, "like enough. We've got to look out for +those fellows; but they won't do nothing more than try to steal our +horses." + +Hugh had been talking quietly with Baptiste La Jeunesse, who told +him what had been happening in Benton during the winter. This was +not much: there was talk that a railroad was going to be built into +the country, one that might even pass through Fort Benton itself, +and this would make the town big and important, so people said--and +Fort Benton would once more become what it had been in the early +days of the fur trade, a populous and thriving place. + +"And how have you been getting on yourself, Bat?" said Hugh. + +"Oh, I've done well. I always have everything that I want, since +you people came in here last summer and gave me the gold. Every +month I go to the bank, and they give me the pay for the money +that you lent them for me, and so I live well. It doesn't make any +difference to me whether I've work to do or not, yet always it is +pleasant to be doing something, and so I keep on working. Also, +there are some people in the town who are poor, just as I used to +be; and now that I have money I can help them to live, just as your +boy has helped me." + +"Well, Bat, it makes me feel good that you are doing well, and I +think that you will continue to do well from this on." + +"And what are you going to do this season, Hugh?" said Baptiste. +"Where are you going, and what are you going to do--hunting or +trapping, or what?" + +"Well, Bat," said Hugh, "I am traveling 'round again with this boy +of mine. His uncle and his father and mother want him to spend the +summers out here, and get strong and hearty, and they've told me to +travel with him, and teach him about the way of living out here; +the same lesson that you and I learned when we were young; only he +will learn it in a better and easier way than we did. He's a good +boy: I like him better all the time. I should feel bad if anything +happened to him." + +"Yes, Hugh, I think he's a good boy," said Baptiste. "Both of those +boys are good. I like the Indian well. He came in here many days +ago, and came to me; and since he got here, he and I have lived +together. I like him." + +Hugh now turned to the two boys, who were busily talking, and +said; "Now, boys, if we're going to get off to-night we've got to +make a start right soon. I expect Joe has got all our stuff ready, +except the grub, and if you and he will hurry up and get the horses +together and get them saddled, I'll go and buy the grub, and put +it in the wagon, and come down here and get our guns and beds, and +we'll pack up and move out of town four or five miles and camp." + +Both the boys jumped to their feet, and Jack said; "Hurray! that's +what I want to do; I want to get out on the prairie once more, and +I don't want to see a town again until I have to." + +Jack and Joe started at once, and ran races with each other up the +street, to see which should get first to the stable. Joe beat the +white boy, who found that his winter's confinement, and his lack +of exercise in the big city had made him short of wind; so that at +last he got out of breath, and stopped running. When they reached +the stable, Joe took his rope and went out into the corral, and +caught a handsome little buckskin pony, and, saddling it, rode +out to get the animals which were pasturing on the bluffs above +the town. He was gone some little time, and then, Jack, who was +watching for him, saw the familiar sight of loose horses running +along the bluff, and then turning and rushing down its steep sides, +followed by a cloud of dust; and then Joe, with whoops and yells, +and quick turnings and twistings of his horse, drove them up to +the bars, through which they crowded, and then stood quiet in the +corral. + +Jack thought that he would try his old scheme of calling Pawnee, +and whistled sharply. The good horse threw up his head, and looked +about, and then seeming to recognize Jack, walked over to him, and +arched his neck over his shoulder in the old-fashioned way. Jack +was very much touched, and put his arms around the horse's head, +and leaned his head against his neck, thrilled with affection for +the animal that he had ridden so many miles. Presently they got +out the ropes, and tied up the horses, and one by one they were +saddled. They were all fat and in good condition, and some of them +objected quite strongly to being saddled. The dun bucked when the +flank cinch tightened on him, just as he had bucked the first time +Jack ever saw him packed, and so did the star-faced bay. The others +grunted and squealed and kicked a little, but on the whole took the +saddling very well. + +Not long after they had finished saddling up they heard a cheery +call from the front of the stable, and, rushing out, Jack saw the +wagon, piled up with food and beds, and Hugh and Baptiste, sitting +in it. It took some little time to make up the packs, but by late +afternoon this was done, the horses packed, and after shaking +hands with Baptiste, the little train, with Hugh in the lead, Jack +driving three pack horses, and Joe bringing up the rear, driving +two more, filed out of the town and climbed the hills toward the +upper prairie. + +That afternoon they traveled until the sun went down, and then +coming on a little coulee, through which water trickled, they +camped. They were careful to picket all their horses; and after +this was done, while Joe and Jack brought armfuls of willow brush +from up and down the creek, Hugh cooked supper. + +The next day they kept on. Now they were well away from the +settlements, and game began to be seen. Only antelope, it is true, +but of them there were plenty. Jack had a fair shot at a buck, at +about a hundred and twenty-five yards, but failed to kill him--to +his great mortification. + +"Ha!" said Hugh, "you've got to learn how to shoot again; you shot +too high, and missed him slick and clean. I remember the first shot +you fired last year, when you first came out; you shot high then, +just as you did now. When we get to camp to-night, you and Joe had +better go out and shoot three or four times at a mark. You have got +to learn your gun over again, and Joe of course has got to learn +his for the first time." Jack had brought out from New York a gun +for Joe, carefully selected from the stock of one of the largest +rifle manufacturers in the world, and as yet Joe had not fired a +shot out of it; but he seemed never to tire of looking at it, and +putting it up to his shoulder, and sighting at various objects. +That night they camped on a great swiftly rushing stream, near some +high hills, or low mountains; and while he was cooking supper Hugh +sent them off to try their guns. With the axe they shaved off the +outer bark from a thick cottonwood tree, and making a black mark on +the brown surface, each fired five shots at it. Jack's first two +shots were high, but the next three were clustered within the size +of a silver dollar, all about the mark. Joe did not shoot quite so +steadily, two of his shots being above, and two below, and one a +little off to one side. When they returned to camp and Hugh asked +them about their shooting, they told him, and he advised them to +fire a few more shots after supper, and, if necessary, a few in the +morning. + +"There's nothing, I hate worse than to hear a gun fired about +camp," he said, "but guns are no use to people unless they +understand them, and you boys must get used to your guns. It won't +take you more than a very few shots to do this, and you certainly +must do it." + +The next morning they started on again. No signs had yet been seen +of the Indians, but this day they saw a few buffalo, old bulls, +mostly off to the north of them. In the afternoon they passed by +the Moccasin Mountains, and camped on a little stream flowing into +the Judith River. After they had unpacked their animals and made +camp, Hugh said to Jack, "Son, have you ever been here before? Do +you see anything that you recognize?" + +"Why, no Hugh," said Jack, "I don't think I do;" and standing up +he took a long look about him, up and down the valley, and at the +hills on either side. Suddenly his face brightened, and he said, +"Why yes I do, too. I know where we are. This is just where we +came through last year, the second day after I got caught in the +quicksands in the Musselshell." + +"That's so," said Hugh, "this is just where we came. I wondered if +you'd recognize it. You ought to do so, and I'm glad you do. + +"Right over a few miles east of us is what we used to call old +Camp Lewis. There used to be a trading store there, and a camp +of soldiers, and a few men got killed there, mostly soldiers. I +remember coming through here not many years ago, the afternoon +after some soldiers got killed on the bank of the creek, right +close to the camp. There was a camp of Crows there then--about +three hundred lodges. The Sioux came down, and ran off some +government horses, and killed three recruits that were fishing here +in the creek, and the Crows took after 'em, and had quite a fight, +and Long Horse, the Crow chief got killed. They got seven of the +Sioux, I think. They had quite a time here in the camp then. I +remember Yellowstone Kelly was here, and three or four other men; I +think the Sioux set them all afoot." + +The next morning while Hugh was getting breakfast he said to Jack: +"Son, why don't you kill some meat? You are going through a country +where game is fairly plenty; anyway, antelope are, and there's a +few buffalo; and besides that, here are some mountains right close +to you, where there's surely lots of sheep. You boys had better +make up your minds to do something to-day; if you don't I'll have +to start out and hunt, to kill meat for the camp." + +"Well, Hugh," said Jack, "I certainly would rather hunt than +drive pack horses; and if you want me to I'll go off to-day and +follow along a little closer to the hills, and see if I can't kill +something." + +"Do so," said Hugh, "and then if you kill anything you can easily +overtake us. We will be traveling slow, and your horse is good and +fat and can catch us wherever we are. All the same, keep your eye +open for Indians, and don't let any strangers come up too close to +you. I'd rather have you two boys go off together, but I've got to +keep Joe with me, to drive these pack horses. You'd better throw +the saddle on your horse and start right off, and maybe you'll +catch us before we've gone very far." + +No sooner said than done. Jack saddled up, and having asked Hugh +the direction in which the party would move, rode away to the left, +toward the low foot-hills of the mountains. He had gone only a mile +or two when, passing over the shoulder of the foot-hills, he found +himself coming down into a narrow valley, in which pretty little +meadows were interspersed with clumps of cottonwoods and willows. +Three or four antelope were feeding in the valley not far off, but +there was no cover under which they could be approached, so he +rode straight along. As he drew near, the antelope ceased feeding +and raised their heads, and then, before he was within easy rifle +shot, trotted off to the other side of the valley, and stood on +the hillside watching him. After looking back for a few moments, +they started, in single file, and slowly walked up the hill. They +were by no means frightened, and it seemed likely that by taking a +little time, after they had passed on out of sight, he might get a +shot at them; but the brush above him on the stream seemed likely +to hold a deer, and he turned his horse that way and rode quietly +forward up the stream, among the groups of bushes. He had not +gone very far when from a clump of willows at his right a big doe +sprang into view, and moved slowly off by those high, long bounds +which make the white-tail, in motion, one of the most graceful of +animals. Jack's impulse was to jump off his horse and shoot at +her, but he saw that, if he did this, he would be so low down that +she could hardly be seen over the tops of the willows. He checked +Pawnee, cocked his gun, and rising a little in his stirrups, and +gripping the horse with his thighs, aimed carefully at the back of +the doe's head, just as she was rising in one of her leaps, and +pulled the trigger. + +Almost at the report, her long tail fell flat to her body, and +she began to run much faster. He knew he had hit her, and before +she had gone fifty yards, and while she was crossing an open bit +of meadow, she fell. Jack rode up to her, and on turning her over +found that he had made a good shot. A ball had entered her back, +just to the right of the spine, and had pierced both lungs and +heart. + +Turning her over, to get her ready to put on the horse, he was +glad to see that she was a barren doe, one that had not produced +a fawn that spring, and so would be fat and good eating. She was +pretty big, however, and Jack was a little uncertain just how he +was going to get her on his horse. Of course by cutting her up it +could easily have been done, for then the quarters would not be +too heavy for him to handle. At first he thought that he would +take in the whole animal, but considering the time that this +might take, and the fact that he had to ride a long way before +overtaking his companions, he determined to do things in the easier +way. He skinned the deer, therefore, cut off the shoulders and +hams, and tied them on his horse, and then taking out sirloins and +tenderloins, and some of the fat, wrapped this up in the skin, and +put that on behind the saddle. Now he had a fairly compact load, +which could be easily carried, and would not be a great additional +weight for his horse; while on the ground were left all the bones +of the deer, except those of the legs. This method of butchering he +had learned from the Indians the summer before. + +All this had taken some little time, and when Jack looked at the +sun he saw that the morning was half gone. Hugh had told him that +they would follow the trail around the point of the mountains, and +would then strike the Carroll Road, and bend back toward the river +again. This meant that if he could cross the point of the mountains +he would save several miles travel, and this he determined to do. + +Before starting, he tightened up his cinches carefully, for he knew +that the pieces of meat tied on his saddle would give it more or +less side motion, and he did not want it to chafe Pawnee's back. +Then he climbed into the saddle and started. By this time the sun +was pouring down hot upon him, and there was no breeze. From the +high ridges that he crossed from time to time he had a wide view +of the prairie, and of the distant mountains, the Little Belts +and Snowies, which rose from the plain a long way to the south. +Here and there on the prairie were black dots, which he knew were +buffalo, and other white ones, much nearer, which were antelope. +Occasionally, as he rode along, a great sage grouse would rise from +the ground near his horse's feet, or a jack-rabbit would start up, +and after running fifteen or twenty yards, would stop, sit up, +raise its enormous ears, look at him for a moment, and then settle +back on all fours, and flatten itself on the ground, so that if he +took his eye off it for a moment he could not find it again. It +seemed to him then, as it had so often seemed before, a wonderful +thing to see how absolutely this wild creature, like so many +others, could disappear from sight even while one was looking at it. + +As he rode over a high ridge, he saw on the hillside before him, +two white-rumped animals, that for a moment he thought were +antelope; but a second glance showed him that they were not, and, +to his very great astonishment, he recognized them as mountain +sheep--a ewe and her young one--which had been feeding on the +prairie, just where he would have expected an antelope to be. He +threw himself off his horse and, cocking his gun, jerked it to +his shoulder and then paused, and lowering it again, stepped back +and put his foot in the stirrup. As he mounted, the ewe, which +had been looking at him, started to run, passing hardly more than +fifty yards in front of him, closely followed by the lamb. A little +further on, she stopped again and gazed, and Jack sat there and +returned her look. The sight of the sheep had been almost too much +for him, and he had come near shooting her,--but before he pressed +the trigger he realized that if he shot her he should have to shoot +the lamb, and he could not conveniently carry either, and the old +ewe would be thin in flesh and hardly worth taking with him. The +temptation had been strong, but as he sat there and looked at the +graceful animal, which stood and stamped, while the lamb, close +beside her, imitated her motions, he realized that it was a good +thing to let them go. + +It seemed to him a mysterious thing, though, that these sheep +should be down here on the prairie, and a long way from the rocky +peaks, where he supposed they always lived. He made up his mind +that he would ask Hugh about this when he got into camp and get him +to explain it. + +At last he had crossed the point of the mountains and began to +descend. Stretching out toward the northeast he could see a dim +thin line, which, although it was interrupted at times--and +sometimes for long distances--he thought must be the Carroll Road. +Then off a long way to the east was a line of dark--the timber +along a stream's course--which he supposed was where they would +camp to-night. + +He had almost reached the level prairie, when suddenly he became +aware of two horsemen galloping toward him from behind. He watched +them as they drew nearer, and at last could make out that they were +Indians; and by this is meant that he saw that they had no hats on. +More than that, he could see, he thought, that one of them had red +leggings. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +OLD FRIENDS AND NEW + + +Of course there were no known hostiles in the country, but at the +same time he recalled Hugh's advice, not to let any Indians come +too close to him. These men were galloping along and would soon +overtake him; and if, by any chance they should happen to be Sioux, +from Sitting Bull's camp, or worthless Indians of any tribe that +he did not know, they might take his horse and gun, even if they +did nothing worse. He decided then that he would find out who they +were, and drawing up his horse on a little rise of ground, he +dismounted and stood behind it, facing them with his rifle barrel +resting in the saddle. The Indians were now only three or four +hundred yards off, but when Jack did this they at once halted, and +turning toward each other, seemed to consult. Then, one of them, +raising his hands high in the air, held his gun above his head, and +after handing it over to his companion, struck his horse with his +quirt and galloped toward Jack, while the other man remained where +he was. + +The swift little pony was soon within easy rifle shot, and as its +rider drew nearer and nearer, Jack seemed to recognize something +familiar in the look of the man, yet he could hardly tell what it +was; but when he was within speaking distance the man called out; +"Why, don't you know me, Master Jack? I'm Hezekiah;" and instantly +Jack recognized his negro friend of the Blackfoot camp. He called +back to him; "Hello, Hezekiah! come on; I didn't know who you +were." And Hezekiah, turning about, waved to his companion, who +started toward them. + +Jack and Hezekiah shook hands, and Hezekiah said; "You done mighty +well to stop us, Master Jack; you're making a good prairie man all +right, and I'm glad to see it. Plenty Indians traveling through +this country, back and forth, that would be willing to kill you for +your horse and gun; and it ain't far off to the line, and they'd +skip across and go to Sitting Bull's camp, and nobody'd ever know +who done it. It's just like what all the Piegans said last year, +after the Medicine Lodge, that you was sure goin' to make a good +warrior." + +"Well Hezekiah," said Jack, "I don't know as I'd have stopped you +if Hugh hadn't spoken to me about that only this morning. He said +that there were Sioux traveling back and forth, and that I had +better not let any Indians come up close to me until I knew who +they were. That's the reason I stopped you." At this moment the +other Indian rode up, and handing his gun to Hezekiah, shook hands +cordially with Jack. It was Bull Calf, one of his companions on +the trip to the Grassy Lakes, where Jack had shot the Assinaboine +who was trying to steal horses from the camp; a young man of good +family whom he knew very well, and with whom he had been on several +hunting excursions. + +"Where's the camp Hezekiah?" asked Jack. "Hugh and Joe have gone +on ahead with the pack train, and I stopped behind to kill a deer. +We're looking for your camp, and going to stay a little while with +you, and then we're going off south into the mountains." + +"The camp isn't far off Master Jack," said Hezekiah. "I expect it's +right over there on Muddy Creek; somewhere in that timber. Some +days ago they left Carroll, and are moving south now after buffalo; +but Bull Calf, here, and me, we came 'round by the mountains here, +to see if we couldn't kill some sheep. I want to get a couple of +shirts made, and my woman says she'd rather make 'em of sheep than +of antelope. + +"I expect we'll strike the camp this afternoon somewhere and maybe +we'd better be starting right along now." They mounted, and rode +on over the prairie. Jack had many questions to ask about what had +happened in the Piegan camp during the winter, for though Joe had +told him much, there were still plenty of matters to be discussed. +Hezekiah and Bull Calf wanted to ride fast, but Jack did not feel +like doing so with his load, so he put the two shoulders of the +deer on Bull Calf's horse, and tied down what he carried so that +it would not shake, and they went on at a good pace. An hour or +two of brisk riding brought them close to the stream; but before +they reached it they saw the trail where the camp had passed. There +were tracks of a great band of horses, and many scratches left by +travois poles; and in the trail there were a number of fresher +horse tracks, which showed where Hugh and Joe and the pack animals +had passed along after the camp. + +Jack had a feeling as if he were almost home. It seemed funny to +him to think how eager he was to meet all the brown-skinned friends +that he had left so many months before, and how much pleasure he +felt in having come across these two on the prairie. Two hours +before sundown they began to see horses dotted over the hills ahead +of them; and a little later they rode out into a broad open space +in the river bottom, where stood a circle of white lodges, which +they knew was the Piegan camp. + +"Where do you suppose Hugh will camp, Hezekiah?" said Jack, as +he ran his eye over the lodges, each one of which looked like +every other lodge. It was evident that he could tell nothing by +looking at the lodges, and he must look for the horses; and just as +Hezekiah replied, he thought he saw old Baldy tied in front of a +lodge on the opposite side of the circle. + +"Why, I reckon he'll camp with Joe's people, Master Jack," said +Hezekiah. "That's the Fat Roasters, you know, and they're over +there across the circle. I reckon that's the old man now, drivin' +pins for the lodge." + +"Yes, that's it, Hezekiah," said Jack: "I see him now. I'll ride +over there and get rid of my meat, and sometime to-night or +to-morrow I hope to come to your lodge." + +"Please do, Master Jack, and we'll be mighty glad to see you. I +want to have you see the childern, too; they've grown a heap since +you was here last." + +As Jack stopped in front of the lodge, Hugh looked up from his task +and said, "Well, you've got here all right, son. Killed somethin' +too, I reckon." + +"Yes," said Jack, "I killed a barren doe, and I reckon we've got +meat enough to keep us going for a few days. I gave the shoulders +to Bull Calf and Hezekiah, whom I met out here on the prairie, but +I've got the hams here. Shall I turn Pawnee loose, or shall I tie +him up here by old Baldy?" + +"Better tie him up here," said Hugh. "I want to make arrangements +with some young fellow to herd our horses; Joe's gone off now to +try to do that. We've got the lodge up, and now pretty quick we'll +have a fire and cook supper." + +The news of the arrival of the strangers had already spread through +the camp, and that night Hugh and Jack and Joe were invited to +feasts at several lodges. They saw many of their friends: old John +Monroe, Little Plume, Last Bull, and of course Fox Eye, and many +others. Old Iron Shirt came around to their lodge, and shook hands +cordially with Jack, from whom he accepted a plug of tobacco and +a red silk handkerchief. It was late before the festivities were +over, and when they turned into their blankets they were soon +asleep. + +While they were at breakfast next morning, Jack told Hugh about the +sheep that he had seen on the prairie the day before, and how he +had been about to kill the old ewe, and then had thought it better +not to do so. + +"You did just right, son," said Hugh; "I've said to you a good many +times never to kill anything that you don't want, and can't use, +and I believe that's the way to do. You were right not to kill the +old ewe also because she wouldn't have been good for anything; +she'd have been poor from suckling her lamb, and you'd have just +killed her without getting any good out of it. Besides that, the +lamb would have starved to death if you hadn't killed it, and if +you had killed it it would'nt have been no good. No, you did right; +you used good sense, and I like men, or boys either, to use sense." + +"Well, Hugh, I'm glad I didn't shoot. Of course, maybe I wouldn't +have killed the ewe anyhow, but I'd have tried. But what I wanted +to ask you about was what those sheep were doing down there on the +prairie. I supposed that sheep only lived on high mountains, or +else in the very roughest kind of bad-lands. They're called Rocky +Mountain sheep; that ought to mean that they live in the Rocky +Mountains." + +"Well now, son, you're like a good many people that think that +sheep ain't found anywhere except in the mountains, but that's a +big mistake. In old times sheep were found on the prairie just +about as much as they were found in the mountains. I expect they +were always in the mountains, and in old times they were always +on the prairie too. It has got so now that they're pretty scarce +on the prairie, because so many people traveling around all the +time shoot at them; but in old times it was no uncommon sight to +see sheep feeding right in among the buffalo, and we often used +to see them all mixed up with the antelope, on the flat prairie. +Of course, sheep always like to be somewhere within reach of the +buttes or mountains, or rough bad-lands, that they can run to if +they get scared, but as for them not being on the prairie, the +way some people think, that's all a mistake. Up here in Montana, +and in Dakota and Nebraska and Wyoming, I have seen them on the +prairie, a long way from any hills. Why, I've even seen them out in +the sand-hills, up not very far from the head of the Dismal River, +and south of the Loup, but I suppose they came from up the Platte, +where there are bad-lands and buttes, like Scott's Bluffs and +Chimney Rock. But if ever people tell you that sheep are found only +among the rocks, don't you believe them. I know you won't after +to-day, because you saw them on the prairie yourself." + +"Yes, Hugh, that's so; but just as you say, they started to run +back to the rocks when they were scared." + +"Why son, there's no better sheep country in America to-day, I +believe, than within a day's ride of here. You take the Missouri +River bad-lands, and the Little Rockies, the Judith Mountains, the +Little Belts, the Moccasins, and the Bear's Paw; they're all good +sheep countries, and always have been ever since I've been in the +country; and I reckon if you ask any of the old Indians they'll +tell you just the same thing. Why, years and years ago, before the +Indians got bad, there was no place where there were more mountain +sheep than right along the Yellowstone, where the bluffs don't run +more than a couple of hundred feet high, and there's a flat bottom +below them, and just rolling prairie above." + +"Well, I didn't know this at all, Hugh," said Jack, "and yesterday +when I saw those animals on that little ridge, I could not believe +that they were sheep. I thought I must be mistaken, that they must +be queer colored antelope, but then of course I saw the sheep horns +and I knew that I wasn't mistaken." + +"There's lots to learn about sheep yet, son; and you and I are not +the only people that don't know much about them. The fact is, I +don't believe anybody knows much about them. + +"I expect there's more than one kind of sheep in the country, too. +I have heard about a white sheep that they find away up north; and +then a great many years ago, once when I went up north to Peace +River, I killed a sheep that was pretty nearly black, and had black +horns. I never saw but one little bunch of them, and killed one out +of it, a yearling ewe; she was not like any other animal I ever saw +before." + +Not long after breakfast Hugh and Jack started out to make a round +of the camp, and to call upon their friends. As they were passing a +nice new lodge, a tall, slender, straight young man came out from +it, and after hesitating a moment as he looked at them, walked up +to Hugh, and extending his hand, said, "How d'ye do, Mr. Johnson. I +guess you don't know me, but I've heard of you pretty near all my +life. I'm Billy Jackson, a son of old Thomas Jackson, whom you may +have known a long way back, and the nephew of John Monroe." + +"Why yes, sure," said Hugh, "I've heard of you, and I used to know +your mother right well. I'm glad to see you. Ain't you the young +man that was with General Custer in the Black Hills, and afterwards +scouted for Miles, down on the Yellowstone? or was it your brother? +I think you're the man." + +"Yes, I'm the man" said Jackson. "Bob scouted for Miles, too, and +we both did a good deal of riding down there during the last of the +wars, and now I've come up here to live in the Piegan camp." + +"I'm glad to see you," said Hugh. "Let me make you acquainted with +Jack Danvers; he and I've traveled together now for two or three +years, and we spent last summer here in Piegan camp." + +Jack and Billy Jackson shook hands together, and they parted; but +Hugh asked Jackson to come round and eat with them that night, +which the young man said he would do. He was a handsome fellow, +lean and active; and after they had left him Hugh said to Jack, +"Take notice of that young man, and if you've occasion to go on the +prairie with him, do as he says. I've heard of him; he's a good +man, brave, and knows the prairie well, and, at the same time, he +has good sense, and isn't likely to get himself or his friends into +any trouble." + +At Little Plume's lodge they were made very welcome. His wife +had apparently thought that they would come around that day, and +as soon as they sat down in the lodge, food was set before them: +boiled buffalo heart and back fat, and berry pemmican, with stewed +service-berries, made a tempting feast, and Jack ate heartily of it. + +Little Plume told them that the next day the camp would move south, +and they hoped that before they got to the Musselshell, or if not, +soon after crossing it, they would find buffalo. Hereabouts near +the Missouri, there were but few, chiefly bulls. Further south, +between the Musselshell and the Yellowstone, scouts had reported +great numbers of buffalo. That evening, Last Bull, Iron Shirt, +and Fox Eye, Jackson and Little Plume, all came to the lodge, and +they had a feast; and after all had eaten, there was much general +conversation, but no formal speeches. Much of the conversation was +in the Piegan tongue, which Jack as yet could hardly understand, +but Jackson talked much to him in English, and told some +entertaining stories. Among them was one of an adventure that he +had had a year or two before, only a short distance from where they +were now, and which had in it something of humor, and a little of +danger. Jackson said: + +"In the fall of 1879, Paul Sandusky, Jo Hamilton and I built our +winter quarters on Flat Willow Creek, about twenty miles east of +the Snowy Mountains. The country was then still infested with +roving war parties from the different tribes, some coming from +Sitting Bull's camp on the Big Bend of Milk River. + +"As we intended to do some trading with the friendly tribes, +especially the Crows and Blackfeet, we built commodious quarters, +consisting of two buildings facing each other and about forty feet +apart, and containing altogether five rooms. Joining on to the +'Fort'--as we called it--we constructed a high stockade corral for +the horses. + +"Game of all kinds was very plenty, and bands of elk and antelope +could be seen almost daily within a mile or so of our place. Glad +to have company, we gave free quarters to all hunters and trappers +who cared to stop with us, and by March 1 we numbered eleven men, +including our cook, 'Nigger Andy.' + +"A few hundred yards below our fort a little creek, which we named +Beaver Castor, joined the Flat Willow. For some miles above its +mouth it flowed through a deep cut in the prairie, bordered with +sage brush and willows. At its junction with the Flat Willow, in +the V formed by the two creeks, was quite a high butte. It sloped +up very gently from the Flat Willow side, but was almost a cut bank +on the Beaver Castor side. + +"This butte was our watch tower. From its summit we could see miles +and miles of the surrounding country. + +"One morning in March most of the men went out antelope hunting, +leaving four of us in camp--Jo Healy, laid up with rheumatism; +Harry Morgan, the herder; the cook and myself. About ten o'clock +this morning I concluded to take a hunt, and before catching up a +horse I climbed the butte to see if I could spy a band of elk or +antelope near by. As soon as I reached the summit I saw some moving +forms on the prairie not far off, near Beaver Castor, and adjusting +my glass, I found that they were a large war party of Indians +afoot. They also saw me, for I saw several of them stop and level +their telescope at me. I took pains to let them know I was not an +Indian, for I strutted about with long strides and faced them with +arms akimbo. Finally, as they came close, I backed down from the +summit, very slowly, and placing a buffalo chip on top of a bush, +so as to make them think I was still watching them, I dashed for +the fort. + +"I found that the horse-herder had caught up an animal and gone +out hunting; so grabbing a lariat I ran out to drive in the band, +which was grazing nearly a mile from the house. I went down as +fast as I could run, but found that I couldn't get within roping +distance of a single animal. They had been in the corral all night +as usual, and in spite of my efforts they kept straggling and +feeding along, and every minute I expected the war party to swoop +down on me. However, I finally got them home and into the corral, +and, my clothing wet with perspiration, I sat down to get my wind. + +"In the meantime Andy had not been idle. He had placed all our +spare arms and ammunition by the loopholes, had dragged Healy, +bed and all, to a place of vantage, where he could shoot without +hurting his rheumatic legs, and had then gone on preparing our +dinner. So we waited and watched, expecting every minute to be +attacked. But no Indians came. We had our dinner, and as the +afternoon passed the boys kept straggling in by ones and twos, +until by five all were home. None of them had seen any Indians. + +"Finally I proposed that two or three of us get our horses and make +a reconnoissance. + +"'We don't want no horses,' said Sagebrush Charlie, 'just you and +me go up on the butte and take a look from there.' + +"I didn't like the proposition, for I surmised that the war party +were concealed in the brush on Beaver Castor, probably near the +butte. But on the other hand I didn't care to be bluffed, so I went +with him. + +"As we neared the top of the butte we proceeded very cautiously, +moving only a step at a time. Only a few yards more and we would +have reached the summit, when we saw that an Indian on the +opposite side of the butte was looking at us. We could see nothing +of him but his head, and of course he could see only our heads. +Thus we stood facing each other for what to me seemed a long +time. 'Shall we shoot?' asked Sagebrush. 'No,' I replied. 'If we +advance to shoot he will have the best of it, and if he advances +we will have the edge on him.' So we continued to stare at him. +After a while I saw that the Indian was beginning to back down +out of sight, so I did the same. I made only a step and he had +disappeared, but I kept backing away, watching the top of the +butte, with rifle cocked ready to shoot in an instant. When half +way down I turned to run and saw Sagebrush just disappearing around +the corner of the fort. Until then I had supposed that he was at +my side. So calling him some names I fairly flew down the hill, +expecting every minute to have a shower of bullets about my ears. +But I too reached the fort without any sign from the enemy. + +"When I got inside I found the boys joking Sagebrush about leaving +me, and seeing that he was ashamed of himself I said nothing to +him, although I was quite angry. + +"As soon as it was dark we put on a double guard, and kept +ourselves in readiness for an attack. Late in the evening we +concluded that the Indians would make a daylight raid on us, so we +arranged about guard duty and slept by turns. However, we heard +nothing of our dusky friends, and at six o'clock the cook called +breakfast as usual. The horses had now been in the corral nearly +twenty-four hours and were very hungry, so four of us saddled up +and went out to make a big circle and find out if our friends had +left us. We went down Flat Willow a mile or more, then swung up +onto the prairie, crossed Beaver Castor and headed home, but could +see no Indian signs. Finally we went up on top of the butte, where +Sagebrush and I had seen the Indian the night before. There in the +loose shale we found his tracks, and saw that after backing down +a little ways he had, like us, turned and run by mighty leaps to +the bottom. There we found a great number of tracks and a lot of +moccasins, some meat, etc., and following the trail we found that +the Indians had crossed Beaver Castor and gone up on the prairie, +where in the thick dry grass we lost all traces of them, and +concluding that they had left we went home and turned the horses +out to feed, with a herder and one other man to herd them. + +"After dinner, perhaps two or three o'clock, we saw a person on +foot come down to the creek from the prairie, about half a mile +below the house. I went down to see who it was, and found to my +surprise that it was a lone Indian woman, and as soon as I came +up to her she began to talk to me in a language which I at once +knew to be Nez Percés, but which I could not understand. I replied +to her in Sioux, and found that she understood and could speak a +little of that tongue, and by piecing it out with signs we got +along very well. I told her to go up to the fort with me and get +something to eat, and afterward she could tell us her story. When +we reached the place the boys all crowded around and stared at her, +and asked all sorts of questions, but I told them to wait, and we +would hear what she had to say. + +"The woman didn't seem to be at all embarrassed. She sat at the +table and calmly and slowly ate the food the cook set before her, +not heeding the ten or eleven pairs of eyes that were intently +watching her. After she had finished eating I asked her to tell us +where she had come from, where she was going and all about herself, +and I interpreted her tale, sentence by sentence, to the boys. She +said: 'I came from Sitting Bull's camp on Milk River, where some +of my people, Nez Percés, are living with the Sioux. Two years +ago, my son went with some Sioux and Nez Percés to war against the +Crows. They had a big fight on the Yellowstone, and it was supposed +that my son was killed. But not long ago I heard that the Crows +had captured my boy, and that he is still living and in the Crow +camp. Having no relatives and no husband, I made up my mind to go +and live with my son, and started out; this is the twenty-third day +since I left Milk River. I have been starved most of the time and +am very tired.' + +"'Hush!' said one of the boys, 'That's too durned thin. I move that +we hang her right now.' + +"At this, every one began to talk at once. Some said she was a spy, +others that she was all right. + +"Finally I said to her, 'The boys, some of them, think you are not +telling the truth. Yesterday a big war party was here, and they +think you belong to that outfit.' + +"'How they lie,' she interposed. 'I haven't seen an Indian since I +left Milk River.' + +"'That may be,' I replied, 'you cannot blame the boys for being +a little suspicious. However, they will not harm you. You are as +safe here as you would be among your own people. Just as soon as +this snow goes, one of our men will start for the Yellowstone with +a four-horse team after some provisions, and you can go with him. +From there it is only a short distance to the Crow camp. In the +meantime you can stay with us here and rest up. Throw off your robe +and make yourself at home.' + +"'I like what you say,' she replied, 'but I am afraid of all these +men. Let me stay close by you.' + +"Wherever I went that afternoon she followed me, and when it came +time to turn in I made her a bed of buffalo robes behind the +counter. Some of the boys spread down in the room and others in the +cook house. + +"'I don't like this,' the woman said to me. 'I am afraid to sleep +there; let me make my bed down beside yours.' + +"'Don't fear,' I replied, 'no harm will come to you. No one in this +place cares for you or wishes to harm you.' + +"'Well, then,' she said, 'if that is so I will step out a minute +and then go to bed.' + +"Now the door to this room was fastened from the inside, when we +wished it, by two wooden bars; outside we closed it merely by a +rawhide thong and pin. Some of us were always at home, and when +we all left this room we fastened the door with the thong to keep +the dogs and the cold air out. As the woman started to go out I +went up to the counter and took my six-shooter, intending to +follow her out, but quicker than a flash she darted through the +door, and closed and fastened it with the thong and pin. Of course +all the boys in the room made a rush, and two of us getting our +fingers between the door and the jamb gave a strong jerk, snapped +the fastening and we all ran out. The woman had disappeared in the +darkness, but we could still hear her footsteps as she ran toward +the brush. Suddenly she gave a peculiar kind of a whistle and from +all around in the brush she was answered by the hooting of owls. We +all rushed back into the fort, put out the lights and made ready +for an attack. + +"After an hour or so the boys began to talk. 'I knowed,' said one, +'that she was a spy.' + +"'Didn't I say to hang her,' exclaimed another. 'You fellers that +thought she was all right are sure soft.' + +"We all sat up until long after daylight, and not until eight or +nine o'clock did any one turn in. But we were not attacked, nor did +we see the woman again. + +"Several weeks afterward, when Hamilton went to the Yellowstone +after supplies, he learned that this woman had stopped at the +'Circle N' ranch and that they had lost one hundred and forty +horses." + + + + +CHAPTER V + +BUFFALO HUNTING WITH THE BLACKFEET + + +Early next morning the camp was in motion, and they travelled south +all day, making a long march. Hugh left the pack horses in charge +of Fox Eye's people, who drove them along with their own, while +he and Jack and Joe joined the flankers, who marched off to one +side, and who killed a few antelope, a few bulls, and hunted out +the stream bottoms that they passed. Each day these hunters killed +just about fresh meat enough to support the camp, which as yet had +plenty of dried meat, so that there was no suffering. That night +Hugh told Jack that the next day they would strike the Musselshell, +and very likely buffalo, but if not, they would cross the river and +move on down toward the Yellowstone, where, on the Dry Fork, or +Porcupine, they would be sure to get what they wanted. + +"We can't stop very long with these people, son," he said; "not +if we're going into the mountains, and going to work our way down +through them back to the ranch. Of course we've got lots of time, +but then we don't want to stay up here too long, and be rushed at +the last, so that we'll have to hurry along and make our horses +poor, and keep ourselves tired all the time. We can stop here for +a while and kill buffalo, and then we'll leave the people, and +strike west into the mountains." + +The next night they camped on the Musselshell, and word was brought +that about twenty or twenty-five miles to the south buffalo were +plenty. Orders were given that from now on no one should kill +buffalo, and camp was moved a day's march still further south, +to the neighborhood of the herd. The next day a bunch of buffalo +was located in a place suitable for a surround. That night the +old crier, as usual, rode around through the camp, telling all +the people to get in their horses, to tie up their running horses +close, ordering the women to sharpen their knives, and the men to +whet their arrow-points, because the next day they were going to +chase buffalo. The following morning, very early, Jack heard him +shouting through the camp, calling to the people to "Get up! get +up!" It was still black night; the stars shone brilliantly in the +sky, the light of the fire showed through the lodge-skins, and +sparks were rising with the smoke, when Jack went out to saddle up +Pawnee. Hugh had had offers of buffalo runners from several of his +friends. Last Bull had asked him to ride the spotted horse that he +had several times used the year before, while Jackson had pressed +upon him a beautiful buckskin that he declared was the best buffalo +horse in the camp. The excitement which always precedes a buffalo +chase pervaded the camp, and every one seemed to be hurrying in the +performance of whatever task was at hand. It was still long before +daylight when Jack and Hugh, following the men who were starting +out, found at a little distance from the camp the group of hunters +who were being held there by the soldiers. + +The sky was just becoming gray in the east when the soldiers +started off, and the hunters followed; and just after the sun had +risen, the halt was made behind a hill which hid the herd from +them. After a little pause, and a few low-voiced directions, horses +were changed, the line spread out, and at first going slowly, rode +up to the crest of the hill, pushed over it, and hurried down +toward the unfrightened buffalo. These were slow to see their +enemies, and the horsemen were close to them before the herd got +started. Jack held back Pawnee until the word came for the charge, +and even after that he still restrained him, not wishing him to run +too hard at first, for the horse was fat, and might lose his wind +if pushed at the start. + +He gave no thought to the whereabouts of his friends; Joe and Hugh +would no doubt take care of themselves. Just before he overtook +the last of the bulls, however, he was aware of a man riding close +to him, and turning saw Billy Jackson, riding the little buckskin, +without a saddle, and carrying in his hands a bow and some arrows, +while he had a quiver on his back. + +Jack laughed at him, and signed to him that he was armed with good +weapons, and Jackson nodded. A moment later they were mixed up +with the dust of the flying herd, and surrounded by buffalo, and +Jack bent his energies to killing a couple of cows. The bulls were +soon passed, and Pawnee, running free and easily, forged up to +the cows. Two fat ones were running just ahead of him, lumbering +heavily, and with their tongues out, yet getting over the ground +with surprising speed. He drew up alongside of one, and shot it, +and it turned a somersault; then touching Pawnee with his heel, he +was soon riding close to another, which also he killed by a single +shot. Then turning, he rode back to the last cow, and looked at +her. She was quite dead. + +The task of butchering seemed rather a heavy one, but he went to +the cow first shot, and, with some trouble split her down the +belly, and then re-mounting, went back to the other cow, which he +treated in the same way. Then he sat down on the ground in the +shade of his horse, and waited. + +An hour later the women and girls and children were seen coming +over the hills with their travois, and scattering out to look at +the dead buffalo, over many of which men who had returned were now +working. When Fox Eye's family came along, Jack spoke to the wife, +and made her understand that these two were his buffalo, and with +two of the other women she set about skinning and cutting them up. + +That night in the lodge, as they were getting ready for bed, Hugh +said to Jack, "Son, have you ever been through this country before? +Do you see anything that you recognize?" + +"Why yes, Hugh, of course, we came through it last year when we +were coming north, but I haven't seen anything to-day that I knew." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I'm not very much surprised at that, but right +along here somewhere is where we passed last year, the second or +third day after we crossed the Yellowstone River, coming north. +Now, I ain't never forgot that sheep's head that we left up in the +tree down there. As I told you then, it's a better head than most, +and likely a better one than you'll ever kill again, and I was +thinking that it wouldn't be a bad idea for you and me to ride down +there and get it. We can go in a day, and come back in another, and +we can easily enough carry the head with us, and take it back to +the ranch. What do you say?" + +"Why, sure Hugh;" said Jack, "I'd like to do that mighty well. I've +always felt sorry that we lost that sheep head, and felt that I +wanted it to take back east. I never thought of our getting it this +year; in fact I never expected to see it again. I'd like very much +to get it, if you feel like it." + +"Well, say we do it. We can start to-morrow or next day; the +Indians'll be here now two or three days at least, killing and +drying meat, and we can easily enough go there, and come back and +catch them before they leave these parts. You and I can go alone, +or we can take Joe; or if you like, we can ask anybody else that we +want to go down there with us. It'll be a nice little trip." + +So it was arranged that within a day or two they should start for +the Yellowstone River, to get the sheep's head. + +It was the second day after that they finally got away. Joe wanted +to go with them, and when they told Jackson what they intended +doing, he said that he too would like to go. This made a party +of four capable men, to whom no danger could come. They took a +couple of pack horses, to carry their bedding and provisions, but +no shelter, for the weather was bright and dry, and there seemed +no prospect of rain. On their way to the Yellowstone they rode +constantly through buffalo and antelope, tame and unsuspicious, and +just moving aside from the track of the travellers as they passed +along. That night they camped on the little stream just where Jack +had killed the sheep, and reaching camp before sundown, Hugh and +Jack rode up the stream to the tree where the sheep's head had been +placed, took it down and brought it to camp. The ashes of the fire +of the year before, and the bones of the sheep from which they had +cut the meat called up old memories. Even the places where the +lines had been tied for drying the meat were remembered. + +Jack was glad enough to get this head again. As Hugh had said, it +was a very fine one. The great horns swung around in more than a +complete curve, and although near the base they were more or less +bruised and battered by the battles the old ram had fought, the +tips of the horns were very nearly perfect. The skin of the head +and neck had been picked by the birds and bleached by the weather, +and Hugh said; "I'm not sure that it will do to use in covering +the skull, son; but even if it is too hard and sunburned to make +anything out of, I'd take it along. If we get another good ram on +the trip you can take his scalp; but if we don't, maybe the man +that puts up your head can make something out of this." + +The next morning before starting back, they rode down to the +Yellowstone River, and looked up and down the valley. There were +some buffalo here too, and a few elk; but there was nothing to +keep them, and they turned about and returned to the Piegan camp, +which they reached that night. + +For some days longer the camp remained here, killing buffalo and +drying the meat. Then they moved east, one day's journey, to +another little stream, and again hunted from here. By this time +many buffalo had been killed, and many robes made. The parfleches +were full of dried meat and back fat; and now presently the chiefs +began to consult as to whether they should not go north again to +the neighborhood of the mountains, for the women wished to gather +roots and berries for the winter. + +One evening when Jack came in from the hunt he saw a great crowd +of people, men, women and children, gathered just outside of +the circle. They seemed to be having a good time, for shouts of +laughter and shrill screams from the women told that something was +happening which amused them all. + +Riding up to the edge of the crowd, Jack saw in the midst of it a +little buffalo calf, standing there with its head down and tail in +the air, facing with very determined attitude two or three small +boys who were trying to approach and get hold of it. Every now and +then one of the little fellows would get up his courage and venture +close to the calf's head, when the calf would charge him and the +boy would jump out of the way; but just as Jack came to a place +where he could see, one of the boys went slowly forward toward +the calf, and just as the calf began to charge, one of the boy's +companions gave him a push forward, so that instead of dodging the +calf he met its charge, and was knocked sprawling on the ground. +Then everybody screamed with laughter, and the boy scrambled out of +the way as fast as he could. + +At one side of the ring of people, Jackson was standing, evidently +much amused at what was going on. Jack called out to him, "What are +they doing, Billy?" + +"Why, I roped this calf to-day and brought him in to try to take +him back to the river, where there are some cows, and raise him, +but some of these small boys got bothering and teasing him, and +I told them if they didn't let him alone I'd turn him loose, and +let him take care of himself, and now it seems to me he's doing it +pretty well; he's knocked a half dozen of 'em out of time already, +and once in a while, if he gets real mad, he charges into the +crowd, and I tell you they scatter." + +The fun went on for a little while longer, and then Jackson, after +speaking to the people, put a rope about the calf's neck, and with +the assistance of two young men, dragged it away to his lodge, +where it was picketed to a stake firmly driven into the ground. + +That night, Joe said to Jack, "Say, Jack, do you want to see some +fun to-morrow?" + +"Of course I do," said Jack. "I always want to be around when +there's any fun going on." + +"Well," said Joe, "there's going to be some fun to-morrow; at least +I think there is. Some of the young men have been making fun of +Eagle Ribs; they say that there's something he dare not do; to +jump from his horse to the back of a bull, and ride it. When they +said that, Eagle Ribs said, 'Why do you talk about doing that? +You should talk about something that is really dangerous. I should +not be afraid to jump on a bull's back and ride him; but it's too +easy; I do not care to do little things like that. It would be a +trouble to me, and could not do any one any good.' The others kept +teasing him, and making fun of him, and at last, after they had +bothered him a good deal, Eagle Ribs said, 'It will be a little +trouble to do this, but if you want to see me I will do it. I will +ride a bull; the fastest and strongest that I can choose. Watch me +to-morrow, and see whether I do it or not.' So to-morrow we're all +going together, to see whether Eagle Ribs will ride the bull." + +"But isn't there danger that the bull will throw him off, and catch +him and kill him?" + +"No," said Joe, "I guess he can stick to it; or, if he can't do +that, why he'll have to be quick on his feet if the bull does throw +him; they can't turn very quickly, you know, and Eagle Ribs, if +he's smart, can get around and keep out of the way of his horns. +Besides that, there'll be a lot of us there, and we can tease the +bull, and get him to chase us, if Eagle Ribs should be in any +danger." + +"Well," said Jack, "it's going to be a regular circus, I guess, and +I'll have to be there." + +"Yes," said Joe, "you want to be there if you can; and a lot of us +young fellows are going to keep pretty close together, and I think +we'll have a real good time, even if we don't kill any buffalo. The +camp has got about all the meat now it wants, anyhow." + +The next morning before the chase began, Jack and Joe found +themselves among a lot of boys about their own age, many of whom +were making fun of and teasing Eagle Ribs. When the chase started +the boys did not ride as usual to try to catch cows, but instead of +that singled out some old bulls that made up the rear of the herd, +and turned them off on to the prairie. + +Then they all began to whoop and yell, and call out Eagle Ribs' +name, and say to him, "Now is the time to show us what you can do. +Here is your horse; now ride him." Eagle Ribs was riding a good +horse, and at once accepted the challenge. He pressed the animal +close up to a bull, and when he was so near that his horse's side +almost touched the buffalo's side, he reached far forward, grasped +the long hair on the buffalo's hump, and threw himself from his +horse onto the bull's back. The bull was frightened, and for a few +minutes it ran faster than all the horses; and then forgetting that +it was being chased, and only anxious to get rid of the terrible +burden that it was carrying, it stopped, and began to plunge and +buck, and skip around, and acted as if it were a calf instead of a +huge old bull. Eagle Ribs clung to it with both hands, and with his +legs, but the bull jumped so high, and came down so hard, that two +or three times he was shaken from his seat. The boys all about him +were shouting with laughter, some of them calling out encouraging +words to the bull, and some to the rider. + + [Illustration: "HE REACHED FAR FORWARD, AND GRASPED THE LONG HAIR + ON THE BUFFALO'S HUMP."--_Page 82._] + +The bull seemed very strong, and for a long time did not get tired, +and two or three times Jack feared that the boy would be thrown +from his back. Presently, however, the bull stopped, and stood +with his head down, glaring at the horsemen about him, as if he +wanted to fight. Now the boys began to ask Eagle Ribs why he had +stopped; why he did not ride further; and one of them threw his +quirt to him, telling him that he should use this to make his horse +go better. Others ran their horses close by, in front of the bull, +trying to make him charge. Toward one of these horses he rushed +furiously, and as he did so, Eagle Ribs slipped from his back and +ran away in the opposite direction, and got behind a horse ridden +by one of the boys. Jack rode up to him, and signed to him to get +on behind him, and then they went back to where Eagle Ribs' horse +was feeding, and he mounted him. Meantime, the bull had run on, and +some of the boys had killed him. + +The next evening the old crier rode about the camp, shouting out +the orders of the chiefs; telling the people that the next day, +early, the camp would move back to the great river. + +On the evening of that day Jack was awakened by a shot in the camp, +and then another, and then a rush of people, followed by a swift +pounding of horses' hoofs on the prairie. He scrambled from his +bed, put on his moccasins, and seizing his gun and cartridge belt, +rushed out-of-doors. Joe was standing in front of the lodge, having +just come out, and Jack asked him what was the matter. "I don't +know sure," said Joe, "only horses have been stolen." + +"Well," said Jack, "why don't they go after the thieves?" + +"Oh," said Joe, "that would not do; that is too dangerous. Suppose +we were to run out onto the prairie, chasing the thieves, they +could stop behind any sage brush, or the edge of any hill, and +shoot us as we came up to them, before we could see them. We'll +have to wait until to-morrow, until it gets light, and then take +good horses and try to catch them." + +The whole camp was now thoroughly awake, and the fires were made +up in every lodge, while people went about visiting each other, +and trying to find out what the extent of the loss had been. It +appeared that only three good horses had been taken; but more would +have been stolen if it had not happened that a man coming back +late from a gambling game, and seeing somebody cutting the rope of +a horse in front of his lodge, had shot at him with a pistol that +he carried. The enemy threw himself on the horse and rode swiftly +away, and at the sound of the shot a half dozen men rushed from +their lodges and fired at the retreating sound. + +It was several hours before the camp quieted down again, and before +daylight next morning forty or fifty men on good horses were +prepared to follow the trail, and try to overtake the thieves. +Both Jack and Joe wished to accompany the pursuing party, but Hugh +advised them not to. He said, "If we had come up here to spend the +summer with these people, maybe there'd be no harm in your going +off, but now in the course of a few days we're going to leave them +and go into the mountains, and if you run your horses down, or if +either of you should get hurt, why it might spoil our whole trip +back to the ranch. These Indians ain't likely to overtake those +fellows, and 'twill just be a long hard ride for nothing. We'd +better stop at the camp for two or three days more, and then strike +out for the mountains, just as we intended to, and go on down +there and see that place they used to call Colter's Hell, and then +go on down through it, and back to the ranch." The boys, rather +unwillingly, agreed to do this. + +Three days later the Piegan village was once more camped not far +from the Judith Mountains, and all the pursuing warriors had +returned, not having overtaken their enemies. Dire were the threats +that they made against the Crows who had stolen the horses, and a +number of war parties were made up to go south and make reprisals +on that tribe. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +AMID WONDERS OF THE YELLOWSTONE PARK + + +It was toward the middle of August that Hugh and Jack and Joe, with +their little pack train, started southwest, to strike the Carroll +Road, to go to the place once known as Colter's Hell, and now as +the Yellowstone Park. Their animals carried only their provisions, +messkit and bedding, and a skin lodge which Hugh had purchased +from Fox Eye's wife. Their way led them through the beautiful +Gallatin Valley, crossing the surveyed line of the Northern Pacific +railroad, then being built westward, and then over the mountains +to the valley of the Yellowstone, which they followed up to the +cañon. Before they reached the Gallatin Valley they had seen plenty +of buffalo, and had killed one for fresh meat, while in the Valley +there were many antelope. In the Bridger Mountains, by which they +passed, elk and deer were abundant; and one morning in the trail +which they followed were seen the tracks of an enormous bear and +two small cubs. + +In the mountain streams which they crossed, trout were abundant, +and they greatly enjoyed the delicious fish which were so easily +caught. + +A wagon road had been built through the cañon into the Yellowstone +Park, and here a number of white people were travelling back and +forth, and wagons were hauling material for hotels and other +buildings that were to be put up near the Mammoth Hot Springs. They +reached these one night, and spent the next day wandering about +them, marveling at the floods of hot water which poured over the +many tiny falls, and deposited the lime which had built up the +terraces of what the people there called "the formations." From an +old German, Jack purchased three or four articles: a horse shoe, a +nail, and the twig of a tree which had been suspended in the water +until coated with a beautiful white covering of lime. + +The next day they climbed the hill to the right and came into +a level park-like country, which they followed south. It was a +picturesque region, with grand mountains showing on every hand, yet +nearby, a green level meadow, spangled with wild flowers, and a +little further back dotted with clumps of pines and spruces, which +were very beautiful. + +At every step there was something new to be seen: new birds, +new animals, and new scenery. The trail led up a fork of the +Gardiner River, and then, crossing over, struck one of the heads +of the Gibbon River, down which they passed, and then suddenly +found themselves in a country of hot springs, which steamed, and +sometimes threw up boiling water to a considerable height. This was +the recently discovered Norris Geyser Basin, and here they camped, +and spent the day walking about among the hot springs, which at +first were very awe-inspiring. In many of them there were old tree +trunks and branches of trees, which, when taken out and examined, +seemed to be partly turned to stone. Fine particles of a flinty +material seemed to have penetrated all the pores of the wood, and +while the branches were not hard, the woody matter in them seemed +gradually to be changing to stone. As they sat eating their supper +that night, Hugh said to Jack, "Well, son, I don't wonder that the +mountain men in old times used to call this Colter's Hell. It is +surely a place where the flames down below seem to be mighty close +to the surface of the earth." + +"It makes me afraid," said Joe. + +"Well," said Jack, "it does me too a little. This morning I was +afraid pretty nearly every minute that I'd fall through the ground +and get into hot water below." + +The next morning they moved camp, and rode over toward the river +intending to look at the Grand cañon, and the wonderful falls of +which they had heard. + +Although the Yellowstone Park had been known for more than ten +years, few people had as yet visited it. Nevertheless, they saw +a number of visitors, some travelling with teams, and some with +pack trains, and altogether the Park seemed quite a bustling +place. That night they camped on the head of Alum Creek, and the +next day, leaving their pack horses picketed and hobbled at the +camp, rode over to see the falls. They rode first down toward the +river, passing the Sulphur Mountain, a great barren hill, full of +hot springs and sulphur vents, about which much sulphur had been +deposited. Many fragments of the bright yellow mineral were strewn +on the ground, and at one place Hugh noticed where two or three +grass blades had fallen across one of the vents' and calling the +boys' attention to this, they all dismounted to look at it. About +these blades of grass, and on their slender heads, most delicate +and beautiful crystals of sulphur had collected. These were so +fragile that a little motion made them loose their hold, and drop +from the grass, or else break, so that it was impossible to carry +them away. Near here, at the foot of the hill, was a large spring, +six or eight feet in diameter, and boiling violently. The water +was sometimes thrown up eight or ten feet high, not in jets, but +seemingly by impulses from the center of the pool, so that the +spray was sent outward in all directions. + +They then followed down the river for two or three miles. It was a +broad stream, swiftly-rushing yet smooth, and nowhere interrupted +by rocks or rapids until the upper falls were almost reached. Here +were short rough rapids and then the tremendous falls. The great +mass of dark water glided rather than plunged into the depths +below, and just below the crest of the cataract was broken into +white foam, which, further down changed to spray. The falls are +162 feet high, and clouds of white vapor constantly rose from the +water below, and hid the view. Looking down the stream, they had a +glimpse of the wonderful cañon below. + +The roar of the falls was so tremendous that conversation was +impossible, and nothing was said; but presently they left the upper +falls and rode on north to the lower one. Here was repeated the +marvelous impression which they got from this tremendous body of +water falling 150 feet sheer to the great basin below, and from +under the mist cloud that hid the foot of the fall came out the +narrow green ribbon of the river, winding and twisting, hardly to +be recognized as a river, dwarfed by distance, and creeping with a +slow oily current. On either side the stream rose the walls of the +cañon, five or six hundred feet to the pine-fringed margin above. + +Looking down the stream, Jack saw a cañon a thousand feet deep, and +perhaps twice as wide, extending for miles to the northward. Its +sides were curiously sculptured and carved into fantastic forms. In +one place a vertical cliff supported lofty cones of rock, ranged +side by side upon the same horizontal ledge along its face. Again, +a narrow buttress arose from the river's level in a series of +pinnacles and turrets overtopping one another, until the summit of +the cañon wall was reached. At one place that wall was so nearly +perpendicular that it seemed as though a stone dropped from the +edge of the cliff would fall at once into the water of the river. +In another, the decomposing rock had been eaten away above until +a talus of fallen rock and earth arose in a steep slope half way +to the top. But to Jack's mind the glory of the cañon was in its +color. The walls glowed with a vivid intense radiance which is +not less wonderful than beautiful. Browns and reds and pinks and +yellows, and delicate grays and pure whites had painted these hard +rocks with a wealth of coloring hardly to be described in words. +In the sun the cañon walls shone with brilliancy. When the clouds +passed over the sky they grew duller and softer, but were hardly +less beautiful. Down close to the river were the most vivid greens, +and in the mist which rose from the foot of the fall were seen, +when the sun was shining, all the hues of the rainbow. + +The travellers sat long watching this wonderful sight, and then +pushing along the margin of the cañon, below the falls, walked out +on a projecting point of rock, and looked up and down the river. +The more they gazed, the more wonderful it seemed, the harder to +take it all in, and the harder to put into words. + +On a pinnacle of rock, rising from the end of the point on which +they had walked, was a great nest, in which the boys noticed two +large and downy young birds. Flying up and down over the river, +sometimes low over the water, again far above the heads of those +who stood on the edge of the cañon, were great hawks--eagles, +Hugh afterward said they were, but Jack recognized them as +fish-hawks--and while they were standing there, one of these great +birds brought a fish to the nest, and tearing it to pieces with its +beak, gave the fragments to its greedy young. Jack noticed, also, +little sparrow-hawks flying about the edge of the cañon, and, far +below at the edge of the river, saw little birds flying from point +to point, which he thought must be dippers. + +The whole day was spent here, for no one seemed to wish to return +to the camp; but at last, as the sun swung low, and the pangs +of hunger began to be felt, they returned to their horses, and +mounting them, were soon at camp once more. + +The next morning they set out up the river to go to the lake. On +the way they passed two well known places. The Mud Volcano, a huge +hot spring of gray clay, which steamed, and bubbled, and thumped, +and sometimes spouted, throwing up its mud to a great height. Jack +in his mind compared the boiling mud to mush boiling in a kettle, +but as this pool of mud was fifty feet in diameter, the comparison +was not a good one. All about, the trees were splashed with mud, +which had dried on them, showing that at some time, not long +before, there had been an eruption. Nearby, on the hillside, was +a steam spring in a little cavern, which they had heard of as the +Devil's Workshop. From this cavern came constantly great volumes +of steam, while within it were heard hollow bubbling noises, which +sounded like the clang and clash of great pieces of machinery +turning. It was a mysterious place, and neither one of the three +cared to go very close to it. There were boiling springs and +sulphur vents hereabout in great plenty, and the place seemed an +uncanny one. + +The way to the lake was attractive: it led through forests, +sometimes of living green, and at others killed by fire. +Occasionally they passed through pretty grassy meadows, and from +them had charming views of the river, which grew wider as they +approached the lake, and seemed to spread out over wide flats. +To the right the mountains rose sharply, forming the "Elephant's +Back," a thousand feet in height. + +Presently they came to a broad opening, and saw before them the +lake. At the outlet the grass grew thick and rank, and in the +marshes, pond-holes and sloughs here, they saw many flocks of wild +ducks and geese; and sand-pipers and beach birds fed along the +shore. Some swans were seen, and a few great white pelicans. + +Their fresh meat was now exhausted, and for a day or two they had +been living on trout, of which great numbers were caught in the +streams that they had crossed, for fish are abundant everywhere in +the mountains. When they made camp that night, Jack got out his +line, and cutting a pole, went down to the shore to catch some +fish, while Hugh and Joe made the fire. + +Jack had hardly thrown his hook in the water when it was seized, +and he dragged a large fish to shore. As he was taking it off the +hook however, he noticed a bunch on its side, and after examining +it for a moment, cut into this bunch with his knife, and drew from +it a long white worm. He got a dozen trout, but all of them seemed +to be afflicted with this parasite, and finally putting up his line +he carried them to the fire, and showed them to Hugh. Both Hugh and +Jack agreed that these fish were not fit to eat, and that night +they supped on dried meat and back-fat. + +As they had made camp that night they had noticed, just beyond +them, two white tents, and had seen some horses feeding near the +lake shore. Shortly after their supper, a man walked into the camp, +and after saluting them, sat down by the fire. A little talk showed +that he was a member of the geological survey that worked in the +Park, and he had been attracted to their camp by the fact that +they had an Indian lodge. He was a pleasant man, and seemed quite +willing to talk, and to answer all their questions, and very much +interested in his work. After he and Hugh had talked together for +a while, Jack ventured to ask some questions about the Park, and +especially about the place where they now were. "Won't you tell me, +sir," he said, "what you can about this big lake that we are on. +It looks to me awful big to be up here high in the mountains. Of +course I know it isn't anything like the Great Lakes; still it's +the largest lake I ever saw." + +"It is a large lake," said their visitor, "for it contains about +150 square miles of water, and there is probably no lake in North +America of equal size at so great an elevation. You see, we are +about 7700 feet above the level of the sea. Roughly speaking, the +shape of the lake is like that of an open hand which lacks the +first and middle finger; the wrist is the northern end of the lake, +the west arm answers to the outstretched thumb, and the south and +southeast arms to the ring and little finger. If you are going to +travel around it, you will feel that it is a lovely sheet of water. +It is very picturesque, and in fair weather it lies here like a +great sapphire beneath the unclouded sky. But when the storms come +up, and the wind rolls down along the mountain sides, the lake can +get up a great sea, and one would not care to be out on it. But in +fair weather it is very beautiful--to me the loveliest spot in all +the park. And what is more, I never get tired of it; the more I see +it, and the more familiar I become with its scenery, the lovelier +it is. From every promontory and every bay, and from every +hillside above it, one has always a different view, and each view +has a charm that is all its own." + +The geologist sat there long with them that night, talking to them +in a most interesting way about the Park and the geysers and the +cañons. He told them that all this country was volcanic in origin, +and that for some reason or other, which he did not know, the heat +still remained close to the surface of the earth; and that this was +the reason that there were so many hot springs and geysers here. + +"It's one of the most interesting regions in the world," he said, +"and one of the most beautiful. As yet, people do not appreciate +it. Many people do not even know that it exists; but the time +will come when thousands will gather here each summer, from all +quarters of the world, to see its beauties. Geologically, it is +most interesting, and already geologists from all over the world +are coming to see it, or are making plans to come. I predict that +the time is coming when the Yellowstone Park will be acknowledged +to be the most wonderful place in the world." + +As the visitor rose to go, he looked about the lodge and said, +"So this is an Indian lodge, is it? I've often read about them, +but this is the first one I've ever seen. They seem warm and +comfortable, but are they not rather smoky?" + +"No," said Hugh, "they're not smoky; but you must remember they're +not made to stand up in; people in the lodge are expected to sit +down, or to lie down. If there's a fire burning, and no wind +blowing, or if the air is damp and heavy, smoke often gathers in +the top of the lodge, and a man standing in it finds about his +head more than he likes. Stoop down a little bit and you will see +that the smoke no longer troubles you." The geologist did as Hugh +advised, and seemed to be greatly interested by the discovery that +it was as he had said; and then bidding them good night, he left +the lodge. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +GEYSERS AND HOT SPRINGS + + +They were afoot before the sun had arisen next morning, and the +outlook over the lake was beautiful. Away to the east and south +were many mountain peaks, the names of which they did not know; but +all grand and majestic, and far away to the south was one larger +than any of the others, and covered with snow. As Jack looked at +them, he saw these snowy crowns take on a glow of pink, and then +grow brighter and brighter, and then could see the sunlight creep +down the sides of the mountains, and finally it was broad day. The +islands in the lake interested him, and he thought them beautiful. + +As they passed the geologist's camp, they saw him standing with his +back to the fire, and he called out good morning to them; then, +signing to Hugh to draw near, he said, "Excuse me for asking you, +but I suppose you have been to the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins?" + +"Well," said Hugh, "we've been to one geyser basin; that one on the +way to the falls, but that's the only one we've seen." + +"Well," said the geologist, "of course you know your own affairs +best, but it seems to me you will make a great mistake if you do +not get to the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, because it's there +that the most wonderful geysers are to be seen." + +"Well," said Hugh, "we're travelling through here to see the +sights, and I'd be mightily obliged to you if you'd tell me what +we'd better do. We are strange to the country, and don't know +anything about it." + +"I shall be very glad to help you in any way that I can," said the +geologist, "and you certainly should not miss the geyser basins. +You can follow the trail along the lake here for about twenty +miles, and then turn to your right, at the end of the Thumb, and +strike northwest across through the timber, to the streams running +into the Firehole River, and follow them down, and that will take +you to the Lower Geyser Basin; then from there you must travel +up the Firehole to the Upper Geyser Basin. Then, if you want to, +you can cross over to Shoshone and Lewis Lakes, and go on south, +following Snake River, to Jackson's Lake. From there you can go +wherever you please, but if you choose to follow up Pacific Creek, +and pass through Two Ocean Pass, that will bring you back on the +upper Yellowstone, and then you can come down to the lake again." + +"Well," said Hugh, "we want to go south, and to get down on the +streams that run into the Platte. I reckon we might as well go +down to Jackson's Lake the way you say, and then strike across the +country, over into the Wind River drainage, and then over onto the +Platte." + +"Yes, I guess that is one very good way to go if you know the way +across the range," said their friend. + +"Well," said Hugh, as he started on, "we'll try to find a way, and +anyhow we're mightily obliged to you for telling us about those two +geyser basins, and we'll sure see them before we go south;" and +saying goodbye to their acquaintance, they rode on. + +A few miles further along the trail, they came to a natural bridge, +spanning a brook which now carried little water, but showed that +in the spring it was much larger. The stream had burrowed its way +beneath a dike of lava, at right angles to its course, and was +bridged by a nearly perfect arch of rock, about six feet thick +above the keystone. From the top of the bridge on its lower side +to the bed of the stream is about sixty feet, and the bridge is +twenty-five feet long, and the arch fifteen feet in width. The lava +stands in upright layers, from one to four feet in thickness, and +seems to have separated into these thin plates in cooling. + +Beyond the bridge, the dim trail which they followed led for the +most part through the pleasant green timber, but at midday they +passed over several hog-backs, from which the timber had long ago +been burned off, most of the tree trunks had rotted away, and only +a few charred fragments of the roots remained on the ground. No +young growth had sprung up to replace the old, and the ground was +bare: not merely bare of timber, but bare even of underbrush, weeds +and grass. Exposed for years to the full force of the weather, the +rains and melting snows had swept away all the rotted pine needles, +twigs and fallen branches which had formed the old forest floor and +soil, leaving only the fine lava sand and gravel, without any soil +to support vegetation. Dry, thirsty and desolate, these hog-backs +resembled the desert, a barren waste in the midst of the green pine +forest. + +Hugh turned to Jack and said, "You see, son, what the forest fires +may do in these mountains. When the timber burns off, unless there +are seeds in the soil to spring up at once, the snow, melting +quickly, washes away the soil, and leaves the rock, whether it is +solid or broken up fine like this here, uncovered and without the +power to support anything. Every year the snow melting quickly +washes off a larger tract, and so these little deserts increase in +size. The time is coming, I am afraid, when these mountains will +all be burned over, and then what the ranchmen down on the prairie +are going to do for water for their hay meadows and their crops I +don't know." + +"But, Hugh," said Jack, "aren't there laws forbidding people to set +the timber on fire?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "there's plenty of laws, but the trouble is +nobody pays any attention to them." + +Toward evening they camped on the shores of the lake, at what Hugh +supposed was the Thumb, and he told the boys that the next day he +was going to start off northwest through the timber, and try to +strike the streams leading down to the Firehole. + +Making an early start, they rode up the hill, following a deep +ravine through the cool green timber, over ground covered with +feathery moss, where the hoofs of the animals made no sound as they +struck the ground. Soon the lake was lost to view, and then, on +all sides of them rose the tall straight boles of the pine trees. +There seemed not very much life. A few small birds were seen in +the tops of the trees. Some gray jays gathered near them when they +stopped at midday to eat, and uttered soft mellow whistles, and two +came down very close to Jack and Joe, and picked up little bits of +dried meat that they threw to them. + +Soon after they started on, they came to a stream, and following +that down, about three or four o'clock rode into the Lower Geyser +Basin. + +Here was a large wet meadow, with green grass, and plenty of +good camping spots; and before long they had the lodge up, and +closing the door, started out to make a tour of the basin. The +many geysers, large and small, and the wonderful hot springs of +surpassing clearness and deep blue color astonished and delighted +Hugh and the boys. Many of the springs were very hot, seeming to +boil from beneath, bubbles of steam following one another to the +surface, and then exploding. One of these large springs, about +twenty-five feet long and more than half as wide, gave a vigorous +display, beginning first to boil at the middle, and then to spout; +at length throwing the water about in all directions, from twenty +to forty feet in height. The margins of all these geysers and hot +springs were beautifully ornamented with yellow gray and pinkish +deposits of stone, which took the form of beads and corals and +sponges, and all the tree trunks and branches seen in and near them +were partly turned to stone. Close to the geysers were what are +called the paint-pots. These are boiling pools of finely divided +clay of various colors. The air seemed to be forced up slowly +through the thick fluid, making little puffs, much like those +that one would see in a kettle of boiling indian meal. Some of +these paint-pots were very large, others small, and they were of +a variety of colors--some red, some white, some yellow, and some +softly gray. The clay was exceedingly smooth to the touch. + +The Geyser Basin was long, and contained a great many wonderful +springs and geysers, of which some, like the Grotto, had built up +great craters for themselves, twelve or sixteen feet high. + +The Grotto was at the end of the Lower Geyser Basin, and from here +they turned back to go to their camp. Much talk was had during the +evening of the wonderful things that they had seen, and of what +they expected to see in the morning. + +An early start brought them to the Upper Geyser Basin not long +after the sun had risen. Not far from the Grotto which they had +seen last night was the Giant, with an enormous crater, from which +great volumes of steam were escaping, and where the water could be +heard boiling below the surface, and occasionally rising in great +jets which splashed over the top. They camped near at hand, and +turning out their horses, proceeded on foot to see Old Faithful, +the Bee-hive, the Giantess, the Grand, and many other large +geysers, besides many hot springs wonderful in color and in the +purity of their waters. + +Just before they reached Old Faithful, the roar of its discharge +was heard, and its wonderful shaft of water was seen rising, by +two or three rapid leaps finally to a height of over one hundred +feet, with clouds of steam reaching far higher, and drifting off +with the wind. The great column of water maintained its height for +fully five minutes, and then, dropping by degrees, it sank down +and disappeared. All about the crater the naked shell of silica +which surrounds it was flooded with water, so hot that Jack and +Joe, who tested it with their fingers, shook them violently and at +once thrust them into their mouths. The crater of this geyser is +very beautiful. It stands on a little mound and is four or five +feet high, and its lips are rounded into many strange and beautiful +forms, beaded and shining like glistening pearls, while all about +it are little terraced pools of the clearest water, with scalloped +and beaded borders. The margins and floors of these pools are +tinted with most delicate shades, white, buff, brown and gray, +and in many of them are beautiful little pebbles, which are also +opalescent. + +Many cruel hands had been at work breaking down these beautiful +borders, to carry them away, and people who had visited the place +had scrawled their names on the smooth pebbles and in the beautiful +flooring of the pools. + +Hugh said to Jack, "Well, we come from the Indians, and we belong +in a cow camp; but we ain't low down enough to spoil pretty things +like these, by writing our names on 'em, are we, son?" + +"No, Hugh, we're not," said Jack, "and I'm mighty glad of it. I +don't think anybody that had any love for pretty things would want +to spoil them in this way, or take any of this beautiful bordering +away with them. You get these pretty things away from their +surroundings, and they are not pretty any longer. It's like picking +a beautiful flower and carrying it away with you; before you've +got far, it's all faded and gone, and good for nothing except to +throw away." + +During the day, which seemed to them all too short, the geysers +were good to them. The Bee-hive played, throwing up a slender shaft +of water to a height of about 200 feet; the Grand Geyser sent up a +stream eighty feet in height; the Castle played, but its exhibition +was not very showy compared with the others that they had seen. But +toward afternoon, the greatest of all the geysers, the Giantess, +gave an exhibition of her power, throwing up a vast quantity of +water, sometimes to a height of one hundred feet. While the geyser +was playing, Jack and Joe brought a large tree stump and threw it +into the basin, and it was instantly whirled to a height of 200 +feet, looking at the last like a tiny piece of wood. The wind, +which was blowing, kept the steam and water from going nearly as +high as the stump went. The roar of the geyser was tremendous, +and its force shook the ground all about, so that those who were +looking on were almost afraid. + +As they returned to camp that night they saw a party of tourists +moving about among the geysers, and passing near they could see +that they were busy with axes and a pick, cutting away and prying +out the borders of some of the geyser pools. It was an irritating +sight, but they could do nothing, and much of the way back to camp +was devoted to talking of the wickedness of destroying the beauties +of this place, and declaring that the government ought to do +something to protect the wonders of the region from the destruction +which constantly threatened them. + +At night, after supper, they sat in the lodge talking about what +they should do to-morrow, and for the following days. Generally, +their idea was to travel in a southeasterly direction, and finally +to bring up at Mr. Sturgis' ranch; but just how they should go was +uncertain. Neither Jack nor Joe had ever before travelled in the +mountains, and they were therefore quite dependent on Hugh for +advice. Jack said, "Of course, Hugh, we want to get back to the +ranch, but then, too, we want to see as much as we can of what +there is in the mountains; but I suppose we'll have to travel +by some trail or some road, because we can't take the horses +everywhere." + +"Well, that's so," said Hugh; "we can't go everywhere, but then +again, when you are travelling with a pack train there's mighty +few places where you can't go; you're mighty free and independent +when you're packing. Of course you can't take a pack train up a cut +cliff; but, on the other hand, the rough mountains and down timber +don't cut much figure; you can pretty much always go round, and +keep your general direction. You can go and come about as you want +to." + +"Well," said Jack, "of course I never travelled before with a pack +train in the mountains, but I tell you I like it. It's a mighty +pretty sight to see the white packs winding in and out among the +timber, or to see them following one another along a narrow ridge, +or zigzaging up and down a steep hillside, as we've seen them since +we've been here in the Park." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "it's a nice way to travel; of course it's a +little slower than a wagon, and it takes you some time to load and +unload; but then again you can often go straight, instead of going +a long way round, and I like it." + +"I tell you," said Joe, "I like to watch these horses. I don't know +whether they've ever been in the mountains before, but it seems +to me they're smart. They seem to know a whole lot, and I notice +that when they're going along among the trees, sometimes I see a +horse start to go between two trees, where I think there isn't +room enough for the pack, but generally they get through. Then, +sometimes, going under branches it seems to me that the pack has +got to strike the branches, but the horses generally get under them +without touching. Of course if they follow old Baldy close, there +is always room enough; but now and then that dun horse tries to +cut off a corner, and get in ahead of one of the others, and then +sometimes I think he's bound to get caught. He only did so once, +day before yesterday, and then he went between two trees where +there wasn't room enough; then he pushed and pushed and pushed for +a long time, and I had to run round in front of him and drive him +back, and then he got out." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "horses that are used to the mountains, or mules +or burros, get to be mighty smart in going through thick timber, +and if the packs are properly put on, there isn't likely to be much +trouble, unless you strike down timber. Of course, down timber is +bad." + +"Well, what is down timber, Hugh?" said Jack. "I've heard of places +in the woods back east where a hurricane goes along and tears up +all the trees in a strip for miles in length. They call that a +wind-fall there. Is that the way down timber is made here?" + +"No," said Hugh, "we've plenty of wind here, but it don't often +act that way. Down timber comes like this: say that you have a +rough and rocky mountain side, where the timber stands thick, +most of the trees will be from six to ten inches in diameter, but +they'll all be pretty near of a size. Now, suppose a fire passes +over this, and kills all these trees; likely it doesn't burn them +to amount to anything, but it's hot enough to sort o' cook the +sap, and kill the trees. They'll stand there naked, with the bark +gradually drying up and peeling off them, maybe for twenty, thirty +or forty years; and likely while they're standing there, there'll +be a new growth of young pines springing up among them, and grow to +quite a height. But after a while these dead trees get white and +weathered, and the dead roots that hold them in the ground keep on +rotting and rotting, and at last these roots become so weak that +there's nothing to support the tall trunk that stands there, and +then with every big wind that comes blowing along, some of the +trees get blown over, and fall to the ground. They don't all fall +at once, but some may fall to-day with a south wind, and some may +fall next week with a west wind, and some the week after with a +north wind. In this way they're falling all the time, and in all +sorts of directions, and presently the timber will lie piled up on +the ground there, criss-cross in all directions. Now, if the logs +are not more than a foot or two above the ground, and don't lie +too close together, you can take your train through them, but if +they lie three or four feet high, of course the horses can't step +or jump over them, and you've either got to go winding round among +them, picking out the low places where the animals can get across, +or else you've got to chop your way through, or else you've got to +back out and go round. That's down timber." + +"But Hugh," said Jack, "I should think it would be kind of +dangerous to ride through one of those patches of dead timber when +the wind is blowing; they might fall on you." + +"Well," said Hugh, "so they might. I've sometimes had to ride +through a patch of that timber when the trees were falling all +about, but I never happened to have one fall on me, nor on any +animal that I was driving. The chances are mighty few that you'll +get hit. I mind one time a big tree fell, with the top about twenty +feet from one of my animals, and threw dirt and splinters all about +him. The horse was scared a whole lot, and ran away; but of course +I got him again." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE + + +The next morning they made an early start, and following up the +Firehole, turned up a branch coming in from the east, only a +short distance beyond Old Faithful. They purposed to go over to +Shoshone Lake, and camp there, and to do this they must pass over +the Continental Divide, for the Firehole finds its way through the +Madison River, and the Missouri, to the Atlantic Ocean, while the +waters of the Shoshone Lake fall into Snake River, then into the +Columbia, and so at last reach the Pacific. + +The way was pleasant, through park-like openings and green timber, +and the distance not great. There was no trail, but they followed +up a narrow grassy valley, whose slopes on either side were clothed +with pines. + +At last, when Hugh thought they must be near the Divide, they +found down timber, and began to wind about among the logs. Little +by little, however, matters grew worse, and presently a stick was +encountered over which old Baldy could not step, but on which he +caught his foot and almost fell. Here all hands dismounted, and +getting an ax out of a pack, Hugh and the boys went ahead, and by +lifting some of the larger sticks, and breaking smaller ones, and +a little chopping, a way was soon made by which the horses could +pass along. + +Beyond this timber was an open and almost level country, which Hugh +declared was the Divide, and passing along a little further, they +began to go down a gentle hill. Here there were park-like meadows +and low wooded hills on either side. There were a few little +gullies, but no water; and in the dry stream-beds and water-holes +were many tracks of elk, all made in the spring when the ground was +soft. From the summit of this Divide, when snows are melting in +the early summer, little trickles of water pour down the opposite +sides of the mountains, some to the north, to find their way into +the Firehole; others south toward Snake River. Hugh followed the +general direction of one of these water-courses, which constantly +grew larger, and presently turned into one still wider, whose sandy +bottom was dotted with great blocks of black lava. Hugh pointed out +these to the boys, and said to them, "That's the stuff that in old +times many of the Indians used to make their arrow points from. It +must have been a great article of trade, for away up north of the +boundary line I have seen little piles of chips of that black glass +lying on the prairie, where men have been making arrow-heads, and I +know that there wasn't any of the rock within 400 miles." + +All along the valley of this dry stream was a beautiful park of +gently rolling country, with timbered knolls and open grassy +intervales. Some of the trees were very large--two or three feet in +diameter. + +It was early in the afternoon when they reached Shoshone Lake, +and riding along its smooth, firm beach, camped in a little point +of spruces. The lake was large, and looked as if it should have a +fish in it. Jack got out his rod and put it together, and standing +it against a tree, went back into the open meadow where the horses +were feeding, to catch grasshoppers. He caught half a dozen, and +then, returning, fished faithfully for quite a long distance along +the shore, but without success. Neither could he see anywhere that +fish were rising, and he wondered whether it could be possible that +this beautiful lake, which seemed an ideal home for trout, should +have none in it. Joe, on the other hand, as soon as camp had been +made, had taken his rifle and started out on foot, working along +the edge of the lake and looking for game. He found many old elk +tracks and a very few made by deer, but went quite a long distance +without seeing anything. Then, turning away from the shore of the +lake, and taking the hillside at some distance from it, he began to +work back to the camp. Here there were more deer tracks, but none +that seemed worth while for him to follow, and he began to feel +discouraged. When he had come almost opposite the camp he crossed +a wide dry water-course, going now rather carelessly, though still +making no noise, yet not trying to keep out of sight. As he climbed +the gentle slope, after crossing the little valley, and had almost +reached the top, he stopped, and turned about and looked backward, +and there to his astonishment saw, projecting above a patch of low +willows and weeds, the heads of two fawns. They were staring at him +most innocently, but the camp needed meat, and bringing his rifle +to his shoulder he fired at the neck of one of them, and the little +deer disappeared, while the other turned about and raced away +through the brush. + +Going to the place Joe found the fawn quite a small one, though it +had already lost its spotted coat. He dressed it, and then throwing +it on his shoulders walked quickly to the camp. As he came in front +of the lodge, Hugh said to him, "Hello, Joe, what have you got +there, a jack rabbit?" + +"Well," said Joe, "it is not much bigger, but it's the only thing +I have seen except another of the same size, and that I could not +shoot at." + +That night as the sun went down the wind began to blow a fresh dry +wholesome breeze from the west. The wind raised quite a sea on the +lake, and big waves tumbled up on the beach one after another, +so fast that it was not an easy matter to get a bucket of water +without at the same time getting a wet foot. Jack and Joe walked +along the beach a little way. + +"Do you know, Joe," said Jack, "this looks to me just like the +seashore; the wind blows in the same way, and the waves have the +same white-caps, and the surf roars as it pounds on the beach; and +there is the moon on the water. Why it seems to me just like some +nights I have walked on the beach, back east on the Long Island +shore." + +"Well," said Joe, "it's not like anything I ever saw before. Up in +our country we don't have sand beaches like this, though we do have +the lake, and the waves and the wind." + +The animals were packed early next day, and they followed the +shores of the lake southward. In some places they could see where +elk had passed along recently, and there were tracks of bulls and +cows and calves. In some places, too, along the beach the pines, +which were small yet looked old, were all bent toward the eastward, +and had no branches on the western side. Joe pointed these trees +out to Hugh and said, "Why is it Hugh that these trees seem all +bent one way, and have no branches on the other side; is it the +wind?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "the wind. You'll see that in lots of places, +especially on mountain tops, and along big waters like this, where +the wind blows mostly from the west and northwest, and gets a wide +sweep." + +The wind was still blowing hard, and the lake was in a turmoil. The +air was cold, and all hands wore their coats as they rode along. + +A day's journey took them by Shoshone Lake and Lewis Lake, and +they camped below it on Lewis Fork. For much of the distance the +trail passed through an attractive open country, full of streams +and springs, and dotted with clumps of thick willow brush; while on +the higher lands were the ever-present pines. To the left was the +lofty ridge of the Red Mountain Range, down which half a hundred +beautiful cascades hurried toward the river. To the right was the +stream, and beyond the steep sides of the Pitchstone Plateau, so +called from the black glossy fragments of the lava rock, of which +the soil is largely made up. It was evident that this would be +a hard trail in the early spring, for it was low and wet, and +animals would have trouble in passing over it at any except the +dry season. + +A few miles below the camp they began to look for a ford. The +stream looked deep and difficult, yet it was necessary for them to +cross it, for on the east side the mountains came down close to the +river in a steep and impassable jumble of slide rock. Just above +them they could see a great water-fall, not far below the lake. +It was now getting toward night, and Hugh was a little uncertain +whether to cross this stream, or to camp on this side. However, he +determined to cross, and stopping, had the boys catch up the pack +animals, while he rode into the stream to prospect for a ford. He +kept diagonally down the river, going very slowly, and feeling for +the shoalest places, but at last, reached the opposite bank and +climbed out. Then, turning about, he recrossed, and telling the +boys to keep the horses close to him, he led them into the stream. +The ford was rather deep, the water coming more than half way up +the horses' bodies, so that they all tucked their feet up behind +them on the saddle, and rode along with some anxiety, lest a false +step or a stumble over the great stones which formed the river +bottom should throw down one of the animals, and so wet either a +pack or a rider. However, the crossing was made safely, and then +climbing the steep hill, they kept on through the timber, soon, +however, camping by a little spring, in an opening where there was +food for the animals. + +By the time camp was made, the sun had set and it was too late to +hunt. The little deer had all been eaten, and once more they made +their meal on dried meat and back-fat. + +The next day they kept on through the green timber, riding over +ridges and at a distance from the stream, though now and then they +had glimpses of its dark hurrying waters. To the right were seen +some little lakes, one of them covered with water-fowl. Across the +trail that they were following--if it could be called a trail--was +some fallen timber, but nothing that delayed them. Jack noticed +that some of the living trees were curiously bent in their growth, +sometimes at right angles to the vertical a foot or two from the +ground, the trunk growing six inches or a foot horizontally, and +then turning once more straight toward the sky, the remainder +of the tree being straight as an arrow. In some cases the bend +was more than this, the tree growing straight up for a foot, and +then turning over, growing down for a few inches or a foot, and +then making another curve, and growing upright once more. Some of +these curves were almost shaped like the letter S, and Jack kept +wondering what caused these bends. As they stopped at midday to +unsaddle and let the horses feed and to eat something themselves, +Jack asked Hugh about the curious way in which these trees grew. + +Hugh smiled and said, "I don't much wonder you ask about that, son. +I remember that I used to think about that a good deal, and wonder +how it happened. But it is easy enough to explain if you once get +onto it, and you can easily enough get onto it if you travel around +through the mountains enough. + +"You know I told you the other day," he continued, "that when a +country has been burned over, the trees stand for a good many +years, and then they commence to fall in all directions. Likely +enough before they begin to fall, a whole lot of young trees and +sprouts have started from the ground, and are growing among them. +Now, nothing is more likely than that some of these falling trees +may happen to fall upon these young saplings and sprouts. Some of +them they smash down flat, and the sprout dies; but sometimes they +fall so as just to bend a sprout over, or so that a little small +sprout just growing is bound to grow up against the log as the +sprout grows larger. These young trees are springy and bend easily. +Of course the ones that are smashed down and broken off short are +killed; we never hear anything more of them. But likely enough +there are some young and hardy plants caught beneath the tops or +branches of the fallen trees within a foot or two of the ground, +and not much hurt but just held down. Sometimes these little trees +are pressed flat to the ground, and when they are, they usually +die. But if they are only bent over a few inches, or a foot or two +from the ground, they don't always die. Instead of that they keep +on growing, and of course the top of the growing tree keeps on +reaching up all the time toward the light. No matter if it is bent +flat, it tends to turn upward, so that all of it beyond the place +where the dead tree is pressing on it grows straight, just like all +the other trees around it. Then, after a while the dead stick which +is holding the young tree down, rots, and at last disappears. The +injured tree grows larger and larger, and at last gets to be a big +tree; and there is then nothing to show how this big tree should +have grown in such a bent, queer fashion." + +"Well now, Hugh, that's mighty interesting," said Jack, "and I +ought to have worked it out for myself, for three or four times +to-day I saw dead trees pressing little green sprouts over to one +side; but I never thought about that being the reason for the bends +in these big trees. The fact is, I never thought of them bending +while the trees were young, but supposed it must be some accident +or disease that had struck the trees after they were big." + +"Well," said Hugh, "you see it's all simple enough, if you +understand it." + +"Simple!" said Jack, "Why it's simple as rolling off a log; but +you've got to understand the reason." + +"Well," said Hugh, "you keep your eyes open as you ride through +the timber, and you'll see the very thing I've been talking about, +happening before your face all the time." + +The wind blew fiercely all day long, though when they were in +the timber they hardly felt it, and only the sighing of the +pines and occasionally the crash of some distant tree told of +the force of the gale. They crossed Snake River about noon, and +kept on southward. During a halt at the river all hands went to +the fishing, and caught some splendid trout, which they promptly +cooked and which gave them a delicious meal. A little more fishing +furnished them with enough fish for two or three meals more, and +Jack was hard at work trying to catch a big one that he had seen +rise, when he saw two great shadows on the water, and looking up, +saw only a few yards above him a pair of great sand-hill cranes. +They were not in the least afraid, and flying on a little further, +alighted in the meadow where they fed, walking about in most +dignified fashion until the train started on again, and alarmed +them. + +As they went into camp that afternoon at a little spring, Hugh said +to the boys, "Now, look here; if one of you don't go out pretty +soon and kill something, I'll have to do that myself. This camp +needs fresh meat. Dried meat and back-fat is good; fish are good; +but we want either a deer or an elk; or, better still, if you can +find it, a buffalo; but I reckon these bison here in the mountains +are a little too smart for any of us. They're pretty scarce, and +they're pretty watchful." + +"Well," said Jack, "which one of us shall go? We can't both go, +because one has got to stay and help drive the animals. I'll toss +up with you, Joe, to see which shall hunt to-morrow morning." + +"All right," said Joe, "I'll toss up;" but as no one of them had a +coin, Jack took a fresh chip, and rubbing some black earth on one +side of it, said, "We'll call that black side heads, and the other +tails; and Hugh will throw the chip. You call, Joe." Hugh tossed +the chip into the air, and Joe called heads. But the chip came down +the clean side up, and so Jack was to go hunting next morning. + +As soon as the animals were packed, Jack started off, keeping to +the right of the trail and up the hill. He knew, of course, that +at this time of the year the elk were likely to be found high up, +and the deer, too; for the flies and mosquitoes were bad. The +underbrush was thick, and there were many marshy places, and once +this hillside had been covered with a great forest, for it was +strewn with logs. The underbrush seemed higher and thicker than he +had been accustomed to, and he saw many sorts of plants that he +did not remember to have seen before; and at last it struck him +that perhaps as he was now on the western side of the Continental +Divide, the rain-fall might be greater, and that this might make a +difference in the vegetation. Willow and alders, and other brush, +made riding rather difficult, and besides that, the hillsides +grew steeper and steeper, until at last Jack dismounted, and +clambering up on foot, left Pawnee to follow, as he had long ago +been trained to do. Getting up on a high ridge, bald now, though +once forest-grown, for the ground was strewn with great charred and +rotting tree-trunks, long before killed by fire, he followed the +ridge toward higher land, and gradually climbing, at last reached a +commanding height, from which he saw the beautiful Jackson's Lake, +and its lovely surroundings. + +To the eastward the Red Mountain Ridge, rising above him, cut off +the view, but northeast he could see the valley of Snake River, +broad near at hand, but narrowing further off, until the mountains, +closing in, hid the silver ribbon of the stream's course. To the +west were the splendid gray and white masses of the Teton range, +low and rounded toward the north, with long easy ridges of moderate +steepness, and crowned with great fields of snow. Toward the +southward the mountains became more and more abrupt, until at last +the highest peak of all, Jack knew must be the Grand Teton. From +this pinnacle the ridge gradually sank away again, becoming lower +and lower in the blue and misty distance. Immediately under the +ridge, and south of where Jack stood, was Jackson's Lake. He had +often heard Hugh speak of Jackson's Hole and Jackson's Lake, spots +for many years hardly known to white men, and about which most +marvelous stories were told. Here, men used to say--the miners that +the streams were paved with nuggets of gold, the trappers that the +rivers and forests abounded in fur, the hunters that game was so +abundant and so tame that there was always plenty to eat, and the +camp never starved; and now this wonderful region lay before him. + +And yet he knew that within the past few years many people had +passed through this place. He knew that the miners had washed the +sands of the rivers, but found that they did not pay; that trappers +had caught the beaver and the marten, and had soon trapped almost +all of them. Now it was for him to find whether the game was as +plenty as had been said. + +At all events, Jackson's Lake with the wide meadows that surrounded +it, and the superb mountains that walled it in on one side, made +this a lovely spot. The lake shone in the sunlight like a sheet +of silver, and was dotted with pine-clad islands. On the west its +waters flowed close beneath the great mountains which rose above +it, but on the other three sides a belt of forest grew close to +the water, and back of this belt, broad meadow lands, with groups +of trees and low rounded clumps of willows, looked almost like a +park. Further to the eastward bare ridges rose higher and higher, +forming the foot-hills of the main range, and still further to the +east and southeast were massive mountains, more distant--and so +seeming lower--than the Teton Range, but which were the Continental +Divide. Jack looked, and looked, and enjoyed this beautiful view; +but after a little he realized that time was passing, and that he +must move on, and do his hunting, and get to camp. + +He crossed the ridge, and began to ride down the side of the +mountain toward the south, following the crest of a hog-back, which +would take him down to the valley of the lake by a gentle slope. +Below, and to his left, was a narrow valley, in which stood green +timber, and among the green timber much that was dead and much that +was down. + + + + +Chapter IX + +AN ELK HUNT UNDER THE TETONS + + +He was riding along slowly, letting Pawnee make his own way among +the loose rocks and tree-trunks, when he caught sight of an animal +standing with its tail toward him, in a little opening among the +trees. For an instant he thought it was a buckskin horse, and +the idea flashed through his mind that there must be a camp down +there. Almost before the thought had taken form, the animal moved +a little, and he saw that it was an elk. He slipped off his horse +on the side furthest from the animal, and led Pawnee out of sight +behind a clump of pines, and left him there. Then he crept back +to the ridge. In the timber below he soon made out half-a-dozen +elk, and as he watched, he could see quite a large bunch of cows +and calves. He lay there, watching and waiting. The drop down the +hill into the valley was very steep, and he was hoping that the elk +might move into some position where he would not have to go down to +them. They seemed uneasy and suspicious, and presently something +startled them, and they ran a little way, and then stopped, looking +back up the valley. Two big heifers stood almost side by side +facing opposite ways, with their shoulders close together, and +their heads in such position that their necks seemed to cross. +Jack raised his gun and took a careful sight at the necks, just +below the heads, and pulled the trigger. One of the cows dropped +instantly, while the other, standing a moment to look, turned +and ran off. He heard the elk crashing through the timber of the +valley, and then saw them climbing the bald hills on the other +side, stopping every little while to look back, and at last walking +slowly off over the hills. + +A convenient side ridge gave Pawnee a good road down to where the +cow had fallen, but she had rolled far down the hill, and finally +had stopped on a little level place. She was quite dead. The animal +was rather large for Jack to handle, but with some trouble he +managed to cut off her hams and sirloins, and tying the two hams +together by the gambrel joints, he balanced them on his saddle, and +then tying the sirloins on behind, set out on foot for camp. There +was much scrambling up steep hillsides, and down others quite as +steep, and some working through the thick underbrush, before he +came out into the open lake valley. Here progress was more rapid. +Jack walked swiftly, and Pawnee followed close behind. After a time +he came on the trail made by the pack train, some hours before, +and hurrying along this, presently saw in the distance what looked +like a house. Before he reached it, however, the trail that he was +following turned sharply to the right, and led down toward the +river, two or three miles below the lake. + +As he approached the tall cottonwood timber, which he supposed grew +on the shores of the river, he saw the horses feeding close to it, +and before long the cone of the lodge showed through the leaves, +and a little later he stopped by the fire. + +"Good boy," said Hugh. "I'm mighty glad to get that meat. That'll +keep us going for quite a while, and now that we've got fresh meat, +and dried meat and fish, we're bound to live well." + +"Animal's in good order, too," he continued, as he began to lift +the meat from the saddle. "I expect you picked out a heifer, didn't +you?" + +"Well," said Jack, "I tried to, but I wasn't sure that it wasn't an +old cow until I put a knife into her. The only thing I was sure of +was that she had no calf." "Well," said Hugh, "it's a nice piece of +meat, and I'm mighty glad you got it." + +"What's that house that I see up there, Hugh? Nobody lives here +now, does there?" + +"No," said Hugh, "I reckon that's some kind of a shelter or stable, +built by hunters or prospectors, for their horses in fly-time. +Flies are pretty bad here now, and I reckon close about this lake +the greenheads must be enough to drive the horses crazy. I noticed +to-day when we were crossing some points of that meadow up above +that they were bad. If it hadn't been for that, I reckon we'd have +camped up there by the lake. It's an awful sightly spot, but there +were too many flies." + +Supper was almost ready, and they feasted royally that night on +trout and the fat sirloins of the elk; and after the meal was over, +it was pleasant to sit round the big camp-fire that Jack and Joe +built out in front of the lodge, and watch the blaze, and listen to +the murmur of the river as it hurried over the stones, just beyond +the camp. Every stick tossed on the burning pile sent a great cloud +of sparks soaring upward to disappear among the dark green foliage +of the spruces, which here grew among the taller cottonwoods. The +warmth of the fire was grateful; the willows and cottonwoods and +spruces all about their camp sheltered them from the strong wind +which still blew down the valley; and Jack, as he lay stretched out +on the ground between Joe and Hugh, thought that he never could +have a happier time than that very moment. + +"Now, boys," said Hugh, "I don't know how you feel about it, but +it strikes me this is a terrible nice place to stop for a day or +two. This is a good camp, and these mountains right opposite to us +are things I like to look at. What do you say to our stopping here, +say for one day, anyhow; and maybe to-morrow we'll take a little +ride across the river, and get closer to these mountains, and see +something of what they look like. I'd like mighty well to look at +them long enough to kind o' carry a remembrance of them back with +me to the ranch." + +"Well," said Jack, "let's do that. There's no reason for our +hurrying; we've got plenty of grub, and I think we'd all like to +stay here for one day, anyhow." + +"Now, there's two things we can do," said Hugh. "We ain't made up +our minds how we'll go home; but we can cross the range in a whole +lot of different places. We can either follow down Snake River for +a way, and then work up one of the creeks, and go over and strike +the head of Wind River, and follow that down, or we can go back to +the park, and then cut across, and get down onto Stinking Water, +and then go back on the prairie. My idea is that we'll do better to +keep on south, and try to go straight on our course. We can either +go up Buffalo Fork, and then strike across to the head of the Wind +River, and follow that down; or go down and follow up the Gros +Ventre, and get across some way there. We don't have to make up our +minds to-day; we can settle that to-morrow night. Let's agree that +we'll stop here to-morrow, and then to-morrow night decide what +we'll do." + +"All right," said both boys. + +When the three friends got up next morning, and went to the +stream to wash, they could see nothing of the great range beneath +which they were camped, for the tall spruce trees which grew on +the opposite bank cut off the view of everything beyond. After +breakfast they saddled up and having picketed two of the pack +horses, set out to cross the river, and to get nearer to the +mountains. The river was wide, and so deep that the water came +almost up to the saddle blankets, but they crossed comfortably +enough, and riding through the open dry timber of the bottom, +before long were approaching the high bluffs which formed the first +terrace above the river. In the bottom were many tracks of deer +and elk, some of the deer tracks quite fresh; and they almost rode +over a huge old porcupine, which waddled awkwardly to one side, +and then stopped among some low rose bushes, with its head between +its forefeet, its quills erect, and its tail thrashing about in a +threatening way. Jack stopped his horse and said to Hugh: + +"Hugh, is there anything in that story that porcupines throw their +quills? I've heard lots of people say it is so, and then other +people say it isn't." + +Hugh drew his horse up, and turning in his saddle said, "Why no, +son, there's nothing in that; though I've heard plenty of men who +ought to know a heap better say that there was. Take a stick and go +right up close to that fellow, and poke him with it, and then bring +it to me." + +Jack picked up a dead branch, and going to the porcupine, poked him +in the sides and back, and when he did this the porcupine thrashed +his tail about more vigorously than ever, and two or three times +struck the stick. Leaving him, Jack went to Hugh, carrying the +stick in his hand, and Hugh said, "Look at the end of that stick +now, and see those quills." The end of the stick was pierced by a +dozen or twenty sharp, strong quills, and Jack, taking hold of one +and trying to pull it out, found that the point was firmly fastened +in the wood, so that it required quite a little effort to pull it +out. + +"Now, son," said Hugh, "a porcupine, as you have seen, is slow, and +can't run away. His back and sides and tail are covered with these +quills, which are mighty sharp, and which have little stickers +pointing back toward the root, so that if a quill gets fast in the +flesh, it is a very hard matter to pull it out again. If a quill +gets stuck in an animal's head or foot, it keeps working forward +all the time; it never works backward and comes out; it has to go +through to the other side. Most animals know that it isn't good to +fool with a porcupine. The only way to kill him is to turn him +over on his back, and get at his throat and belly, which are not +covered with quills. When a porcupine sees an animal coming he +holds his body close to the ground, makes his quills stand up all +over him, and thrashes around with his tail, which is pretty well +covered with quills too. His tail is strong, and he can hit a hard +blow with it; and so you see he's pretty well defended. The quills +are not set deep in the skin; they are loose, and they pull out +mighty easy; you see that just by poking the porcupine you got that +stick full of quills. Sometimes when he thrashes hard with his tail +he may hit a piece of wood, or may knock loose some of the quills +on his tail so that they may fly a little distance; but as for +throwing them any distance from his body, or with any force, why he +can't do it. + +"I have had dogs that would tackle porcupines, and when they did, +it was a terrible job to pull the quills out of them." + +"Well," said Jack, "I'm glad to hear all that I've been told of +dogs tackling porcupines, up in the Adirondacks, but I never saw +one that had been pierced by quills." + +"Most dogs," said Hugh, "soon learn never to bother porcupines, +but some seem never to learn, and will go for one every time they +see it. Bears sometimes tackle them, and so do lynx and panthers, +but they say the greatest animal of all to kill a porcupine is a +fisher. I've seen two or three panthers with their jaws full of +quills. I've heard people say that the fisher kills them by turning +them over on their backs and then jumping onto the belly, but I +never saw this done. What I have seen is fishers with lots of +quills in their bodies: some in the legs, some in the belly, and +some in the sides. And the Indians say that these quills don't +bother them at all; that is to say, that a fisher full of quills +don't swell up the way a dog or a panther does. The porcupine is +a pretty stupid beast, but its effect on its neighbors is quite +interesting." + +Jack listened with much attention to this lesson in natural +history, and they mounted and rode on again. + +Soon they came to a great slough, evidently an old beaver meadow, +and as Hugh drew up his horse and looked at it, he shook his +head:--"Too soft for us to cross, I reckon, we'll have to go round +some other way. There's plenty of sloughs and mud-holes in there +where our horses would go out of sight." + +They turned northward, and for the next two hours were occupied +in trying to make their way out to the high prairie. At frequent +intervals they came to what looked like a tongue of hard dry land +extending out to the bluffs, but after following it for a little +distance they found at its end a mud-hole, which obliged them to +turn back and take another road. At length they reached a strip +of hard ground which led them to the bluffs; and just before they +rode up the steep ascent, Hugh's horse started from the ground a +brood of grouse, which scattered in all directions, many of them +alighting on the willows and spruce branches close to them. They +were singularly tame, almost as much so as the fool hens they had +seen farther north, and Jack rode up to within three or four feet +of one, and then reached out his gun to touch it, but before the +muzzle was within a foot of the bird, it flew away. + +When they reached the higher prairie they rode off toward the +range, which was now plainly to be seen. There were three principal +peaks, the names of which Hugh gave them. One, he said, was Mount +Moran, a great square-topped mass of granite, with two or three +vast snow or ice banks on its north face. To the south of that were +the three pinnacles of the Tetons, whose slender summits ran far +up into the blue sky. The prairie over which they were now riding +was uneven:--here cut by dry, grassy, ancient water-ways, there +with mounds of great extent rising above the general level. There +was much gravel--some of it very large--which looked as if it might +have been carried down by the water. Long ridges composed wholly +of this gravel ran for long distances out from the foot of the +range, and were now for the most part bare of timber, having been +burned over. On some of them the fire had spared many of the pines, +and young aspen timber grew on their slopes. The terraces of the +river's flood-plain rose one above another, and on the highest of +all, on the west side, were groups of evergreen trees, and now and +then a single pine standing alone in the wide sage-plain. Scattered +about over the prairie were many antelope. + +They rode on toward the mountains, trying to get up high enough +so as to look down on Jackson's Lake, which runs in close to the +foot of Mount Moran; but the ridges became higher and higher, more +and more timber grew on them, and cut off the view, so that at +length they gave up the effort and turned off to one side to ride +through the timber. Here were many fresh elk tracks and trails, +some made the night before, and some since daylight; and here, +quite unexpectedly, as they rode over a ridge a little higher than +any that they had yet passed, a fine view was had of the southern +end of Jackson's Lake. It seemed to wind and twist about among its +points and islands, and sent out long and narrow finger-like bays +into the hills in a most curious way. A little further on they saw +from a hilltop another lake, not nearly so large as Jackson's, +but still perhaps two miles long. It was surrounded by dense +forest, and reflected the great peaks which overhung it. Here they +dismounted for a while to look at the range, which was now plainly +seen. + +"Big mountains, ain't they, son?" said Hugh, as they sat there +looking up at them. + +"Yes, Hugh," said Jack, "they're awful big, and how bare and gray +they are. There seems to be a little timber in small patches, but +except for that, there doesn't seem to be anything growing on them +at all; they are just rocks with snow on top and in the ravines." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I expect for the most part that rock is so +steep that the snow can't lie there. Even if the wind don't blow, +just as soon as any weight of snow falls on the rocks it slips off. + +"Have you got your glasses with you, son?" he continued, and when +Jack had handed them to him, he looked through them and said: "I +thought so. Do you know, son, that snow up there in those highest +ravines isn't snow at all, it's ice; just like them glaciers that +we have up there in the mountains to the north. Look through the +glasses, and you can see the cracks on the lower border, and you +can see too that it is blue, and not white like snow." + +Jack and Joe both looked through the glasses and saw what Hugh +meant, and both were reminded of the masses of ice that they had +seen in the mountains of the north, the year before. + +It was pleasant sitting in the warm sun and looking up at this +wonderful scenery, but at last they caught up their horses, and +mounted and rode back to the camp. As they were going along side by +side, down the wide point of a ridge, a great brown deer bounced +out from an aspen thicket on Joe's side and ran down the ravine. +Joe sprang from his horse and raised his gun to shoot, but just as +he did so she sprang into a little gully, so that Joe could see +only her ears as she raced along. She followed the ravine down and +was not seen again. + +Hugh and Jack both laughed at Joe, and told him that he should have +stayed on his horse, for from their point of view on horseback, the +doe's body had been in sight for quite time enough to shoot. + +When they reached the level bottom, they rode out close to the +river, and keeping along the bank found firm ground all the way to +the camp. There remained still some hours of daylight, and both +boys got out their lines and began to fish, catching a number of +fine and heavy trout. Just as they were about to go to camp with +their catch, a flock of seven wild geese flew up the river, calling +loudly, and after they had passed a little beyond the boys, Joe +began to honk in response, and presently the great birds turned +about and came back, flying directly over the boys, looking down +at them, as if to see who it was that was talking to them. The air +was cool and damp after dark and they sat about the fire in the +lodge. A great horned owl a little way down the river was hooting +regularly, and Joe said, "We're going to have a storm." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "I hear him now, and I heard him last night. I +reckon we're going to have change of weather." + +"What do you mean, Hugh?" said Jack, "has the owl anything to do +with the weather?" + +"Well no, son, I don't know that he has; but some of the Indians +say that if you hear an owl calling it means a storm's coming." + +It was raining the next morning when Jack thrust his head from +under his blankets, and as the fire had not been started, and +nobody seemed to be moving, he knew that this day also would be +spent in camp. When he went out of the lodge the ground was covered +with an inch of very wet snow, and the weather seemed to be trying +to make up its mind whether it would rain or no. Big wet flakes +were falling in a mixture of rain and snow, and moisture was +everywhere. + +After breakfast, Hugh cut some crotches and poles, and with the +ropes and two of the mantas made a very good shelter, under which +they built an outdoor fire. By this they sat for a long time, +discussing various matters, and then, since the rain had stopped, +Jack went down to the stream and began to fish. He caught a few +fish weighing from three quarters of a pound to a pound, and there +were enough of them to make it interesting. The small ones seemed +to trouble his hook very little, and one or two little ones that he +caught he shook off before getting them to shore. Suddenly, after a +long cast that he had made out toward the middle of the stream, a +huge fish rose to his fly, but in its eagerness, missed and sprang +over the fly showing its full length out of the water. This was +such a fish as Jack had not seen before, and he was very anxious to +get it. He cast again over the same spot, and this time drew in his +line a little more slowly. The great fish rose again, and just at +the right moment Jack struck, and had him fast. + +For a moment the fish did nothing, but then came a fight the like +of which Jack had never witnessed. The fish made a strong rush +toward the deepest water of the rapid, and twice on his way there +he sprang into the air, shaking his head savagely to rid himself of +the steel that was biting his jaw. Then he turned about and rushed +back toward the bank, again throwing himself out of the water. Jack +was excited, but was trying to keep cool. Whenever the fish gave +him an opportunity he took in line, and when the fish ran he gave +him as little as possible. + +Suddenly the trout started down the river at great speed, so fast +that Jack was afraid to check him, and started racing after him, +running over the slippery stones of the beach, and through the +pools of water left by the river. Presently the fish stopped, and +refused to move, and Jack recovered all the line that he could, and +then began to try to move the fish. Now it began to give a series +of tugging jerks on the line, as if it were bending itself from +side to side in the water; then it began to throw itself over and +over, as if trying to twist the line; and then it would rush off, +as if striving to break it. As the splendid fish grew tired, Jack +worked it nearer and nearer to the beach; but he had no net and +of course could not lift it from the water. After looking about a +little he found a place where the beach was shelving, and laying +down his rod, he drew the fish out by the leader and soon had it +safely in his hand. It was a handsome fish, deep and thick, and yet +graceful in all its lines, and it seemed to Jack as big as a North +River shad. As soon as it was killed, Jack took his rod and started +back to the camp for he wished to show them there the biggest trout +that he had ever seen. + +White clouds hung low over the valley and hid the mountains on +either side; but as Jack walked along the beach the western sky +grew lighter, and for a few moments the sun struggled to shine +through the clouds. Then suddenly, far down the valley the white +wall that shut out the view broke away, and Jack could see the +great mountain mass of the Teton Range. He stopped and gazed, +waiting for the rent to close up again. Through it he could see, +like a picture in its frame, the mountains, not dark and gray +as they had been yesterday, but white now, in all the purity of +new-fallen snow. As he looked, the break in the clouds moved +rapidly northward, exposing one mountain after another, each +seeming more beautiful than the one seen just before. A wreath of +mist hung around and concealed the needle peak of the Grand Teton, +adding to, rather than taking away from its height. The rift in the +clouds passed northward, and after it had shown him Mount Moran, it +closed again and the white vapor cut off the view. Jack had seen +the glories of the Tetons, snow-clad. He returned to camp. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +TRAILING BLACK-TAILS + + +It was pleasant that night after supper was over, as they lay about +the bright fire in the lodge. During the afternoon, while Jack had +been fishing, Joe had split fine a lot of dry cottonwood sticks, +and a good pile of them lay within the lodge door, just to its +left. The fire blazed and crackled merrily and the draft was good, +so that there was no smoke even in the top of the lodge. + +Joe said to Jack, "Jack, have you seen all this old beaver work up +north of the camp?" + +"No," said Jack, "I have seen plenty of small beaver cuttings. +There have been lots of beaver here, but I haven't seen any big +work." + +"Well," said Joe, "you'd better go up fifty yards from the camp, +and you'll see there bigger trees cut down by the beaver than I've +ever seen, and I've seen some beaver work in my day. Why, there's +cottonwood logs there cut down by the beaver that are bigger round +than my body, and I believe they're more than a foot through. You +surely ought to see them." + +"Well," said Jack, "I will in the morning." + +"This used to be a great place for fur, didn't it Hugh?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "I expect when the white men first came in here +that beaver were awful plenty. Wherever I've been since I came into +this valley I've seen lots of old work but not much new work. All +the same, these sticks that Joe is talking about are not very old; +they were cut down only a few years ago. I guess 'twas a great fur +country. But, Lord! I've told you about the stories that people +used to tell about Jackson's Lake. They used to say that pretty +nearly everything good in the mountains was to be found here, and +plenty of it. + +"Do you know, boys," Hugh continued, "I've about made up my mind +what we'd better do? Now, we don't know the country here, none of +us, but I expect we can find our way around pretty well with the +pack-train. I think the best thing we can do is to go back to that +last big creek that we crossed, and follow that up to its head; +then cross the mountains there, and get over onto Wind River; +and then we can follow Wind River down; and then over and strike +Sweetwater, and follow Sweetwater down to the Platte; and then, you +know, we're pretty near home. What do you say? Would either of you +rather go any other way, or will you leave it that way?" + +The boys sat silent for a little while, and then Joe said, "I think +it will be good to do as Hugh says; he is the leader, and we will +follow him." + +"I think so, too," said Jack. "Neither of us boys knows anything +about the country, and we want to do just what you think is best, +Hugh." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I guess that is best, and if you say so, we'll +do it; and we'll start to-morrow morning if the weather is good +and the things are dry." + +"All right," said both boys. + +The next morning saw the little train following its back trail up +Snake River for a few miles, when Hugh turned off to the right, and +entered the valley of a great stream which rushed down from the Red +Mountain Range. The hills were low and rounded and composed of sand +and gravel, covered with grass and sage-brush. On either side, from +time to time, the stream had cut into the hills and washed away +the gravel, and its bed was full of huge boulders; so that it was +necessary for them to keep back on the ridge, at some distance from +the water. The river was so large and along it there were so many +evidences of a vast body of water running down through this valley +in the spring, that it seemed evident that it must be a very long +stream, and must drain a wide area of country. Before they had gone +very far, the sun, which had been shining, went behind clouds; it +began to rain hard; and before long they began to get wet. Early in +the day, therefore, Hugh drew up his horse in the shelter of some +spruces on a little bench about thirty feet above the valley, and +said, "Let's camp, boys, and get out of this wet." It took but a +little time to put up the lodge, to unsaddle, get things covered +and a fire in the lodge, and also one outside under a shelter of +manta, so that they were soon dry and comfortable again. Jack tried +the fishing, but the fish would not bite. The rain continued, and +by the middle of the afternoon had changed to snow, and before dark +the ground was white. When they went to bed at night the snow was +still falling and the weather was growing colder. + +The next morning the snow had stopped, but it was two or three +inches deep on the ground. Everything was wet, and it looked as if +it might snow again at any time. Jack got tired of sitting round +the fire, and watching Hugh fill his pipe, and light it and smoke +it out, and then fill and light it again, and presently he proposed +to Joe that they should go out and try to kill a deer. Joe was +ready and they started. For a short distance, they followed the +trail up the river, and then turning to the left, took the first +ridge and began to climb the hill on the north side of the valley. +It was pretty wet. It had begun to rain again, and the snow was +damp, and under the snow there seemed to be an inch or two of +water. When they had to pass through willows and other underbrush, +these wet the upper parts of their bodies. The ground was soft and +slippery, and the down timber and the loose stones made walking and +climbing quite hard work. Nevertheless, they pushed on, and having +reached the top of the ridge, could see beyond other ridges toward +which they climbed. + +They crossed one or two elk tracks, made since the snow had stopped +falling, but the animals were going pretty fast and they did not +follow them. A few deer tracks, made while the snow was falling, +tempted them; but they did not follow them and continued to climb. +The higher they went the harder it seemed to rain, and every little +while a heavy fog would rise from the valley, and creeping slowly +along the mountains would shut out from sight one hilltop after +another, until it reached them and hid everything from their sight. +There was a little breeze blowing from the west, and these fogs did +not last long; but while they were about them the boys could only +stand still and wait for the mist to lift. + +As they climbed they saw a good many birds: flickers, robins, and +blue snow-birds, as well as some other western birds that Jack did +not know. + +The boys climbed hill after hill for several hours, but saw nothing +but tracks, and none of these seemed worth following. At last Jack +turned to Joe and said, "What do you say, Joe, shall we go any +further? It's pretty cold, and we can't see far, and perhaps we +might as well go down the hill again and get back to camp." + +"Well," said Joe, "it's pretty cold and wet up here and we don't +see much." + +They turned and followed the ridge they were on for some little +distance, trying to see down into the valley, and to determine +just where the camp was. As they were doing this, all at once +the fog lifted, and Jack saw, a little way before them, a green +timbered ridge leading down into the valley, pretty near where the +camp should be. As he looked down into the valley, Jack heard Joe +whisper, "Hold on!" Jack stopped, slowly turned his head and threw +a cartridge into his gun, and then stood motionless; for over the +crest of the ridge just above them had risen the horns, head and +body of an enormous black-tailed buck. Almost at once, two others, +much smaller, followed him, and in a moment more two others, one +nearly as large as the leader, and the other smaller, came up to +the top of the ridge and looked over. They were a long way off, +perhaps three hundred yards, and neither boy dared move for fear of +startling them, for two or three jumps would have taken them out +of sight. The great leader had seen the boys at once, but could +not make out what they were, and perhaps for ten minutes he stood +there and watched. He was not alarmed or suspicious, but these +two upright objects, which might be stumps or might be something +else, excited his curiosity, and he kept looking at them. The deer +stood on the very crest of the ridge, with only a white sky for +a background; so that the outline of his graceful form and large +branching horns was plainly visible. + +While he stood there watching, the other deer wandered about, +now taking a bite of grass and again giving a long look over the +country. One of the smallest came a few steps down the face of the +ridge to a low pine, three or four feet in height, against which he +began to rub his horns and head, just as a deer or an elk does when +ridding the antlers of the velvet, or, as it is termed, "shaking." +The large one, next in size to the leader, came still further down +the bluff and began to feed at a bush that grew there. A third, the +smallest of all, was very playful and frisked about almost as a +fawn might do. + +At length, after his long, long stare, during which the boys +scarcely breathed, the big leader seemed satisfied. He shook +himself, and then turned and gave a long look to the east and one +to the west; then he lowered his head, took a bite of some weed, +and stepping proudly along the ridge for a few yards, turned away +and walked out of sight. While he was doing this, two of the young +deer, like boys when the schoolmaster's back is turned and they +feel that they can begin to play, backed away from each other, and +then charged each other, coming together vigorously, head to head. +It did not seem to be done angrily, but rather in sport, and one of +them, being evidently much the stronger of the two, as he was the +larger, pushed the other a few feet backward, when the smaller one +sprang lightly out of the way, and both turned and walked off after +the big buck. + +Four of the deer had now moved out of sight, and there remained +only the large one feeding on the hillside. A couple of dead +trees, one leaning against the other, stood sixty or seventy yards +in front of the boys, between them and the deer, and it seemed +possible by moving up behind these to approach within rifle-shot. +He was busily eating, and when he had his head down the boys +whispered to each other. Jack said, "Let us sneak up behind those +trees, and we can get near enough to kill him, I guess." + +"Better wait," said Joe, "pretty soon he'll go off over the hill, +and then we can follow him, and get one sure." + +But Jack had not yet learned the patience which makes an Indian +so certain of his game; he began to make a slow approach, but had +taken only a few steps when suddenly the deer stopped feeding, +looked about him, walked briskly up to the top of the ridge, +and then pausing for a moment to see where his companions were, +followed them over the ridge and out of sight. + +At last the coast was clear; the boys hurried toward the ridge, +and clambered up its steep face with breathless haste. When they +reached the crest they cautiously looked over, but saw nothing, +and still as they slowly advanced in the direction which the deer +seemed to have taken, the game was not seen. They were just about +to go back and take the deers' tracks, when suddenly, without an +instant's warning, a mountain hurricane of hail, rain and snow +swept down upon them, blotting from view every object save those +directly at their feet. The wind blew cold, and the rain and hail +pelted them. There was no shelter, and all they could do was to +turn their backs to the blast and stand there waiting. The storm +lasted but a few moments, and as soon as it was over they started +back, and soon crossed the tracks of the deer, not far from the +ridge. All had been walking slowly, except the last one, who was +trotting to catch up with the others. The trail led over the +rolling ground, toward two little groups of spruces, and when the +boys saw these, and could not see the deer on the open ground +beyond, they looked at each other and nodded, each feeling sure +that the animals would be found in this timber. + +They were still a hundred yards from the nearest clump of trees +when Joe's eye caught sight of something moving just beyond them, +and almost at the same time Jack saw something dark move against +the snow. They made themselves very small, and keeping the thick +foliage of the trees between themselves and the deer, crept +carefully up almost to the timber. Suddenly, through a little +opening in the branches, Jack saw three deer standing close +together--the big leader and two of the yearlings. He wanted the +leader, of course, and yet he could see only his head and neck, +and hesitated to shoot at the neck, for he was chilled and shaking +with the cold. However, he determined to risk it, and looking round +at Joe saw that he was ready, and that he nodded. Jack fired, the +leader disappeared, and a moment later four deer ran out over the +snow, beyond the trees, and stopped; and as they turned to look +back, Joe fired, and killed the other big deer. + +"Hurrah!" said Jack, and he shook Joe's hand, "we've surely got +plenty of meat now." + +"Yes," said Joe, "good meat, too." + +They found the big leader lying on the snow just beyond the trees, +his neck broken, and the other big deer not more than fifty yards +beyond him. + +"Now, Jack," said Joe, "I tell you what we'd better do: you go +back to camp and get two pack horses, and fetch 'em up here, and +I'll butcher these deer, and then we can take 'em back to the camp +to-night. We don't want to make two trips." + +"That's so," said Jack, "I'll either go back for the horses or +butcher, whichever you like." + +"No," said Joe, "you go back, and when I get through butchering +I'll make a little fire here and dry off, and wait for you." + +"All right," said Jack, "I'll do it. I don't believe it'll take me +very long to get back to camp, and I'll be back here in an hour or +two, anyhow." + +He at once started, and was soon following the green timbered +ridge down to the stream. When he reached there he found that +camp was only a short distance further down the creek, and he was +soon standing by the fire. Hugh had heard the shots, and was not +surprised when Jack told them that they had two deer. Jack went +out to look up the horses, and soon returned with two of them, and +putting saddles on them, mounted one, and rode off up the hill +leading the other. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +TRACKS IN THE SNOW + + +Meantime Joe had proceeded with his butchering and after he had +finished, gathered some wood and made himself a little fire. It +took some time to do this, for almost everywhere the wood was wet; +but by looking carefully he found some dry branches that were +sheltered by the foliage above them, and others that lay under a +fallen tree, and presently he had a good fire lighted, and one +that was so strong that he could throw wet wood on it and it would +soon dry and burn. He built his fire in a sheltered place, and the +light breeze drifted the smoke off down the stream. Before long he +was warm and dry. After he had waited a while, he went out beyond +the trees and looked off toward the ridge where Jack had gone, +to see whether he was not yet coming back, but he saw nothing. A +little later he went out again and Jack was not yet in sight, but +as he turned about he saw coming down the hill about half a mile +off, thirteen elk, mostly cows and calves, but one spikehorn, and +following last of all and keeping the others together a monstrous +bull with a great pair of horns. Of course when he saw them Joe +stood still. The elk had come down from some higher hill, and +when they came to where the snow was not very deep they began to +scatter out and feed. When most of them had passed behind the point +of hill which backed the next ridge above the one Joe was on, he +began to move very slowly and cautiously toward the shelter of a +clump of trees. Every now and then, one of the old cows would lift +her head, and as she munched the grass that she had just plucked, +would look all around the horizon, and when she did so, Joe stood +without moving a muscle. Then when all the heads were down again, +he very slowly moved a little toward his cover. At last only one +of the elk was in sight, and when she put her head down he could +see nothing but her back and hips, and two or three steps took +him out of sight even of these. Still he did not run, but walked +slowly, watching closely the sky-line above him, for at any moment +one of the elk might walk up there to look over the country. None +appeared, however, and in a very few moments he was hidden by the +trees. + +Now he did not know what to do. His first idea was to creep up to +the ridge and kill some of the elk, but before he determined that +he would do this he considered. He remembered how Hugh often spoke +of not killing anything more than they needed to eat, and he knew +that these deer that they had would last them for a long time. +He did not wish to do anything that Hugh would not like, and so, +instead of deciding that he would kill anything, he took his gun +and walked over to the ridge, to look at the elk. He had crept up +to the top of the hill and peered over, and was watching the elk +feeding not far in front of him--half a dozen of them within easy +rifle-range--when he heard a faint whoop behind him, and turning +his head saw Jack coming with the pack-horses. Slowly creeping back +a little way, Joe waved to him to come on, and to hurry, and Jack +galloped the pack horses over to the foot of the ridge, and at a +sign from Joe, dismounted. Then he crept up to Joe and they both +lay there on the hill and watched the elk. + +It was a pretty sight, and an interesting one, too. The bull, +although all the time feeding, seemed to keep close watch of his +companions. Once in a while one of the cows would stray off to +a little distance from the others, and the bull would walk over +toward her, shaking his head as he approached, and when the cow saw +this she turned back to the bunch and joined them again. Then the +bull began to feed once more. + +"Watch him," said Joe, "he's a pretty good herder, isn't he? He +won't let one of those cows wander away; he's afraid that somewhere +there might be some other old bull looking for cows, that would +take her and carry her off. Pretty smart at this time of year they +are." + +While they were watching the herd as they fed along a little beyond +them, presently some eddy of the wind brought their scent to the +cows farthest down the stream, and they lifted up their heads, +and looked for a moment; then turned and trotted swiftly away up +the hill. As soon as they did this, the other cows began to look, +and then to move off; but the bull seemed to understand at once +that there was danger near at hand, and rushed around the cows, +thrusting at them with his horns, so that in a moment they were +all in motion, and swiftly trotting away. At the top of the hill +the cows paused to look back; but the bull, which was laboring +along behind, shook his head at them, and they began to run again. +When the elk had disappeared, the boys rose to their feet, and then +realized that they were both of them chattering with cold. The +breeze was blowing harder now, and lying on the hillside exposed +to it, they had both become chilled. They went down to the horses +and took them over to where the deer lay and then built up the fire +and got warm again. Then they packed the deer on the two horses, +but the animals were so large that they could not lift them without +cutting them up into quarters. At last the loads were arranged, the +ropes tightened, and they started down the hill toward camp, which +they reached just before dark. + +Supper was ready, and as soon as the boys had hung up their meat on +the branches of a tree, and had washed their hands in the brook, +they fell to eagerly. Not much was said during the meal, but after +it had been cleared away and Hugh had filled his pipe and was +sitting by the fire comfortably smoking, Jack said to him, "Hugh, +we had a mighty nice view of a bunch of elk this afternoon, and +watched them for quite a while, and saw the old bull gather up the +cows and drive them away when they found that we were there." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "haven't you ever seen a bull do that before?" + +"No," said Jack, "I've seen plenty of elk but I never happened to +see that." + +"Well," said Hugh, "you know the bull elk is mighty rough with his +cows, after he has gathered them and got a bunch, and what is more, +when he is looking for them in the early fall, just about this +time, he is mighty systematic in the way he hunts for them. I've +sat on a hill and seen an old bull hunt out a lot of ravines in the +elk country just as systematically as a cow-puncher would hunt them +out for cattle. He makes a regular business of it, and after he's +got them together he don't allow any straggling, and if a cow don't +mind what he says, and he can catch her, he gives her a terrible +thumping with those old horns of his." + +"Well, Hugh, did you ever see two bulls fight?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "I've seen 'em do that a good many times. I +reckon I've told you about that before. They don't fight quickly; +they're not active like an antelope when they're fighting: but +they're mighty powerful, and they come together pretty hard, and +then they just push and push, and at last, if the footing is good, +the biggest one is pretty sure to push the other out of the way, +and if the smaller one doesn't hop round pretty lively, he gets +a good punch with the horns. I've heard tell of elk killing each +other when they fought; but I never saw anything like that, and I +never even saw an elk get cut up with the horns of an animal that +he was fighting with. Of course I never had a chance to look close +at many elk that I saw fighting, but I never could see any blood +or any cuts. An elk-hide is pretty thick, and I guess they just +scratch and bruise each other. + +"I've heard of elk-horns being locked, same as deer-horns often +are, but I never myself saw but one pair; they were locked and you +could not pull them apart. I heard that some chap bought them, up +on the Missouri River, to send back east to some museum." + +"Well, I tell you, Hugh," said Jack, "I don't think much of elk, +anyhow, except to eat. You remember that tame one we had down at +the ranch? There wasn't anything interesting or nice about him; he +was awkward and clumsy and mean. Of course he looked nice, but that +was about all." + +"No," said Hugh, "that's so; elk meat is good, but that's about all +elk are good for--to eat." + +The next morning the sun came out bright and strong, and the snow +began to melt rapidly. Lines were strung among the trees, and all +the blankets, ropes and saddles, which had been more or less wet +during the last day or two, were hung up to dry. The flesh of the +deer was sliced into thin flakes, and hung up on scaffolds made by +Joe and Hugh, and under this a small fire was made, and the smoke +passing under the flakes of meat partially dried it. The hams and +saddle of one of the deer were kept for fresh meat. + +"I'd like to get off this afternoon," said Hugh, toward midday. "Of +course it's early in the season yet, and no heavy snow is likely to +fall; but often we have a storm late in September that might stop +us for a week, and I'd be pleased if we could get over the ridge +before that comes. We must start as soon as these things get dry, +and as soon as that meat will do to pack; it's pretty fat, and it +won't dry fast in this kind of weather; this air is too damp." + +In the effort to hurry up the drying process they built a large +fire near the wet things that were hung up, and as the heat from +the fire and from the sun grew strong, the steam rose from them. A +little after noon, Hugh, who had been inspecting the things, said, +"Come on, now; let's saddle up. The robes and blankets are dry, and +we'll shove this meat in a sack and give it another steaming when +we get to a good place. The weather is cool enough now so that it +will keep until we get over the range." Before long the packs were +lashed, and all the members of the party were in the saddle and +pushing their way up the stream. + +There was now no visible trail. The snow covered everything, and +though it was dripping fast from the trees at their level, they +could see that on the higher hills it still hung thick upon the +branches. From time to time the stream narrowed, so that they were +obliged to leave it and climb the ridges, which often afforded much +better going than the creek bottom. As they climbed higher and +higher, everything was draped in white; but now the sun went behind +the clouds, and the glare of the white snow was not uncomfortable. +Hugh had said as they started, "You boys better take and blacken +your faces; I am going to do it;" and taking some charcoal from the +fire, each of the party rubbed the black over the upper parts of +the face, the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, and around the eyes, +to keep the glare from the snow from affecting the eyes. + +They climbed higher and higher, and as they climbed, the stream +grew smaller. From time to time they reached some point from +which there was an extended view, showing far-reaching, snow-clad +mountains and evergreen forests; and ahead of them the high peaks +of the main divide, with precipices of bare black rock, to which +the snow could not cling. As they passed along, Jack noticed +frequent tracks of deer and elk, and others of smaller animals +which he did not recognize, and which there was no time to stop +and ask about. Hugh rode fast, and the boys kept the animals close +behind him. Often for a little distance through an open valley, or +along a bare ridge, Hugh would trot or gallop. He was evidently +anxious to get on. + +It was growing dark when, at the head of a pretty, open valley, +Hugh turned his horse into the timber, and after looking around for +a moment, said, "We'll camp here, boys. Bring the horses right up +close to Baldy." They did so, and soon had the loads on the ground. +Poles were quickly cut, the lodge was put up, and the ground within +it was soon cleared of snow, and a fire started. Then, under Hugh's +direction, the boys went out and broke several armfuls of spruce +boughs, which they brought in and placed around the walls of the +lodge where the beds would be spread, to keep them off the snow. +Two of the horses had already been picketed and the others hobbled. +There was danger that night they might desert, and take the back +trail for the lower ground, where, of course, they well remembered +that there was good grass, while up here to get anything to eat +they would have to paw through the deep snow. + +"You boys had better cook supper," said Hugh. "I'm going down to +the end of this valley, to see if I can't stop it up in some way so +that the horses can't get away to-night; they're likely to leave +us, and if they do, we'll have to hunt them to-morrow." + +Before entering this valley they had passed up through a narrow +cañon, riding for a short distance in the stream-bed, and Hugh, who +had noticed two or three spruce trees standing on either side of +the stream, took an axe, went down there, and felling two of the +trees across the stream, made a fence that the horses could not +surmount. They could possibly get around by climbing high on the +hillside, but as all the loose ones were hobbled, it was not likely +that they would go very far up hill. + +When he returned to the camp supper was ready, and before long they +were all fast asleep. + +The next morning was bright and cold. No more snow had fallen. +The horses were all there, but those that had been hobbled looked +gaunt and hungry. Hugh was up before daylight and took off their +hobbles, and when the sun rose they were all busily at work getting +what must have been their supper and breakfast. When their front +feet were tied together, they could not paw through the snow to the +grass beneath. + +"Now boys," said Hugh, as soon as breakfast was over, "let's saddle +up and get along. I'd like mightily to get over the range to-day, +if we can." It took but a short time to get started, for the three +had now been working together so long that they wasted no time, and +made no unnecessary motions. + +Neither of the boys had noticed the night before how deep the snow +was; but to-day they could see that down here under the trees it +was eight or ten inches deep, though perhaps in the open where it +had a chance to melt or to blow off there was not so much. + +As they went forward, Jack was more and more interested in the +tracks. Down at the foot of a cañon wall in the valley he saw a +series of tiny parallel dots in the snow, which he thought must +have been made by a little striped squirrel, which had run out +from the broken rock-fragments where he had his home, down nearly +to the water's edge, and then, frightened by some sight or sound, +had turned and hurried, with long bounds, back to his rocky home. +Higher up on the hill, about every weed-stalk that showed above the +surface of the snow were numbers of long parallel depressions, and +scattered about on the snow were fragments of the seed-cases of the +plants, and strips of the bark of the stem. Here the birds had been +at work, and so hard pressed for food that they had visited almost +every projecting plant. + +There had been killing during the night; death had been abroad, +travelling over the barren hills, and pushing his way among the +thickly clustered pines. There had been battles and ambuscades, and +stern unrelenting pursuits; fierce struggles; resistance, feeble +and unavailing; despair, and, at last, yielding, when the hope of +escape was lost. More than one life had gone out that night on the +hillside. Here, close to the margin of a little brook, was a pile +of bright blue feathers, telling its story of death, and near it +in the light snow, long, light strokes, which told of some fierce +bird, that, in the gray light of the morning, had crushed in his +strong crooked talons a little blue-bird which was just beginning +his journey toward the south. There were tracks of a fox winding +about on the hillside, often quartering the ground like a well +trained hunting dog. He had covered much ground, and had visited +every spot that might give shelter to his prey. In one place Jack +saw the tracks of a grouse, and those of a fox following them, then +suddenly the tracks of the grouse were seen no more, the last two +sunk deep in the snow, showing where the bird had sprung from the +ground and had darted away among the snow-laden trees. A few feet +from these, Jack could see where the fox had stopped when the bird +took flight, and he could fancy how angrily the sly fellow gazed +after it as he saw his wished-for breakfast disappear. A little +further on the fox had been more lucky, and a hole dug in the snow +and a tuft or two of bluish fur showed where the keen-nosed hunter +had caught a mouse. + +At the border of a grove of pines, Jack saw the impress of the +great pads of the snowshoe rabbit, scarcely sinking into the +light snow. For the most part, the rabbits kept close under the +evergreens where the snow was less deep, and food most easily to +be found; but if startled by fox or wolf, they could readily run +over the drifts, where the heavier pursuer must sink into them, far +behind. + +As they climbed higher and higher, the trees grew larger, and +now they began to see, through the valley and coming down from +the higher hills on either side, the tracks of elk. The heavy +snow-fall, warning these animals of the near approach of winter, +had set them in motion down from the peaks, and everywhere trails +were seen leading from the hillside into the valley. They saw none +of the animals, for the footfalls of the pack-train clambering over +the rocks, the sound of dead branches rattling against the packs, +and the calls to the horses alarmed the elk at a distance, and they +retreated to the timber, out of sight. + +Presently the climbing seemed at an end for the present, and the +valley became more open and nearly level. Not far ahead off to the +southeast they could see a low pass in the mountains, which seemed +likely to be the one they were trying to find. As they ascended, +the stream continued to grow smaller, large branches, almost equal +in size to the main brook kept coming into it, and often it was +uncertain which was the main fork. Hugh gave no hint of what was +passing in his mind, but pushed on, and the boys kept the animals +close behind him. + +In this broad level valley there were more elk tracks than ever. +These, seen at a distance, were very pretty, often looking like two +delicate chains laid side by side, and running for a long distance +almost in a straight line. Sometimes the animals seemed to have +wandered about, biting off the heads of the grass and weeds that +stood above the snow; but always at last the tracks turned and kept +on down the valley. In the middle of the great meadow stood an +old pine stub, and a number of the tracks converged to this, and +then went away from it in one path. It seemed that the elk, coming +along, had gone to this stump, and rubbed against it, and then all +followed the same trail going away. + +As the afternoon advanced, the valley grew narrow again and they +entered the timber, and soon afterward came on what was evidently +a trail that had been travelled both by whites and Indians. Some +of the trees were blazed with an axe, but many years ago, for the +bark had partly grown over the old blazes; there were later marks +where little three-cornered patches of the bark had been knocked +off, showing where the hard corners of packs had struck against +the trees. On one or two of the trees were seen little woolen +threads, white and red, showing where some Indian's blanket had +rubbed against the trunk and left a little sign, to remain there +for years. At length, the trail again passed out of the timber into +a narrow valley, and a sharp climb brought them to a place where +water seemed to be flowing down hill both before and behind them. +Hugh stopped and waved his hand and pointed ahead; and beyond they +could see a valley, steep-walled and full of timber, stretching off +toward the southeast. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE ELK? + + +"Here we are, boys; this is the divide--the top of the range," +said Hugh. "Now if we can only get down this hill and find decent +travelling in the valley, we'll soon be out of this snow. I expect +this is one of the heads of Wind River, and I hope we can make it +down below the snow to-morrow." + +The way down the new stream was steep, and for a while progress +was slow. There appeared to be no trail, and several times Hugh +dismounted and went ahead slowly on foot, to pick out a way for the +animals down steep rock slides. At last, however, they came to a +point where the stream had a little bottom, thickly overgrown with +timber, but all of it green; and working their way along through +this they came, shortly before sundown, to a little open park +surrounded by willows, where they camped. + +There was a little daylight left after camp had been made and +supper eaten, and Jack, with Hugh, walked out to the edge of the +stream. There was a good deal of water flowing in it, for ever +since they came into the valley they had been crossing rivulets +and brooklets, tumbling down from the high hills and pouring +their current into the valley. The little river flowed among the +close-set pines, and its bed was composed of great blocks of +stone. Just opposite the camp it opened out into a pool twenty +feet long, and half as wide; and, as they stood here, they saw two +little dippers at work in the stream. + +Although Jack had often seen these birds in the northern mountains, +they constantly interested him. He knew that, although living +always in and about the water, their nearest relations were not +water-birds, such as ducks or snipe, but instead were thrushes, +of which the common robin is one. Yet as many times as he had +seen them diving into the water, swimming about on it, and again +disappearing beneath its waves, he could never quite get over his +astonishment at seeing a bird walk down the shelving rock or smooth +beach into the water, and keep on walking, without attempting to +swim or to dive, until it had disappeared. + +He spoke about this now to Hugh, and said, "Those are the queerest +little birds I ever saw, and I don't know of any like them +anywhere." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "they are queer; but they're mighty +cheerful--mighty good company if you're alone in the mountains. +They stay here, you know, all summer and all winter, wherever the +water is open, and they've got a real nice little song, and they +sing, too, at all seasons of the year. There, listen to that one," +he said, as a dipper appeared from under the water in the pool +before them, and then flying to an old dead stick that projected +from the bank, alighted on it and began to warble a simple but +pleasing song. After it had finished, it flew part way across the +pool, and then dived from the wing, and came to the surface again +some distance below where it had entered the water. Then flying to +a rock it seemed to batter to pieces some small object which it had +brought up from the bottom, which it then devoured. + +"Don't it seem queer, Hugh," said Jack, "that they never get wet; +their plumage seems light and fluffy, like that of a land bird, and +not close and compact like that of the duck or grebe. They must +have a big oil-sack, and must oil up their feathers pretty often." + +"I reckon they do," said Hugh, "but I'm sure they never get wet. +I've often wondered what it is they feed on; I suppose it's insects +that live at the bottom of the water. Anyhow, I've often seen them +bring up one of those little worms that build sort of houses for +themselves out of sticks and little bits of sand, and take it to a +rock and pound it to pieces, and then eat the worm that's inside of +it. You've seen those things, haven't you? I don't know what they +do, or what they're good for, without it is to feed the birds and +the fish." + +"Oh yes, Hugh," said Jack, "I've often seen those. Mighty queer +little houses they are, but I don't know any more than you do +what the insect in them lives for. I expect he may turn into a +dragonfly, or maybe some kind of beetle or other. I know I've +heard that there are lots of insects that lay their eggs, and live +part of their lives in water, and then finally, coming up to the +surface, change their shape and become perfect insects." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I expect likely that's the way it may be." + +Jack noticed that the dippers seemed to dive into the upper part of +the pool, and to be carried down by the swift current close to a +little point of rocks, and slowly walking out there, and standing +perfectly still, he soon saw one of the birds drop down from a +large stone near him, and disappear under the water. He could see a +sort of a flying shadow under the surface, and in a moment the bird +came up a little below him, and flew off to the other side of the +stream. As it grew darker, the dippers disappeared, having probably +gone to their roost; and as the two returned to camp, Hugh said to +Jack, "Son, did you ever see one of the nests made by these birds?" + +"No, Hugh, I never did," said Jack. + +"Well, we must be on the lookout for that. They're mighty queer +little nests. On the outside they seem to be made of green moss, so +that the nests look just like a bunch of moss growing on a rock. +Often they build them close under some little water-fall, and I +expect maybe it's the mist from the fall that keeps the moss wet +and growing; but if the outside is damp and wet, the inside is just +as dry as can be, and the young birds have a good warm place, and a +good roof over their heads. It's kind of fun to watch one of these +nests and see how hard the old birds have to work to keep the young +birds quiet. They come with an insect, and give it to some one of +the young ones, and then dart off, and are not gone more than a +few minutes, and then come back again, so both the old birds keep +travelling back and forth; and all the time the young ones are +making all the noise they can, only you can't hear'em for the sound +of the water--they're a hungry lot, I tell you. Of course, the +breeding season is past a long time now, and maybe if we keep our +eyes open we'll be able to see a nest and get it for you to take +home with you, though often they're in a place where it's mighty +hard to get at them." + +The little circular meadow in which they had camped was not large +enough to give good feeding for their horses, even if the ground +had not been covered with snow; but Hugh felt certain that the +horses would not try to follow the back trail up the hill again, +nor did he think that they would venture away down the stream +into country unknown to them. However, he picketed two horses and +hobbled most of the others, and when morning came they were most of +them in sight, though one or two had strayed away into the timber. +The snow on the ground made it an easy matter to follow them, and +soon after sunrise the train had started on again. + +The travelling was better than had been expected. Although +sometimes the walls of the valley drew so close together that there +was hardly room for the stream to flow, they managed to get along +without very much climbing, and were all the time going down hill. +The next night when they camped, the snow had almost entirely +disappeared from the valley, only patches lying in some of the most +shady spots. There was abundant sign of game here, but they saw +none, nor did they look for it. The next afternoon however, Hugh +stopped as they were crossing a meadow, and, calling Jack to him, +pointed out some tracks in the soft ground, which Jack at first +supposed were elk tracks, but on more careful examination found to +be quite different; and after thinking for a moment, he asked Hugh +if they could be moose tracks. + +"Yes," said Hugh, "that's just what they are. This was a good bull, +and he crossed here early this morning. Follow his tracks a little +way and see if you can make out anything special about them, and +then come on after us and tell me what you saw." + +Jack followed slowly along on the tracks until they entered the +timber. Then he returned to take his position in the pack train. +By this time the way was so open that it was not necessary to +travel in single file, and Jack, riding up to Hugh said, "Well, +Hugh, those tracks are about twice as long as an elk's track, and +only a little bit wider; that makes them look long and narrow. +Then, besides that, I noticed that whenever the animal went over a +soft spot, and his foot sank in a little, there seemed to be two +marks behind the main track, and I suppose those are the dew claws +sinking in. Is that so?" + +"That's it," said Hugh, "I'm glad you took notice so carefully. +Maybe we'll get a chance to kill a moose before we get down out of +these mountains. We don't really want one now; but you've never +seen a moose, and I expect if one should show up, why maybe you'd +want to shoot at it." + +"Well, Hugh, I guess I would," said Jack; "but I suppose as long +as we're travelling here with the pack train, and making so much +noise, there isn't much chance of our seeing one." + +"No, not much," said Hugh. + +As the valley became wider, and the stream larger, there seemed +to be more life in the bottom. Several broods of ruffed grouse +had been noticed during the day, and all were so tame that they +scarcely moved out of the horses' way as they passed along. In +the river there were a few ducks, of the kind that breed high up +in the mountains; and the next morning, when Jack was down at the +water's edge, just after he had risen, he saw a hawk make a dash at +a family of ducks. The ducks were flying down the river when the +hawk came out of the timber and darted toward them. They all fell +into the water, with loud splashings, and the hawk swooped at one +of them which was a little apart from the main flock; but the duck +made a rush to one side and easily avoided it. Then the hawk gave +up the chase, and flew into a tall tree, where he watched the ducks +as they swam swiftly down the stream. Jack was amused at a little +spotted sandpiper that had been flying up the stream when the hawk +darted for the ducks. The bird was very much frightened, thinking +that the hawk was after it. It dropped into the water as if it had +been shot, and sat there with its head cocked to one side, watching +the enemy, and prepared to dive at a second's warning, if the hawk +should dash at it. + +The weather was bright and pleasant, and they kept on down the +stream, which constantly grew wider. Now there was some sage-brush +on the benches above the bottom, and often the trail kept away from +the stream, and close under these benches, in order to avoid the +frequent wet and miry places which would have troubled the horses. +As Jack was riding along he suddenly heard a shot behind him, and +looking about, saw three deer running near the top of a ridge, +and just below the timber. Joe had shot at one of them, and just +after Jack looked round, two of them disappeared over the ridge. +The last one stopped almost at its crest, and looked back, and Joe +fired again. The doe fell, and Joe rode up to where she lay. The +train was halted, and when the deer had been brought down to the +trail she was put on one of the packs and they started on again. As +the bottom became wider it was evident that beaver had been much at +work here, and although they had long deserted it, the marshes and +sloughs and mud-holes caused by their damming of the stream still +remained as pitfalls for the traveller. + +Ever since they had left Snake River they had heard from time to +time the shrill bugling call of the elk, though near the top of the +range where the snow was deepest they had not heard them whistle. +Now, however, they frequently heard elk, and on this day an old +bull came out of a point of timber near which they were travelling, +and stood and looked at them. He was but a short distance off, +and might easily have been killed; but they had meat enough, and +there was no reason for shooting him. He was but forty or fifty +yards distant, and seemed disposed to come even nearer, making +some threatening demonstrations with his head, and advancing a few +steps; but no attention was paid to him, and presently he turned +about and disappeared in the timber. Hugh said that very likely the +elk took some of the pack animals for cows, and wished to gather +them in. + +That night they camped on an enlargement of the river, which almost +seemed like a little lake. Behind them and on either side were +timbered hills, before them the water, and beyond the mountains +rising steeply. The lodge stood in a little grove of pine trees, +which furnished shelter and fuel, and the hungry animals fed on the +rich grass behind it. The bright fire in front of the lodge lit up +the trees and the lodge and the pack saddles, and as it flamed and +flickered, curious shadows peeped out from the dark caverns that +stretched back beneath the pine branches to the gloom beyond, and +sometimes creeping stealthily forth, danced for a moment within the +circle of the firelight, and then chased one another back into the +darkness, and were swallowed up in it. The soft murmur of the river +over its stones came to the campers in a monotonous undertone, +while now and then from the nearby trees came the plaintive call of +some bird, and the mountain sides echoed at intervals to the fierce +shrill challenge of the angry elk. + +"This is a great elk country, isn't it, Hugh?" said Jack. "It seems +to me that elk are 'most everywhere, and I suppose they'll always +be here, won't they?" + +"Well, I don't know, son," said Hugh; "it's pretty hard to say +about that. They'll likely be here until the white folks come; +but as soon as they come, why the elk are bound to go. I've heard +they're talking about passing a law not to let them be killed in +the Park we came through--that place where the hot springs and +spouting fountains are. But just as soon as mineral is discovered +in these hills, the game will go. I reckon, too, that this law +they're talking about passing for that Park back there won't amount +to much, for I talked with two hunters there who said that they +expected to get the contract this winter to kill meat for all them +fellows that's working on those buildings that we saw. Of course +what two men'll kill in a winter won't amount to much; but just +as soon as many people begin to come into this country, the game +will all get killed off. I've seen places down in the south, in +Colorado, where twenty or twenty-five years ago game was so plenty +that you could kill all you wanted right close to camp, any time; +and now that country is full of settlers, miners and ranchmen, and +they've killed off the game for the mining camps and tie camps and +every settler has to go and get three or four wagon loads for his +winter's meat, and the first thing they know there won't be a hoof +left in the country." + +"Well, but Hugh," said Jack, "what's going to become of all the +game? Isn't there going to be any left after a few years?" + +"You can't prove it by me, son. I don't know; but I expect there +won't be any game left, unless they pass some laws, and enforce +them, to stop the killing of it. Of course laws don't mean anything +without they're enforced, and as far as I can see, these laws +protecting the game never are enforced." + +"But, Hugh," said Jack, "that seems to me all wrong. Do you mean to +say that if I come out here twenty years from now there won't be +anything for me to hunt?" + +"Looks that way to me, son," said Hugh. + +"And if I should have a son, and ever want to bring him out here +and show him the things that I saw when I was a boy, he could not +see them?" + +"I don't believe he could. I tell you, son, this country has +changed an awful lot since I first saw it, and it seems to me it's +changing more and more all the time, and quicker now than it used +to. I used to think that the time would never come when I couldn't +go out and kill meat if I wanted it; but my ideas have changed a +whole lot in the last year or two, and I believe now that the time +will come when there won't be any game left for a man to shoot with +a rifle. I used to think that the buffalo could never be killed +off, but I've seen 'em killed off over part of the country, and I +may live long enough to see 'em killed off everywhere." + +"Well," said Jack, "it seems as if there ought to be some way to +stop that." + +"Yes, there ought to be," said Hugh, "but you see, every fellow +that comes out into the mountains, he's just like you and me; we +think the other fellow oughtn't to kill game, but we ought to kill +it. We claim that we don't kill anything more than what we want +to eat, and these other fellows claim, maybe--if they're buffalo +skinners or elk skinners--that they don't kill any more than they +want to skin. Each man thinks that what he'll kill won't do any +harm; but when they're all at work killing as hard as they can, the +upshot of it is that there's no game left." + +"I see," said Jack; "each one of us is thinking about himself and +about nobody else, and yet each one of us is likely to talk about +what the other people do. You must have seen lots of game in your +life, Hugh," he added. + +"Yes, son," said Hugh, "I've seen a heap of game. Why, at one time +men used to travel day after day, and never be out of sight of +game; and most times the game was not afraid at all. Buffalo or elk +or antelope would just move out the way, and a man never thought +of shooting at anything until he needed meat to eat. Of course in +those times we never took anything but the best parts, and so it +often happened that we killed an animal every two or three days. +But we never thought, up to within a very few years ago, when +railroads began to come into the country, that things would be much +different from what they were then; but when the railroads came, +they brought a heap of people, a good many of them hunters, and a +good many of them men who came to live on the land where the game +had always roamed without being bothered by anybody, except maybe +once a year when Indians happened to pass that way and perhaps +camped in the neighborhood for a few weeks. Of course the time has +been when a man could easily enough kill a car-load of game in a +day, but in the old times no one had any reason for doing that. We +could only eat about so much meat, and wear about so much buckskin; +and ammunition cost money, and nobody wanted to waste it." + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +A PACK HORSE IN DANGER + + +They had not gone far down the river the next morning when the +mountains on either side drew closer together, and the valley +narrowed greatly. Before they had gone far Hugh stopped, and, +turning, said to the boys as they came up, "I don't like the looks +of things ahead; I reckon we'll have to go up on the hillside down +below here. Looks to me like we were coming to a cañon." + +A little farther along it proved so; and Hugh, after going ahead +and making a little investigation, called out to the boys to bring +on the animals. They found him on a narrow game trail, which began +to climb the hill among thick timber, where the trees stood so +close on both sides of the trail that it was evident that there +might be trouble in getting the packs along. Hugh got an axe out +of the pack, and, going ahead on foot, began to chop the branches +on either side, so as to make room for the loaded horses. Two or +three times he found small trees fallen across the trail, and, as +it was extremely steep, it was necessary to cut out each one of +these. Progress was slow, but after two or three hours they emerged +from the timber and could see ahead of them the trail leading +along a very steep hillside. Immediately below the trail grew +underbrush, and below that the rocks fell off sharply to the river. +From the hillside a number of little brooks and springs trickled +down, making slippery, muddy places in the trail over which it +was necessary to go carefully. Hugh several times called back to +the boys, saying, "Go slow along this place, and don't crowd the +animals; let each one take its time, and you boys go on foot. The +horses will follow all right." + +There was nothing on the trail that was difficult for a man on foot +or for a careful horse, and for some time they went on very well, +and made good time; but in crossing a little brook which ran down +over the trail, and where there was a mud-hole, the bay horse, +pausing and putting down his head to investigate the trail, was +crowded upon by the dun and kicked back at him with both heels, +and when his feet came down they were over the edge of the trail, +and, trying to recover himself, he clumsily fell down and rolled +over once or twice. Just below the trail at this point there was +a big patch of stiff alders growing close to the steep hillside. +Jack saw the horse begin to fall, and, dropping his own bridle rein +and placing his gun on the hillside above the trail, he slipped by +the dun, and before the pack horse had turned over twice he had +caught it by its hackamore and checked it. In a moment Joe was by +his side, and the two hung on like grim death, and held the horse +there on its side, with its head a little up the hill. Meantime +Hugh had left his horse and come back along the trail, and in a +moment he too had hold of the horse's head. Fortunately, the horse +lay perfectly quiet, and neither slid nor rolled, his hips being +more or less supported by the alders. Hugh quickly unfastened the +hackamore, which gave all hands a better hold, and then said to +Jack, "Slip down there now, behind the horse, and see if you can +loosen that lash rope. If you can't, cut the lacing that holds it +to the cinch. We've got to get that pack off, or else lose the +animal. Don't get where the horse can hit you with his feet; reach +over his back." + +The horse was lying on its off side, and it was impossible to +loosen the lash rope, but reaching over the back, Jack cut the +lacings of the lash cinch, so that the whole lash rope fell off. +"Now," said Hugh, "come back here and hang on to the hackamore." +Jack took Hugh's place, and Hugh quickly loosened the sling ropes, +and removing the packs from the saddle, carried them up to the +trail, and then along it a little distance until he reached a place +where the ground on the upper side sloped more gradually. Here he +deposited the packs one by one; then he took hold of the hackamore +again and said to Jack, "Go and get your rope and bring it here, +and tie it round this horse's neck in a bowline." When this had +been done, the end of the rope was passed round a small spruce +tree, which grew just above the trail, and then all three held the +rope, so that now the horse could not possibly roll down the hill, +unless the tree gave way, or the men let the rope go. While two of +them held the rope, Jack led the horses along the trail, until a +place was reached where it came out on a wider ledge, and leaving +them there returned. Then the pack horse was made to rise to its +feet, and without very great difficulty, assisted by the rope about +its neck, it climbed back to the trail and was led along to a place +where there was more room. Now, while Hugh mended the lash cinch, +the boys carried the packs along the trail to where it was wider, +and at length the horse was re-packed, and they started on. + +While they were at work, Jack said to Hugh, "I want you to +understand, Hugh, that I didn't drive the dun onto that horse. The +dun came up behind him and stopped, and the bay kicked at him, and +lost his footing, and went over the side of the trail." + +"I know," said Hugh, "I know; I was watching. It wasn't anybody's +fault, but the fool horse that tried to kill himself. You did +mighty well to get hold of him as quick as you did, and if it +hadn't been for that, if he'd made one more roll, he'd have gone +over the rocks, and we'd have lost him, and likely a lot of the +load he's carrying. + +"We've got to look for things like this when we're travelling with +a pack train, and I'm mighty surprised that we've had as little +trouble as we have." + +It was near sundown when Hugh stopped as they came out on a bench +of the hillside, and said: "I reckon we'll have to camp up here +to-night, boys. There don't seem to be any place where we can get +down to the river. There's good grass here for the horses and a +place where we can picket two or three of them, but I don't see any +water just here. Jack, you ride up the hill, and see whether you +can find anything that looks like a spring. Joe and I'll stop here +with the horses." + +Jack had not ridden far, when, passing over a little ridge, he +found, issuing from a ledge of rock, a good spring, which ran down +into a little ravine, and calling to the others, they came up +there, unsaddled, and made camp. It was dark when supper was over, +and their talk was chiefly of the difficulties of the day, and the +narrow escape had by the pack horse. + +"A man is bound to lose an animal in the mountains now and then," +said Hugh, "not always through his own carelessness, but because +there's always some horses and mules that are fools. After all a +horse is nothing but a bundle of nerves, and if he gets scared and +loses his head, why he doesn't do anything but jump round and kick +and make things worse for himself. Now, that's where a good man +has the bulge on any dumb beast that ever was. A man, if he's got +sense, will stop and think, and reason, and try to find some way +out of his difficulty; but a critter doesn't do that. That's the +reason horses and mules and cattle stampede, and that's the reason +often that human beings stampede too; they lose their senses, and +become no better at all than just so many animals. We've always +got to keep our wits about us, be ready, and when anything happens +do the right thing, and do it right off--like you did to-day, son, +when you ran to grab that horse's head, and like you did too, Joe; +for I saw that you were both ready. You saved us the horse, and a +mighty good job it is. + +"I remember one day, years ago, we lost our whole kitchen outfit +just through the foolishness of a mule. It was near Henry's Fork of +Green River, and I was guiding a lot of soldiers and bug hunters +up from the Unita agency. To get down into the valley we had to +follow down a mighty sharp crest that ran out between two deep +ravines. It was mighty narrow, and a terrible long way down on +either side, but there were no bad places in it; but a big bay mule +that carried the kitchen, in two big baskets, tried to turn round +and look at the rest of the train that were coming, and somehow +she caught her hind legs over the edge, and they slipped down, +and she hung a little while with her forefeet, but before any one +could get to her she let go, and she fell. She was dead long before +she struck the bottom, I guess, and the kitchen was all smashed +and broken up. I believe we did get some knives and forks and tin +plates out of the mess, but the plates were all battered, and had +to be hammered out on a tree with an axe before they would set on +the ground. It was one of the worst falls I ever saw an animal +take." + +The next morning the horses were seen scattered all along the +hillside above the camp, and it took the boys some time to gather +and bring them in; and while they were doing this, a big doe, +followed by two little fawns, jumped up out of a patch of quaking +aspen, ran a short distance up above them on the hillside, and then +all three animals turning round stood looking at them, with their +great ears thrown forward. The boys stood for a few moments and +looked at her, and then she turned again and clambered still higher +up, only to stop again for another look. Neither felt any desire to +shoot at her. + +The greater part of the day was devoted to working down stream +along the hillside. They found that they could travel with some +comfort on the benches, except when these were interrupted at +frequent intervals by deep ravines, cut out by streams coming down +from the hills, and the plunge down into these, and the subsequent +climb up the other side, was tiring to the animals. Also they had +to stop frequently to adjust the packs and tighten the saddles. + +That night they camped again on the benches, and Hugh said, "I +believe we'll do as well to stop somewhere, if we can find a good +camp, and rest up for two or three days. These horses have been +having hard work now for some little time, and they'll get poor. +Besides that, this up and down work is awful hard on their backs, +and I think it would be a good idea to given 'em a rest. If we +can find a good camp to-morrow, any time in the day, as we're +travelling along, I think we better stop and rest up, or we can +stop right here. You boys might want to take a hunt or a fish. It's +nice weather now, and we're low enough down so that there's no +danger that the snow will catch us, and I think we can spare the +time." + +"Well, Hugh," said Jack, "I think that's a pretty good idea. I'd +like to look over these hills and see what there is in them, and I +guess we'd all like to rest for a day." + +The next few days were spent in this camp. Hugh was busy mending up +saddles and riggings, fixing blankets, and getting things in good +shape for their further journey, while Jack fished a good deal in +the river and took many trout. + +One day while working around the edge of a large pool, and trying +to cover it all with his line, he found himself close to a steep +rocky wall, over which poured a fall six or eight feet high. He had +fished here for some minutes, when suddenly his eye caught a round +brownish-green bunch of something, resting on a little ledge close +to the falls and over deep water; and as he saw it he thought that +this must be a nest of the dipper. It was impossible to get close +to it, and remembering that it was now autumn and that the nest by +no possibility could contain anything, he reached over with his +pole, and pushing it from its position, it fell to the water and +was soon in his hand. He found it just what Hugh had described: a +bunch of moss, containing a chamber within, lined with dried grass +and a few feathers, and with a round hole at the front for the +passage in and out of the birds. It was a beautiful piece of bird +architecture, and he determined to take it with him and to try to +carry it back east. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +A BIGHORN + + +While Hugh had been working and Jack fishing, Joe had been roaming +the hillsides. He had found some signs of game and killed another +little fawn, but had not been higher up than the first bench above +the camp. From there, however, he had seen higher mountains rising +beyond, and one night he said to Jack, "Jack, why don't you quit +catching these fish, and let's go up high on the hills here, and +see if we can't kill something?" + +"That's a good idea, Joe," said Hugh, "the meat of these +black-tails is about gone now, and it's a good idea for you boys +to go out and kill something more. That last fawn that you got is +almost gone, too. We don't want to keep eating fish all the rest of +the trip. + +"Good enough," said Jack. "I'll go you; and we'll start early +to-morrow morning. Shall we take horses, Hugh?" + +"Why, no," said Hugh, "if I were you I'd leave the horses here to +rest, and go afoot. You can hunt better afoot, and then if you kill +anything that's too big for you to pack in, you can come down and +get a horse for it." + +The next morning the two boys started early, and for a long time +scrambled up the hill. When they reached the top of the bench +above camp, they found before them a plateau, more or less level, +and beyond that rose another ridge, which cut off the view. They +climbed and climbed for a long time, passing over one bench after +another, and at length, a little before noon, Joe saw far off +on the hillside, at about the same level with themselves, three +mountain sheep. They were on quite another mountain, for there were +two wide gorges between them and the boys; and, what was more to +the point, the sheep had already seen them and were looking. So the +boys kept on climbing. + +At last they reached the rocks, a great brown slope of broken +weathered lichen-covered stones, which rose steeply before them; +but the going was not bad, and they climbed up, heading always for +a place where the precipices above seemed broken away, so that they +could get through. It was now noon and the sun shone warm, but a +cool breeze was blowing along the hillside, and the air was fresh +and invigorating. Jack said, "Now, Joe, when we get to the top of +this cliff we'll find a sheltered place, and sit down there and +eat." + +"That will be good," said Joe; "I'm hungry." They had now climbed +quite high, and looking across at the mountain on the other side of +the stream, could see that the timber was small, and that a little +higher up it seemed to stop. Joe said, "We ought to see sheep up +here, it seems to me." + +"I should think so," said Jack, "but we'll have to wait until +we get to some place where we can get a good look along the +mountain." Before long they reached a ravine, and clambering up it +for some distance came out on a rocky hillside, from which both +to the north and south they could see a long way over ground that +for the most part was open and steeply sloping. Above them the +mountains rose in a series of narrow benches--a bench not more than +fifty feet wide, and then a cliff as high, then another bench, +and another cliff, and so on up. Here, choosing a place which was +sheltered from the wind, they sat down and rested for a while, at +the same time eating their bread and dried meat, which tasted very +good. When they had finished, Jack said: + +"Now, Joe, you know more about the mountains than I do. What shall +we do? Shall we keep on climbing, and try to get up to the top, or +shall we walk along one of these benches? I suppose if we do that +we might easily enough run across some sheep, for at this time of +the day they'd be likely to be lying down in just such places." + +"Yes," said Joe, "that's so; but if they're lying down there, +they're looking 'round all the time, and pretty sure to see you +before you see them. Then maybe they'll make one jump out of sight, +going up the hill, or down, and you don't get a shot." + +"Well, then," said Jack, "let's go higher." + +"All right," said Joe, "we'll go ahead." + +The climb was steep and rough and hard, but they kept at it for +sometime longer, and at last found themselves up above the benches +and on a gentle rounded rock slope, where little grass grew. There +were no trees or tall weeds. + + [Illustration: "ALMOST BELOW THEM, FEEDING, WERE TWO GOOD SIZED + RAMS."--_Page 183_] + +"Now," said Joe, "I think we've got to the place. Now we can work +along and look down into these ravines, or little basins, or onto +the ledges, and maybe if we see sheep we'll be above them and can +get to them." + +They followed the ridge down the stream, and in the first ravine +that they came to they saw a big drift of snow. They headed that, +and as they went on, found that in all the low places on the +mountain top there was more or less snow. They had gone more than +half a mile when, peering over a crest of rock, they looked down +into a pretty little basin in which there was a good deal of snow, +but above the snow grew green grass, and almost below them feeding +were two good sized rams. The animals did not see them, and they +drew back. + +"Now, Joe," said Jack, "which of us shall shoot? I guess you'd +better, because I don't think you have ever killed a big ram, have +you?" + +"No," said Joe, "I never killed a ram as big as this, but then I've +killed sheep, and I'll have plenty of chances to hunt when maybe +you won't. You'd better shoot." + +"No," said Jack, "I'd rather have you." + +"No," said Joe, "you shoot." + +"Well, I tell you," said Jack, "let's toss up for it, the way we +did before," and picking up a small flat stone he spat on one side +of it, and said, "we'll call the wet side heads. Now, you call," +and throwing it up in the air, Joe called "Head" and "tail" came +uppermost. + +"All right," said Jack, "that settles it." He stepped forward and +shot, and Joe stood beside him, ready, in case Jack should miss. +At the crack of the gun the two sheep jumped a little, but did not +run away but stood looking in all directions. Jack said to Joe, +"Now you give him another," and Joe fired at the sheep Jack had +shot at. Almost as the gun cracked, the sheep sank to his knees, +and its head fell down. The boys reloaded their guns, and began +to pick their way down the rocks to it. The other ram stood until +they had approached quite near to it, and then suddenly seeming to +become very much frightened, rushed away along the mountain side, +and was soon seen climbing the cliff. + +They could see that the ram that had fallen was big and fat, and +knew that they could not take the whole of the meat into camp with +them, and both felt quite sure that they could not bring an animal +up here. At least, if they could do so, it would take all day to +do it. On turning over the sheep and examining it, they found that +the bullet holes made by the two shots were only two inches apart. +Both were shots that would have killed the sheep in a few moments. +This merely meant that Jack's had not given the animal a shock +sufficient to throw it to the ground. + +When they had butchered, they found the sheep very fat, and neither +Jack nor Joe liked the idea of leaving the greater part of it up +here on the mountain to waste. "I'll tell you what we'll do, Jack," +said Joe, "let's each of us take one of the shoulders and try to +carry that down to camp, and then to-morrow we can come up here +with the horses and see if we can get the rest of it down. We can +tell as we go home what sort of a trail there will be up here for +a horse. Of course we can't get him up here over these cliffs that +we climbed, but maybe by following down the stream that runs out of +this basin we can find a horse trail." + +When the boys got into camp that night they were both pretty tired. +They told Hugh what they had done, and that it was impossible to +get a horse up as they had gone. Of course there might be some +other way of climbing the hills. + +"Well," said Hugh, "now I'll tell you what we'll do to-morrow: +we'll take a pack horse, and all of us go up there on foot, and +we'll take the horse as far as we can, and when we can't get him +any further, why of course we'll have to leave him. Then we can +bring the meat down, or most of it, on our backs, and when we get +to the horse, put it on him, and so get it all to camp." + +"Well, Hugh," said Jack, "let's do that; but I tell you, that sheep +is awful heavy. I had all I wanted to carry one of those shoulders +down, and of course the hams will be twice as heavy as the +shoulders. I don't believe either Joe or I can carry those hams." + +"Oh, well, we don't any of us know what we can do until we try. I'd +like to stretch my legs on the mountains, and I'll see what we can +do toward bringing in the meat to-morrow." + +While breakfast was being cooked next morning Hugh told the boys +to go out and bring in the dun horse, for he was the stoutest and +toughest animal in the bunch, and besides that, Hugh thought him +the best climber. + +Before starting, Hugh had the boys point out as nearly as possible +the direction from which they had come the night before, and then +swinging off down the hill, he worked up on the mountain, the +others following close behind. Studying each steep ascent as they +approached it over the more or less level bench below, he avoided +a number of the rock climbs that the boys had made the day before, +and several times led the horse up through ravines where Jack would +not have supposed it possible for any animal except a sheep or a +deer to pass. Jack noticed, too, Hugh's method of climbing. While +he walked briskly across the level and gently sloping country, he +climbed steep ascents rather slowly and stopped frequently. The +boys, of course, did just as he did, and Jack noticed that he was +not nearly so tired or so out of breath as he had been during the +climb of the day before. + +During one of the rests which they made just after reaching a +bench, Jack said, "I wonder why it is, Hugh, that I can climb so +much better to-day than I could yesterday. Yesterday I lost my wind +all the time, and it took me a long time to get it back. Every +time I climbed up one of these steep places, when I got to the top +I gave out, and had to throw myself down and pant for a long time +before I could go on. I suppose it's because I've been riding so +much, and doing but little on foot." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "I reckon that has something to do with it; but +how did you climb yesterday? Did you hurry on and try to get to the +top of each cliff quick, going as fast as you could, and then stop +and rest for a long time?" + +"Yes, that's the way we did. We wanted to get up to the top as +quickly as we could, and see what was over the next hill." + +"Well," said Hugh, "that's natural, but I don't think that's the +way to climb 'round among the mountains. You get along as fast, +and I think easier, if you go more slowly and make frequent stops, +but have them short ones. If you go hurrying all the time, you get +all blown by the hard work you're doing, and then when you have to +stop, you have to stop a long time, and after you've rested for a +long time you don't feel much like getting up and going on again; +you're all tired out. + +"It always seems to me," he went on, "better to climb a little way +and then stop and take a few deep breaths, and then go on a little +way further, and then stop and breathe again. In that way you are +not nearly so tired at any time, and the whole climb is easier for +you. I have scrambled 'round considerable in the mountains myself, +and that is the way I've learned to climb. You watch through the +rest of the day, and see if you don't find it easier on you than it +was yesterday." + +"I will," said Jack. "It seems a good deal easier so far, but +then we haven't climbed anywhere near as steep places as we did +yesterday." + +"That's another thing you want to learn," said Hugh: "when you're +climbing the mountains, try always to pick the easiest road; it's +a good deal less trouble to go 'round and take the easy slopes, +even if it's twice as long, than it is to buck right against the +steep face of a hill. Of course there's lots of places where there +are no easy slopes, and you've got to go up over bad steep sliding +shell-rock, and to climb up straight cliffs; but when you can do +it, it pays to take the easy ways." + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +A CHARGING GRIZZLY + + +They were now getting high up in the mountain, and pretty near, +Jack thought, to where the sheep was. The horse was still with +them, and it astonished Jack to see that Hugh found a means of +getting him up or around every cliff or rock slide that they met. +At length they were so near the top that, after speaking with Joe +about it, Jack told Hugh that he thought they were pretty near the +game. One more high cliff should bring them to the little basin in +which the sheep lay. + +"Well, boys, if you're sure of that," said Hugh, "we'll leave +the horse here, and maybe we can pack the meat down to him. It's +getting to be pretty steep and pretty rocky under foot, I don't +want to take him any further than we must." + +"Well," said Joe, "I think we're right close now--that it's just +over this little bluff ahead of us." + +Hugh twisted the horse's rope around a little bush that grew on the +hillside, and then turning to Joe said, "Well, Joe, go ahead, and +take us up to it." Joe started, and they were soon at the ridge; +but just before passing over it, Joe made a motion with his hand, +and sank back out of sight, and whispered to Hugh, "There's a bear +at the sheep." + +"Sure?" said Hugh. + +"Sure," said Joe. + +"Well, how can we get at him?" asked Jack, who had pushed up beside +Hugh. + +"The same way we did at the sheep, I guess," said Joe. "It don't +look very far from here. You take a look, Hugh." Hugh climbed +up, and cautiously raising his head, looked for a few seconds, +and lowering it again said, "Well, boys, we've got more than we +bargained for; there's two bears there, a big one and a little one. +Now, let's go 'round to the left here, and get behind those rocks +and a little above them, and then we'll have a chance to look at +them and see what we'll do." + +They went back down the ravine, and then a little way around and +again climbing the rocks, found that they could see the basin in +which the sheep lay, and hurrying forward, they soon reached its +rim and looked down on the spot. + +Sure enough, there were two bears, tearing away at the sheep's +carcass, and seeming greatly to enjoy themselves. They looked like +mother and cub, and to Jack the mother looked pretty big. They had +mauled and partly eaten the fore part of the sheep's carcass, and +had dug into its belly, gnawing the flanks. + +The cub paid no attention to anything, and was eating greedily, but +the larger bear stopped feeding every few moments and looked in all +directions, and throwing up her head seemed to snuff the breeze. +Fortunately, the wind was blowing from the southeast, and so up the +stream, and there was no danger that the animal would detect the +presence of human beings; yet she seemed uneasy, and more or less +suspicious. + +"Well, boys," said Hugh, "what do you want to do? I expect you want +to kill them bears." + +"Yes, indeed, Hugh," said Jack, "of course we want to kill them." + +"Hide's no good now," said Hugh, "they're in summer coat, and all +sunburned, and the winter coat isn't started." + +"Oh, Hugh," said Jack, "you don't mean you want to let those bears +go. Why look how they've torn our sheep to pieces. Why they ought +to be killed for that, if for nothing else." + +"Well, well, well," said Hugh, smiling, "you are an unreasonable +creature. Do you expect if you leave meat out on the mountain that +bears, or wolves, or Indians, or white people either, are going to +pass it by and not use it? How do you suppose those bears knew that +you were coming back?" + +Jack saw that Hugh was making fun of him, and said, "Well, how +shall we take them, Hugh?" + +"Fix it any way you like. Suppose you take the old bear and Joe the +cub; and I won't fire until I have to." + +"All right," said Jack, "but wouldn't you rather fire? I've had +some hunting, and so has Joe since we've been out, and you haven't +had a shot. Wouldn't you like to kill the old bear?" + +Hugh laughed again, as he said, "No, I'll give that up to you. You +take the old one, and Joe'll take the young one; but I tell you, +the young one's hide is better than the old one's." + +"Oh, I don't care about that," said Jack. "What do you say, Joe, +does that suit you?" + +"Yes," said Joe, "it suits me all right." + +"All right then, let's shoot at the word; and you count, Hugh; when +you say three we'll both fire." + +"All right," said Hugh, "get ready. Are you ready?" + +Both boys grunted in assent. One, two, three! the two guns cracked +at the same instant. The smaller bear fell over, and then sprang +to its feet, screaming dismally, and ran along the hillside. The +larger one turned her head quickly and bit at the place at which +Jack had fired, and then, without a moment's waiting, came rushing +toward the spot over which the smoke of the two rifles still hung. + +"Hurrah, boys!" said Hugh, with more interest than Jack had ever +seen him show. "Here she comes; get ready, and shoot again." The +two boys, having reloaded, fired, but both hurriedly, and the bear +made no pause, but kept galloping toward them at tremendous speed. +She was now within thirty or thirty-five yards, and Hugh, saying, +"Scatter out if she keeps a-coming, and keep shooting," raised +his rifle to his shoulder and fired; and as he did so, the bear +crumpled up and fell to the ground, and after a few struggles, lay +still; but for several moments all three stood with loaded guns, +waiting to see what she would do. + +"She was a tough one," said Hugh, "but I reckon that neither of you +boys hit her a second time to do any harm to her. You were a little +excited, I guess, and shot before you got your sights rightly +drawed. I tell you when a bear is coming for you, that isn't the +time to get excited. If you get excited when a deer or antelope is +running away from you, that's all right, but when a bear is coming +to you, you want all your wits. + +"But what became of your bear, Joe," he continued. + +"I don't know," said Joe; "last I saw of him he was going over that +ridge, squealing a whole lot. I know just where he went over, and I +can go there and look for him." + +"Well, you'd better," said Hugh. "But first let's see if there's +any life left in this old lady down here." They slowly approached +the bear, and threw stones at her, but she did not move. Moreover, +much blood was running from her mouth and nostrils, and she was +evidently dead. When they turned her over to skin her they saw that +she was not a very large bear, but a grizzly. Her coat, as Hugh had +said, was not in good order, being faded and sunburned, and with +many thin patches. Still, Jack thought it would be worth taking +home with him, and he and Hugh proceeded to skin her, while Joe +went off to look for the small one. + +"Keep your eyes about you, son," said Hugh, as the boy started. +"Even a little bear can scratch and bite a whole lot, if he gets +hold of you. If you find the bear lying down, don't go up to him +until you're sure either that it is dead or alive; and if it is +alive, kill it." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +SOMETHING ABOUT BEARS + + +As they began to skin the bear, Jack said, "I want to find out why +I didn't kill this bear, Hugh; I thought I held all right on it, +and yet my shot never seemed to faze her." + +"Well, I'll tell you what I think, son. I noticed where she seemed +to snap at where you hit her, and I reckon you forgot you were +shooting down hill, and shot a little high, and perhaps hit a +little far back. Now, when we get her hide off we'll see." + +Jack thought for a moment, and then said, "Hugh, I bet you're +right. She made a kind of a step to one side just as I was pulling +the trigger, and I never thought one thing about holding low +because we were above her on the hillside. I guess if we open her +we'll find that that shot of mine went nearer her liver than it did +her heart." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I wouldn't be surprised. Of course the liver +is a pretty deadly shot after a while, but it isn't so good as the +heart, and, as I've told you I guess more than forty times, it's +always better to shoot under than over." + +"Well," said Jack, "that was a pretty bad blunder. I feel pretty +badly about that. I ought to have known better than to have done +such a thing. I wonder if Joe shot over, too. I hope he'll get his +bear, so that we can know about it." + +The work of skinning the bear was long and slow, and Hugh said, +when they drew the skin out from under the animal, "Now we've got +it, it ain't worth anything." + +It was found that Jack's ball had struck the bear much too far +back, and so that it passed just under the spine, yet not quite +high enough to cut the great vein that passes along close beneath +the vertebrae. The bear might have lived a number of days, or even +have recovered, with this shot alone. The heavy ball from Hugh's +rifle had struck her in the back of the neck, and had smashed two +of the vertebrae, and lay there flattened in the muscles of the +neck. As Jack looked at the wound made by Hugh's ball, and then cut +the flattened lead out and held it in his hand, he said, "Well, +Hugh, it's mighty sure that you didn't get excited, anyhow. That +was an awful good shot, even if it was close, and a mighty hard +shot when you think how fast the bear was coming." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "of course in a case like that a man's got to +figure close. I took the chance of striking her on the top of the +head, or breaking her neck, or breaking her back right between the +shoulders; but I hit just the place I wanted to hit. I don't hear +anything of Joe," he went on; "let's walk over to that ridge and +see if we can see him. I'd like to see the trail left by that bear, +and maybe call Joe back if he's going too far." + +They walked quickly over to the ridge, and had just reached its +top when they saw, a little way below them, the figure of Joe +bending over something which they knew must be the bear, and going +to him they found that he had nearly finished skinning it; and a +few minutes help by Hugh and Jack completed the job. + +"That looks like good meat, Hugh," said Jack. "Is it worth while +taking any of it along?" + +"Do as you like," said Hugh. "I don't go much on bear meat, myself. +I've had to eat it, but then I've had to eat lots of other things +that I didn't hanker after. If you like, we can take those hams +along. The horse will have all he can carry, with the sheep if any +of it is worth taking, and the bear skins. They've mauled that +animal a whole lot, I reckon, and it may not be fit to carry to +camp." Folding up the little bear skin, Joe put it on his back, +while Hugh cut off the hams of the bear, which he said was a +yearling, and he and Jack each taking one, they started back to +look at the sheep. This was found in bad shape, but the greater +part of both hams was uninjured, and cutting these off, and cutting +away the part where the bears had gnawed, they were ready to start +on their return. + +"Jack," said Hugh, "do you suppose you can carry both of these +little bear hams? If you can, I'll take both the sheep hams, and +then come back here and get the bear skin. But one of you boys'll +have to come back to carry my rifle, for I reckon I can't tote both +the skin and the gun, at least not without a rope to tie the skin +up with." + +"I guess we've got to make two trips anyhow," said Jack, "there's +too much to carry, and anyhow it isn't far." + +"No," said Hugh, "it isn't far." The two trips were made, and all +the things carried to the edge of the cliff, and then Hugh said: +"Now, I'll go and get the horse. I'd rather get him myself, for the +smell of the bears'll maybe scare him, and I may have to fool with +him a little. You boys get these things down; get the bear skins +down first, and then the meat. We're likely to have some trouble +packing that horse. I don't think he'll mind the meat, but the +smell of the bear is likely to scare him." + +It proved as Hugh had said, the dun made a great fuss when +approaching the pile which constituted the hunters' spoils, and +after he was close to it it was necessary for Hugh to take off his +coat and put it over the animal's head, and tie it there; and then +Joe held the horse's rope, while Hugh and Jack packed the load. +After the ropes were all tied, Hugh said. + +"Now boys, you want, both of you, to get hold of that rope, for I +expect when I get this blind off the horse he'll buck plenty, and +if he bucks down the hill, he's likely to turn a somersault, and +roll, and break his neck before he stops rolling." + +The boys, having put their guns well up above the horse on the +hillside, took the rope, prepared for anything. As Hugh had said, +when the coat was taken from the horse's head he partly turned his +head, and giving a frightened snort at the load on his back, began +to buck. If he had gotten his head down the hill he would certainly +have fallen, but the boys, and with them Hugh, kept his head from +turning down the slope, and he soon tired of bucking, and though +once or twice he staggered as if about to fall over, they managed +to keep him on his feet. Though he bucked no more that day, he was +still much alarmed by what he was carrying, and they were obliged +to handle him with great discretion while going down some of the +steep places; for, as the load pressed forward toward his neck he +would snort loudly, and roll his eyes, as if he felt that he must +do something to get rid of the terrifying burden. + +They reached camp just before dark, and all were glad to get there. +When they stopped before the lodge, Hugh again put his coat over +the horse's head until he was unpacked and unsaddled, and when it +was taken off, the dun threw head and tail into the air and trotted +out to the other horses, looking back and snorting fiercely, +showing that his alarm was not yet over. + +"Well," said Hugh, "I believe if I had that job to do over again +I'd rather carry the stuff down on my own back than fool with that +horse. If I'd known we were going to have bear skins to pack, I +wouldn't have taken the horse along." + +Before doing anything else, Hugh sent the two boys with the axe +down into the timber, and told them to get a slender pole, like a +lodge pole, and trim it, and bring it up to him. Then resting the +ends of the pole on the branches of two trees, about six feet from +the ground, he spread the bear hides over it. + +After supper that night the talk turned to what they had seen and +done that day, and from that to bears. Jack had many questions to +ask about them, some of which Hugh could not answer. + +"I thought bears almost always had two cubs," said Jack; "but this +one only had one, and that you say is a yearling." + +"Well," said Hugh, "they do 'most always have two cubs, and +sometimes three, and sometimes four. I've heard of five, but I +never saw more than four, and those only once. I expect this old +bear started in with two cubs, but that something happened to one +of them. You see, when cubs first come out they are pretty small, +and lots of things are likely to happen to them. This old she-bear +very likely lost one of her cubs when it was a little one. You +notice, the one we killed is pretty good size for a yearling, and +fat and in good order. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd had all his +mother's milk now for over a year, and that's maybe what makes him +so fat." + +"When are the cubs born?" asked Jack. + +"Most people think they're born about the middle of the winter," +said Hugh. "I know the Indians think that, and I've had one or +two men tell me that they've come across bear dens in winter, and +killed the mother, and found the cubs in there mighty small--no +bigger than a young pup. Anyhow, by the time they get to travelling +round, in May and June, they're still right small, not near so big +as old Shep, down at the ranch. They say that if you catch the +black-bear cubs when they're right small, they make nice pets for +a while; but I never heard of anybody that got very friendly with +young grizzlies. + +"I remember once, years ago, Joe Kipp had a couple on the +Blackfoot Reservation, that one of the Indians had caught and +brought in when they were right small. Joe put collars on them, and +then forgot to take them off, and long toward the end of the summer +both bears were like to choke to death, the collars were getting so +small for them. I helped Joe and Hi Upham take 'em off, one day, +and 'twas a regular circus. Those little cubs--they weren't more'n +a foot or fifteen inches high--were awful mean, and regularly on +the fight. They were hard to catch, too, and if you did get hold of +them they'd turn quick as a wink and bite or scratch you. Finally, +we cornered one of 'em, and Joe grabbed it by the ears and held it +between his legs, while Hi held the forepaws and I loosened the +collar; but it came pretty near scratching Joe's overalls to pieces +with its hind feet. We did the same thing with the other one. I +tell you they were mean little cusses. + +"The Indians don't like bears much; ask Joe," continued Hugh. + +"No," said Joe, "Indians don't like bears. Afraid of 'em. Bears +are powerful medicine, you know, and some people won't speak about +a bear, or won't sit down on a bear skin, and of course they +won't eat bear meat. There's lots of stories about bears among +the Piegans. In old times, you know, bears used to kill lots of +Indians; and the Indians had only stone arrows, and couldn't do +anything. If a bear took after a man, maybe the man would shoot +three or four arrows into him, and they wouldn't much more than go +through his hide, and just make him madder and madder all the time, +and at last he'd just catch the man and tear him to pieces. One +story my grandfather told me a long time ago, and I heard my uncle +tell it again last winter. Would you like to hear it, Jack?" + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +THE STORY OF A MAN-KILLER + + +"Yes," said Jack, "this is bully; I'd love to hear it." + +"Well," said Joe, "this happened a long time before the white +people came. In those days we didn't have any guns. I expect the +bears knew that they were stronger and better armed, and they +weren't a bit afraid of the people. Often they wouldn't move out +of the road if they saw people coming; but the people were always +afraid of them and willing to let them alone. Very few men ever +killed a bear, and those that had done so were thought brave. It +was more to kill a bear than it was to kill two or three of the +enemy, and a man who had killed a bear used to string its claws, +and make a collar that he wore about his neck. + +"In those times we had no horses, and the only animals that we +packed, or that hauled the travois, were the dogs; and so the +people did not wander far over the prairie as they do to-day; they +used to stop in one place for a long time, and did not move camp +except for some good reason. You see, the people could pack some +of their things on the dogs, but besides that, men and women, and +sometimes even the children, had to carry heavy packs on their +backs whenever they moved. In those days, a great place for +camping in summer was the valley of Two Medicine Lodge River. You +know where it is, Hugh?" + +"Yes, I should say so," said Hugh. + +"That was a good place. Berries grew there, big and sweet; and +along the river were high steep bluffs, over which the hunters used +to lead the buffalo, which were killed by falling on the rocks +below. + +"One summer the people were camped there, as usual. It had been +a good summer. All about the lodges, whichever way one looked, +you could see only red, the red of meat hanging on the trees and +bushes, and scaffolds, drying, above the reach of the dogs; and +all over the ground, spread out so thick as to cover almost all +the grass, were the skins of buffalo, elk and deer, on which were +heaped berries, curing in the sun, to be used during the winter. No +wonder the people were happy, and that you could hear laughter and +singing all through the camp. They had plenty of food; they feared +nothing. No enemies were near at hand; the Stonies of the north, +the Kutenais and Flatheads of the west, ran away when the Piegans +came in sight; they did not dare to wait to fight them. + +"It was a very hot day; there was no wind, and the sun burned down, +so that no one could work. The lodge skins were raised, and all +the people sat or lay in the shade, some smoking, some talking and +others sleeping. Even the little children had stopped playing, and +the camp was quiet. Suddenly, at the west end of the village, a +great noise was heard, cries and screams, and wailing by women; and +from all directions men and women and frightened children began +running to the place, crying to each other, 'What has happened? +Who is it that is suffering?' About two women who were seated on +the ground a crowd had gathered. These women were mourning and +crying and sobbing as they wailed, 'Our husband! our husband! a +great bear seized him, and carried him away into the bushes. Oh, we +shall never see him again.' + +"The chief talked to them; their relations and friends tried to +help them, and little by little in broken words the women told what +had happened. Early that morning, with their husband, they had gone +up the river to pick berries. They had gone far, and the sun had +reached the middle by the time they came to the bushes where the +berries hung ripe and red. There were so many that it had taken +but a little time for them to gather all they wished, and they +had started toward home along the game trail which followed the +stream. The women were walking ahead, their husband following, and +were crossing a grassy opening between two points of trees, when +suddenly the husband shouted to them, 'Run, run fast to the nearest +trees; a bear is coming.' + +"Looking back, they had seen their husband running as fast as he +could, and behind him a whitish colored bear, so large that it +seemed almost as great as a full grown buffalo bull. Its mouth was +wide open, and they could see its long white tusks as it raced over +the grass with great jumps. The women dropped their berry sacks and +ran as fast as they could. Their husband was now close behind them, +and kept urging them on; but fast as they ran, the bear ran faster, +and the husband, seeing that it would soon overtake them, had +once more shouted to them to 'run fast,' and then had stopped to +face the bear, calling out that he would try to save them. Just as +they reached the trees they heard a fierce growl, and looking back +saw that the husband had shot an arrow into the bear, but before +he could shoot another, the beast was upon him, threw him down, +and taking him by the shoulder dragged him to the timber near the +river. The women had continued to run, and had come to the camp as +fast as they could. + +"When they had told their story, a Kutenai woman, a captive, +who had learned to speak Blackfoot, spoke and said, 'This bear +is surely he whom my people have named Man-eater. He is a great +traveler. One summer he may be living in the valley of the +Beaverhead, and the next season perhaps he will be found on the +Elk River of the north. The Kutenais, the Flatheads, and all the +mountain people know him too well. He likes the flesh of human +beings better than that of game, and has killed many of us. In vain +the hunters have pierced his sides with their sharpest arrows. +They cannot harm him, and we think that he possesses some strong +medicine, and cannot be killed. Indeed, now they no longer try to +kill him, but as soon as he appears, they move camp, and travel a +long distance to some other place. Listen to my words: tear down +your lodges now, pack the dogs, and move away at once, before he +shall kill more of you.' + +"That night the chief and all his warriors talked together about +all this, and after they had counciled for a long time, they said, +'We are not Kutenais, to run away from a bear. We will go to hunt +this animal, and avenge the death of our friend.' The next day +they started, many brave warriors, and when they reached the park +they placed some of the strongest and best bowmen at the upper end +of the bottom, while the rest went through the timber to drive it +toward them. They found the body of their friend, partly eaten, +but there was no sign of the bear; he had disappeared. It seemed +as if such a large and heavy animal must leave behind him a plain +trail of weeds crushed down, grass flattened, deep marks of feet in +soft and sandy places; but from where he had eaten that poor man no +signs were seen. + +"Why did they not listen to the Kutenais woman's words! The very +next day, almost at the edge of the camp the great bear killed two +women and carried one of them away to feast upon, as he had before +done with the man. In the camp the screams of the poor women were +plainly heard, but before the men could arm themselves and rush to +the place, they were dead. + +"Now the whole camp turned out, every man; and making a ring about +the point of timber, they all drew toward its center. They moved +slowly, carefully, each man with his arrow fixed on the string, and +said to each other, 'Surely now this bear will not escape.' + +"A thicket of close-set willow stems grew beneath the great +cottonwoods, and from a clump of these willows the bear sprang on +one of the men, and crushed his head with a single blow of his +paw. 'Here he is,' cried those nearby, and they let fly their +arrows into its sides, as the bear stood growling and tearing the +dead person; but when the arrows struck him the bear sprang here +and there among the men, turning like a whirlwind of fur, while +his claws cut and his jaws snapped; and four more men fell to the +ground dead or dying. The people all ran away. + +"Now there was great sorrow and mourning in the camp. After a +little time some of the men ventured back into the timber, and +brought away the bodies of their companions; and the women, +wrapping them in robes, lashed them on scaffolds in the trees, as +was the old way. Then at last they listened to the words of the +Kutenai woman. The lodges were pulled down, everything was packed +up, and the tribe moved southward, to the banks of the Big River. +Six long days they were on the trail, and the man-eater did not +trouble them again. Perhaps he did not wish to follow them; perhaps +some one of the arrows shot into him had killed him. So the people +talked; but the Kutenai woman laughed. 'You may be sure,' she said, +'that he is not dead. The arrow has not been made that will reach +his heart. His medicine is strong.' + +"All through the winter the people talked of what had happened, and +of the camping place under the cliffs of Two Medicine Lodge River. +There was no place where it was so easy to kill meat as there, and +when spring came they moved back there once more. The day after +they had camped, the hunters went out, up and down the valley, and +found the buffalo and elk and deer as plenty as ever; but they saw +no sign of the great bear. + +"The next day the chief's son went out with his mother and sister, +to watch for them while they dug roots, and as they were going +along, without any warning the great bear sprang from a thicket by +the trail, struck the young man before he could draw an arrow, and +carried him away without a glance at the women, who stood silent in +their fear. + +"When the chief was told what had happened, he was almost crazy +with anger and sorrow. He ordered all the men in the camp to +go with him to the place. But not one of them would go. 'It is +useless', they said; 'we are not fools to throw away our lives +trying to kill an animal whose medicine is so strong that he cannot +be killed with arrows.' The chief begged and threatened them, but +no one would go with him to recover the body of his son. All feared +the bear. That day camp was broken, and the people once more moved +away from the place that they loved best of all their camping +grounds. It was no longer theirs. The bear had driven them from it. + +"From that day the chief seemed different. Now he no longer laughed +and made jokes and invited his friends to feast with him. Instead, +he kept by himself, seldom speaking, eating little, often sitting +alone in his lodge, and thinking always of the dear son who had +been taken from him. One day he took his daughter by the hand, +and went out to the center of the camp, and called all the people +together. When all had come, he said to them, 'My children, look +at this young woman standing by me. Many of you here have tried to +marry this daughter, but she has always asked me to allow her to +remain unmarried, and I have always said that she should do as +she wished. Listen: I am still mourning for the death of my son. +Now, I call the Sun, who looks down upon us, and who hears what I +am saying, to hear this: whichever one of all you men that shall +go out and kill that bear, to him I will give my daughter for his +wife.' Then he turned to the girl, and said to her 'Have I spoken +well, my daughter? Do you agree to my words?' The girl looked at +him, and then said aloud, 'Since you wish it, I will marry the man +who will kill that bear, and will thus wipe away our tears.' + +"Then the girl hurried back to her father's lodge. + +"All through the camp now the only thing talked about was the offer +the chief had made, and the young men were trying to think how it +might be possible to kill this bear; yet none of them said that he +intended to try to marry the girl, for they all believed that the +bear could not be killed. + +"There was one young man who, when he heard the words of the chief, +was glad. Ravenhead was very poor, he had not a single relation, +and as far back as he could remember he had lived as best he +could. That means that he had been often hungry, and had worn poor +clothing, and had often lain shivering through the winter nights; +that he had run errands for every one, and had often been scolded. +Now he was grown up; he had gone out to dream for power, and had +become a warrior. His dream had been good to him, and in his sleep +there had come to him a secret helper, who had promised to aid him +in time of danger and of need. For a long time the young man had +loved the daughter of the chief, but he knew that one so poor as +he could never hope to marry her. Sometimes when he happened to +pass her on the trail, as she was going for water or as she walked +through the camp, she seemed to look at him kindly and as if she +were asking him something; yet she never spoke to him, but hurried +by, and he was always afraid to speak to her; yet sometimes he used +to ask himself what her kind looks meant. + +"But now, since the chief had spoken, it seemed as if Ravenhead +might hope. Those words had rolled away the clouds that hung over +him, and if he could only kill the bear, he could marry the girl. +He determined that he would kill the bear; some way could be found +to do it, he felt sure. Now, for a little while Ravenhead kept +by himself, praying, thinking, planning, trying to devise a way +by which he might kill the bear, and yet himself not be hurt. +Four days passed, and yet in all the camp no one had said that he +intended to try to marry the girl. This made Ravenhead glad. + +"And there was another thing. For four nights he had dreamed the +same dream. In his sleep he saw the picture of a great bear, +painted as large as if alive, upon the side of a new lodge. It was +painted in black; the long claws, and open jaws, with their great +white tusks, showed plainly; and from the mouth ran back the life +line, a green band passing from the mouth back to the heart, which +was red. Ravenhead was sitting by the river, considering his dream +reaching out dimly with his mind for its meaning when suddenly he +sprang to his feet as if he had been stung, for all at once there +had flashed upon him what seemed to be the way of success. The +dream had shown it to him. + +"He turned toward the village, and there, only a step or two away, +stood the chief's daughter, holding her water-skin, looking at him +as she had looked before. Ravenhead stepped forward and stood near +her. Twice he tried to speak, but the words would not come. Then he +looked at her, and as she smiled at him, he said, 'I am going to +hunt the great bear, and if I return I shall come to you.' The girl +dropped the water-skin, and put her arms about his neck, as she +said, 'I have tried to make you see, so far as a girl can, that I +love you.' They kissed and clung to each other, there by the river; +but soon the girl sent him from her, telling him to take courage; +to go, and to return safe and successful. When he had gone she +stood there by the river, and not able to see before her for the +tears which filled her eyes, as she prayed to the Sun to protect +the young man. + +"Ravenhead travelled for four days before he reached the old camp +grounds, near the Two Medicine Lodge cliffs. He had left the +village alone; no one but the girl had known his purpose. He came +out into the valley, and looked up and down it, seeing nothing +except the game, feeding peacefully, and, lashed on their platforms +in the branches of the trees, the silent forms that the bear had +killed. He wondered if he, too, was to become a prey of this +medicine animal. + +"All that day Ravenhead walked about the valley, looking for the +bear, keeping in the open timber or along its borders, where he +could look over the parks and the slopes of the valley. He did not +pass close to the thickets of brush, or to sloughs of tall grass, +where the bear might lie hidden. On his back, in case and quiver, +were his bow and his arrows; only three of these, for he had been +too poor to trade for more, and he would not beg for any. He +carried also a pouch of dried meat, that he had killed and roasted +the day before, and a little bag of small stones. + +"Although he kept looking until dusk, he did not see the bear, and +then, building a platform of poles in a tree, he lay down on it and +slept. That night, in his dream, he again saw the picture of the +bear; and as he was looking at it, his secret helper came to him, +and pointing at it said, 'Thick fur, tough hide, hard muscle, and +broad ribs may stop the sharpest arrow. The easy way to reach the +heart is down through the throat.' + +"This was what had come to him so suddenly the day he sat thinking +and planning by the riverside back of the village. He did not +believe that this bear had powerful medicine, or that he could not +be killed. If he only could shoot an arrow down its throat, he +believed that he would be successful. + +"As soon as day had come, Ravenhead climbed down from the tree, and +again began to search for the bear, hopefully now, yet constantly +praying to the Sun to grant him success. + +"It was yet early in the morning when he saw the great bear, lazily +walking across a little park toward the river, and stepping out +from the shelter of the timber, Ravenhead shouted to attract its +attention. The bear reared up at the sound; then Ravenhead first +saw how great he was; and as the bear stood there on his broad hind +feet, he turned his head slowly, this way, that way, smelling the +air. Ravenhead waved his robe, and shouted again, calling the bear +coward and other bad names; and presently the bear slowly dropped +down on all fours and came toward him. The young man had gone out +some little distance into the park, but now he began to go back +toward the timber, and as he went faster, so did the bear, until +both were running very fast, and the bear was gaining. To the +young man, looking back, it seemed scarcely to touch the ground; +and it drew nearer and nearer, though he was running as fast as he +could. Presently, he could hear the bear pant, and just as he did +so he reached the foot of the nearest tree. Almost in an instant +he was up among the branches, but he was not too soon. The claws +of the bear almost grazed his heels, and tore away a great piece +of the bark. From the limb on which he sat, Ravenhead, panting for +breath, looked down at the bear as it sat at the foot of the tree. +The beast was huge, its head monstrous, its eyes little and mean, +and from its mouth, in which the long white teeth showed, the foam +dripped down over its neck and shoulders. + +"The young man drew his bow from its case, and fitted an arrow +to the string, and then taking a stone from his sack, threw it +down, hitting the bear on the nose. The bear jumped up, growling +with rage and pain, and then came a shower of stones, one after +another, hitting him on the head, the body, and the paws, and each +one hurting. He bit at the places where they struck, growled, and +tore up the ground, and at last rushed to the tree, trying to drag +it down, or to climb up it, reaching up as far as he could, in his +attempt to seize his tormentor. + +"Here was the chance that Ravenhead had been planning for, praying +for, waiting for. He bent far over toward the bear, and drawing +the arrow to its head, drove it with all his might down the bear's +gaping throat. The great jaws shut with a snap, the growl died away +to a wheezing cough, and then, after a moment, while the blood +streamed from his nose and his lips, the great bear sank back to +the ground. His gasping breath came slower and slower, and then, +with a long shudder which almost frightened Ravenhead, so strong +was it, he died." + + * * * * * + +"There was great excitement in the village; people running to +and fro and calling to one another; women and children standing +in groups and pointing to a young man who was entering the camp. +Ravenhead had returned, weary, bloody, and dusty, and staggering +under the weight of the head and part of the hide of the great +bear. The people gathered about him, calling out his name and +singing songs of what he had done, and followed him to the door of +the chief's lodge, where he threw down the heavy burden. The chief +came out, and put his arms about him, and led him inside, and gave +him the seat at his left hand. The chief's daughter set food before +him; she did not speak, but her face was happy. The young man told +the chief how he had killed the bear, and while he was talking, +the women hurried to make a sweat lodge for him, and when it was +ready, with the chief and the medicine men, he entered it and took +a sweat, purifying his body from the touch of the bear. Then, +after the sweat had been taken, and the prayers said, and he had +plunged in the river, they all returned to the lodge, just as the +sun was setting. The chief pointed to a new lodge, set up near his +own. 'There is your home, my son; may you live long and happily.' +Ravenhead entered and saw his wife. + +"Without, the people were dancing around the scalp of the bear. +They were happy, for the death of the bear had wiped away the tears +of those whose relations he had killed." + +"That's a splendid story, Joe," said Jack. "That's about the best +story I ever heard. I wish I could remember it to tell it when I +get back east, the way you tell it." + +"Yes," said Hugh, "that's a mighty good story, and mighty well +told. Who did you hear it from, Joe?" + +"I heard it first from Four Bears, and then afterwards I heard my +uncle tell it." + +"Well," said Hugh, "you told it mighty well, but I don't wonder +much, for Four Bears is about the best story teller I ever heard. +But you remember it mighty well, and tell it well. It's a right +good story. + +"Now, boys," he added, "I think to-morrow we'll pack up and go a +day or two further down the creek here, and then see what turns up. +These horses of ours have filled themselves up pretty well now, and +are able to go along all right, and we might as well go on a little +further. So, say we pack up to-morrow morning." + +"All right," said the boys, and they went to bed. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +JACK'S FIRST MOOSE + + +Travel down the stream next day was easy. The valley widened out, +and the hills on either side grew lower. Twice during the march +they came to broad meadows, partly overgrown with willows, old +beaver meadows, Hugh said; and instead of going through them they +went around close to the hills, so as to avoid any possible trouble +from miry spots. + +After supper that night at camp Hugh said to the boys, "I reckon +pretty quick we'll turn off south and follow up some creek, so as +to get over to the Divide, and cross down onto Sweetwater. If I +ain't mistaken, before we get much further along we'll strike a big +stream coming in from the south, and when we do, we've got to turn +and follow that up. I've heard tell of a little town off here to +the south, but I don't know where it's at, and we don't want to go +to it, anyhow." + +About noon next day they began to see a wide valley opening up to +the south, and Hugh told them that this must be the creek he had +been looking for. They did not follow the stream down to where +the river from the south joined it, but cutting across southwest, +climbed the hill, and journeyed through beautiful green timber +in the direction in which they wished to go. Several times they +came on beautiful mountain lakes lying in the timber, and while +passing one of these Hugh stopped and pointed to the ground, and +when Jack came along he saw there a track which he knew must belong +to a moose. He wished that he might get a shot at a moose, and +kept his eyes wide open as they journeyed along, but saw nothing. +Two or three times during the day they rode near enough to the +river they were following up to hear its rushing, and the noise of +water-falls, but they could not see them. Hugh did not seem to be +following any road at all,--there was not even a game trail,--but +he wound in and out among the timber, keeping in the general +direction from which the river came. About the middle of the +afternoon he turned to the left, and worked down into the valley +of the stream, which, though often narrow, sometimes spread out +and showed charming little park-like meadows, in one of which they +stopped to camp. After camp had been made, the horses attended to, +and supper eaten, Jack said to Hugh, "Are there many moose in this +country, Hugh?" + +"Well," said Hugh, "I don't know exactly what you call many. There +used to be plenty here, and I expect if a man was hunting he might +run across one once in a while. Of course moose stick close to the +timber and the brush, and you don't see them as easily as you do +the elk, that feed on the bald hillsides or on the prairie." + +"I'd like mighty well to get a shot at one," said Jack. + +"Well," said Hugh, "it might be such a thing as you could do that, +but you're not likely to, unless we stop for a day or two to hunt. +We can do that most any time now, if we feel like it. We've got +over the ridge, and there's no danger of any snow falling, to stop +us, but of course it's getting cooler all the time. If you're going +to kill an animal for meat you'd better kill a cow. On the other +hand, if you want a big head, why of course you'll kill a bull; +but the bulls are pretty poor eating now; they were better two +weeks ago, just like the elk was. We've got quite a little way to +go yet, and of course we've got to have meat to eat; but, on the +other hand, we've got the hams of that sheep, and the piece of that +little bear, and we're going through a good game country all the +way, so that I wouldn't kill anything more until we need it." + +"Well, Hugh, we've had lots of hunting; let's not kill anything +more until we need it. Maybe there'll be a show down on the +Sweetwater to get a moose." + +"Well," said Hugh, "maybe there will be; yet this is a better place +than that. But we'll be in good moose country for quite a way yet, +and maybe you'll get a chance to kill a moose, if you want to very +bad." + +The stream that they were following up grew smaller and smaller, +yet Hugh continued to follow it, and in the same southerly +direction. He told the boys that this stream headed in the Divide, +between Wind River and Sweetwater, and that when they came to the +head of this creek it was only a short distance over to others +running into some of the heads of the Sweetwater. + +"It ain't far, and it ain't a high climb," he continued, "and +after we strike the Sweetwater, it's a plain trail right down to +the Platte, and then across that is home. I don't rightly know how +far it is, but I reckon it's not far from two hundred miles." + +"That means ten days then, Hugh, does it?" + +"Well," said Hugh, "you might call it ten days. Of course that +means if we don't have any trouble. If we should get into any +difficulties, or lose a horse or two, or something of that kind, it +might take us longer." + +Three days later they had crossed over the Divide, between the Wind +River and Sweetwater drainages, and were making their way through +the timber down toward the Sweetwater. Camp had been made early. +One of the pack horses had hurt its foot during the day, and had +gone lame, and Hugh wanted to rest the animal for a day or two; +otherwise it might become so lame that he would have to leave it +behind. About the middle of the afternoon, Joe and Jack started out +from camp to hunt, Joe taking the hills to the right of the camp, +and Jack those to the left. + +It was pleasant going through the green timber so quietly as to +make no sound, and watching constantly between the tree trunks, to +see the motion of any living thing that might appear. There were +a few birds in the upper branches of the trees, and now and then +a grouse walked out of the way. Jack entered one of those level +pieces of forest where the trees stand a little apart and the +ground is covered with the pale green stems of the little mountain +blueberry, which in fact is not blue in color, but red. This little +fruit is very delicious, and a favorite food for birds and beasts. +Jack came to a patch where the berries were thick, and sitting down +began to strip them from the stems and eat them. Now and then he +could hear the whistle of a meat-hawk, the harsh grating cry of a +Clark's crow, and the shrill scream of a hawk that soared far above +the forest. Jack thought it most pleasant, and he liked to be there +alone and just look about him, and see and listen. It seemed to +him a place where at any moment some great animal might step into +sight, and begin to feed or to go about any of the operations of +its daily life, not knowing that he was there watching and enjoying +it all. + +And just as these thoughts were passing through his mind, something +of this sort happened. It was not a very large animal, but the +sight was a pretty one, none the less. He saw the slender stems of +the huckleberry bushes shake, thirty or forty yards from him, and +the shaking came nearer and nearer, and presently he was able to +distinguish that a dozen grouse were coming toward him, feeding on +the berries. He sat still, hardly daring to breathe, and before +very long the birds were close to him, and in a moment more were +all about him. He could see the old hen, larger than all the rest, +and with frayed and faded plumage, while the young birds, but +little smaller, were much more highly colored,--bright brown and +white and bluish. They seemed sociable little creatures, for they +were talking all the time, calling to each other much as a flock +of young turkeys would call, and seeming uneasy if they became +separated. There was one bird that wandered off quite a little to +one side, and as the cries of its fellows became fainter as they +passed along, the bird stood very straight, with its head much +higher than usual, and erected the feathers of its head and neck so +that they stood on end, giving it a very odd appearance. As soon +as it had located the brood, the bird smoothed down its feathers +and ran quickly toward the others. When the group got to where Jack +was sitting, they paid no attention to him whatever. One of them +stopped immediately in front of him, and looked carefully at his +face, but at once resumed its feeding; and passing on both sides of +him, they went on. + +Jack did not wish to frighten them, and so turned his head and body +very slowly to look after them, and he did it so carefully that the +birds were not alarmed, but finally passed out of sight and hearing +without being frightened. + +This small adventure gave Jack very great pleasure, and he felt +as if he had already been well repaid for his walk. Keeping on +through the forest, he went down a gentle slope, and presently +found himself at the edge of a little meadow, surrounding a very +pretty lake. Nothing was to be seen there, and he stepped out of +the bushes to go down to the water. + +He was going along rather carelessly, holding his rifle in the +hollow of his left arm, when from a bunch of willows just before +him a huge black animal with horns rushed out, and trotted up +the meadow toward the timber. Instantly Jack knew that it was +a moose, and throwing his gun to his shoulder, he fired at the +animal just before it reached the fringe of willows at the edge of +the meadow. It seemed to him that the creature flinched a little +and then went faster, but he could not be sure. What was certain +was that it did not fall. Taking up the track, he followed it for +some distance through the timber--not a difficult task, for the +moose was trotting rapidly and throwing up dirt at every stride. +At length, however, he came to a piece of rocky ground, where the +tracks were much harder to follow, and presently he lost them and +had to circle two or three times to find them, and from that on the +work of picking them out was slow. Soon, too, he noticed that it +was growing darker, and looking at the sky he concluded that the +sun had set. He had a mile or two to go, and as he did not wish to +lie out during the night, he reluctantly left the moose track and +started back for the camp. He hurried as fast as he could, and made +good progress; but after it really got dark it was impossible to go +very fast. He did not feel like firing his gun, because that would +be as much as to say to the people in the camp that he was lost, +and he did not wish to do this. He worked his way along, therefore, +keeping toward camp as nearly as he could, but more by guess than +anything else, because the trees stood so close that the stars +could not be seen. However, the little light that still lingered in +the west gave him some idea of direction. + +At last the ground began to slope in the direction in which he +was going, and before long he saw in the sky the glare of a +fire. He made sure that this was the camp, and hurrying along as +fast as possible, frequently stumbling over rocks and sticks and +occasionally running his face into the twigs of a dry spruce limb, +he at last found himself near the bottom of the hill, and could see +the gleam of the fire through the tree-trunks. Before long he was +close to camp, and saw that Hugh and Joe had built quite a bonfire +in front of the lodge. It was the reflection of this that he had +seen in the sky. + +As he walked up to the fire, Hugh said, "Well, here you are, eh? We +didn't know but you calculated to lie out all night." + +"Well," said Jack, "I didn't know but I'd have to do that; but I +didn't want to, and so I kept going. I think perhaps I would have +stopped and built a fire back in the timber if it hadn't been that +I saw your fire, and kept coming." + +"What kept you?" said Joe. + +"Why, Joe," said Jack, "I saw a moose, the first moose I ever saw; +and I had a good shot at it, running nearly straight away from me, +and I ought to have killed it, but I didn't. I think I must have +hit it; anyhow, I thought I saw it flinch when I shot, and it went +through the timber in great shape. I followed the tracks quite a +long way; but then it got dark, and I had to give it up and come +back. + +"I'd like to go out and look for it to-morrow, and I will, too, if +we stay here." + +"Well," said Hugh, "we'll stay here, all right enough. I want to +rest up this horse's foot for a day or two. If I stay here and +bathe that horse's foot, and keep him quiet, he's likely to be all +right in two or three days. If we make him follow us over these +hills now, he may get so that he can't use the foot at all. + +"Pity you didn't kill your moose," he continued; "what do you think +was the matter?" + +"I don't know," said Jack. "I had as good a chance as I ever had at +a running animal, but I think maybe I wasn't careful enough, and +didn't hold low enough. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if I shot +high on him. That seems to be my trouble often." + +"Well," said Hugh, "you'd like to go to-morrow and see if you could +follow him up and find him. Of course he won't be good for anything +if you do find him, but you'll have the satisfaction maybe of +knowing that you killed him." + +"Won't be good for anything," said Jack; "how do you mean? You +don't mean he'll spoil, just lying out for one night." + +"Why, son, didn't you know that? Is it possible you've travelled +with me all these months and haven't learned that unless you dress +an animal as soon as it's killed it's going to spoil? It don't make +any difference whether the weather's cold or warm, but if you leave +a critter with the entrails in for four or five hours it is no +good; the meat gets tainted." + +"Well," said Jack, "That's news to me. I never heard that before." + +"Oh," said Joe, "everybody knows that." + +"Yes," said Jack, "everybody but me." + +After Jack had put his gun in the lodge, he brought out the coffee +pot and frying pan, and ate some food, and then sat there by the +fire, very melancholy, because he had not got his moose. + +"He had horns, Hugh," Jack said, "and if I should be able to find +him to-morrow, I could bring those in, couldn't I?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "the horns won't be spoiled. It's only that the +meat wouldn't be good to eat. Were his horns big?" + +"No," said Jack, "I don't think they were very big; they stuck out +on both sides. You see, I didn't get much of a look at him, except +when he was running away. Then I could see his horns, but I wasn't +looking at them; I was trying to pick out the place to shoot, and I +didn't pick it out very well." + +The next morning Hugh told the boys that they had better go out and +see whether they could find the moose, or another one, but warned +them to watch the sky, and keep their direction, so that they would +be sure to get back. He warned them also to notice carefully, and +not get over the Divide. So long as they stayed on this side, the +streams running down toward the Sweetwater would always help them +to find camp; but if they crossed the Divide and got into the +Wind River drainage, then the streams would only confuse them, +especially as the timber was thick, and the sky could not be seen, +and so the direction could not be told from that. Jack did not +attempt to go back to the point where he had lost the moose tracks, +but instead kept off to the south, in order to cross the tracks +again, and pick them up where they were plain. He felt sure that +he and Joe would have no trouble in following them up to the point +where the darkness had obliged him to give them up. + +They soon found the tracks, and Jack, from his memory of the +country passed over the night before, was able to follow them quite +rapidly to the place where he had finally left them. Beyond here +the trail was not hard to follow. The timber was thick and the +ground damp; there was much moss, and the great hoofs of the moose +tore this up, so that the trail was plainly visible; and here Jack +had the first confirmation of his belief that he had hit the moose, +for Joe called attention to a bush against which the animal had +rubbed, and showed on it a little smear of dried blood. + +By this time the moose had stopped trotting and was walking; and +after a while they saw before them lying on the pale soil, among +the tree-trunks, a dark object stretched out, which they presently +recognized as the moose. He had lain down here and died as he lay. +The body was rigid now and somewhat swollen. Although the moose was +not a large one, to Jack he seemed enormous--much taller, longer, +and deeper through than an elk, and with a huge ungainly head and a +swollen upper lip. + +"Well, Jack," said Joe, "what are you going to do now? You killed +the moose, and you know it, but we can't take any of the meat. You +might come up here and get the horns, if you want to pack them back +with you, but it's no use to butcher the animal; you can see for +yourself that the meat is spoiled." + +"Yes," said Jack, "I suppose it is. I'm awfully sorry; I hate to +see a great big lot of meat go to waste like this, but there's +nothing to be done now. I ought to have shot better." + +"Well, I'll tell you what let's do," said Joe: "let's go back to +camp, and catch up our horses, and come up here and get those +horns. In fact I guess we may as well bring a pack horse with us. +Horns are awful unhandy things to carry on a saddle, but we can +put the head on a pack so that it will ride well." + +"Well," said Jack, "we may as well do that, I think," and they rose +to go. + +"I'll stick a knife in this carcass," said Joe, "and if I do that +it will be pleasanter to work about when we get back." + +He plunged his knife into the animal's side and there was an +outburst of gas; then the two boys went back to the camp. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +WATCHING A BEAR BAIT + + +"Hello, Hugh," said Jack, as they walked up to the lodge; "we found +the moose." + +"Well, you've done pretty well," said Hugh. "I thought maybe he'd +go so far, even if you'd hurt him bad, that you wouldn't find him +at all." + +"No," said Jack, "we found him easily enough. He didn't go very far +beyond where I had to leave the trail last night. But it is just as +you said; the meat is spoiled; he's no good to eat. + +"His horns are not very big, but Joe suggested that we should come +back here and get our horses and a pack horse, and go up and bring +in the head and horns." + +"Why, sure," said Hugh; "why not do that? I expect you'd like to +take it home, seeing it's the first moose you ever killed." + +"Yes," said Jack, "I should like it." + +"Now, I'll tell you what you do," said Hugh. "Do you remember how I +cut off that sheep's head?" + +"Why, yes," said Jack, "I remember that you cut it off close down +to the shoulders, but I don't remember just how you cut the skin." + +"Well," said Hugh, "look here now; I'll show you," and sitting down +on the ground he drew a little diagram with the stick, explaining +to Jack that he should stick the knife into the moose's head +immediately behind the horns, split the skin down on the nape of +the neck to the shoulders, then make a cut at right angles to the +first one, running down outside of one shoulder, across under the +chest, and up outside of the other shoulder. Then, by skinning +away from the top of the neck, the hide of the whole neck could be +drawn forward; the head cut from the neck where the first vertebrae +joins the skull; and afterward, by cutting the skin from where +the neck-cut began between the horns, out on each side to each +horn and around its base, the whole skin of head and neck could be +taken off, and the skull cleaned, with the horns attached to it. +Afterwards in mounting, the skin could again be stretched over the +skull, so that the head could be hung on the wall. + +It did not take the boys long to saddle up their riding horses and +a pack animal, and when they were on horseback the distance to the +moose was not great. When they reached it they tied their horses, +and walked up to the carcass to begin the skinning. But before they +did anything, Joe said, "Hold on, Jack! look a-here! There's been +a bear here since we've been gone;" and sure enough, the tracks of +a middle-sized bear were seen about the carcass, and the hole made +by Joe's knife was wet around the edges, as if some animal had been +licking it. Jack looked all around, but of course nothing living +was to be seen now. + +"Now, I tell you what," said Joe; "let's get this head off, and +go away, and I wouldn't be surprised if we could come back here +to-morrow and get a shot at a bear. You know, Hugh said we +weren't going to move for two or three days, and if that's so, why +shouldn't we come back here and watch." + +"It isn't a very good place for that, is it?" said Jack, "right +in here among the timber; we'd have to be close to the moose, and +likely enough a bear would see us or smell us, before we could see +it." + +"That's so," said Joe; "it's a pretty poor place, but before we go +we'll look around and see if we can find any way to hide." The boys +were somewhat excited at this prospect, and at once set to work to +skin the moose head. A long slit was made down through the thick +hair on the nape of the neck, back to the shoulders, and then a +cross cut down to the moose's chest; then both the boys, getting +hold of the head, tried to turn it over, but they were not strong +enough to do that. Then they tried to lift the moose's head up in +the air, in order to get under it, and to make the cross cut on +the other side close to the ground. They did not succeed very well +in this either; but finally, after raising the head as high as +they could, Joe got a stick and propped it in this position. Then, +getting a longer stick they tugged, strained, and kept raising +the head higher and higher, until finally the fore part of the +shoulder was pretty well exposed. They made the cross cut, but for +six or eight inches it was quite ragged. However, they succeeded in +completing the cut, and then worked more rapidly, and before very +long had the skin off the whole neck and turned so far toward the +head that the back of the skull could be seen. Then, Joe cutting +down close to the skull so as to sever the ligament of the neck, +they twisted the skull, disjointed the neck, and after that it was +a mere matter of cutting through the flesh. After the head had been +cut off it was pretty heavy, much more than one boy could lift, +besides being unwieldy and hard to handle. + +They dragged the head a little way from the moose, and then stood +looking at it, for both were a little tired. + +"Now, look here, Jack," said Joe, "what's the use of packing all +this stuff back to camp; why not finish the job here, and take the +skull back pretty clean?" + +"Yes," said Jack, "it's a pretty long job, but we've got to do it +either here or at the camp, and we might as well do it here. I +guess we'd better use our jackknives to cut around these horns." +Sitting down on the ground they did the work of making the crosscut +to the horns, and then they cut round the horns, close up against +the burr. The hide was thick and tough, and the blades of the +knives were small; but, on the other hand, the knives were sharp, +and before very long they had completed this. Then they both worked +at skinning the hide down over the head, cutting through the +gristle of the ears, and going very carefully about the eyes; and +at last, after midday, the skin of the head was free from the skull +and was dragged off to one side. + +"There," said Joe, "that's a good job, and now we'll cut off all +the meat we can from the skull, and pack the horse, and go back to +camp. I'm getting hungry. I don't believe this tongue is spoiled; +we may as well take that with us." The remaining work was not +long, and lashing the skull on the pack saddle, they set out for +camp. + +Hugh hailed them, when they got in, with an expression of surprise, +saying, "Why, you done the whole job, didn't you? I supposed I'd +have an afternoon's work over that head, skinning it out, and +cleaning the skull." + +"Well," said Jack, "Joe suggested that we should not make two bites +of the cherry, so we did the work right there. But, say Hugh, a +bear had been 'round that moose, between the time we left it and +the time we got back, and Joe says maybe we can get a shot at him. +What do you think?" + +"Why, I don't know," said Hugh; "maybe you could. What sort of a +place is it to wait?" + +"Not very good," said Jack; "it's right in the thick timber, and +there's no hill, and no hiding-place anywhere nearby. We looked +when we were coming away. But I tell you what I think, Hugh; I +believe we could go back there, and get up into a tree, and watch +from there; then the bear won't be likely to smell us, and maybe +we'll be able to get a good shot." + +"Yes, that's so," said Hugh; "but there's one bad thing about +getting up into a tree: it's awful noisy, and if you move much, the +bear's pretty sure to hear you. When did you calculate to watch?" + +"Why, I don't know," said Jack; "we were going to ask you. It +ought to be either early in the morning or late in the evening, I +suppose. That's the time bears come out, isn't it?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "that's the time; but in here where they're not +much hunted, I suppose maybe they'd feed any time of day. + +"I tell you what I believe I'd do," he continued, "we're going +to stop here for a day or two more and see if that horse's foot +will get better, and suppose you don't do anything now until along +about the middle of the day to-morrow; then you can ride up there +and see if the bears have been working at the carcass, and if they +have, why you can wait there until about dark, and if you don't +get a shot you can go back again the next day, right early in the +morning." + +"Well, let's do that then," said Jack. + +"Now," said Hugh, "take your moose-head down to the creek and put +it in there to soak and drain, and then this afternoon you can take +the brains out and sort of scrape the skull, and after it soaks +there for a couple of days it'll be in good shape to dry right up." +The next day, a little before noon, they set out to inspect the +bait. As they started out to catch their horses, Hugh told them to +drive in old Baldy as well, and that he would ride up there with +them and see how the prospect looked. + +When they reached the moose they found a great hole torn in its +side, and from the tracks around about, it seemed that several +bears had been feeding there. The day, though bright at sunrise, +had now become overcast and dull, and the air felt like rain or +snow. Hugh surveyed the ground about the moose with some care, and +finally said to the boys: + +"I don't see anything for you to do except to climb up into a +couple of these trees; and if I were you I'd watch this afternoon, +and if you don't get a shot, quit pretty early, at least before it +gets plumb dark, come back to camp, and then try it again early in +the morning. I'll take your horses down here a half a mile, and tie +them in that little open park that we passed, where they can feed, +but where they'll be far enough away so as not to scare the game. +If you don't get a shot, try to get to your horses before it's +right dark, and then you can get back to camp all right." + +Hugh waited until the boys had climbed the two trees, one a little +distance to the north of the moose, the other about as far to the +south of the carcass. He told them to cut away all the twigs that +were close to them and would rustle if they moved, and advised them +that they must keep absolutely still, "for" he said, "there is no +animal so shy as a bear, and none that's more careful in coming +up to a bait. If a bear comes, don't try to shoot at it too soon, +let it come on until it gets right close to you; then shoot as +carefully as you know how, and try to kill it dead, for I don't +want you to wound a bear, and then go following it through the +thick timber and the brush; that's dangerous, and I think foolish." + +The hours, after Hugh departed, seemed pretty long to the boys +as they sat on their perches. They could not see each other, and +of course could not talk. Both were occupied in looking over the +ground that they could cover with their eyes, and in listening for +any noise. The weather grew colder, and toward the middle of the +afternoon flakes of snow began to sift down through the tree-tops. +Then they stopped; then began again. There was snow enough to see +as it fell, but not enough to show upon the ground. + +Joe was glad when he saw the snow, for he believed it would bring +the bears out soon; but Jack did not know this, and thought only +of the discomfort of the cold. A little breeze was blowing from the +south, and that gave Joe the unpleasant benefit of the odor of the +decaying moose meat; but he thought little of that, and sat there +and watched. For a long time nothing was seen. Then suddenly, from +behind a dead log, fifty or sixty yards from Joe, he saw the head +of a black bear rise, and the animal stood there screwing its nose +in all directions and snuffing the wind. It remained there for a +long time, and then the head drew back and disappeared. Joe's rifle +was loaded and cocked. He had fixed himself in as good a position +as possible for shooting, and he waited. For a long time nothing +happened, and then suddenly the bear appeared, stepping out from +behind a tree quite close to him,--not more than thirty or forty +yards away--and stood there, looking at first toward the moose, and +then slowly turning its head and looking in all directions. It was +a black bear, not very large, and yet not by any means a cub. Joe +thought the best thing he could do was to shoot it. It stood nearly +facing him, and when it turned its head away to the right, he aimed +for its chest, just to the right of the bear's left shoulder, and +pulled the trigger. The animal gave half a dozen bounds, and then +commenced to jump into the air and come down again, and to roll +over, and turn somersaults; while Joe kept his eyes rolling in all +directions, to see whether there were any others. + +The bear's position had been such that Jack had not seen it at all. +He was cramped and stiff, cold, tired and hungry by this time; but +at the shot he forgot all his discomforts, and sat watching to +see what should happen. For a moment he saw and heard nothing, and +then, off to his left, he heard a stick break, once or twice, as if +some heavy animal were stepping on it, and then all became silent +again. Presently Joe appeared, walking by the moose, and came and +stood under the tree in which Jack sat. "Well, Jack," he said, +"I've got a bear, and I don't suppose any more will come now. We +may as well go over and skin it, and go back to camp." + +"How big is it, Joe?" said Jack. + +"Well," said Joe, "it's small. It looked pretty big to me when I +first saw it looking out through the trees; but when I shot it, and +saw it lying on the ground, it didn't seem very big." + +Jack scrambled down from the tree, and the two boys went over +to the bear. It was not large, but, on the other hand, it was +better than no bear at all, and its coat was quite good: not long, +but full, and black and glossy, and quite worth having. Jack +congratulated Joe, and they set to work to skin the bear. + +Joe's shot had been a good one; he had hit exactly in the right +place, and the ball had cut the great artery of the heart, and the +lungs, so that the bear died almost at once. + +The work of skinning the animal took some little time, but it was +not nearly dark when Joe, with the skin on his back, and Jack, with +one of the hams in his hand, started to go to the horses. The other +ham they hung up in a tree. The horses took them speedily to the +camp, and they greatly enjoyed their dinner that night. Both boys +were tired and were glad to turn in at an early hour. + +The next day the whole camp arose late. Hugh reported that the +horse's leg was better, and that he thought they might as well move +on the next day. "Now," he said, "do you boys want to go up and +watch for bear again to-night?" + +"I don't know, Hugh," said Jack; "what do you think the chances +are? Will any of them come back after one being killed last night?" + +"Yes," said Hugh, "I think maybe they might. Of course you can't +tell. Maybe they might come back now, or perhaps they'll leave the +bait alone for three or four nights, and then come back." + +"Well," said Jack, "I'd like to get a shot; but it's paying pretty +dear for it to have to sit up in a tree for five or six hours, and +pretty nearly freeze to death. I like to be doing something. I +wouldn't mind trailing a bear or a deer or a sheep for half a day, +but this sitting on a thin branch in the cold, and waiting for a +bear to come to you, isn't what it's cracked up to be." + +"No," said Hugh, "you're right there. I don't think much of it. +However, we might get on our horses about midday, and go up and see +whether any bears came last night after you left. The carcass'll +show that plain enough." + +When they looked at the carcass they found that a number of +bears had evidently been there; and not only had they eaten a +considerable part of the moose, but they had also partly eaten the +bear that Joe had killed the night before. + +"Well," said Hugh, "this seems to be a regular bear playground! +I've a good mind to come up here myself to-night, and sit in one +of these trees, and see if I can't get a shot. It's quite a while +since I've killed a bear, and I sort of need a bear-skin to spread +on my bed. What do you say boys, shall we all watch here to-night?" + +"Yes, Hugh, let's do that; that'll be great fun,--to see who gets +the shot, or whether any bears come." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I'm no way certain they'll come; they're awful +keen-nosed, and if they should smell that we've been around here +during the day, they won't show themselves. Now, I'll tell you what +we might do: suppose we go off down to where we're going to leave +the horses, and stop there for two or three hours,--nothing will +come here very much before sundown,--and then about three o'clock +we'll come up here, and you two boys can ride your horses right +under the trees you're going to get into, and just climb into them +without touching the ground at all; and I'll take the horses back +and come up afoot, and get up into my tree. In that way there'll be +only one set of tracks for the bears to smell." + +Accordingly, about three o'clock they rode back; the boys climbed +from their horses directly into the tree; and then Hugh, taking the +bridle reins, led the horses back and picketed them in the park. +Then he returned, and choosing a tree about half way between the +boys, clambered up into it, and they all sat there, patient and +still. + +The boys watched and waited as carefully as the day before; but +nothing happened until, just before sundown, the heavy report of +Hugh's gun rang out on the silent air, and a moment later they +heard the branches crackle as he clambered down from the tree. +"All right, boys," he called out: "come along." + +The boys descended from their branches, and joining Hugh, they +all went forward a little way, to a small open spot where a brown +bear lay stretched on the ground, with the blood flowing from its +nostrils. + +"This fellow," said Hugh, "has been fussing 'round in sight for +about twenty minutes. He wanted to come awful bad, and yet he was +awful scared to. I thought one time that maybe he was going around +Jack's way, and so I didn't bother with him; but presently he came +back and commenced to go right toward the bait, making little runs +forward and then little runs backward, but always getting closer, +until finally I made up my mind that I'd have to kill him. Now, +Joe," Hugh continued, "you help me skin him, and, Jack, you go and +fetch the horses." + +Not long after Jack had returned, the skin was off the bear, rolled +up and tied behind Hugh's saddle, and they returned to camp. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +A PUZZLING TRAIL + + +The next morning Hugh put a light load on the lame horse, and they +started down the stream. The going was fairly good, through open +timber, and at last they came to what Hugh said was the main river, +and followed that down. There was a good game trail all the way, +and they went pretty fast, but Hugh stopped early because he did +not want to tire his cripple. The horse, however, was in good heart +and fed eagerly, and Hugh said that it was all right. + +For several days their journey down the Sweetwater was without +incident. They reached the open country, where there were many +antelope, and saw two or three bunches of elk. Several times Jack +tried fishing in the river, but without success, as Hugh had +prophesied, saying: "You won't find any trout in this stream, +nor in any other stream that runs into the North Platte, without +they've been put there. There's lot's of trout in the South Platte, +and just as soon as you strike the tiny little creeks that run from +springs on the other side of the Divide you can catch from them all +the small trout you want; but there are none in the North Platte." + +"But why is that?" said Jack. + +"You can't prove it by me," said Hugh. "I don't know. I've heard +tell that the trout in all the streams on this side of the +mountains come from the other side;--that is, that they really +belong on the west slope, but that somehow they got over on this +side. Now, you take a place like Two Ocean Pass, that we heard +about up in the Park, and other places that I have seen like that, +where there's a low place on the Divide,--a place that often holds +water, and from each end of which a little creek runs down, one +going east, the other west. If the trout ran up the creek that +goes west into this little pond on the Divide, why it might easy +enough be that some of them would run down the creek that runs +east. Anyhow, it's a sure thing that there are no trout in any of +the North Platte waters that I ever saw, while in the South Platte, +and in the Wind River, and the Bighorn, and the Yellowstone, and +pretty much all the streams to the north, there are lots of trout. +It always seemed queer to me that the North Platte don't have any." + +One night in camp, as they were sitting around the fire after +supper, Jack said, "Hugh, tell me a bear story. We've seen a lot of +bears this trip and killed quite a lot. Were you ever badly scared +by a bear? Of course that old bear charged us the other day, but I +don't suppose you were scared by it, and I wasn't; but I'd like to +know if you were ever really scared by a bear." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I reckon I have been. I remember one time that +a bear made me run pretty lively for a ways." + +"How was it?" said Jack. + +"Well," said Hugh, "it wasn't so very long ago, and I was up on +the mountains back of the ranch trying to kill some meat. I had +left my horse and gone quite a way without seeing anything, when +I came over a ridge and looked down into a piece of timber. About +a hundred yards off, lying at the foot of two or three trees, just +in the edge of the timber, I saw a kind of a black pile, and for +a little while I could not make out what it was. I stopped and +looked, and presently a part of the pile got up, and a bear began +to walk around, and then another, and then a third got up, and they +all walked around the others that were lying there, and looked as +if they were snarling and wanted to fight. I saw in a minute that +there were too many bears for me to tackle and was just about to +back off over the hill and clear out, when one of them saw me and +started running toward me as hard as he could. I knew then it was +no use to run, and I sort of braced myself, and got a half a dozen +cartridges in my hand, and waited until the bear got up within +fifteen or twenty steps of me, and then fired at it, and turned and +ran as hard as I could. I didn't hear anything following me, and +presently looked over my shoulder, and saw that there was nothing +in sight; but I kept on running until I got out of wind, and then I +went to my horse as quickly as I could. When I had mounted I went +back, went round a little way, and rode up over the hill in another +place and looked down, and there was nothing alive in sight. I went +pretty carefully along the ridge until I got to the place where I +had stood, and then I went down to where the bear had been when I +shot. There was plenty of blood there, but that was all. Then I +went down to the tree and found that these bears--and there must +have been a half-dozen of them--had dug down into the ground under +the trees and had been lying there, as a dog sometimes digs in the +dirt and lies there to get cool. + +"The bears had started off together, but it was hard to tell +just what they had done. I followed them for quite a way, and +some of them must have left the bunch, for when I got to a big +snow-drift--it was toward the end of June, and there were plenty +of big drifts that hadn't melted yet--there were only three of the +bears together. The snow-drift was hard, and I walked along over +it, leading my horse and following the tracks. The horse hardly +sank in at all, and my feet made no impression on the snow; but +the big bear,--the one that was bleeding,--sank in about six or +eight inches every step, while the two others only sank in a half +an inch. That must have been a big one. I followed them into the +timber, and finally they went into a place where the spruces grew +low and so thick that you could not see through them, and there I +gave up the trail. I didn't want that bear bad enough to follow him +into that place." + +"Well, of course you never knew anything more about it than you do +now," said Jack. + +"No," said Hugh, "I never knew anything about it except what I +learned from following the trail. The bear was hit somewhere in the +breast or neck or head; he was bleeding from the front part of the +body; and I expect the bullet must have knocked him down, or else +he would have followed me and likely caught me. But it was about +the longest and fastest run that I've made in many a year." + +For some days they travelled down the Sweetwater, having an open +easy road and making good progress. They passed the cañon at the +mouth of the river where it enters into the Platte, and now felt +that they were getting near home. + +One morning as they were riding along, Jack noticed the trail of +a big bunch of horses, driven fast, going the opposite way from +themselves and turning off into the hills to the north. He asked +Hugh who would be driving a bunch of horses through that country, +and where they were going; but Hugh could not tell him. + +"I don't know anybody, son," he said, "who would be taking horses +through here, and I don't know where they'd be taking them to, +without it's up to some small town north, or up to the new +railroad, and then I don't see why they should be coming this +way, unless perhaps they wanted to get over on Powder River and +follow that down. The railroad, I hear, is pushing west from the +Missouri, and it may be that some contractor came down here to get +horses. And yet that don't seem right either. These are not work +horses,--you can see that from their tracks,--and besides that +there are lots of colts with them. If it was a few years back, I +should think that a bunch of Indians had gone through; but then +there are no travois trails, and I don't know what it is. Might +be horse thieves; it's been so the last few years that people are +stealing stock some." + +The trail came from down the river, and they had followed it for +some miles when a dark spot seen on the bottom showed a large +animal lying down. Hugh rode over and found it to be a dead horse. +He waved to the boys, who followed him, and they sat there on +their horses, looking down at it. The animal had been dead perhaps +a day; it lay on its side, and the brand was plainly visible. As +Jack looked at the brand he recognized it as his uncle's, and he +looked at Hugh in perplexity to see what this could mean. For a +time Hugh said nothing, and then getting down from his horse, he +looked more closely at the brand, and then, re-mounting, said to +the boys, "We'll camp right here; over in that bunch of timber." + +It was but little after midday, and Jack knew that something +important must have happened, but he asked no questions, waiting +for Hugh to speak. After they had unsaddled, and put up the lodge, +Hugh told the boys to picket the three riding horses while he got +dinner. Jack had told Joe about the brand, and both boys were a +good deal excited, wondering what was coming next. + +After they had eaten, Hugh filled his pipe and said: "Now boys, I +don't know what all this means, but to me it looks as if a gang of +horse thieves had been riding our range and had driven off a bunch +of horses, and among them some of ours. + +"I know that three-year-old filly lying over there perfectly well. +She had her first colt this spring. It looks to me as if she had +been run so hard that it killed her. Maybe she got a chance to fill +herself up with water, somewhere back. But anyhow, there she is, +and she came from the ranch, and what is more, she never was sold +to anybody. She's been driven here, and driven so hard that it +killed her. Now I am going to find out, if I can, what this means. +I am going to see if I can find this bunch of horses, and see +whose they are and who has got them. If they, or any part of them, +belong to us, or came from our country, why we'll get them back if +we can. Of course if we can't get them back, why they've got to go +on. I don't think there are enough horses in Wyoming to pay for +the life of either of you two boys; but if these horses have been +stolen I reckon we can get them back, and I am mighty sure we'll +try. + +"Now, presently, as soon as the horses have eaten, I am going off +on the trail of this bunch. I want you boys to stop right here +until I come back, and if I should not come back in the course of +three days, I want you to go to the ranch and tell them what you've +seen. It will be no trouble to get back home. You'll know when you +get to Casper or to Fetterman, and you can cross the river most +anywhere there, and then it's pretty nearly a straight shoot south. +You and me have ridden enough around the country, Jack, so that +you know the principal hills, and I'm sure you'll know Rattlesnake +Mountain when you see it. You know where the ranch lies from there. +You've got plenty of grub, and it's only a little more than two +days hard ride to get home. + +"But I expect that you'll see me back here about day after +to-morrow, in the morning, and then I'll have something to tell +you:--either that I haven't found the stock, or else that I have: +and what it is; and who it belongs to. + +"Now, I want some grub--just some of that dried meat. I won't have +a chance to kindle a fire while I'm gone, and I've got to ride +pretty fast and can't carry much. One thing I must have though, +and that is your glasses, son." + +Jack rose and went into the lodge and brought out his glasses and +gave them to Hugh, who opened them, looked at the clasp of the +case, and then, shutting it and seeing that the spring was in good +order, tied a buckskin string around it. As the sun fell toward the +west he sent one of the boys to bring in a horse and said to him, +"Let old Baldy stay out there, and fetch the dun; he's stronger, +and fatter, and tougher than any of the rest. + +"Now, boys," he said, after he had mounted, "this next two or three +days will be business; you want to forget you're boys, and think +that we may have to do something pretty hard and pretty active +before long. Don't go off hunting; don't neglect your horses; stay +'round camp, and keep a good lookout during the daytime. If you see +anybody coming, get your horses in close and tie them among the +trees. Keep your riding horses on picket all the time, and at night +keep them pretty close to the lodge." Then he rode off. + +"Well," said Jack, as Hugh's form grew smaller and smaller in the +distance, "what do you suppose this means, Joe?" + +"I don't know," said Joe, "except what Hugh said. If he finds these +horses belong to your uncle, why I expect maybe he'll come back, +and we'll have to go up there and kill the man that stole them, and +take them back." + +"Oh, nonsense, Joe, Hugh didn't mean anything like that. Don't you +know, he said there weren't horses enough in Wyoming to pay for our +lives? That means that there isn't going to be any fighting." + +"Well," said Joe, "maybe then if he finds they're your horses, +we'll have to go up there and steal them, and take them back that +way." + +Jack slapped his thigh with his hand, as he said, "That would be +bully, wouldn't it? It would be real fun to steal horses, and have +all the excitement of it, and yet know that you were not doing any +harm, only getting back your own. + +"Well, anyway," he continued, "we've got to look out mighty sharp +for things, for whatever Hugh said has got to be done. I remember +one time when I failed to do as he told me, and I got the worst +scare that I ever had in all my life. That was the time when +Hezekiah and young Bear Chief caught me in swimming." Joe grinned +appreciatively, as he said, "I heard about that a good many times." + +"I suppose you have," said Jack; "that's always been a good joke on +me." + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +HUGH GOES "ON DISCOVERY" + + +Meantime, Hugh was loping fast up the bottom of the Platte, on the +trail of the horses. It seemed to him to have been made the day +before; and this would agree very well with the length of time that +the mare bearing Mr. Sturgis' brand seemed to have been dead. It +was not easy to tell, out here in the open under the hot sun and in +the dry wind, just when the tracks had been made. + +An hour or two of hard, fast riding brought him to the point +where he had come upon the trail that morning, and he could see, +looking ahead, that here it turned off and struck in toward the +hills, apparently to go up one of two valleys. There was water in +both,--not much down here on the dry bottom, but further back in +the hills and among the timber he knew that these streams were +running brooks, and that on both there were wide grassy meadows +and places very likely to be chosen by people driving a bunch of +horses, in which to stop and let them feed and rest. If he had been +following Indians who had driven off a band of horses that they +had stolen from an Indian camp, he would have gone carefully, for +Indians would have left behind scouts who, from the top of some +high hill, would have watched the back trail for at least a few +hours; but he did not think that white men would do this. He had +reason to think that if these were rustlers--horse thieves--they +had gone over the range after the horse round-up was over, and +gathering these horses, had driven them slowly, perhaps by night, +until they had got beyond the last ranch, and then had hurried them +along, hoping to get them out of the country without observation. + +On the other hand, these might not be horse thieves, but might be +people who were driving their own stock in a legitimate way, for +some purpose of their own; but he could not understand how this +should be, and the presence in the bunch of an animal with Mr. +Sturgis' brand made him feel that he must investigate. + +The trail led toward the westernmost of the two valleys, and Hugh +followed it. The sun was almost down when he got well into the +valley, but he could see that the horses were still going fast, and +he hurried the dun along, for he was anxious if possible to find +the herd that night. It grew dark rapidly, but still he rode on, +galloping fast over the grassy bottom, and going more slowly only +when he came to the crossings of streams, or to rocky ground, where +his horse's hoofs made some noise. Of course the dun, like all +the other horses, was unshod, so that there was no clink of iron +against stone, to be heard at a distance. + +After he had ridden for three or four hours in the dark, he +stopped, took off his saddle and bridle, and holding the rope which +was about the dun's neck in his hand, let the animal walk about. +It took a few bites of grass, and then lay down and rolled three +or four times, and then getting up, shook itself. Then Hugh put +the saddle on, re-mounted, and went forward. All the time he was +looking and listening as hard as he could. He had gone but a little +distance beyond this place, when suddenly he heard the whinney of a +little colt, and stopped. + +Taking his horse by the bridle he walked forward, and before he had +gone very far saw a horse standing near him, and then another, and +presently a number of horses, and knew that he was in the midst of +the bunch. He took a long look on every side. The valley here was +wide, but on either side he could see the black mountains rising, +and he did not know just how far the timber came down into the +valley. Now he wanted to find where the camp was, and mounting his +horse he took a long look up and down the stream on both sides, and +there on his right, and not far off, he detected what he thought +was the glow of a fire. + +Passing on north, until he had gone well above the place where he +supposed the camp must be, he tied his horse to a little bush, and +then walking over to the edge of the valley, close to the stream, +he silently drew nearer to the camp. Before long he was close +enough to see the dim light of the fire, and knew that some where +near it must be lying the men who had the horses in charge. This +was enough for him. He went back, got his horse, and going further +up the stream, crossed it, and finding an open place sat down, +holding his horse's rope in his hand until the animal had eaten its +fill. Then, still on foot, he climbed the mountain, tied up his +horse in a thick bunch of brush where it could not be seen, took +off the saddle, and after eating some dried meat, went along the +mountain side back to a point opposite the camp, and finding a +smooth place, lay down, wrapped himself in his saddle blanket, and +went to sleep. + +It was still dark when he awoke, but he sat up, stretched himself, +and involuntarily felt in his pocket for his pipe, and then smiled +a little as he recollected that now he could not smoke. He folded +his blanket, and laid it behind the trunk of a tree, and then very +slowly began to make his way down the mountain side toward the +camp. Before he had gone far, he began to hear the calls of early +waking birds, and to be conscious that in the little patches of +sky that he saw from time to time the stars were growing paler. +He went very slowly and carefully, feeling his way with hands and +feet, never brushing against the branch of a tree, or stepping on +a stick which might crack. The men in the camp below were probably +fast asleep and would not notice the sounds that he might make, but +the matter was too important for him to run any risks. After a time +it grew lighter, and presently he could hear below him the rattle +of the water as it flowed over the stones; and as it grew more and +more light, the dim shadows of the horses in the open, and the dark +outlines of the bushes on the stream were seen. The mountain side +just over the camp was steep and thickly clothed with spruces, +most of them of large size, but with many small ones growing among +them. If he had himself chosen a place for these men to camp, he +could not have selected one that would have been better suited to +his purpose. As the light grew stronger, he worked down closer and +closer to the camp, until he was as near it as he dared go. Then +he began to look about for a place from which he could see it, +for first of all he wished to discover who the men were who had +the horses. It might be that this would at once explain the whole +matter. + +After a little manoeuvering he found a place where, through the +thin branches of a young spruce, he could look directly down into +the camp. There were the ashes of a fire, and not far from it, on +the smooth dry grass, were three piles, two of them covered with +canvas such as cow punchers commonly use to wrap their beds in, and +the other with a gray blanket. He knew that he might now have to +wait a long time, and was prepared to exercise patience. He had set +his gun on the hillside, against a tree, where it would not fall +down, and at the same time would be in easy reach of his hand if he +should need it. + +He sat there for an hour, occasionally looking at the sleeping men, +but for the most part studying through the glasses the horses that +fed not far from him. + +After the light grew strong but a glance was needed to see that +this was not a bunch of work horses, but was range stock, picked +up anywhere. He could see the fresh brands on colts and yearlings, +and could recognize some of them without his glasses. Through the +glasses these fresh brands, many of which had as yet scarcely +begun to peel, stood out very plainly, and in many cases the old +brand could readily be distinguished. Besides this, there were +many horses which he perfectly well knew, without seeing the +brands,--animals that he recognized as occupying the range which +he was accustomed to ride over. He chuckled to himself as he saw +these, and thought, "My, my, wouldn't Mr. Sturgis and Powell and +Joe be hot if they were here;" and then he thought, "I wish they +were here, for if they were we could take in these three fellows +mighty easy." + +From what he had already seen Hugh had made up his mind that this +was a bunch of horses stolen from the range about the Swiftwater +ranch, but he wished to wait a little longer in order to be sure +who the men were who had them. + +After a while, one of the heaps that he was looking down upon +stirred, and a few moments later the covering was thrown off, and a +man sat up. + +He rubbed his eyes sleepily, and stretched and yawned, and finally +put his hand under the edge of his blanket, pulled out his shoes, +and then put them on and stood up. Hugh chuckled as he recognized +Red McClusky, a man whom he well knew as living along the railroad. +He was a cowboy who had come up from Texas and had worked at odd +times on the range, but who spent most of his time in the town, +consuming bad whiskey and occasionally disappeared for a few weeks, +and then turned up again. + +McClusky filled his pipe and lighted it, and then going over to the +fireplace, began to kindle a fire, at the same time calling out, +"Here, get up, you lazy cusses; the sun's high, and we want to get +breakfast." Soon after this the other two men sat up. One of them +was Black Jack Dowling, another bad character along the railroad, +well known to Hugh; but the third was a boy or young man, whom Hugh +did not know, with a pleasant but rather weak face, who seemed a +little bit afraid of both his companions. + +Dowling seemed in rather bad temper, and as he walked toward the +creek growled at McClusky, asking him why he hadn't let them sleep +longer. "We've had an awful hard ride," he said, "and I feel as if +I could sleep all day, and all to-morrow too." + +"Pshaw," said McClusky, "that's no ride; if you're goin' to let a +little pleasure gallop like that tire you out, you'd better stick +to holding up trains. I feel as fresh to-day as if I hadn't been in +the saddle for a week; don't you, Pete?" he laughed, speaking to +the young man. + +"Yes," said Pete, "that wasn't no ride. I guess Jack here aint much +used to the saddle." + +Dowling snarled out "Used to the saddle or not, you don't stir me +out of this for two days more." + +"Well," said McClusky, "it don't make much difference when we go +on, but I want to get these horses up north before snow comes, and +we've got quite a ways to go. We ought to leave here to-morrow, +sure; anyhow, the day after to-morrow." + +The fire was now burning, and operations for breakfast went on. +The coffee-pot and frying pan were brought out from beneath the +willows; Pete brought some water, and McClusky cooked, while the +other two sat by the fire and smoked. Hugh had now seen enough, +and began very slowly to work his way up the mountain. It was not +long before he was out of sight and hearing of the camp, and taking +up his blanket on the way, he went on up the stream. Gradually +descending the hill, he at length reached the valley's level, and +spent some time in the willow and alder bushes, studying the +horses that were within sight. As nearly as he could figure, there +were about a hundred head of horses, and most of them seemed pretty +tired. After feeding for some time, they lay down and were seen +resting all over the meadow. + +Returning to his horse, he led him for a long distance up the +stream, to a point where the timber on both sides reached out well +into the valley, and here crossing a little open spot, which was +almost out of sight of the horses below, he turned down the stream, +and keeping himself always well back from the valley in the timber, +again stopped opposite the camp. From here, for a time he watched. +The men loafed about the camp; but toward the middle of the morning +the boy walked out among the horses, and catching one that was +evidently picketed, took it back to camp, saddled it, and rode up +the stream. He was not gone long, and indeed did not pass out of +Hugh's sight. His only purpose was to round up the horses, driving +those up stream down opposite the camp, and when he had done that +he rode down stream and started the animals that were feeding there +up to the others. + +Hugh could now make a close estimate of the number of the animals, +and after having counted them a number of times, he made up his +mind that there were between ninety and a hundred. Of these three +seemed to be picketed, and he took careful note of their location, +for he had already made up his mind what he intended to do. + +After the boy had rounded up the horses he caught A fresh horse, +put it on picket and then riding back to the camp, unsaddled and +turned loose the horse he had been riding. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +STEALING FROM HORSE THIEVES + + +Hugh now knew all that he was likely to learn, and starting down +stream, still well out of sight in the timber, he kept along the +mountain side until the camp had been left two or three miles +behind. Then mounting, he passed out into the open valley, and +keeping close to its border, rode hard to the Platte River. It was +but little after noon when he rode into the Platte bottom, and +two hours more brought him in sight of his camp. The boys saw him +while he was yet a long way off, and he could see them standing and +watching him, and talking together as he approached. + +As he rode up to the lodge he said, "Well, boys, here I am. Now, +I wish you two would go out and catch up old Baldy and your two +riding horses, and bring them in and put them on picket. We've got +to pack up, too, before very long, and get ready for a quick move +and a long ride. When you get your horses we'll have something to +eat, and I'll tell you what's happened." + +Hugh unsaddled, filled his pipe, started the fire, and began to +cook some food, for by this time he was pretty hungry. While he was +cooking, the boys came in and picketed the horses, and then Hugh +said to them, "We'd better get our packs together, and pull down +the lodge, and get everything ready for a move. I went up there +and found the camp of these fellows. They're horse thieves, all +right enough, and they've about a hundred head of horses, most of +them Mr. Sturgis', but some are Powell's, and some belong to other +neighbors of ours. Of course I could not see the brands on all the +horses, but I saw the men that were driving them, and that's enough +for me. I don't know, son, if you ever saw Red McClusky or Jack +Dowling; but they're the men up there with the horses, with a boy +not much older than you two, and I expect they've run 'em off and +are going to take 'em up north. + +"Now, I figure that we can do one of two things. We can go up there +and kill those fellows, and drive the horses back, or we can go up +there and steal the horses from them, and leave them afoot, and +just take the horses back on the range. + +"I feel some like killing the thieves, but I don't want you boys +to be mixed up in anything of that kind; it might be bad for you. +I reckon the best thing we can do will be to go up and steal the +horses; steal 'em all if we can, so as to leave them fellows afoot. +But if they've got sand to follow us, why then we've got to fight; +because I know mighty well that they've no right to this property." + +The boys said nothing for a time, but when Hugh spoke of stealing +the horses they looked at each other and grinned, with a delight +that they could not conceal. + +"What are you fellows laughing at?" said Hugh, when he saw them. +"This ain't no joke; this is serious business." + +"That's so, Hugh," said Jack, "but I guess we were both laughing +because Joe suggested that if these were horse thieves, the best +thing we could do would be to go and steal the horses." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I reckon that's what we've got to do; but I +do hope that we can get 'em all. Now, to do that, we've each one +of us got to do his part, and to do it the best way we know how. +I'd rather have done it last night than do it to-night, because +last night those fellows were tired, and to-night they'll sleep +lighter; they may hear the horses walking off; but all the same, I +don't believe they will. Now, you boys better saddle your horses, +and we'll make up the packs and put 'em all together here, and put +hobbles on the pack animals, so that there'll be no time lost in +catching them, when we come back. You see, if we have to stop here +it'll take quite a time to pack, and if we leave any horses up +there for those fellows to ride, they may follow us for a way, and +there's no saying what may happen. I don't want either of you boys +to get shot, and I'm sure I don't want to get shot myself." + +After the meal was eaten, the packs were quickly made up, the pack +horses were driven in, caught and hobbled, and the afternoon was +not half gone when the three were riding back up the valley. + +Jack and Joe were somewhat impatient, but Hugh checked them. +"There's no hurry," he said, "we can't do anything till the middle +of the night. Those fellows may sit up round the fire for quite a +while, and they might notice if the horses were moving much. I am +in hopes that Joe and I can go up there afoot, and cut loose their +riding horses, and then just slowly and quietly shove the whole +bunch down until we get them well below the camp, and then we can +start them at a good gait. There'll be no trouble about keeping +them going fast, for we've got plenty of riding horses in the bunch +there, and we can change often." + +The sun had not set when they entered the valley. They followed +it up for what seemed to the boys a long distance, but at length +Hugh stopped and dismounted, saying, "The camp is only about a mile +above here." + +It was now dark night. Hugh sat down on the ground, holding his +horse's bridle, and began to fill his pipe, and the boys sat close +to him. + +"Now," he said, "I am going to take you boys up just where I came +down this morning, and we'll get around these horses at the upper +end of the valley, and work them down slowly on the other side from +the camp. I'll go over and cut loose the horses that are picketed, +and then we'll work on slowly until we get down well below this. +Then we can go. I don't want either of you boys to shoot unless +you have to; and if you have to, I'd rather have you shoot not +to kill, but to cripple. If you get a chance, shoot at the man's +shoulder, so he can't use his gun. On the other hand, I've heard +that Dowling is handy with a gun in either hand. We've got to take +some chances, of course. I don't expect we'll see anything of those +fellows without we leave them a horse or two. If we do that, why +then to-morrow morning they'll come on. You boys keep right close +after me, and try to make as little noise as you can. Don't let +your horses call. They may want to when they smell the others, but +keep them from doing it if you can." + +Keeping well to the left, and close in under the timber, Hugh rode +slowly along, and after a time they saw the light of the fire +flickering on the other side of the valley, and occasionally could +see shadows passing in front of it. As they moved along, they saw, +from time to time, horses feeding, and once rode close to an old +mare, whose little colt, not seeing them until they were near, gave +a great bound into the air and rushed away for a few yards. + +Hugh kept on up the valley until it narrowed, going almost to the +point where he had crossed in the morning. Then he stopped and said +to the boys: + +"Now get off your horses and lead them. I reckon we're above all +the horses, and now we'll go back down stream. Keep on the side +away from the camp; keep spread out some; and when you come to any +horses just walk toward them and get them to move along slowly. +I'll keep out toward the middle until we get down near the camp; +then, if the fire's gone down, I'll try to cut loose the horses, +and I'll try to push them and all the others down the stream. It +may take longer than we think, and you boys when you get down where +we went into the timber, on the way up, get off your horses and lie +down on the ground together and wait. See that you don't make any +noise; see that you don't shoot me; keep your wits about you; and +don't get excited or scared." The boys listened without a word. + +"Now," Hugh continued, "we'll start. Jack, you go over next to the +timber, but keep fairly well out from the edge, and try to see all +the time that you don't miss any of the horses. Joe, you keep out +nearer the middle, and get all the horses you can, and both of you +work as slow and careful as you know how." + +The three separated and set about their task. To Jack it seemed +sort of shivery work, being off there alone. He wondered if +anything would happen to Hugh or Joe; whether the thieves would +find out what was being done, and would attack them; whether Hugh +and Joe would meet him down at the end of the valley, and what in +the world he would do if they did not. He had not much time for +thoughts like these, however, for he had to watch the sky-line of +the timber, and to figure how far he was from it; to look out for +horses in front of him, and to travel along without stumbling, or +running into little low bushes, or doing anything that would make a +noise. + +Before long he saw his first horse, an old mare with a colt. He +walked toward her, and as he approached, she began slowly to walk +away. Then there were other horses off to his right and to his +left, and he walked back and forward across the valley, sometimes +seeing that the horses to his left were moving slowly along down +the valley, which told him that Joe was doing his work, sometimes +coming to a large bunch of brush, around which he had to pass in +order to be sure that no horses were hidden there. All the time he +kept a good lookout across the valley, to see if he could see the +fire of the camp, and at length, after he had gone, as it seemed, a +very long way, he recognized, under the opposite hills, a dim glow +on the bushes, which told him of a fire burned down. This he was +glad to see, because it made him feel sure that the thieves had +gone to bed and were asleep. + +By this time he had in front of him a good many horses, all going +quietly and feeding as they went. Now and then two or three would +lag behind, and he was obliged to cross over and walk behind them, +but they at once started on, and Jack felt pretty sure that, so +far as his side of the valley was concerned, the horses had all +been gathered. As he approached the place where they had entered +the timber he began to hope that before long he would see Joe; +and it was not very long after that that he saw one horse lagging +behind all the rest, and as he went over to drive it along, he saw +that someone was walking by it, and knew that this must be Joe. He +wanted to go over and speak to him, but remembering that he had his +own horses to look after, he restrained himself and kept on down +the valley. At the same time he was glad to be sure that Joe was +close by. Now, if only Hugh would appear, he should feel that they +were all right. Now the valley grew more and more narrow, and the +boys were closer together, and presently, as the horses bunched up +to pass through a narrow place between two points of timber, Jack +and Joe were almost side by side. + +"Everything all right, Joe?" said Jack. + +"All right," said Joe. "We've got a good bunch of horses." + +"Have you seen anything of Hugh?" said Jack. + +"No," said Joe, "I ain't seen Hugh, but the horses off to my left +are moving along; I reckon he's there somewhere." The words were +hardly spoken when suddenly, apparently from a horse that was +walking just in front of them, Hugh's voice said: + +"All right, boys; I believe we've done the trick. I think we can +mount now and go ahead. Don't start 'em up yet, we'll go two or +three miles further, and then we'll let 'em sail." Both boys were +delighted to hear Hugh, and they mounted and crowded close to him. + +"O Hugh," said Jack, "do you think we got 'em all?" + +"Well," said Hugh, "I don't know about that, we've got the most of +'em. They may have riding horses cached in the brush somewhere. +I was afraid to go right close to the camp, for fear some of 'em +might be awake; but I got two picketed horses; there may be one +hidden somewhere else; but I don't believe they've got horses +enough to ride to-morrow, and I'm almighty sure they haven't got +horses enough to catch us." + +"What time is it, Hugh, do you think?" said Jack. + +"Well, I don't know," said Hugh, "but it's considerable after the +middle of the night. We've got plenty of time to get these horses +down to camp, and pack, and start the whole outfit on before it +gets day; and pretty soon I'm going to begin to hurry 'em. I want +you two boys to drive the horses, and when we get out of the +valley, I'm going to ride round them, and go ahead of them and +lead them. Keep them going well until you hear me whoop; or if you +can't hear me, until you see me. I shall ride pretty hard until +we get near the camp, but we must stop the horses before we get +there; otherwise they'll frighten our pack animals, and we won't +be able to catch them. Now," said Hugh, as they came to a little +enlargement of the valley, "I'll go ahead, and you give me a few +minutes to get around them, and then start them up. When I hear +them beginning to gallop, I'll go just ahead of them, and they'll +all follow me." + +The cavalcade proceeded at a walk for ten minutes more, and then +Joe and Jack began to hurry the animals, and before long they +were galloping at a good rate of speed down the valley. When they +reached the Platte bottom the horses turned off, following the +trail by which they had come up, and swung steadily along at a good +gait. Now and then Jack recognized, even in the darkness, a place +that they had passed before, but for the most part the country all +looked strange to him. It seemed as if they had been going for a +long time when he thought he heard a faint whoop from in front, and +at the same moment Joe called out to him: + +"Hold on, Jack; drop back. Hugh called, and we must let the horses +stop." + +They drew their horses into a walk, and before long the animals +they were driving also slowed down. Then, after a little while they +heard Hugh, not far in front of them, calling out: + +"Come round here, boys, and help catch the pack animals, and put +the packs on." + +They rode through the horses, which had now stopped and begun to +feed, and it took but a short time to catch their pack horses, and +saddle and pack up. Then turning loose the packs, they all three +rode round behind the herd, and started it on again. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +"DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON" + + +It was now growing light, and they drove the horses hard. Hugh rode +steadily behind the bunch, while the boys were out on either flank, +keeping them straight, and not permitting any lagging. Once they +stopped for a little while and caught three fresh horses which Hugh +pointed out, put their saddles on them and turned loose their own +horses. + +The morning passed, and it was now the middle of the afternoon. +The boys had noticed that Hugh often turned about and looked +back up the level valley, and they themselves were also watching +the back trail to see whether there was any pursuit. The sun was +getting low, when far back up the valley was seen a speck of dust, +which gradually grew larger, and underneath it they could see a +black spot that was constantly growing nearer and nearer. It was +evidently a man on horseback. After they had watched it for some +time, Hugh motioned both boys to come over toward him, and riding +there side by side in the thick dust kicked up by the hurrying +herd, Hugh said to them: + +"Boys, there's one man coming, and he's on a good horse, and we've +got to kill him, I expect. Let these horses stop now, and catch up +three other animals and change the packs onto them, and by that +time this fellow will be close up to us, and we can see what he +wants." + +They slowed down their horses, the willing herd stopped and began +to feed. + +Jack and Joe rode through it, and one by one caught the pack +horses, which they brought back to Hugh. Then Hugh, sitting on his +horse, pointed out to them other animals to catch, and they roped +them, brought them up, and one by one the packs were transferred +to the new horses. The horses did not like it very much, and one +or two of them bucked, and to Jack it seemed rather nervous work +to be doing this when the approaching horseman kept growing larger +and larger, and when, for all he knew, before long bullets would be +flying. The work was finished before the horseman was near them, +and then Hugh told the boys to start the herd on again. But Jack +demurred, and said: + +"Hold on, Hugh; are you going to stay here and meet this man? I +think we all ought to stay, because something may happen." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I don't like the idea of your stopping. I'd +rather have you go on and start these horses. Nothing's going to +happen to me; I feel pretty sure of that. I shall be on the ground, +and have every advantage over this fellow, if he wants trouble." + +"Hugh," said Joe, "how will this do: suppose Jack gets off twenty +steps one side of you and I get off twenty steps on the other, and +we won't do anything unless it looks like you were going to get +hurt; then we can shoot." + +"All right," said Hugh, "if it will make you boys feel any easier; +but I tell you nothing is going to happen. If that fellow don't +stop when he gets within good rifle shot I'll stop him, and I won't +hurt him either. If he's got so much sand that he won't know when a +man's got the drop on him, I may have to hurt him, but I don't look +to." + +The man came on; his horse was a great powerful beast and had been +ridden hard, for it was covered with dust and foam. When he got +within a hundred yards, Hugh dismounted, and stepping out in front +of his horse, raised his rifle to his shoulder, and pointed it at +the man. The man paid no attention to the motion, save to put his +hand behind him and jerk from his holster a six-shooter. He called +out something as he came on, but they could not distinguish what he +said. + +"Hands up!" Hugh called; but the man paid no attention, and the +distance between the party and the rider grew smaller. + +"Hands up!" Hugh shouted again, and then a third time; and still +the man came on. Hugh fired, and the horse plunged forward on his +knees throwing the rider far before him. It was Dowling. + +He struck on his head and hands and slid a little way along the +earth, and then springing to his feet, with his left hand he pulled +another six-shooter from his belt; but as he raised it, Hugh's +rifle sounded again, and the man fell. + + [Illustration: "'HANDS UP!' HUGH CALLED."--_Page 268_] + +"Look out for him, boys! Don't go near him; he's like a grizzly +bear; likely to be playing possum." Hugh watched the man with +a wary eye, and was not surprised to see him after a moment +raise himself on one elbow and feel about over the ground, in the +effort to recover the pistol which he had dropped. Hugh had seen it +fall, and knowing the man's quickness with the pistol, watched him +carefully. In a moment, however, the man sank back and seemed to be +breathing hard, and Hugh called to the boys: + +"Watch him, now, and I'll step up to him and get that gun; I'll be +ready for him if he moves." + +Hugh stepped carefully but quickly forward, with his gun ready, and +had almost reached the man, when he moved slightly, and Hugh sprang +swiftly to one side, as the pistol was discharged without being +raised. In a moment Hugh was on the man, and had taken the arm from +him and thrown it to one side. + +Dowling was badly wounded, and it was evident he could not live +long. When his pistols had been secured they did what they could to +make him comfortable. Joe went to the river and brought water in +his hat, and after a little, Dowling opened his eyes and spoke. + +"Well, you've got me," he said; "I was in hopes I'd get you. I +couldn't stand it to have those horses taken, but I wish you'd +taken this one, instead of leaving it for me to ride. However, we +made a good try to get the stock, and we would have got it if it +hadn't been for you. Where did you come from? We never saw anything +of you." + +"We were just travelling down the river," said Hugh, "and saw the +tracks, and I knew there wasn't any reason for a bunch of horses to +be driven through this country; so I went back to look up and see +what it meant, and I found that you'd got our horses." + +"Well," said Dowling, "a fool for luck! Anybody else coming through +the country wouldn't have paid any attention to that horse trail, +but you just had to do it. + +"I reckon I've got it," he went on; "and I expect it's about time +too, but I hate almightily to be downed by an old man. I'd a heap +sight rather have had one of them young fellows kill me." + +"Well," said Hugh, "I expect when a man's time comes, it don't make +much difference how he gets killed." + +"No," said Dowling, "I expect maybe it don't. I always allowed I +die with my boots on, anyhow, and here I am." + +During the few moments that had elapsed since he had received his +wound his voice had grown much weaker. He was not bleeding much, +but Hugh shook his head as he looked at the wound. + +"Have some more water, Dowling?" he said. + +"Yes, a little," said Dowling; but as Hugh raised him up to drink, +he began to choke, and in a moment, after a shudder or two, lay +dead. + +"Well, boys," said Hugh, "we've got to bury him, and then move +along. Suppose you two go over onto the edge of that bluff and +scrape away the clay, as much as you can with your knives, and I'll +bring the body over, and put his saddle-blanket over him, and we'll +cover him up." + +It had all happened so quickly, and there had been so much +excitement about it, that Jack hardly understood or realized what +had happened. He and Joe walked over to the bluff, and scraping +away the soft yellow clay, soon made a place six or eight feet +long, and presently Hugh came over, carrying the man on his +shoulder, and they laid him in his shallow grave. Hugh took off his +belt, and looked through his pockets to see if he had any papers by +which he might be identified, but found none. They covered him with +the earth, and brought flat stones that had fallen down from the +top of the bluff, and piled them upon the grave, to protect it from +the wolves. + +Then Hugh went back, and picking up the two pistols that Dowling +had dropped, shoved them in the holsters, and holding out the belt +to Jack, he said, "You want to wear this, son?" + +"Why, yes, Hugh, I'd like to have it to remember this day by, +though there are some things that I don't much care to remember." + +"Well," said Hugh, "this is the way things used to be in the far +west, but I thought we'd about got through with it by this time. +However, some of the old spirit seems to crop out now and then." + +They mounted, and started the herd along again. They had not gone +far before Hugh said, "I want you boys to drive these animals on +three or four miles down the creek, and leave them there; but cut +out the pack horses, and we'll camp right here." + +Camp was made in a bunch of cottonwood brush, but the lodge was not +put up. The pack horses were hobbled, and then the boys drove the +loose horses some distance further down the stream, and returning +found the camp dark, but supper ready. + +"I thought," said Hugh, "that there was just a chance that those +two other fellows might follow us down and try to take some of the +horses back again; so we had better stop here, without any fire, +and with the horses kept close, and make an early start in the +morning." + +Hugh had them up long before day. They built no fire, but ate some +dried meat, and started on. The tired horses were found just where +they had been left, were pushed along at a good gait all day and +crossed the Platte; and the next night they drove them into Mr. +Sturgis' ranch to the great astonishment of all there, and later of +Powell, and the other men from whom horses had been stolen. + +Great was the credit received by all three of those who had brought +back the stolen horses. Mr. Sturgis gave to Jack and Joe each three +good riding animals; and to this day Jack talks of the only horse +stealing expedition he was ever on. + +Transcriber's note: + In Chapter I there is the word "Hi d[)a]t sa" which contains an + "a" with a breve accent mark above it which is rendered as [)a]. + In Chapter II is the word " Ass[)i]ne" which contains an "i" + with breve accent mark above, [)i]. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Jack in the Rockies, by George Bird Grinnell + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44671 *** |