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1
2
3
12 3
4 5 6
I
p'
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Oen.
I
By the Same Author.
punting in the (Jreat Wegl
("Rustlings in the Rockies.")
12 mo. Cloth. 300 Pages. Profusely Illustrated, 75 cents.
"The Battle of the Big pole
n
AN AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF
Gen. Gibbon's Engagement with Nez Perc^ Indians, in the Big Hole
Valley. Montana. August 9, 1877.
Richly Illustrated. 1 2 mo. Cloth,
$1.00
■■■■M
Ckuisings in the Cascades.
A N A U |{ A T I \ I-: l» K
Travel, I-xploraiion. Amateur Plioiojijrapliy,
Iliimiii.i^-. and Fishing-,
WITH SIM:( lAI, < IIAiTKI!> ON
rrrNTiNc; T„r.: .,uz/.lv heau, tub .ukk.u.,), elk. antklopf,
U.HKV MOl-NTAIN .i,)AT, AND DKEIJ ; ALSO ON '1 KOrTIN(; IN
THE ItnCKY MOINTAINS; ON A MONTANA HorND U' :
LIKE AMONii THE COWHOYS, ETC.
By G. 0. SHIELDS,
' "<()yriSA" )
AUTIIOH <...- ■■ HUSTMNr.S ,X THE U.KKIES," " H.NTINn IN THE GREAT
WEST," "THE llATTLB OF THE liKi HOLE," ETC.
chicago and new york:
Rand, McNally & Company, Publishers.
1889.
>u.o
I
CorvuitMri'. !><>'!*. iiv Kwd, MrXvi.i.v it Cm,
1
■I
Til.- nrtioli's heroin mi Kile, Ilrar. iind Antilniic Hiiiittntr aro roprlntod by thi' courtesy
111 Messrs. Il.ii|ier ti lirotlieis, 111 « Imne .MiiKMzine they were first published; and those
on liulliilo lluntinjr luid Tiouting are leprodueeil Iruiu "Oiitiiit;" Maguzine, in which
tlicy (list iippeiircd.
• r
" C'niiiM live Willi iiir ,iiii| 1,,. iiiv love.
And '\f will all llic pi asiiivs prove
Tiiiit liilN .iiiil vall('\N. (lilies and fields.
M'ood^ or sleepy liioiiiilaiiis, yield "
Mil) hire.
■Earth 1ms hiiill the umit watcli-toweis of the niouiitar-
and they lift their heids f,,,- „p i„„. ,,,(. skv. and ira/e e^er u>
ward and around to .see if the Judge .d' the World .■oni.s not." '
—Lontjfcliou;
4 4 ♦> •' ^
».'»^HF
wfmmmmmm
"V.
PREFACE.
And now. how can I siiitablv luxAoix'v/A' for liavinr--
iiillicl.nl allot hrr hook on the icadin.u- puljlic^ I
would not artenipr it l)iir tluir it is the custom among
authors. And, come to think of it, T guess I won't
attempt it anyway. I will merely say, ])y way of
excuse, that my I'ormer liteiaiy efforts, espfcially
my "Rustlings in the Kocki<>s.'" have brought me
in sundry dollars, iu good and lawful money, which
I have found very useful things to have :d)out the
house. If this volume shnll uieet with an equally
kind reception at the hands of l)o,,k huyers, I shall
feel tliat, after all. I am not to Maine for having
written it.
TllK AI'TIIOK.
Cill(A<.o, Mai;( IF. Kss<).
(7)
rjssm
CONTENTS.
ClIAPTEPv I.
The Benefits, Mental and Pliysical, of Mountain flimhinir— A
Never-failing Means of Obtaining Soiuul Sleep and a Good
Appetite— The Work to be in Proportion to the Strengtli of
the Climber— People Wiio Would Like to See, but are Too
Lazy to Climb— How the Photouraph ( nmera ^Fay Eiichancc
the Pleasures ami Benefits of Mounta'n Cllmbinir— Valuable
Souvenirs of Each Ascent— How "These Thinixsare Done in
Europe"— An Effcciivc Care for Egotism.
CHAPTER TI.
Tlie Cascade Mountains Compared with tlie Rockies— Char:ieter-
isticsand Landmarks of the Former— Tiie Proper Season for
Cruising in the Cascades— Grand Scenery oftiic Columbia-
Viewing Blount Tacoma from the City of Tacoma— Men Wlio
Have Ascended this Mysterious Peak— Indian Legends Con-
cerning the :Mountain— Evil Spirits, Wiio Dwell in Yawning
r'averns— The View from the Mountain— Crater Lakr and
tlie Glaciers— Xine Water-falls in Sight from One Point.
CHAPTER in.
The City of Seattle— A Booming Western Town— Lumbering
and Salmon Canning— Extensive Hop Ranches- Rich Coal
and Iron Mines— Timber Resources of Puget Sound— Giant
Firs and Cedars- A Hollow Tree for a House- Big Timber
Shipped to Enghuul- A Million Feet of Lumber from an Acre
of LantI— Novel Method of Loggip.g— No Snow in Theirs
A World's Supply of Timber for a Thousand Years.
.u
lo
rOX TEXTS.
CHAPTER IV.
Length, Breadth, and Depth of Pugct Sound— Natural Ue-
sources of the Surrounding C'otuitry — Flora and Fauna of the
Region — Great Variety of Game Birds and Animals — Large
Variety of Game and Food Fishes — A Paradise for Sports-
man or Naturalist — A Sail Through the Sound — Grand
Mountains in Every Direction — The Home of the Elk, Bear,
Deer, and Salmon — Sea Gulls as Fellow Passengers — Photo-
graphed on the Wing — Wild Cattle on Whidby Island-
Deception Pass; its Fierce Current and Wierd Surroundings
—Victoria, B. C. — A Quaint Old, English-looking Town.
43
CHAPTEI? V.
Through English Bay— Water Fowls that Seem Never to Have
Been Hunted— Rifle Practice that was Soon Interrupted-
Peculiarities of Burrard Inlet— Vancouver and Port Moody
— A Stage Ride to Westminster — A Stranger in a Strange
Land — Hunting for a Guide — " Douglass Bill " P"'ound and
Employed — An Indian Funeral Delays the Expedition.
53
CHAPTER VI.
The Voyage uptheFrazier — Delicious Peaches Growing in Sight
of Glaciers — The Detective Camera Again to the Front —
Good Views from the Moving Ste;imer — A Night in an
Indian Hut — The Sleeping Bag a Refuge from Vermin— The
Indian as a Stamping Ground for Insects — He Heeds Not
Their Ravages.
.'59
CHAPTER VII.
A Breakfast witli the Bachelor — Up Harrison River in. a Canoe
— De.ad Salmon Everywhere — Their Stench Nauseating — The
Water Poisoned with Carrion — A Good Goose Spoiled with
an Express Bullet — Lively Salmon on the Falls — Strange In-
stinct of this Noble Fish — Life Sacriticcd in the Effort to
Reach its Spawning Grounds — Ranchmen Fishing with Pitch-
forks, and Indians with Sharp Sticks — Salmon Fed to
Hogs, and Used as F( .tilizers; the Prey of Bears, Cougars,
Wild Cat?, Lynxes, Minks, ^Martins, Hawks, and Eagles.
06
COXIllN IS.
11
ClIAPTKIJ VIII
Tlic KivcM Above lilt" Rapids— A L;,U,. WitMn Ba altic "Wiills—
Many Heautifiil WatcTfalls— Moint Don-las and ilsGlaci.Ts
— A Tradini: l>ost of tlie lludx.n Bay Fnr Company— Tiio
ilot Sprin-s an Ancient Indian iSanilaiinni— Anxiouslv
Waiting lor "Dou-iass JMI— Novel .Aletlmd of I'hoK)-
grapliiui; IJig Trees
niAITKK IX.
An Early Mornin-- Ciimh-A Thousand Feet Above tlie I.ake
Fresh Drer Signs iu Siglit of the Hotel— Three Indians IJri
in Three Deer— "Don-lass Bill •' Proves as P,i- a Mar
nilier Infliuns— Heading off a Flock of Canvas IJack.s-
iJoodly !!ag of tiiese Toothsome Bin^— A Si\va.-ii lint-
K'evoilin- Picture of Dirt, Fiitii, Nakedness, and Decay
Fish— Another (iuide Employed— l{e,idy on Sh^rt Notice
UIV for the .Mountain^.
ng
as
-A
A
ed
t'i
H3
CIIAPTFK \.
(liaracteristics ,,f the Flathead Indian — Canoeisis and P
ers by Birlii and Education— A Skillful Canoe Builder
Freighlin-' Caiioes— Fi hing Canoes— Travel in l;- Canoes
Two Cords of Wood for a Cargo, and Four Tons of M
chandise for Another— Dress of the Coast Indians.
leR-
er-
sfj
CHAPTEIJ XI.
Climbing the Mountain in a Hainstorni— Pe.in's Dirty Bl mkels--
Ilis Carefid Treatment of His Old .Muskel— A Novel Char-e
for Big Game— The Chatter of the Pine Squirrel— A Shot
Through the Brush— N'enison for Supper— A. Lame Con-
veivation: English on the One Side, Chinook on the Other—
The Winchester Exjiress SiagLivrs the Natives- Pecidiariiies
of the Columl)ia Black Tail Deer.
•j:
CHAPTER XII.
The Chinook Jargon; an Odd Conglomeration of Words: the
Court Eauii-Uiige of the Northwest; ,•, Specinn'ii Conversa-
tion—A Camp on the Moun-ain Side--How the Indian Tried
u
CONIKNI'S.
lo Sleep Warm — 'I'lie IiniKirt.'iiiee ol fi (iood Hed \\ Ik n
Caiupiiiii — Peaii is liken III — His Fall Down a .Mini'.iaiii —
Unable to uo Further, We Turn Baek — Hitter Disappdiiil
inent lO'^
C'lIAFTKlf XIII.
The Return to the Village — TwoXew Guides Employed — OtT for
the Mountains Onee Mon — The Tramp up Ski-ikdiul'Creek
Throuiiii Jungles, (lulelies. and Canons — .\nd Still it Hains
— Ravages of Forest Fires — A lied ol' ^lounlain Feathers —
Description of a Sleeping Bag; an Indisponsa')le Lux-
ury in Camp Life: an Indian Opinion of It. . , 107
CHAPTER XIV.
Meditations l)y a Camp Fire — Suspicions as to the Honesty of
My Guides; at Their Mercy in Case of Stealthy Attack — A
Frightful Fall — Broken Bones and Iiiten-e SulTeriiig — A
Painful and Tedious Jtmrney Home — A Painful Suruiea!
Operation — A Ilapiiy Denouement ll'.l
CHAPTER XV.
The Beauties of Ski-ik kul Creek; a Raging Mountain Torrent;
Rapids and Waterfalls Everywhere; Pietui-es(|Ue Tribu-
taries — Above the Tree Tops — The Pleasure of (^uenchini:
Thirst — A Novel Spear — A Fifteen-Pound Salmon for Suji-
]H'v — The Indians' Midnight Lunch — A Grand Camji Fire —
At Peace with All 3Ien
CHAPTER XVI.
Seymour Advis(s a L;iteStart forGoat Hunting; biu Ilis Coiuicil
is Disregarded — We Start at Sunrise — AQueerCr.aft — Navi
patnig Ski-ikdvul Lake — A " Straight-up " Shot at a (Joat —
Both Horns Broken OlT in the Fall— More Rain and Less
Fun — A Doe and Kid — Successful Trout Fisinng — Peculiar-
ities of the Skowlitz Tongue; Grunts, Groans and Whistles
— John has Traveled — Seymour's Pri'tended Ignorance of
Euiihsh. . \'2~)
(ON IK NTS.
i;?
CIIAPTKIJ XVII.
En Rimlctotlu' Villa-i' Airaiu— A Walcr Snaked ( ountry — •( »!i,
Wliat a Fall was Tli(iv,.My CoiuitryiiR-ii!"— Walkin-oii Slip-
IHiy Lous— .More Kaiii— Wet Imiiaiis— " Senio lie Spile dc
Grouse"— A Fni.iral I^rcaklast-Hini, Li\ iii- ai Il,,iue-A
I5ear Iledida Fisjuii- (io; l.ni H,. was C'aii.iilit Instead of
the Fish, and His Skin is Bartered to tlie rnwa-liefl
biwaslies.
!;)3
CJIAPTEH XVIII.
John and His Family "At Hoine— An Interest in.i.' Picture of
Domestic Economy— iJille Practice on Gulls and Grebes-
Puzzled Natives—" Pliwat Kind of Uurds is TliemV — A day
on tiie Columbia— The Pallisades from a Steamei— Piioto-
grai)liiug Bad Euuds from u Muvin.-i- Train. . M-.>
CIIAPTEIJ XIX.
Deer Iluntinir at Spokane Falls— Ruin ^Vrouiiiit by an Over-
loaded Shotgun: A Tattered Vest and a Wrecked Watch-
Billy's Bear Story— The Poorest Hunter Makes tlic Bigiri st
Score— A Claw iu Evidence— A Distrusted Party. . IK;
CHAPTER XX.
A Fusiladc on the MiUl' Deer— Two Do s as the Result— A C.ood
Shot Spoiled— View tromtheTopof Blue Grouse .Mountain-
A(;rand Panorama; Lakes, Mountains, Prairies and Forests
—.lohnstons Stoy— Rounding Ui> Wild Hogs— A Trick on
theDutehman— A Bucking Muleand a Balky Cayuse— Falls
of the Spokane River. ......
ir),3
CHAPTER XXI.
Hunting the Grizzly Bear— Habitat and Characteristics— A Ca-np
Keltic as a Weapon of Defense— To the Rescue with a Win-
chester— Rest Localities for Hunting the Grizzly— Baiting
and Still-Hunting— A Surprise Party in the Trail— Two Bull--
eyesand a .M:.-;s— Fresh Meat and Revelry in Camp. . 1G4
14
CONTKNTS.
CIIAPTKK XXII.
Elk Ilnntinir in the Rocky Moun!;iiii« — ("liaractcristics of the
Klk— llisMoilc of Tnivi.l— A Stampede in a Thicket— The
Whist'eof the Elk, the Hunter's Sweetest Music— Measure-
ments of a Pair of Antlers — Saved by Following an P^lk
Trail— The Work of Exterminators— The Elk Doomed. .
181
CHAPTER XXHI.
Antelope Hunting in Montana — A Red Letter Day on Fiat Wil-
low — Initiating a Pilgrim — Sample Shots — Flagging and
Fanning — Catching Wounded Antelopes on Horseback —
Four Mule-Loads of 3Ieat li)-l
CHAPTER XXIV.
Buffalo Hunting on the Texas Plains— A " Bull Train " Loaded
with Skins — A Sensation in Fort Worth — En Route to the
Range — Red River Frank's ^lission — A Stand on the Herd —
Deluged with Buffalo Blood — A Wild Run l)y Iiulians —
Tossed into the Air and Trampled into the Earth. . 213
CHAPTER XXV.
Hunting the Rocky ^Mountain Goat — Technical Description of
the Animal— Its Limited Range — Dangers Incurred in Hunt-
ing It — An Army Ollicer's Experience — A Perihjus Shot — A
Long and Dangerous Pursuit — Successful at Last — Carry-
ing tlie Trophies to Camp — Wading up Lost Horse Creek —
Xumerous Baths in Icy Water — An Indian's Fatal Fall —
Horses Stampeded by a Bear — Seven Days on Foot and
Alone — Home at Last 23(5
CHAPTER XXVI.
Trouting in the Mountains — Gameness of the Mountain Trout —
A Red Letter Day on the Bitter Root— Frontier Tackle and
Orthodox Bait — How a Private Soldier Gets to the Front as
an Augler — A Coot Interrupts the Sport, and a Rock Inter-
rupts the Coot— Colonel Gibson takes a Nine-Pounder — A
Native Fly Fisherman — Grand Sport on Big Spring Creek —
How Captain Hathaway does the Honors — Where Grand
Sport may be Found 257
('(»N IKNTS. 15
(ilAI'lEK XXVll.
Di'cr IIuiitiiiL;' in Xurtlicni Wi-cunsiii— On tlic IJiUiiio ;il Diiy-
liglit— 'I'lio Woods Full of Game— Mis.sing a Stiindlni;
" IJioadside" at Tlilrly Yards— So veriil Easy Shots in Hapid
Succossioii ; the only Fruiis Shame and Ciiai^rni— Xervons-
ness and Exeilemenl Finally Give Way to Coolness and
Deliberation— A IJig Bnek at Long Uange— A Steady Aim
ami a Unptured Throat— A IJIind Unn Tiirough Brush and
Fallen Trees— Down at La^l— A Xohle Specimen— His
Head as a Tr. ipliy. ....... :.'S0
CHAPTER XXVIII.
AmoP!,^ the Pines— A Picture of Autumnal Loveliness— Cor-
di il Welcome to a Logging- Camp— A Successful Shot— The
Music of the Dinni r Horn— A Throal Cut and a Leg Broken
—A Stump for a Watch Tower— The Raven Homeward
Hound— A Suspicious P,;ick— A .Alysterious Presence— Dead
Beside His .AIat( — T!irce Shots and Three Deer. . -jss
CHAPTEP. XXIX.
A Typical Woodsman— ^Model Home in the Great Pine Forest
—A Lifetime in the Wilderness— A Deer in a Natural Trap
— Disai^pointnientand Despondency-" What, You Killed a
Buck:"— Sunrise in tlie Woods— An Unexpected Shot— A
Free Circus and a Small Auilience— A Buck as a Buck' r—
More Veni-on ^'M
CHAPTER XXX.
Cowl)oy Life— Tlie Boys that Become Good R-.mgo Riders-
Peculiar Tastes and Talents Reciuired for the RaiKdi— Wages
Paid to Cowboy.s— Al)use and .Misrepresentation to which
They areSuhjected— Tlie "Flesh Kid/'and ihei. >ng-Haircd
" Grea-^er"— The Stranger Always Welcome at the Ranch —
A Dude Insured— A Plaid Ulster, a Green Uinl)rella, and a
Cranky Disposition— :\Iaking u Train Crew Dance— An
Uncomplimentary Concert -No Sneak Thieves on the Plains
—Leather Breeclies, Big Spurs, and a Six Shooter in a Sleep-
ing Car— Fear Gives Way to Admiration— The Slanu' of the
16
CONTKNTS.
I{anij:c— Tlif " Hiickcr,"im(ltho " Ilu.sttT"— The Good Cow-
Horse— Hopinn- for Trizes— Stiiikipg ji Bear with a Lariat-
A Good Sehool for IJoys— Coiniiuiiiioii uilli Nature .Muk s
Honest Men 304
/..
CIIAPTEU XXXI.
icntana Koundup— Ranges and Ranches on Powder Hiver;
Once the Home of tlie Bulfalo, rhe Klk, llic Anlelopc; now
>lie Home of tlie Texas 8tecr and the Cowljoy— The Gresit
IN Mils in Spring Attire— A (Jatherin- <-f Kustlcrs— " Chuck
Outfits" to the Front— Early Risers- -Taming an " Alecky "
Sleer— A Ked-Hot Device— Branding and Slitting- Tlic linn
nil tlie Mess Wagon— "Cutting Out" and "Throwing
Over ■— A Cruel Process. . '^ ooi
1 Cow.
irifit —
.Milk s
;]04
IJivcr;
; now
GrcHt
''huck
rky "
(' Run
JM'ing
CRUISINGS TN THE CASCADES.
CHAPTER I,
" Mountains arc Ihv l)ogiunin^• ami the end of all natural scenery."
— HrsKi.N.
irramow
pii MiiyoiK^ wlio lias the coui'tiue, the
luii'diluKnl, niul the physical stiviigth
to endiuvtlie exeicis*', there is no form
of lecreatiou or aimiscment known lo
mankind that can yield such oiand
lesnlts as mountain climhino'. I mean
I'lom a mental as well as irom a phys-
ic al standpoint ; and, in fact, it is the
mind that receives the greater l)en('lit. The
|V 'exertion of t muscuhir forces in climl)ing a
\ liigh mounttun is necessai'ily severe; in ftict, it is
jmore than most persons unused to it can readily
(emlure ; and wereit not for the inspiration which
the mind derives fi'om the exi)erience when the
ascent is made it would he l)etter that the sid)ject
.should essay some milder form of exercise. But
if (me"s strength })e sutiicient to endui-e the l:U)or
of siscending a grand mountain i)eak, that extends
to or al)ove tiinber line, to the regions of peri)etual
snow and ice, oi- even to a height that gives a general
vie\v of the surrounding country, the comi)ensation
(1
.)
IS
ri;iI--IN'<i^ F\ lili: ( A>r.\i)K>;
AM) nlllKi; I|I\II\(; AUVKNTIKKS.
10
m
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must |)»> jiiii|il' if out' li;i\t' an <•>♦' I'm tin- iM-.-nitics
of JiMfiiri', (iijiiiy :iit|>rt'('iiiti(»ii (•!" the giiindriir nl" the
( 'iTii tor's uTcatrst \v(U'l\s.
\':iiii, si'ir l(t\ iiiu' Mi:iii is wont i(» (-(.iisid*'!' Iiiiiis«'lt'
t ln' iioltlt'si \\(»ik of (hkI. I»iit Iff liiin ,ii(> In t lit' h'p (if
one (»r ihfst' lofty iiioiiiit.'iiiis, smroiiiKlcd l»y oiIkt
toWciiun' |»r;iks, iilid if lie l)i' ii silIU' milll il«' will H<K»U
lie coiiviiic.Ml I lint lijs pincciii tlif scmIc of cii'ati'jii is
fill" from llicl(»|>. Lei liim stiiiid. f(tr iiist:mc»', on the
siimiiiH of Mount Hood, Mount 'r;icom;i, or Mouiil 15:1-
Ivt-r, tliousMiids of feet jil)ovt' mII surrouiidiiiu" jm-mRs,
hills, and \;dl»'ys, w litMv lie may ua/.i' into space Imn-
dr«'(ls of miles in t'Ncry direction, with naiiuht to (»!)-
struct iiis view, iin-(' to face with his Creator, and
if h«' iiave aun'litof the love of nature in hissoul. or(»f
appreciation of the suhlime in his mental composi-
tion, he will he inoNt'd to exclaim with the Apostle,
'• What is man that Thou art mindful of iiiin. orllu'
son <»f man tiiat Thou visitest liim '." lie will feel
liis littleness, his iiisi<;inticance, his utter lack (»f im-
2)orlance, more forcibly j)erhapsiha!i ever before. It
seems almost incredible that there should be men in
the world who could care so little for the uraiKh'st,
the sid)limest sights their nativo land all'ords, as to
be unwilling- to perform the laboi' necessary to see
them to the best t)ossible advantage ; andyet it is so,
for 1 have J'reiiuentlv heard them sav :
" I should like verv mucii to see these uiand
siii'hts you (h'scribe. l)ut T never could allord to climb
those high mountains J'or that pleasure : it is too
hard work for me."
And, after all, the benelits to l>e derived from
mountain climbing aje not wholly of an intellectual
2n
cunsiNus i.\ t;ii: ( ascadks
*"■ ''F&i
'l/':' i^s^ri 1... ;, yii, •;,!,-
.\\i> niiii.i; iiiNiiNi; Ai>v i:.\ II i;'---.
21
<'li;ir:ictfi' ; tin- physical sysii'in may I>t' lifiielitcd hy
il ii^ »^fl!. Il is a kind dl" rxd'cisc tliat in liiiii
lniii-s iiiKt use aliiiosi cxfiy miisclc in ilic l-.ddy,
fliosf of ill.' Ii'i^s liciiin" of ('((iiisp taxt'fl III >st se-
verely, l)iit those (if ihehackdo their riill shai.' of
the work, while I he arms are railed into action almost
con>taiill_\ . as tlie ('Jimher urasjts hushes or rocks lt\'
which lo aid liimseir In th,. ascent. Tiie Junius ex-
pand and contraci like helious as t hey inhale and
exhale the larilied almosphere, and the lieaii l)eats
like a trip hammer as ir i)nmps the invigorated blood
thioiiuh th<' system. Tiie liver is shaken loose I'lom
the lihs to which it Jias [)erchaii('e nrown fast, and
the stomach is aroused to siicji a state of activity as
it has i»rol)al)ly not experienced for years. I.et aiiv
111:111. especially one of sedentary lial>its. climl) a
mountain .'(.iiod hM-t liidi. on a hri.uht. i.leasant day,
when
" Xiulil's caiKllcs arc liiinit out and ji,'cu:;i'. il iv
Stands tiptoe 011 llic uiiNly lUdUiiiain luiw,"
inhere let jiim I»reathe the rare. ]>iire atinosj»liere,
l're>ii iVom the ])ortalsor Jieaven. and my word I'or
if lie will have a heiter a[»}»etit<>. will eat heartier,
sleej) soander. and awake next morniiiu' leelino' more
rel'resiied than since ;he days of Ids boyhood.
Althoii-ii the labor be severe it can and should b<;
inndiiiated to the streiiutli and capabilities of the
pfMson llnde|•t:d^in^• the task. \o one should climb
faster than is comiiatible with his sireniith. ^nid
halts should beniadee\ery live or ten minutes, if
need be. to allow the sy-tein ample rest, in this
manner a vast amount of work may be accomplished
90
ciirrsFxcs ix tiik <as(ai)i:s
l\
in a (lay, wm l)y one ulio has liad no picvioiis
experience in cJinihinu'.
Tlie henetits and jtleasiires of inonntaiii ('lini))in,n'
are mucli better nnderstood and appreciated in
OS t;'k coi.rMniA.
Europe than in tliis country. Nearly every city of
England, France, Si)ain, (lerniany. and other Euro-
pean countries lias an Alpine, Pyrenese, or Hima-
layan c!ul). The members of these clubs sjx'ud tlicii-
AND oriiKii iii'Mim; advkn rii:i:s.
•>:3
simiiiK'i' oiitiiiiis ill scaliiii;' llic ^i:rt';it |)(';iks of llie
iiioitnliiiMS iil'tci- wiiicli tilt' societies ;in' iiaiiied, or
other fa ii.Li'es, and tlie winter eveiiiiius in ivi'oiiiitiiiii'
to eaeli otliertlieii' experiences; and many a man, by
his association witii the clul)s and by iiKbil.ueiice in
this inviiio rating' i)astiine develoi)s iroin a (h'licate
yoiitii into a niuscuhir. sturdy, athh'tic man in a
i'ew years.
Th*' i)ossibl('vabieol' mountain climb'iiu'asa reci'ea-
tion and as a means of uainiiiii' ]\nowled,u;e, lias been
.ureatly enhancecl, ol" late years, l)y the inti'ocbic-
tion ol' tJK' (hy-i)late syste!:: in jiiiotography. and
since rlie small, liulit. coni])act camei'as have l)eeu
constructed, which may b»' easily and conveniently
carried wherever a man can ]>ack his blankets
and a day's supply of l'oo<l. With on*' of these
instruments line views can betaken of all interesting'
objects and bits of scciK'iy on the mountain, and of
the surrounding' country. The views are interesting'
and instructive to fiieiids and to the jaiblic in gen-
<'ra!. and as souveiiiis are invaluable to the author.
And from the iicoativcs thus secured lantt'i'ii slides
may be made, and from these, by the aid of the
(•alciiim liu'ht. jdctures ])rojected on a scrt'cii that
can only be cKctdled in their beauty and attractive-
ness ])v nature hersell'.
i
' t
I '
iii
i' !
I'
'I-
m
t
'^H
CIIAPTKll 11.
Mil siicc'cdiimnutimm. I'oi' years past,
lias louiid iiic ill soiiieraiiuv of iiioiiiu-
ains, ('aiiii»iii,u', Jmiitiiiu', lisliiiin,
clinihiiiu', and takinu' views. Thr
ix'iidits I have dnivcd from tli.'sc
? expcdiiioiiN ill the way of licaltli,
fi-en.utii, and vi-or, aiv incalculahl.s
the l)leasui'es iuexpressihie. My hist
out iiiu' was in tlie Cascade Kano-e, in o'leo-or,
^fjand AVasliinut,,,! Territory, where I si)eiit
k^a month in tliese deh'olitfii, occnparions. and it
IS witli a view of eii('oura--in,i'- and proniotinu- a love
iov tliese modes of recreation that thi.s record is
Avritten.
".I live not in myself, but I l)ecome
Tort ion of timt tiround me; iuul (o me
High mountains are a feeling, but the hum
Of liuman cities torture"
Tlie Cascade Rtiiiov of mountains extends from
Southern Oregon rhroiiwli Washinuton Territory
awaytothenortliwardin Britisli Coiinnhia. In vvidii/
liom east t(^ west, it vari.'s from fifty to one liiindred
miles. It is the most densely-ri inhered ranuv on tlm
continent, ami yet is one of the hioh,.sr t.nd most rno-
g«'d. It m;iy not possess so many ragged, shapeless
cra-s anddai'k canons as the Hocky Han-e, and y<-t
everyone who lias ever traveised Ixlth acc-ords to the
(JO)
'M
i
It
'%
(26)
AM) ()iiii:i: III .\ri\(. ai>\ i:n rriiKs.
27
Cnsradt'sthtMlisiiiK'tioii orixMiiu' lh<'<M]ii;il. in jtictiii'-
t'S(|ueii('ss iiud ,iii';iii(l»'ur. (>r the H(»('l\i<'s, or, in fact,
of liny other laiiiic in the conntiy. As conlintMital
landmarks, Mounts l*itr. I'nion. Tliit'lson, .lellV-i-son,
IFood, Adams, St. Helens. Tacoma, ]?akei', Stuart,
Cliiam, Doii^lass, and others are nnsni'i)assed. Their
hoary crests tower to such majestic heinhtsas to be
visible, in some instances, hundreds of miles, and
tlieii- many glaciers feed miulity livers upon whose
bosoms the commerce of naTi(»ns is borne. Mount .bd'-
fei'son isl),(»-io feet hiu'h: \b)iint Adams, i)..")7(); Mount
St. ib'lens. l). 7^)0; Mount P,aker, l(>,cS()0. Mount Hood.
II. (>"2r), and ]\b)iint Tacoma, 14.4-14. Tlieie are many
other peaks thai rise to altitudes of T.ooo to 9. <><»()
feet, and from these iigi ires one may readily form
somethin.ii'of anidea of the g-eneral lieiuht and beauty
of the Cascade Kanue, The foordnlls are <ienerallv
hiuh, rollinu'. and [)ictures(iue, and so heavily tim-
bei'ed that in many ])laces one can ii(»t see a hundred
vards in anv direction, lliiiher iii) the ranue, how-
ever, this heavy timber is replaced by sinallertrees.
that stand farther ai)art, and theurowth of undei'-
briish isnotsodense;conse(piently, the labor of travel
is li<;liten<^land the raiiu'eof vision is extended. The
.ueojoiiical formation in the Cascades is varied.
Igneous rock alxumds; extensive basaltic cliffs and
large bodies of li'i'anite, limestone, sandstone, etc.,
are frequently met with, and neail\' all the tal)le-
lands. in and about the foot-hills, are comiiosed of
gravel drift, covered with vegetable mold. The ('as-
ca;les may be explored with comfojt later in the
fall than the Rockies or other more eastern ranges,
the winter settini; in on the former much later than
■
;
;
!
I'
I"
If
m
q
1
Vfif
■■(■
2.S
( i:risi.\(;s ix rui-; cascadks
OXEOXTA GOUGK, COLUMBIA lUVEIi. 01!K(;OX.
ii i
i 1
AM) oTiiKi: iir\TiX(i Ai)vi;xTr-i;i;s
20
on \h^ latter, altliouuli the wintei- rains usually come
in Novcnihei'. Sei)teiul)er and October jire the most
l)leasant months I'or an outiiio- in the Cjiscades,
■•• * ''• It was late inOctoher when my wife and
I started from Chica'-o i'or a tour of a month among
the biistling i)eaks of the Cascades and the])ictui'
es(iu(' islands of Pui-vt Sound. A ])leasant ride of
lifteen houi's on the Wisconsin Central I^dlroad to
St. Paul, andanothei'of three days and nights on the
gi-and old Northern Pacilic, hi-ought us face to face
with the glittering crests and beetling clifl's that were
the objects of our pilgi-image. As the toui'ist goes
west, the tirst view of the range is obtained at the
Dalles of the Columbia rivei'. from whence old Mount
Hood, thirty-live miles distant, reais its majestic
head high into the ethereal vault of heaven, and
neighboi'ing peaks, of lessermagnitude, unfold them-
selves to the enrai)tui'ed visi(m. As the train whirls
down the broad Columbia river, every curve, around
which we swing Avith dazzling s]>eed, reveals to our
bewildei'ed gaze new I'oi'ms of Ix'auty and new
objects of wonder. So many descrii)tions of the
sceiieiy along this mystic sti'eani have l)een writ-
ten, that evejy reading man, Avoman, and child
in the land must be familiar with it, and 1 will
not repeat or attemi^t to improve iii)on any of them.
To say the most extravagant representations are not
exaggerated, is to speak ti'uly, and noonecan know
liow beautiful some of these towers and clilfs ai'e
until he has seen them.
The train arrived at Portland, that old ;uid fai--
famed metropolis of the Noith Pacilic coast, at half
past ten o'clock in the morning, and after twentv-
!
30
rlMI>l\(.s I\ IIIK ( ASCADKS
i'oiir hours jtlt';is;iiitly siiciit in view ijii-' its in;iuy
]>oiiits ol' interest jiiid the sn<)\v-('(»v('i'»'(l nionntains
t IH'lv;|l)(>Uts. we illiilin lioillded the Xol'theril Piicilic
tr:iin :iii(l s])e(l t(>u;inl 'rjiconiii, wlieie we nnived nt
six ()"('h)('lv in the «'veniim'. Ilei-e we piissed another
<hiy ill looi\inii' over ;i hoondn.u' \Vest«'rn city, whose
i'ntnre prosiieritv and ureatness iiave heenassm-ed hv
its having- he^Mi ehosen as tlie tide-water terminus of
tile Northern Pacilic Railway. Tacoma is situated
(»n Coniinenceinent i'ay, an arm ol" Pn.uet Sound,
and has a harl>(»r naviuahle for the iar.uest ocean
steamshii)s. The vast forests of i)ine, iir, and cedar,
with which it is surrounded, ,uiv(^ Tacoma ,ureat
commercial imi)ortanc«'as a lumherinu* town, and the
rich au'ricultnral valleys thereabout assure home pro-
duction of breadstulfs, veii'etahles, meats, etc.. sufli-
cieiit to feed its army of workini-inen. Kicli coal fields,
in tlie immediate nei,u'hl>orhood. furinsh I'uel for
doniestic and maniii'acturin.L!: pui'poses at meivly
nominal ]»rices. All the waters hereabouts jibound
in salmon, several varieties of trout and other food-
tishes, while in the woods and mountains adjacent,
elk, deer, and bears are numerous; so the place will
always be a poj)ular resort for the sportsman and
the tourist. The ( hief attraction of the city, how-
ev«'r, for the traveler, will alwayss be the tine view
it alfnrdsof Mount Tacoma. This grand old pinnacle
of the Cascade Range, forty-five miles distant, lifts its
snow- mantled form far above its neighbors, which are
themsel ves great n lonntains. while its glacier-crowned
snmmit rises, towers, aiid strnggles aloft "til —
" Rouud its breast the rolling clouds are spread,
Ettrnal sunsliine settles on its head;''
AM) (>llli:i{ IIINTINCJ Al)\ KMIKKS.
31
Mild its (•r(>Avii is iilinost lost in tli«> liniilh'ss rro-ions
of tii«' (l»'«'i) Miir si\y.
Fnmi tlM' v<'r;iii(l;is of tlic 'I'mcoim;! Iloiiso on»' may
view Mount 'r;i('()iu;i until wt-aricd with ua/inu'. TIih
>«oi'tlM'rn I'iicilic Jiailwav niiis within liltt'cn miles
of the l)ast' of it, and from tii»' iiraicst point a trail
haslx'cii made, at ii cost of some tlioiisands of dollars,
l»v wliicli tourists inav ascend tlie mountain on
horseback, to an altilinh' of about lo.ooo feet, with
comparative comfort; but he who u'oes above that.
Iieiuht must work liis ]>assa<'e. There are several
men wlio claim the distinction of beinu' the only
white man that has ever been t(» the top of this
mountain. Others declare that it has been ascended
only twice; but we have authentic information of at
least three successful and coni))lete ascents ha\in,i;'
been nuuh'. Indian leueiids ])eo}>le the mountain
with evil spirits, which are said to dwell in boiling
caldrons and yawning caverns—
"Calling shapes, ami beck'uing shadows dire,
And airy tongues that syllable men's names."
Tradition says their wild shrieks and groans may be
lieard therein at all times; and no Indians are known
ever to have gone any great distance n[) Mount
Kainier, as they call it. White men have tried to
employ the native red men as guides and packers
for the ascent, but no amount of money can tempt
them to invade the mysterious canons and clill's
Avith which the marvelous pile is snrroundetl. They
say that all attempts to do so, by either white or
red men, must result in certain (h'struction. Un-
doubtedly the first ascent was made about thirty
years ago, by General Uhen Lieutenant) Kautz, and
:j2
('i:ri>r\(is i\ '\\\v ( axadks
M
Lit'Utriiant Sliiiiulitt'i-, of llic I'liltt'd Srjites Annv,
\\ ho w^'i'c llicii stiitioiuMl at Stcilacooiii, Wasliiimion
Territory. They took pack aiiinials, and with an
<'scort of ^s('V<'|■al iii«mi ascciKh' I as i'ai" as tlic aiiinials
coiiM ^'o. TluMc tlicy h'l't thf'iii and coiitiiiiicd tlie
<'liiiil) on loot. They were <j;()ne nine (hiys, from the
tiint* of leaviiiu' their nmles until tliev returned to
the animals, and claimed, no doubt justly, to have
^■one !(► the to}) of Liberty (Ja J), the hi.^hfst of tile
three distinct summits that form the triph'X coiona;
the others beini;- known as the Sumnut and the
J)ome. The next ascent, so far as known, was made
in J87()bv Mr. Hazard Stevens, who i-ave an account
of ills exi)ei'iences in the AlJiitilir MoiifJi/// h)V ^o-
vembei', of that year. In I8<S:2, Messrs. \'an Trump
and Smith, of San Francisco, made a successful
ascent, and in the same rear an Aus'iian tourist
who attempted to ascend the mountain, got within
three hundred I'eet of the to}), when Ins i)rogress was
arrested l)y an avalanclie, and he came very near
losiiii;- his life. aMr. L. L. Ilolden, of Jioston, went
to within about six liundred feet of the summit in
ISJS;}, and Mr. .1. II. llitclicock claims to liave
readied it in issr».
From the j-oint liained by the trail above men-
tioned, the tourist may look down upon the .uiaciers
of th,- Xorth Fork of the Puyallui) Uivei-. :i.(M)()
i'eet l)elo\v. while on the other hand, the glaciers of
the canon of the Carbon may be seen 4.000 feet
beneath him. Away to the north, glimmering and
glinting nnder tla^ effulgent rays of the noonday
sun, stretches that labyrinth of waters known as
Piiget Sound —
" Whose breozy waves tos? up their silvery spray;"
'«
iiw
A.M» olIIKi: IHMINf; ADVKNTIUKS.
;}:j
wliilc llif iiiiiiiy islands ilinvin. draiMd in tlie!'
«'v«'i'^r('('ii I'oliaut'. lodk likr- t'liicriilds set in ;i slicrt
of silver. Many [tioniiiuMit laiidiuMiks in Biitisli
('()lMnil)i;i Mit' stTii, wiiilc to tiif nnrili jind soiitli
sti't'lclirs tlic ('jiscad*' l?;iii^v. to liic \v«'st the Olym-
pic, and to tilt' sontliwcst tln'Coasi Kanuc. All tli«'se
art' sprt'ad ont bt'l'ort' tlif t-yt- of tlif tourist in a
.H'l'Miid panoi'iiina niism'i)as.st.>tl lor lovt'lint'ss. CrattT
Lakt' i'ornis one of the nivsteiies of Mount Ta('t)niM.
Al>t»Mt its i'a,u<i,t'(l, i('e-l)ound and rock-rihlM'd shoit's
ai'e many ihifkcavt'i-ns, from which the Intlians con-
ceived their siipcistiiious fears of this mysterious
pile. An explorer says of one of thes«' chambers:
'• Its roof is a (h)me of brilliant ,ii,i'een, with loii^^
icicles pendant tlier«'from: while it.s tloor is com-
posed of the rocks and debris that formed the side
of the crater, worn smooth l)y the action of water
and heated by a natural rt^gister, from which issue
clouds of steam."
The giantl canon of the Puyallupistwo and a half
miles witle, and from its licad may bt^ seen the great
glacier. 300 feet in thiclviiess, which sui)plies the
great volume of watei' tluit flows through the Pu-
yallu}) river. From hei'e no less than nine different
waterfalls, varying in height from ,500 to 1,500 feet,
are visible; and visitors are sometimes thrilled with
the magnificent spectacle of an avalanche of thou-
sands of tons of overhanging ice falling with an
overwhelming crash into the canon, roaring and
reverbernting in a way that almost makes the great
mountain tremble. Fed l)y the lake, torrents pour
over the edge of the cliff, and the foaming waters,
forming a jierpetual veil of seemi'igly silver lace.
■m
34
rin'ISI\(;S IX THE CASCADES.
fall with a i'oarful leap into the arms of the surging
waves below. Mount Taconia will he the I'utui'e
resort of th(^ continent, and many of its wondrous
beauties yet remain to be exx)lo]'ed.
mi
':^ ,
■
M| J|^|
L
ic'imt4^«'-
' "^..^il
lte*.«^r--' _v |i
«''"W"^
-\rfl.»- "-^r-J^
VIKW ON CliKKX lilVEi; NEAIl MOUNT TACOMA.
lire
oils
CHAPTER III.
36
('lfrisiN(;s iX 'IliK ('ASCADKS
M!
fl!
< ■
'■V
' !
: 1
various Aniericaii and Eiii'()i>ean ports, over loo.ooo
tons liavin*;- Ix^nn shipix'd in l.sss, ])i"ing-ing the
gro\v«M'S the iiandson.ie sum of .s.")()().:}*i7.
Dui-ing the tifteen yeai's since the l)e,i;inning of
this ini[)oi't:int cultivation, tlie lu)p ci'o[) is said
never to have i'aiied, nor has it been attacked l)y
disease, noi" detei'iorated by leason of the ro<'ts beinn'
kept on the same land without repl;inting. It is
believed that the Dwaniish, t\w Wliite Kiver, and
the Pu.yallup Valleys coidd easily pro<'U<''^ as nuiny
liops as are now raised in the United "^r. « if labor
could be obtained to pick them, Iik. u. aave been
mainly relied upon to do the ^ 'cki]iu\ and they have
flocked to the Sound from nearly all parts of the
Territory, ewjn from beyond the mountains. Many
have come in canoes from regions near the outlet of
the Sound, from British Columbia, and even fi'om
far off Alaska, tt) engage t<'m[)orai'ily in this ()ccui)a-
tion; then to purchase goods and leturn to their
wiu'wams. Thev excel the whites in their skill as
pickers, and, as a rule, conduct themselves i)eace-
iibi V.
Elliot Bay. on which Seattle is l)uilt, aftoi'd> . '.-ne
liarlun* and good anchoiage, while Lakes Uni i- • l
Washington, large bodies of fresh water— t.'"
former eleven and the latter eighteen feet above tide
level — lie just outside the city limits, opposite.
There are rich coal ndnes at hand, which produce
nearly a nullion dollai's worth, each year. Large
I'eitile tracts of agricultui'al lands, in the near
vicinity, produce grain, vegetabl- ■ and f''Uts of
many varieties, and in great luy ■ ' jice. ir*'. ore
of an excellent quality abounds in the hiii- 'id
il
.vNi> oTHKi: nrNTrN(; AOVKNTrrj-.s.
37
hear
of
ore
- id
niountaiiis \n\rk of llic city, and witli all ^liese
iiatui'al resources and advaiitaufs at lit-r coiiiinaiid,
St'iittltMs sure to hccome' a ureal nietr()])olis in the
iit-ai- fii'ui'e. Tilt' climate of tlie Pugel Sound coun-
tiy is teni[)ei'ate; snow seldom falls before Christ-
mas, never 1o a ui'eater depth than a few inches in
the valleys and lowlands, and seldom lies moi-e
llian a few days at a time. ]Nry friend, Mr. \V.
A. l*eny. of Seattle, in a letter dated Decenihei- (5,
says:
"The v.eather. since yoni' departure, has been
veiy beantifiil. The inoininu- of your arrival was
the coldest flay we have had this ant'imn. i^'lowei's
are now bloonunu' in the liai'dens. and vestei'dav a.
friend who li\('s at I^ake Wasliinuton se?it nie a box
of delicious sti'awbei-ries. [)icked from the vines in
his uarden in the ojh n air on December 4. while
you. jioor ieil(»w, were shiverinu', wrap})ed up in
numberless coats and fiii-s. in the arctic i-euions of
Chicau'o. Whv don't von emiuratej There's lots of
room for you on the Siimas, whei'e the ilowers aie
e\ei' bloominu', where the summer ne\-er dies, where
the uood JiOid sends the ///cr (ui't'ai I salmon t(» your
verv door: .wul where, if \()u want to sho(»l, \()U
have youi' choiee fioiu the tiny jacksnipe to the
cultu>> bear or the lordly elk."
Theic are thousands of aeies of natural cranben-y
marsi;es on tie shores of the sound, w here this fiuit
iiidws w i!d III' n(,(>d (juality. and in uieat abundance.
It has not been cultivated tlieic yei, but fortunes
will b" made in that industry in the near future.
]?ut the crowiunu' ulory of Puuet Sound, and its
greatest source ol' wealth, are tlie vast forests of
li
■Si
a
1
i
AND n'l'irKll mNTI.\(i Al>VKNTr IIKS
no
J.
a
2;
;3
3
tinibcr. It is scarcely iidvisablc lo tt'll the tnitli
couccniiiiii- the size to wliicii some of the uiiiiit Mrs
tiiul ce(hirs iiTow ill this country, lest [ l)e accused of
exau'L-eration; but. Tor proof of what I say, it will
only be necessary to iiujuire of any resident of th«'
Sound country. There are liundreds of lir and cedar
ti'ecs i^i these woods twentv to tweutv-tlve feet ill
diatnelrr, above the spur I'oofs, and o\"er three
hiindi'ed I'eet liigh. A cube was cut fi'om a lir tree,
near Vancouver, and ^iiipped to the Colonial Kxhi-
bition in London iji 1880, that measured nine feet
and ei.ii'ht inches in thickness each way. The baik
of this tree was fourteen inches thick. Another
tree was cut, trimmed to a length of three Imndred
and two feet, and sent to the same (h'stination, but
this one, I am told, was only six feet tjn'ough at
the butt.
From one tree cut near Seattle six sawdogs were
taken, live of which weiv thiity feet long, each, and
the other was twentv-four feet in lenuth. This tree
was only live feet in diameter at the base, and the
first limb grew at a height of two feet above whei'e
the last log was cut off, or over one liundi'ed and
seventy feet fr(^m the gi'ound. A red cedar was cut
in the same neighboi'hood that measured eighteen
feet in diameter six feet abov<' the gi-ouiid ; and
thei'e is a well-authenticated case of :i nuin, named
lle[)burn, having lived in one of these cedai's foi'over
a yetir, while clearing up a farm. The tree was hollow
at the ground, the cavity measuring twenty-two feet
in (he clear and ruiuiing u[) to a knot hole about
foity feet above. The homesteader laid a Hoor in
the hollow, seven oreight feet above theground, and
^— ^
40
CRriSlX(;S IX TIIK CASCADKS
i'V
• I
1 f
If
I n
l>lii('<'(l ii huldcr :iu;)iiist tlio \v;ill l)y wliicli to .ao up
jiiid down. On tilt' lloor li<' hiiili :i stoiic lirfi)l;i('t',
and froiii it to llie knot liolc ;d)ov»' a slick ;in<l clav
ciiinmcy. II<' livod nps'airs aiidkcpl his liois*' an<L
cow downstaii's. It may hf well to ('Xplain that lie
was a baclit'Ior. and timssav*' th<' rcad'>r;iny anxiety
as to how his wife and childfcn liked the situation.
Thf " Siiiuas Saplinu" stands near Siiinas i^akc,
northeast of Seattle, it is a hollow cedar, tweiity-
thiee I't'et ill the clear, on the uroiind. and is esti-
mated to l)e jil'teen l"e<'t ill diameter twenty feet
above the uronnd. 1 liave, in several instances,
counted more than a liundivd of these maniinotli
trees on an acre of land, and am informed that
one tract has been cut oil" tliat yielded over l.odo.coo
feet of Inmber per acre. In this case tie trees stood
so close to.u'etlier that many of the slumps liad to Ix^
duu' out, after the trees had been felh-d. bcfoi^ihe
lous could be li'otteii out. The system of iou'ii'iiiu' ill
vou'iH' liere diU'ers widely from that practi<'ed in
Wisconsin. Michiiiaii. Maine, and elsewhere. ]S(>
snow or ice are required here, and, in fact, if snow-
falls to any considerable depth while crews are in
the woods a halt is called until it uoes oil".
(,,'oi'duroy in; .Is are built into the timber as fast
asre(iuii'ed, on which tlie teams travel, so that it is not
necessary that the uround should be even frozen,
Skids, twelve to eiu'hteeii iiu'lies thick, are laid across
these roads, about nine feet apart, and sunk into the
ground so as to })roject about six inches above the
surface ; the l)ark is peeled olt' the to[», they are kept
greased, and the logs are " snaked" over them ^vith
four to seven yoke of cattli'. as may ])e recpiiied.
AVI) (tTIIF.I! inXTIX*; ADVKXrrUKS.
4t
Tilt' wcahlil.T <)|ii'r:il<»is use st<';iiii locomotives ;ni(l
i-AVs, hiiildiiiii' tincks into tlif tiiiilx'i- iis I'nst Mini as
I'ar as iifi'<|f(l. Tills nfrat tiiiilirr hell isc()-cxt»'iisi\(>
with Piiu't't Soiiiid. the Straits of (Icoiiiia. iiiid the
( 'ax-ad*' Mountains. 1 ludirve that at the prt'sciit
rati' at wlilcli limil>t'r is Ix'lii;^' coiisiinicd, there is lir,
pliie. and cedai" eiMtiiuh in Washington Territory and
I'ritUh ( 'oliiiiil)la to last the world a thousand years.
ss
1-
CHAPTER I\.
['GF/r SorXI) is ii "Teal iiihma
sea, «'xt eliding- iieuily 2^)0 miles
iroiii the ocean, jiavin^- a sur-
faci' (tC al)()Ut 2,01)0 !S(j^uaie l^il<^s,
and a sliore line of I,;")!)-! miles,
indented with nunuMons l)ays, harhors. and iidets,
each with its pecnlitir nann* ; and it contains numer-
ous islands inhal)lte(l by I'armeis, lumbermen, herds-
men, and those engaged in ([uarryin:^ lime and build-
ing stone. Nothing can sur[)ass the beauty of these
waters and their safety. Not a slioal exists within
the ISound, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty
Bay, Hood's Canal, or the Straits of Geoigia, that
would in any way interru[»t their navigation by a
seventy- four-gun ship. There is no country in the
world that i)ossesses wat<M's e(|ual to these. The
jshores of all the inlets and bays are remaikab'y bold,
so much so that a ship's side would touch the
shoi'e before her keel would touch the ground. The
country by which tlu'se waters are surrounded has
a remarkably salubrious climate.
The region affords every advantage for the accom-
modation of a vast commercial and military marine,
with conveniences for docks, and there ai'e a great
many sites for towns and cities, which at all times
would be well supplied with water, and the sur-
rounding country, which is well adapted to agricult-
(4-J)
ANT) OTIIKU lir.\TF.\(^ ADVENmiKS.
43
lire, would supply Jill thn wautsofti liir<;vi)()pu]ati()ii.
NoiKii't of the woi-M all'oi-ds liiu'i- ishnids, .sounds,
oi'agTeat<'nmnil)('rol'harl)oi'stii;ni are found wirhin
these waters. They are capable of receiving the
liirn-est class of vessels, and are without a sin<;le hid-
den daii.u"r. From the lise and fall of the tide (18
feet), every facility is afforded for the erection of
woj-ks for a «;Teat maritime nation. The rivers also
fnrnishliundivds of sites for water-power for nianu-
fMctuiin.i-- purposes. On this Sound .are already situ-
ated many thrivino- towns and cities, besides' those
already mentioned, Ijidding- for the commejve of the
world.
The flora of the Sound ren;ion is varied and inter-
estino-. A saturated atmosphere, constantly in con-
tact with the Coast Kange system of ii[)heaval, to-
gether with the warm temperature, induces a growth
of vegetation almost tropical in its luxuriance. On
the better soils, the shot-clay liills and uplands, and
on the alluvial plains and river bottoms, grow the
great trees, already mentioned, and many other
species of almost equal beauty, though of no commer-
cial value.
"The characteristic shrubs are the cornels and the
spiraeas, many species. These, with the low thickets
oi^H'dh\\{Ganltheria sliaUoiiX Oi'egon grape (berries)
and fern (chiefly pteris, which is the most abunchmt'),'
and the tangle of the trailing blackberry {Rubus
pedatus) make the forests almost impeneti-able save
where the ax or the wild bea^jt or the wilder Are have
left their trails.
''The dense shade of the forest gives little oppor-
tunity for the growth of the more lowly herbs.
Ill
1
A.M> oriii.i: iirNiiN«i adv knit 1:1;-
45
§
>'
"When* llu' lire has opciK-il tlipsn shiidt's to llir liulit
tlie almost iiiiivt'isnl liivurcd {cpilohiinti) and tlif
l()\<'ly l)i(»\vu lii<'-iii()>s ( f'liiidria tahouiid. In swamps
and lowlands the comlmstion of (h'cay, ahnostas
(piick and clVt'ctiv.' as liio ils.'ir, opens lai'.iiv spaces
to ill*' liulil ; and lnM'«^ al)onnd chu'tly Ili«' skunk
<'al)l)a,u<' ol" lli<* Pacilic roast (7//.s'/(7///o//) and many
I'oi'nis of the lovlit'st mosses. jLiTown l)t'yond belief
save hy those who liave looked npoli theii' ti'opical
con.u'eneis. //f/innniis -And Miu'iDiis make the uieat
massAvhich meet the eye : and anionu' the many less
obvions foi'nis a carefnl seaicli will leveal many
si)ecies characteiistic of this coast alone. The lower
foinis of the cryptouams. the lichens and the I'nnu'i,
abonnd in <;i'eatest profnsion as miuht be exjtected.
The chief intei'cst in these, in the present state of our
knowled.u'e of them, spiinus from theii* disjxtsition
to invade the more valnable J'oiins of vegetation
which follow advancing civilization."
1 measnred one fununs. which I fonnd growing njjon
the decaying triiidv of a, mammoth iii', that was thii-
teen inches tliickand thirty-fonr inclies wi(h'. I have
fivqnently seen mosses glowing on rotten k)gs, in
tlie deep shades ol" these lonely forests, that were
twelve to sixteen inches dee}), and others hanging
from branches overhead three feet or more in length.
There are ])laces in tiiv se d(^nse forests where the trees
.stand so close and Ineir branches ai'e so inteitwined
that the snn's rays never reach the ground, .and have
not, perliaps for centuries ; and it is but natui-al that
these shade and moisture loving i)lants should grow
to great size in such ])laces.
Tlie fauna of tliis Territory includes the elk. black-
■^T"
I if
46
(•|!IFSI\(;«; T\ TIIH CASCADKS
tailed (leer, ('('rnts C()/niiil)i((iiii.s ; tlie iniile-dccr,
CcrrKs iiKicroins : ihi' \'ir'ji,iiiiii (l«'»'r, Cernis vinjiu-
i'anff.s: llif cailhoii, llic Hocky Moimtaiii goat,
Rocky Mountain nIkm'p, tlic griz/ly and Maclv bear.
Ajnoiig tin' smaller mainnials tlicrc are tlie laccoon,
the coMuai', wild cat, gray wolf. Mack woll*, i)i'airie
wolf or coyote, gray and red fox, iisher, mink,
martin, Deaver, otter, ,sea otter, r«'d .s(iniri*el, ermine,
mnskrat, se;i lion, fnr and hair senls, wolverine,
sknnk, badger, porcnpine, marmot, s\vani[) liare,
jack-ial)l)it, etc. Of birds and wild fowls ther<' is
a long list, anionu' which mav be mentioned sev(M'al
varieties of geese and brant, including the rare and
toothsome black l)rant, Avliich in season hovers in
black clouds about the sand si)its ; t canvas back,
red head, blue bill, b'al, widgeon, si m', and vari-
ous other ducks ; ruJl'ed. pinnated, jind blue grouse ;
various snijx'S and i)lovers ; eagles, liawks, owls,
woodpeckeis, jays, magpies, nuthatches, warblers,
sparrows, etc. There are many varieties of game and
food lislies in the Sound and its tribntaries, in ad-
dition to the salmon and trout already mentioned.
In short, this whole country is a i)aradise for the
sportsmnn and the naturalist, whatever the specialty
of either.
AVe left Seattle, en route for A'ictoi'ia, at seven
o'clock on a bi'iglit, crisp November morning. The
air was still, the bay was like a sheet of glass, and
only long, low swells were running outside. We
had a charming view of the Cascade ^fonntains to
the east and the Olympics to the west, all day. The
higher peaks were covered with snow, and the sun-
light glinted and shimmered across them in playful,,
I
AND (HiiKU iir\riN<i Ai>\i.Mri:i;s.
47
chcfi'v luoofl. T)<'('|) sli;i<l()\vs r»'ll 'itliwMit <l;irk
Ciirioiis. ill \vli()s»' i;l()()iiiy (l»'l)llis we IVlr sure licl'ds
of »'lk ;iii<l (l«'<'r wt'ic nippiiiii" the t«'n<l«'i' licrlKiuc,
mikI iiloiin' whose niniiii;- rivers siiiidiy hears were
(l()iil)lless hreakl'asliiiii,' on saliuoii siraiulit. Old
Mount Baker's Mia.jt'sticiiead, risiiin' |(».S(t(» I'eet al»ove
us ami only lil'ty iiiiies away, was tlie most proin-
iiieiit <>i)ject in the u'orueoiis landscape, and one on
which we never tired ol' uaziiii;'. We had only to
cast our eyes IVoin the «;-i'and scen«' ashore to that
at our feet, and rice I'cfsii, to —
" So(.' the mountains kiss liiuli iiojivcn,
Ami tilt' wiivi's cliisp OIK" iiiidtlicr."
A lar.^-e colony of ,i;'iills followed the steamer, with
ceaseless l>eat of downy winu's, from dayli.uht till dai'k,
and after the Hrst hour thev seemed to i-euaid us as
old i'iiend>
Thev hover<Ml al»out tln^ deck like
wingf d s[)irits around a lost child. Stran,<;-e bird
thus to poise with tii'eless wiiiu,' over this watery
waste (lay after dayl Neai' tln' route of the vessel
one of the i»oor creatures lav dead, drifting' sadiv
and alone on the cold waves. Mvsterious creature.
w
itli—
" Luck lustre eye. aivl idU' winir,
And smirched breast that skims uo more,
Ilasl thou not even ii grave
Upon the dreary shoie,
Forlorn, forsaken ihinLrV"
Our feathered I'ellow-passenifers ijreeted us with
plaintive cries whenever westeppedout of the cabin,
dropping into the water in pursuit of every stray
bit of food that was thrown overboard from the cook-
room. My wife begged several plates of stale bread
rr
;
:
■
1
'
■
1
i
jii
-
jl
11
48
CUnsiNGS IX Tl'K CASCADKJ;
lV():ii til:' steward, and, l)i'eakiii,i:; it into. small pieces,
tluvu' liandruls at a time into the water.
Twinitvortliirtvof tlie l)irdsw()idd droi) in al)un('li
where the bread fell, and a livelv seraniMe would
ensue for the coveted food. The luckv ones wouM
quickly corral it, however, when tiie whole tli.uiit.
OUR lEATUERED FELLOW-PASSENGEUS.
risini? a^u'ain, woidd follow and soon overtake the
vessel. Then they would cluster around th'-ir jiatron.
cooinii", and coaxinu; for more of the welcome oountv.
I took out my detective cjunera and made a numbej'
of exposures on the <i"ulls, which result<'d vei'y satis-
factorilv. Manv of the ixiiits show them sadlv out*
of focus, but this was unavoidable, as 1 focused at
Axi) oTirr-Mi in'XTr.\(^ ai>\ kxtckks
49
twenty feet, tnul of course all thai wciv nearer or
farther away, at the insr-.mt of exjxhsuv". ai-e not
shar]). Many, liowcvci-, that were on wini-' at the
time of makiiio- the exposure, and at the inoi^n- dis-
tance from the I-ns. are clearly and shai'ply cur.
These i»ictiires form a most interestinii' stnt'ly for
artists, anatomists, naturalists, and others,' the
winus beinu- shown in .'v.My position assumed by the
birds in fliuht. The shutter worked at so hiuh a
pressui-e that only one (.r two biids in the entire
series show any movement at all, and ihev are but
v.-iy sliuhtly blui'ivd. When wo consider that the
steamei-, as well as the oulls, was in motion-run-
nin- ten miles an hour-treniblin- and vibratino-
Irom stem to stei-n.. an<l that, in nianv cases, the
l)irds were o( , inn. i,i.,n opposite direction from that
of the vessel. t!ie results obtained are certainly niai--
velous. It may interest some of niv readi'i-s to
know that I used an Anthony detective camera,
makin-- a fourd)y-tive-incli picture, to which islitted
a roll holdei'. and in all the work done on this trip
I used negative paper. I also obtained, en mute
several good views of various islands, and jioints of
interest on tl^ mainland, while the boat was in
motion.
There are man\ l)eautiful scenes in and about the
yound: many chai Cling islands, clothed in everi-Teen
folij.ge, from wlx.se interiors issue clear, sparklin<'-
bi-ooks of fresh water; while the maiidan<l shores
rise abruptly, in jdaces, to several hundreds of 1^,4
bearing their bui-(hMis of giant trees. Tln-re aiv per-
pendicular cut banks on many of the ishuids and
the mainland shores, thirty, fc.rtv, or tiftv feet hi<di
■^ —rrr
wammmmm
I
1 !
it
(•")0)
*f»
AND OTHKII IHNTIN(i ADV KNTC KKS,
51
C
almost pcrpniidicuhir, made so by the hungry waves
liaviiig eaten away tlieir roiindations, and thn earth
liavinii" fallen into the brine, leaving exposed ]>are
walls of sand and gravel. On \Vhi(ll)y Island, one
o!" the lai'gest in the Sound, there was. up to a i'ew
yejirs ago. a herd of wild cattle, to which no or 3
made claim of ownershii), and whieh were, conse-
(piently, cijnsidered It^uitima^e game for anyone
who cared to hunt them. They Avere waiy and cun-
ning in the extreme. The elk or deer, native and to
the manor born, could not be more so. But, alas,
these cattle were not to be the ])rey of true consci-
entious s))orfsmen; for the greed of the mai'ket
hunter and the skin hunter exceeded the natural
ciiuninu' of the noble animals, and thev have been
nearly exteruiinated; only ten or twelve remain, and
they will socm have to yield up their lives to the
insatiable greed of those infamous l)utchers.
One of the ost curious and interesting points in
the sound is De.»'ption Pass. This is a narrow chan-
nel or passage between iwo islands, (nilv liftv yards
wide, and about two hundred yard- lonu". On either
side rise abrupt and towering col iinuis of basaltic rock,
and during both ebb and tlow the ride i uns tliiough
it, Ix^ween Padilla and Dugall:' Bays, with all the
wild fuiv and bewilderinii' s])eeil of the maelstrom.
« * ^ J.
This i)ass takes its aame from ih- fact of there
being three coves near — on th* west coast of
Whidby Island — that look so niudi like Deception
that they are often mistaken foi- it at rught or dur-
ing foggy weather, evenby expei-ienced navii'-ators.
All the skill and care of the best i)ilots are re(piired
to make the pass in safety, and the bravest of them
52
CKriSl.\(iS I.\ TinO ( ASCADKS.
lieave a sigh oH. reVmi wlieii once its beetling cliffs
and spetliing abysses are far astern. Gulls hover
about this weird plnce, nnd eagles soar above it at all
houi's, as it' adni.i'ing its pristine beauties, yet in
supei'stitious awe of the dai'k depths, ^[ount Erie,
two miles n way, rising to a height of ],'}()() I'eet, casting
its deep shadows across rlie pass and surrounding-
waters, completes a picture of rare l)eauty and
•grandeur.
We leached Vic^toria, that quaint, old, aristocratic,
ultra-English town, just as the sun was siidving
beneath the waves, that rolled restlessly on the surface
of Juan de Fuca Strait. We were surorised to see
so substantial and well-built a town as this, and
one possessing so much of the air of age and inde-
pendt'iice, so far north and west. One might iradily
imagine, from the exterior appearance of the city
and Is sui'i'oundings, that he were in the province
of Quebi c instead of that of Jjiilish Columbia. ]\fy
wife felt that she must not remain h)nger away from
home at present, and we were to part here; there-
fore, in the early morning she eml)ark('d for home,
while 1 ti'ansferred my effects and self to the steamer
Princess Louise, bound for Burrard Inlet.
t !
CHAPTER V.
(iMvliglitiii tlie moiriing we entered Eng-]isli
J^ay, luiving crossed tlie strait diinno^the
niglit. The sun ('limbed up over the snow-
mantled mountains into a cloudless sky,
, and his rays were reflected from the limjtid,'
tramjuil surface of the bay:
" Blue, dirkly, deeply, beautifully blue,"
--.. i^ US if from the face of u mirj-or. A few
miles to the east, the triple-mouthed J^^iazer
empties its great volumr .,f fresh, cold, glacier
tinted fluid into the briny inland sea. and its
delta, level as a floor, stretches back many miles
on either side of the river to the foot-hills' of the
Cascades. Thousands of ducks sat idly and lazily
m tlie water, sunning themselves, pruning their
l'<'atl)(M's, and eyeing us curiously but fearlessly,
as we ]>assed, sometimes within twenty-five or
thiity yai-ds of them. A few geese crossed hither
and thither, in low, long, (hirk lim^s, uttering their
familial- honk, honk; but tliey were more^wai'v
than their lesser (ousins, and kept Avell out of range.
I asked the purser if there was any rule auainst
shooting on board, and he said m,: to oo down on
the after main d(M'k, and shoot until 1 was tired. I
took my Winchester ex])ress from the case, went
below and opened on the ducks. They at onrv found
\w
.04
('i!risiN(;s ix TiiK rAS('Ain:s
.1
it necessary to get out of the country, and their
motion, and that of tlie vessel coni])ined, caused nie
to score several close misses, but I jinally found the
bull's-eye, so tosjjeak, and killed tliiccin r;i])id suc-
cession. Then the mate came down and said:
''We don't allow no one to be lirin" oil ,^uns on
board."
'• I have the i)urs('i'"s peimission," I said.
'• \V(dl,"' he replied, "IIih captain's l)elt('i' author-
ity than the purser on this here l)oat,"' whereui)on
he retui'ued to the cabin deck, and so did 1. I was
not seriously disap])ointed, howevei', lor I caird
little for the duck shootin,i>'; T was in q.iest of hirovi'
gauie, and only Avanted to i)ractice a little, to renew
acipmintance and familiarity with my weai)on.
Eai'ly in the day we entered Ihu'i'ard Inlet, a narrow,
crooked, and pecidiarly shaped arm of the salt water,
that winds and threads its wav manv miles back
into the mourdains, so narrow in placi's, that a boy
may casta stone across it, and y(^t so deep as to be
navigable for the largest ocean stejimship. The inlet
is so luirrow and crooked that a stranger, sailing into
it for the lirst time, would pronounce it n great river
coming down from the mountains. Through this
picturesque body of water our good boat cleft tlu^
shadows of the oveilunming mountains until nearlv
noon, when we landed at \^ancouver, the terunnus
of the Canadian Paciiic Railway. In consequence of
this important selection, the place is a l)usy mart of
trade. The clang of saw and hammer, the rattle of
wheels, the general din of a building boom, are su<'h
as to tire one's nerves in a few hours. Later in the
day we reached Port Moody. This town was origi-
AM> OTHKII in\l'I\<; AltVKNTIKKS
;).)
nnlly dcsiuiKited ns the lidc-w.itci' tcnniniis of the
load, and liad its l)i'iel' era of ])i'.»si)('ril y and spccii-
]ati()U ill ('<)iis('(|uen('«'; hut now tliat tlir ]>lan Jias
been ('liang«nl it lias bctMi ivdnced to a mere way
station, and lias relai)srd into the dullest kind oi"
dnllncss.
Fi'om here I staged aci'oss the divide to New
Westniinstei'. on the Frazer river, tln^ home of iNIr.
,1. C IIii,uhs, who had invited me tlieie to hnnt
Rockv Monntain uoats with him. 1 was urieved
beA'ond nieasnre, however, to learn on nivarrival that
he was dangeronsly ill. and went at once to ids
house, but he was unahle tost^eme. Tie sank I'apidly
inmi the date of his lii-st illness, died two days aftei'
mv arrival, and I therid'ore fonnd mvself in a stranu'e
land, with no friend oi' accinaintance to whom 1
could <i'o for information or advice.
My lirst ol)ject, therefore, was to lind a guide to take
me into the mountains, and although I found seveial
ju'etended sportsmen, I could hear of no one who had
ever killed a goat, except pool' Hughs, an<l a ]\ri'.
Fannin, who had formerly lived tlnMe, but had lately
moved a way, so of course no one knew where I could
get a guide, ^'everal businessmen, ol whom I asked
information, incpiired at once where 1 was from. an<l
on learning that I was an American, sim])ly said "• I
don't know." and were, or at least pi'etended to be,
too busy to talk with me. They seemed to have no
use for people from this side of the boundary line,
and this same ill-feeling tov.ard my Xation (with a
big N) was shown me in other places, and on various
occasions, while in the province. I found, however.
one gracious exception, m
New Westminster, in th
m;
('IM'FSI\<.S I\ TIIK CASCADKS
■I : .,'
'<ii
person ol' Mr. C (t. iSljijor, a iiu'rcliaiit, wlio, tlicino-
iiieiit I iiKide know 11 to lilm my Avish, replied:
" Well, sir, the best guide Jiiid the best hunter in
British Columbia left Jiere not three minutes n.uo.
lie is Jin indiiin who lives on Douiihiss L;il\e, and I
think 1 <':iii ,u('t him for you. II' 1 can, youai'elixed
Tor a g-ood and sucressful hunl."
This news, and the I'laidv, manly, eoi'dial ,i'"reetin,i^
that came with it, were sui"j)risin<4' to me, al'ter the
treatment 1 had been rereivin<i,'. ^NTr. Major invited
me into his i)rivate olliee, g-ave me a chair by the lire,
and sent out a messenger to h)okJ'or '"Douglass Hill,"
tlie Indian ol* whom lie had spoken. This important
l)ersonage soon came in. Mr. Major told liim Avhat
I wanted, and it took but a lew minutes to make
a bargain. lb» was a solid, well-built Indian, had
an intelligent face, spoke I'air English, and Jiad the
i-eputation ol' being, as Mr. ^Nfajor Jiad said, an excel-
lent hunter. Mr. >fajor further said he considered
Bill one of the most Jionest. truthful Indians he had
ever known, and that i could trust him as implicitly
as I could any white man in the country.
This ari'angemeiit was made on Saturday night,
but Bill said he could not start on the Jiuiit until
Wednesday morning, as his mother in-law had just
died, and he must go and helj) to l)ury her on Tues-
day. The funeral was to take ])lace on the Chiliik-
weviik river, a tribntarv of the Frazer, about iifty
miles above New Westminster, and it was arranged
that I should go np on the steamer, and meet him at
the mouth of llariison river, another tributary
stream, on Wednesday morning. We wei-e then to
go up the Harrison to the hunting grounds. I was
§
AM) OIIIKU Iir.\ll\(i ADVKNITKKS.
57
(l«*li^lit<'(l jit the pi'()sp(M't of a siicct'ssrul liiint, wltli
so ^'ood a .u'liidc, and cliccrrally ('(Hisciitcd lo w;iil
tlic iicccssury ihwv days I'or The ivd man to jx-iforni
tlie last sad rilt'S ol' his tribe over the iciiiains o!
the departed klouc/nnaii, but I was doomed to dis-
appointmeut.
' il
1^
A VIEW ON' THE FRAZEU.
(58)
''Tlio first time I Ix'liclil tlicf, biautcdu^; stroani,
Hiiw pure, how siiiootli, how l)r(iail thy liosiim licavt'd;
"Wliat icc'liiiiis luslied upDii my heart! a iilcain
As of another life my kiinlling soul received."
I left Xew \Vesliiiiiisrri' ;it srvcii o'clock Molidav
I'
iiioi'iiinu' on the stetnuci' Adelaide, I'oi" llic jiioiith of
IltiiTisoii rivei', sixty miles up the Fra/ci'. There
were over twenty Indians on Ifoard, ^uoinu' up to the
a of
mouth of the Chilukwevid^, to attend the funer
Bouii'lass Bill's deceased relative. As soon
(.V,l)
IS
1
1 1
1 ■'
I.
ll
()()
< i:ii>i.\(.s IN iiiK < .\s( Ain:s
learned tlieir dcsiiiiatioii I iii(|iiiiv(l if lie weie
aiiioiii;" them, 1)iit they said lie was not. He had
come ahoard before av<' left, hut for some jvason had
(h'cided to ,ii(> oil aiiotlier boat tliat left half an hour
ahead of the Adelaide. The vovaue iiroved inteiisclv
iuleivstiiiu'. The Kiazer is from a (luarter to half ti
mile wide, and is navigable for larue steamers for a
liiiiulred miles aboNc its mouth. Tlieivare jiortioiis
(»f the valley that ar(» fertile, thickly settled, and
well cultivated. The vallevs of some of its ti'ibii-
taries are also uood farmini;' disti'icts. and urain,
fruits, and xcu'etablcs of various kinds ,t;i()W in
abiinda ice. At the mouth of the Chiliikwevuk I
saw line oeaches that had ^rown in the valley, with-
in ten miles of ]>eri)etual snow. The river became
very crooked as we neared the mountains and
linallv w«' entered tht^ uorue, or canon, wl "ft' the
rocky-faced mountains rise, sheer from the wiiter's
edue, to heiii'hts of many hundreds of feet, and just
back. of them tower ,ui'eat i>eaks, clad in eternal
snows. The little camera was a.uain l)i'()U,ulil into
re(|uisiti()n and, as we rounded some of these pic-
turesque bends and traA'ersed some of the beautiful
reaches, F secured many uood views, though the day
was cloudy and lowery. The boat being in motion,
I Avas, of course, comindled to make the shortest
l)ossible ex[)Osures, and was, therefore, unable to get
lin(> details in the shadows; yet many of the i)riiits
turiK'd out fairly well.
We saw several seals in the vWvv on the way up,
and the captain informed me that at certain seasons
they were quite plentiful in the Frazer and all the
larger streams in the neighborhood. They go ux>
»
AM) oiiii.it iir.\ri.\(. .M>\ i;ni'ii:i:s.
(51
ilic FiMZcr lo lilt' 1m*;i(1 of juiviuMlioii mikI lie could
not, s:iy how much liirlht'i-. lie snid lh;ir ou oiih
occiisioii it J'ciuiilc sciil Jiiid her nouiiu" wnc seen
MporlillH' in the w;ite|-;ihe;i(l ol' the steiiiiier, ;ill(l tllMt
when the vessel ciiine wilhiu al)out lil'ty yiirds they
(love. Nothing' more was seen of tli«' piipjiy, Jind
the cMptaiii thoiiuht it must have heeu cauuhl in
the wheel and killed, i'oi' the mother followed the
vessel several miles, whiiuuu'. looking lonuiuuly,
2)itirully, and beseech inuly at the i»assen<;'eis and
crew. She would swim around and around the
steauKM', comini;' close up, showini;' no j'ear lor her
own sal'etv, whatever, l)Ut seeminu' to beu' them to
give back her l)aby. She api»eared to have lost sight
of it entirelv, whatever its i'ate, and to think it had
l)een captui'ed and taken on boaid. Her moaning
and begging, her intense grief, wei-e pitiable in the
extnMue, and brought teai's to the eyes of stout,
l)rawny men. Finally she seemed completely
exhausted with anguish and her exeilions and gi-ad-
uallv sank out of sight. Mv inl'oi'inant said he
hoped never to witness another such sight.
We arrived at the mouth of llari'ison river at six
o'clock in the evening. There is a little Indian vil-
lage there called by the same name as the river, and
Mr. J. Barker keeps a trading i)ost on the reserva-
tion, he being the oidy white man living there, lie
made me welcome to the best accommodations his
bachelor quarters ali'orded, but said the only slee])-
ing-room he had was full, as tw^o friends I'rom down
the river were stopping with lum for the night, and
that I would have to lodge with one of the Indian
families. He said there was one klooclunan (the
m
till
nmw^
(;i:ris[.\(;s ix '!!ik cax.ades
! i
li
1 ffi 11
Chinook woid Inr s([iia\v) who w;is ;i reniarkalily"
neat, ch'Miily liousekceiiHi', wlio liad n spare room,
and \vlio iisiiallv kfpt ativ slranuvrs that Avislied to
sto]) (iV(M' niiiht []]. tilt' villauv. While we wei-e tallv-
iiiu,' the s(|ua\v in (jiicsilon caiiK' in and Nfr. Bai'ker
.said to lier:
'vMai'v, vaii-lvwa lioston man tik-rli moo-sum
nu'-.si-ka liousc j)olakdf'." ' Heip is an Amci'ican
wlio would like to sleep iii youi- hoiist^ to-night.;
iV) wiiich she replied:
'• Yukd\.;i liy-ak*' i he '-an comum. ana the har.uain
was closed.
I lemained at the stoi»- and talked witli Mr.
Barker and his friends ni-til ten o'clock, when lie
took a lanlern and piloted me over to the Indian
ranclierie. wliere 1 was to 1 xlu'*'. 1 took my slee[(ing-
l)a,i;' with me and thanked my stai's that I did. for
notwithstandinu' the assurances uiven me hy o<)()d
Mr. Barker that the Indian woman was as uood ii
housekeeper as the average white woman. I was
afraid of vermin. I have nevej- known an Indian to
he witliout the heniipterons little insect. Pediculus
i/ihincinis) (-(ipiffs. Fossil )ly theie may be some
Indians who do not Avear them; I simply say T have
never had the pleasure ol:' knowinu' one, and I have
known ;i ii'reat ma UA', too. T seriously doubt if one
has ever vet livinl manv davs at a time devoid of the
companionshi]) of these pestiierons little creatures.
In fact, an Lilian arid a louse are natural allies —
boon com]>anion and are as inseparable as the
boarding-house ]>ed and the bedbug. The led man
is so inni'ed to the ravages of his ])arasitic com-
panion, so accustomed to have him I'ustling
AM) (triiKU mxTiN*; aovkxi ii:i:s.
63
around on liis person and foniiring for i;rul), tluit he
pays little or no attention to the insect, and seems
hiirdly to I'eel its bite.
Y')ii will i-arely see an Indian seratrh his head or,
in I'ju't, any jjortion of his person, as a white man
does when he gets a hite. Lo <i'ives forth no outward
siu'ii that he is thiekly setth'd. and it is only when
he sits or lies down in tlie hot sun that the inhab-
itants of his hair and clothinu" eome to the front;
then you may see them crawling" about like roaches
in a hotel kitchen. Or, when he has lain down on a
board, or your tent canvas, or any light-colored sub-
stance and got np and gone away, leaving some of
his neigii})ors behind, then you know he is — like
others of his race — the home of a large colony of
ins(M*ts.
When Marv and hei husl)and, (reori^e, saw mv
roll of bedding, which they sui^jmsed to l)e simply
blankets, they protested to Mr. Barker that I would
not neel them, that there was '• liy-iu mitdite pa-
se-se " (plenty of covering on the bed). 1 told them,
however, tl^'it I could sleep l)etter in my own
blankets and preferred to use them. I took the
bundle into my room, spread the sleeping-bag on
the l)ed and crawled into it. The outer covering of
the bag being of thick, hard canvas, I hojjed it
woidd i)rove an ettVctual barri-it-r against the
assaults of the vermin, and that they might not find
the portal by which I entered, and so it ])roved.
George and Mary live in a veiy well-built, comfort-
able, one-stor^ frame cottage, divided into two I'ooms;
the kitchen, dining-room, parlor and family sleeping-
room all in one, and the spare room being the other.
:( •
P
it 1
M
i !
04.
(•niI>I.\(.-< I.\ 'IIIK CASCADES
Th(^ liousc ]i;is foiii' windows ;iiul one door, asliingle
roof and a hoard llooi-. Tlicv liav(? a cookinn'-stov*^,
sevei-al cliairs, i\ tal)l('. ('Uj)l>oard. etc. The Ix'dstcad
on whicli 1 slept, was lioiueinade, lait neat and siih-
stantial. It was furnished witli a white cotton tielv,
(iKOIiCiK AM) MAi;V.
filled with straw, feather pilh)ws, severalelean-look-
ing blankets, and a ])air of moderately eh^an cotton
sheets. I have slept in much worse-lookirig heds
in hotels kept by white })eoph'.
This Indian village, Ilai'rison river, or Skowlitz,
as the Indians call both the river and the village, is
composed of about twenty families, living in houses
|.
ii' ■
|i
AM) <»IHKK IM\'l'r\(; .\I)\ l.NIIIIKS.
().■)
()i'al)()iit thcsMMK'chiss !iii(l of lilt' s:mH\i;viicrn] dcsiu'ii
as tlie one (U'sciihcd. altli()ii<;ii sonu^ arc sliulilly
larger and hettei', while otlicts are not quite so good.
All liave been built by white caipeiitei-s, oi- th«'
greater i)art of the work was done by them, and the
lumber and other materials were manni'actured 1)V
wliite men. None of the dwellings haw ever been
painted inside or out, but there is a n 'at mission
church in the village that has been honcj-ed with a.
coat of white paint. There are a i'ew log shacks
standinu" m-ar, that look verv much as if thev had
been built bv native industry. The frame houses, I
am informed, were erected by the CTOVcnment and
the church by the Catholic Missionary Society.
1^
I
It
r
I I 1^
CHAPTER \
1.
as not coiiipelled to eat with (leoruo and
■ ' Marv. i'oi' Mr. Barker had kindlv invited
me to breakfast with him, and when I
reached his store, at the brealvl'ast liour
in the morninf^', I i'otind a neat invitinu-
lookini;- table in tlie room * ^ck of the
store, h)aded witli broiled ham, l)aked
j)otatoes, good bread and biittei", a pot of
steaming cofYee. etc.\ all of which we
enjoyed intensely. Mr. Baiker infoi-m* d
me there was a clnster of hot springs t"!i mr!'..s np
the river, at the foot of Harrison Laivt-. tlie sonrf >> of
Harrison river, near which a laige hotel had lately
been l)nilt. Vpcu iucpnry as to a means of goriing
11 J) there. 1 learned that iie liad <ni;i|(<ye(l a cou])le
of Indians t(> take some freight np that morning in
a canoe, ari^i thar ! could probaoly sccuih^ a ])assage
with thcni. As U;!.rison ijake. oi' rather the monnt-
ains siiri'oundiiig i!, weie the hunting-grounds
;v!iich Douglass Hill had selected, and as we would
iiave to p;iss these hot s})rings en route. I decided
to go tli^M' and wail lor him. 1 therefore ari'aiiged
with Ha.ker to send hiui up to the springs, when he
should call for lue at the store, and took passage
in the freight canoe.
The Hari'ison riv(M' is a huge stream that cuts its
way through high, rugge(l mountains, and the water
AND OTIIKIJ JU'NTIXCi ADVJN'Tl' ItES.
67
has a pronounced milky tinge imparted b^ the bin-
ders I'l'oni which its IV'edei's come, awav back in the
Cascades. It is a famous sabnon sti'eam, and thou-
sands of tliese nobh^ fisjies, of i; mmoth size, that
had lately gone u}) the river .ind into the small
creeks to spawn, having di< d from disease, or hav-
ing been killed in tlie teri'ible rai)ids they had to
encounter, were lying dead on every sand ))ar,
lodged against every stick of diiftwood, or were
slowly tloatiuft' iu the 'urrent. Their carcasses lined
theshor(>ali along the lower portion oL' the river,
and th*^ liogs, of ^vhich the Indians have large num-
bjrs, were feasting on the putrid masses Jis vora-
. iouslv as if tliev had been eai's of new, swet4 corn.
The stench emitted l>v these festerinu,' bodies was
nauseating in the extreme; and the water, ordinarly
so pure and palatable, was now totally unlit for use.
I counted over one hundred of these dead iislies on a
single sand l)ar of less than hall' an acre in extent.
Cruising anud such surioundings was anything ))ut
pleasant, and I was glad the current was slow here
so that, though going up stream, we were able to
make good 2)r()gress, and soon got away from this
nauseating sight.
About a nule above the village we rounded a bend
in the river, whei<> it spread out to nearly a (piartf r
of a mile in width, and on a sand bar in the middle
of the stream, sat a liock of geese. I picked up my
ritle and took a shot at them, but the ball cut a ditch
in the water nearly lifty yards this si(h'. and went
singing over their heads into the woods beyond.
They did not seem (o enjoy such music, and taking
wing started for some safer feetling-ground, carrying
i 1
IM
'' if
i
H
-5
i
■1
(68)
AM) oriiKK iir\iiN(; advkn i ikks.
m
>
'A
c
on a lively coiiversutioii in <i()()s»' Latin. |>r()l)al>]y
about any I'ool who would ti'V to kill ucesc at that
distance. T turned loose on them auain, and inahout
a second after iudlin,L''tlietiiii',uerone of them stvmed
to explode, as ii' hit by a dynamite bond). Foi- a lew
seconds the air was full of fragments of <;(>ose. v.nicli
rained (h)wn into the water like a shower of autumn
leaves. My red companions enjoyed the I'esult of this
shot hugely, and a canoe load ol' Indians from up
river, who were passing at the tim<', set up a regidar
war whoop. We pulled over and got what was left of
the goose, and found that my expi'ess bullet had
carried away all his stern rigging, his rudder, one
of his paddles, and a considerable portion of his
hidl. The water was covered with Iragments of sail,
■|)rovisions of various kinds, and sundry l)its of cargo
and hull. Charlie picked up so much of the wreck
as hung tou'ether. and said in his broken, laconic
English:
" Dat no good goose uiin. Shoot him too much
away."
There were ])lenty ot ducks, coots, grebes, and
gulls on the rivei'. and I had line sport with them
whenever 1 cared to shoot.
A mile above where 1 killed the goose we entered
a h)ng reach of shoal rai)ids. where all the brawn
and skill of the Tndians were reipured to stem the
powerful current and the immense volume of water.
The rapids are over a nnle loim', and it took us nearl v
two hours to I'each their head. As soon as we were
well into them we came among large numbers of live,
healthy sahnon. Manv of them were runniiiL!,- (h)wn
the stream, some up. Avhile others seemed not to l)e
III
nw
■ I
CO)
I-
11 "
AM) (iiiiKii iMNiiNct Ai>vi:\i'ii:i:s.
1
fop
i
u
t
c:
(/.
p.
<
114
»¥•
g'oing iinywlierf in pii'ticiiliii', l)iit just loMlin*''
ju'omul, «'nj()yin,u: tlieinselvcs. Tlu'V Wi'W. wild, but,
owin.u,' lo the wiittT beinu' so r()u<;ii and I'apid, we
tVeciucntiy ^ot witiiiii two or thn'H ['vol of tiicm
before they saw us, and tiie Indians killed two large
ont^s with their eanoe poles. Occasionally w(» would
cornel' a whole school of them in soni<» little i)ocket,
where tlie water was so shallow that theirdorsal fins
would stick out, and whei'e there Avas no exit l)nt by
passing dose to the canoe. When alarmed they
wonld cavort around like a herd of wild nmstangs
in a. cori'al, nntil thev would churn the water into a
foam; then, <'mboldened l)y their peril, they wonld
thish out past ns with the velocity of an arrow.
They were doinga great dealof jumi)ing; freqnently
a large lisli, two oi' three feet long, would start across
the stream, and make four or hve long, liigh h^ai)s
out of the water, in i'a[)id succession, only remain-
ing in tlie Avater long enough after each Juuip to gain
niomentum for the next. I asked Charlie why they
were doing tins, if they were sick, or if something
was l)iting them.
''No," he said. "Plav. All snnie di'unk — raise
hell!"
These salmon run uj) the rivers and creeks to
deposit their spawn, and seem ])osscssed of an insane
desii'e to get as fai' uj) into the small bi'ooks as they
possibly can. They frecpieiitly i)ursue their mad
course lip over l)oiling, foaming, roarin.g rai)i(ls, and
abi'upt, pei-[)endicnlai' falls, whei'e it wonld seem
impossible for any living ciealure to go— regai'dless
of their own safety or comfort. Thev are often found
* «
in dense schools in little creeks away np near their
72
<i:iI>IN(.S IN 'IIIK CASCADKS
sources, wild*' tlicrc is not ualci' rnoimli to cover
their l)o(li('s, Mild \vImm«' tiinv Ix'coiiu' jiii e;is\- iirev to
mini, or lo wild Ix'iists. In siicii cases, liiditins kill
tlit'iM with six'.-irs Mild sliMTp sticks, or even cMtcli mikI
throw them out with their liMiids.
Or it' tht'ii' jounicyiiius tMke them Minoiiu- I'Mriiis oi-
rMUciies, MS is often the cMse, the i»eoi>le throw them
out on the l)Miiks with ])itcli-l'orks, nnd nl'ter supply-
in^' their household necessities, tliey CMl't the nohle
lish MWMV and feed them to their ]i(\i;s, or even use
them to Tei'tilize tlieii- lields. I hMve .seen smIiiioii
wedded into some of the siumII streams until you could
nlmost Avalk on tliem. The l)Mnks of nuiiiy creeks,
iar np in the foot-hills, are almost wholly composed
of the hones of ^ Imoii. In travelin<i," throuuh (U'lise
woods 1 liave ofieii heai'd, at some distance ahead,
a Joiid splashiiiii,' and uvneral commotion in water,
as if of a, dozen small boys in bathinu'. This would,
l)eihaps, be the first intimation 1 liad that J was near
water, and, on ap[)i()achiiii;' the source of tlie noise,
I have found it to have been made bv a scliool of
these lordly salmon, wedded into one of the little
streams, thrashinu' the creek into suds in theii* efforts
to ^'et to its head.
After depositinu' their spawn the poor creatures,
already Jialf dead from l)ruises and exhaustion
incurred in their i)ei'ilous voya,u'e up stream, be,i;in to
drift down. But how different, now, from thebriuht,
silvery ci'eatures that once darved like rays of liviii_ii,'
light throiiiih the sea. I'liable to control their move-
ments in the descent, even as well as in the ascent,
thev drift at the cruel niercv of the stream. They
are driven against rouiili bowlders, submerged logs
AM) oiiiKi: iirNi!N(i .\i)\ I.N rruK
73
iind !siiai;'s, or llii'oii.uh i'a,ulii;r i!ii)i<ls Ity llic I'liiy ot'
the tonvnr. until liiiiidi^'ds, Vfs t liousaiuls. of ilinn
are killed oiitri;^lit. and tlioiisaiids moic dit- liom
sht'er cxliaiistioii.
] have SHt'ii siiliiioii with llicii' iioscs broken and
torn oil"; othcis with a lo\v<'r jaw lorn a\v;iy; soiiir
with si(h's, ));i('ks, oi' bcllit's bruised ;ind l)hM'dini:';
otliei's with tht'ir tails whipjxMl and splii into .sliiv(h.
and still othcis with their entrails torn out bv
snau's. In this sad oliuht tliev are beset at ♦nerv
turn in the river by their natnial enemies. ]>ears,
('on;^'ars. minks, wild cats, lishers, ea,ules. hawks,
and worst and most destiuctive ol* all. men, await
them evervw
heri
and
If
w
onld 1
)e stranii'e
indeed, it' one in each thousand that left the salt
ater should live to return. The h-w that do so.
w
are, of course, scj weak that they fall an easy jiicy
to the seals, shai'ks. and other enendes, that wait
with open mouths to enuulf them. So, all the leap-
in,u', rushin^n' multitude that entered the river a few
months a.u'o, liave, ere this, o-one to their doom, but
tlieir seed is planted in the iry bi-ook, far away in
the mount, dns, and theii' younu will soon come loith
to take the place oi" the i)arents that hav*^ ])assed
away. The instinct of re^jrodnction must, indeed,
be an absorbing passion in ]Hun' dumb cr«'atures.
wlieli tliey will thus saciilice life in the etl'oit t()
deposit their ova where the oil's] )]'iiiu> nuiy i^.^t be
brouu'ht into being.
!'
IP
: !
7i
< nrFSF\(;s IV 'IHK CAsCADT.S
J i
o
:^
3
a
CO
a
'A
'A
J?
■Ji
■J
y,
\ K lilt' r:i|»i(ls we Imd n lovely i'<'iU'li
river, ridiii M (inaitt'i' to lijill" :i
Ic wide, wiih no jM-rccptihl*' cur-
ll. hlllK'llrd li
>iir iiiiilcd t'lioits,
^oiir liuht ('t'diii' ciiiUH' shot over the
wjitci' lis liuhtly Mild niinost iis
swiftly MS the liiills m1)ov»' us sped
:- tlir()U;''li the Mir. I look one of the
..poles Mild used it while the III-
^,,„,^ .J^^ diMUs plied their pMddles, mikI Un-
a distMiire of iieMily two miles the (lei)th of
water did not vMiy two inches IVoin Toui'Mnd m IimH"
I'eet. The bottom WMs coniiiosed of m liMid, white
sMud, into which the pole, with my weii>ht on it,
sunk less tliMii Mil inch; in fMct, the current is so
slight, the widtliof the river so gicMt, Miid the gen-
ei'Ml chaJ'Mcter of the WMter such, that it might all be
termed a iMke above the I'mIIs; though the foot of
the lake, as designated on the map. has a still
greater widening live miles above the head of the
falls.
Abrupt basaltic walls. :)()() to l.ooo feet high and
nearly ])ei'}»endicular. lise from the water's edge
on either side. On the more sloiting fares of
these, vegetation has obtained root-room, little
bunches of soil have formed, and various ever-
greens, alders, water hazels, etc., grow vigorously.
i i
(•IIAPTKI! VIM.
il ti I?
^ 1 1
1 4 I ■'' *1
,. If
(76)
AND (cniKK ii(NiiX(i \i)Vi;Niri;i;s.
77
I
'A
o
<1
ILilf a foot of SHOW liad lately rallcii on the t()i)S of
these nioiiiitains. and a warm, soiithwesr wind and
the l)i'i,i;ht sun were now sending it down into the
river in numerous idun.uini;- streams orciystal iluid.
For ihousandsot^vears these miniature torrents have,
at frequent intervals, tu?nltled down here, and in all
that time have worn hut sli<>ht notches in the rocky
walls.
Shrubs have ixrown up alonu- and over these
small waterways, and as the little I'ivulets come
coursing down, dod;Li,ing hitherand rliithei- under over-
hanging clumps of green foliage, leaping from crag
to crag and curving from right to left and frotn left
to right, around and among frowning projections of
invulnerable I'ock. glinting and sparkling in the sun-
light, they remind oneof silvery satin ribbons, tossed
by a summer l)reeze, among the l)rown tresses of
some winsome maiden. 1 took several views ol' these
little waterfalls, but their transcendent beauty can
not be intelligently expressed on a little four-by-live
silver print.
Several larger streams also ])nt into the IIarris(m,
that come from remote fastnesses, and seem to carve
their way through great mountains of granite. Their
shores are lined with dense growths (jf conifers, and
afford choice retrei. :s for deer, bears, and other wild
animals.
At three o'clock in the afternoon we rounded a
high jioint of rocks that jutted out into the rivei',
and another beautiful pictnre — another surprise, in
this land of surprises — lay before u^
Harrison
Lake, nestling among snowy peaks and dotted with
basaltic islands, rellected in its peaceful depths the
I
: Ij
t
tf<
CKFTslNCiS [V 'I'HK ( ASCADKS
I
!1 I
.siin'oaiiditiii- inoiiiiTaiiis .is clpaily as tlioniili its
])hi('i(l siiii'aci had been coveivd with (|ui('ksilve]'.
This hike is about i'ortv miles loiiii' is fed ]>v tlie
LiUooet river and luniKM-ons smaller streams. Silver
<*reek. which fomes in ori the west side, twenty miles
north 'if the hot spnn.us. is a beautifid mountain
stream ol' <'onsidei'able size. A (jiiarter of a mile
above its mouth, it makes a perpendiculai' fall of
over sixty feet. It is one of the most beautiful falls
in the eountry. Near the head of the lake, and in
fidl view from the spriu,us. old Mount Dou.uiass, clad
in ])erpetnal snow and .ulacial ice, towei's into the
blue sky until its brilliancy almost dazzles one's
eyes. Though forty miles away, one who did not
know would estimate the distance' at not more th;; ■
live, so cleai'ly are all the details of the grand picture
shown, it is said that Irom the glaciei's on this peak
c.oun the sti'eams whose waters give their peculiar
mdkv cast to llaii-ison Lake and TTai'i'ison river,
Xe; ;;he base of Mount Douglass is an Indian village
of the same name, and the Hudson Bav Fur Com-
«
pany foi'.uerly liad a trading i)ost in the neighbor-
hood, wliiclilhey called Fort Douglass. This Indian
viUage is the iivMne of my prosi)ective guide, and
fi'om it he has ado .ted his unpoetic cognomen.
Half a nule to the right of where we entered the
lake, the famous hot s])rings. already mentiom'd, l)oil
out from under the foot of a mountain, and discharge
thei]' steaming fluid into the lake. The cui'ati\e
]Knv<T of these waters has been known to theiiatives
for ages ])ast, and the sick have come from all direc-
tions, and fiom villaues mtinv miles aw.iv. to
bathe in the waters and be healed. All about the
i
!HI
AXI) OTIIEIl in'\TI\(r .VDVK.MI'IIK
70
plnce are reiimius oJ' Indian cncainitnients, nu'dicine
lodges, etc. The tribes in this vicinity ai"e gi'catly
exei'cised over the I'act of the wliite man having
hitely asserted OAvnei'slii]) of iheh' gi'eat saiiitarinni,
and having assumed its control. i\fr. J, II. P>ro\vn
lias erected over the springs a large bathdiouse, aiid
near that II conmiodious hotel. He has cut a road
throngh a jkiss in the mountains to Agassiz station,
on the Canadian Pacific Railway, live jniles distant,
so tlmt the spiings may now he easily reached by
invalids wishing to test their curative ])rojierties.
Soon after my ari'ival at the s[)rings, T climbed the
mountain to the east of the hotel, and passed the
time pleasantly, until sunset, viewing the beautiful
scenery in the neighl)orhood.
On the following morning I took a boat and rowed
u[) the east shore of the lake, in h()[)e of gettinga sliot
at a deer, l)Ut though I saw plenty of fresh signs all
along the shore no game was visible. 1 spent the
afternoon looking anxioush for mv promised unide,
but he came not. I agnin amused mvself. however,
taking views of the scenery, but found on develop-
ing the negatives that T had not been eminently suc-
cessful with either Mount Douglass or MountChiam.
Snowy mountains are about the most dilficult objects
in all nature to])hotogi'aph, es])i'<'i;djy if you attemjtt
to include anything beside the snowy jjcaks in the
l)icture : for they are s(» intensely w hite. ami the sky
or even clomls that foiin the background are so light
andaft'ord so slight conti'ast, that it is next to impossi-
l)le to get good sharp i)ictures of them. The landscape
about the mountains issuretooll'ersomedark objects,
perhaps dee[) shadows, and even the mountain itself
! *■
i i'
hi
i tl
■"^ ; '
M.
('i;risi.\(;s i\ TiiK CASCADES
I
if.
11
I
neai'lv ;il\v;ivs lias bare rocks and dark, (•loomv can-
oils, aiidto^uct rliesc and tlicdazzlini;' wliitciiess of the
snow and ice on the same plate is decidedly diflicult.
(>r coiii'scwc s<'(^ many lint' photographs of snow-cov-
ered mountains, hut if taken with a clear sky or with
light clouds for background, there is generally more
or less reloiiching necessary, and more or less doctor-
ing in i»rinting. with tissue pa])er, glass screens, etc.,
in order to obtain the resnlts we see in the jmnts. I
made some fair views of both these peaks, but not
such as an cnthnsiastic amateui' might Avish. Of the
lower mountains, where jit that time tliere was no
snow, of the lake, the islands, etc., 1 got very sat-
isfactory i)ictui'es. I went up the road, toward the
lailway station, a ndle or moi'e, where it ])asses
ihrongh one of those grand I'orests for which this
countrv is so Tamous, where —
'■ Those irrccii robed senators of niii^hty woods
Dream, and so ilreaiu all in,'_rlil witlioiit a >tir."
There I made views of some of the giant cedars, the
dense moss-hung jungles, the great hr trees, etc. In
these (htrk, denselv-shaded woods I had lo take olt
the Hying shutter and make time exjjosures. 1 gave
three to live seconds to each i)late. In the prints
the trees and othei- objects nearest to the lens are of
coui'se over-exi)()sed, but the details in the shadows
and objects in the extreme dislance are clearlv and
heautifuily brought out. Foi- these time exposures
I jtiaced the camera on some convenient log, stump,
or stone, in lieu of a tripod. In two instances 1 seated
the iear end of the instrument on the ground, with
the lens bearing up throngh the t(-ps of the trees.
The whitened trunk and broken, straggling ai'ms of
A\r> oriiKU mxiixt; Ai)vi;\irin>
SI
Olio ^Tent old dead lir— oik' lliat lias ilourislicd in
this rich soil and drawn susteiianrc I'loiii the moist,
ozoiiedaden aliiiosi)hei'e of tlicsc mountains I'oiliun-
dreds of yciiis. hut has lived oni his linn? and is now
goin.ij,' tli(^ way oi' all ihinu's <'ai'11ily — forms the suh-
ject of one of the best and most interest in,i;' pictures
of the wliole series. Tlie tops of several otlier trees
— hircli, maple, etc., that stood near the lir— are also
shown in the i)icture. It can best be seenandai)i)re-
<'iated by holding' it above your head, looking' up at
it, and imaf-iniiii;- yourself tiiere in the forest. looU-
ing np throuii'li tlie tops of the gumt trees into the
blue ethereal dome of heaven.
1)1
"0
,.'ri
■ ?
^f
CHAPTER IX.
5 ;k It
t >
«! 3
It
morniiii;,' I got ii[) t'arly to look for Doug-
' lass Bill, thiukiii.u' mid lio[»iiiy he might
Imve landed dining the night, but no one
had seen him and there was no strange
canoe in the hai'l)oi'. After breakfast,
in order to kill time, I ('Uml)e(l tiie
mountain east of the hotel to a height of
about ;i thous.'ind I'eet. It is heavily
tiuibered, and I found plenty of fresh
deer-signs within plain sound of the
hammers wielded by the carpenters at work on the
hotel, but failed to get a shot. I returned at
eleven o'clock, but Bill had not yet shown up.
Three other Indians were there, however, with
three deer in tli<'ir canoe, which they had killed
oi: tile opi)osite side of the lake the day before. I
now concluded that Mr. Major s coniidence in Bill
was misplaced ; that he was not going to keep his
conti'act, and was, in short, as treacherous, as unre-
liable, and as corsunmiate ;i liar as other Indians;
so I entered into negotiations with these thive Indi-
ans to get one or two of them to u'o with me. Ihil thev
had planned a ti'ip to New Westuiinster, to sell theii'
venison, and I could not induce any one of them to
go, though I olfered big wages, and a pr^^mium on
each head of game 1 might kill, besides. 'I'hey said
that if I wished they would take me to their village —
(82)
)|
1
i
AM) (ClIIKU lirNTIN(i A DV KNIT IIKS,
fe3
which is live niUes down the i'iv«'r — iind that tiiere
were several good goat liiiuters tiiere ^vllonl I could
get. I accepted their ofTer of transportation, stejtped
into the canoe, and we i)ulled out. As we entei'ed
the shoal water in the river I askinl for a ])()le, and
ini[)elled hy it and the three i)addles we sjx'd down
the stream at a iai)id late.
Tliei'e was a cold, disagr(>eal)lc rain falling and a
chillv noi'th wind blowinu'. This storm had l)i'ou<i,ht
clouds of ducks into the rivci', among them several
Hocks of canvas backs. The Indians, who were using
smoorh-bore muskets, killed several of these tooth-
some fowls. One tlock rose ahead of us and stai'ted
di recti v down the river, but 1)V some kind of native
intuition the Indians seemed to know that they would
come back up the opposite shore. They drojtped
their guns, caught up the paddles and i)lied them
with such foi'ce that every stroke fairlv lifted the
light cedar canoe out of the water, and we shot across
the river with the speed of «i deer. Sure enough,
after living a hundred yards (h)wn stream the
ducks turned and. hugging the shore, undei-took to
l)ass up the river on the other side, but we cut them
olf, so that they had to ])ass over our heads. At
this juncture the two muskets carried by the two
young men cracked and three canvas bucks dropped,
lini}) and lifeless, into the water within a few feet
of us.
We arrived at the hnt o(M«n](ied by this fanuiy at
noon. It stands on the Ivmk of th«' river, half a mile
above the villa^ge of Chehalis. and as we pulled n}>.
two old and two young sipiaws and nine suiall Indi-
ans, some of them mere papooses in arms (but not
ll
f
84
(■i;i'ISIN(iS FN TIIK CASCADKS
ill long clot lu^s -ill I'Mct, iiol in ;iny clol lies wort li iiicii-
tioiiiiiii), (';iin(' swiiriiiiiiuoiil loint't'l us. 'rii<'ii-Ml)o<U*
was ;i slianly ;il)oiit twelve I'cct si^iiarc, madi' by sci-
tiiiL;' Tour coiiit'r posts into the liroiiiid, iiailiiiuMToss-
i'il)s on, and over tli"^*' (■lai)))oards rivon from tlic
iialivt'ct'dars, and llic roof was ol' tin* same malarial,
'riip adidt nicniht'rs of tliis social alliance had been
enu'Jiuvd in catchinu' and di'vinu' salmon diirinu' tlit'
recent run; the heads, entrails and backbones of w hicli
had been (lmni)e<l into the river at their very door.
There beiim' no current lU'ar the shore Ihev had sunk
in barely en(»u,nh water to cover them, and lay there
rotting and pointing the water used by the family
i'or drinking and cooking. Cart-loads ol" this olVal
were also Ivinu' about the doorvurd, and liad been
trampled into and inixe(l up with the mud until the
whole outlit stunk like a tanyard.
Within was a iticture ol' iilth and sqnaloi' tliat
beggjirs descri[)tion. The floor of the hut was of
mother <'arth. A cou)»leof logs with two cla [(boards
liud across them formed the only seats. On one side
wtis ;i pile of brush, hay, and dirty, lilthy blankets,
indiscriminately mixed, on which the entire three
families sl.^l)t, presumably in the same fashion. Near
the centre of the hut a small lire struggled for exist-
ence, and thai portion of the smoke that was not
absorbed by the jx'ople, the drying iish and other
objectN in ilie room, esca])ed thi'oiigh a hoh'in the
centi>' of tile roof. Thechildivn. bare foot <(1 and half-
naked, came in out of the rain, mud, and lisli carrion,
in Avliicli they had b(>en tramping about, and sal or
lay on the ground aluuil l||e lite, looking as ha])py
us a litter of jiigs hi a uuul hole. On poles, attached
II
AND nriii;ij iir\'H.\(; A i)\' i;\i(i;i>
.sn
"
;
i
I
oy ct'iliii' willies to llic nil'tcis, ^\('^t' liiiiiij,' scvcial
liuiidrcdsMlinoii, iil)S()rl)iii<:-siii()k(', cnrboirK; add ,u":is
rroni tliH limus ol' tlic liiiinaii Ix'inus hciicalli, and
steam I'l'oiH tilt' cookiiiu' that was uoiiii;' on. It is
understood thatal'tei' iliis j)ro('ess haslx-eii [)i()l()n,ue(l
I'or some weeks tiiese once noble Jislies will be lit I'or
the winter food oL" the Siwash.
Some oL' tli<' houses in (Miehalis are neat frame
('otta,i;'es ; in fact, it is a beitcr-biiilt town, on the
whole, than the villa.u'e of llaiiison Hiver already
described; but these better houses all stand back
about a (Quarter of a mile from the river, and the
iidiabitants have left them and goiu* into tin; '' lish-
hotises,'' the clapboard structures, on the immediate
river bank. Some of these shanties are much laru'er
than the om3 mentioned al)ove, and in ome cases
four, iive, or even six hunilies hole up in one of
these filthy dens during the iisli-curiny season.
Asa matter of fact, there are salmon of one variety
or another in these lai'.uer rivers nearly all the } ar,
but sometimes the weathei' is Too cold, too wet, or
otherwise too disagreable in winter I'or the noble red
man to lish with ccmd'ort, and hence all these prep-
arations for a rainy day. After the lislies are cured
they are hung up in big outdiouses iet on i)osts, or
in some cases built high up in the i)ranches of trees, in
order to be entirely out of the i-each of rats, niiidvs,
or other vermin, and the members of the commune
draw I'rom the stock at will. The coast Indians live
almost wholly on lish, and seem peif(M'tly happy
without llesh, vegetables, or bread, if such be not at
hand, thouuii thev can eat pleiitv of all these when
set before them. If one of them kills a deer he sel-
86
('i;i'isFN(;s IN riiK cascadks
clolll or never ('ills iiioi-c of it llllUl the liver. Iieiil'f,
1uii;l;s, etc. lie sells the cjircjiss. 11' within ;i tliiee
davV voviiu'e (»r ;i white iiuiii who will liiiv venison.
Oueol* the vounu,' inennli'ejidv mentioned went with
t^ALMON UOXES IN TlCliKS.
me down to one of tlie bi^' Hsb-honses and called ont
Pean. a man about lil'ty yeai's of a,ue, wlio he said
wti.s a iiood^oat hunterand a ^'ood guide. Tliey held a
hurried convers^a.ti.eu i'l theii' native tongue, at the
,'
s
1
!
.'
ANi> <iiiii;i: iiiNrrNii ai>vi \iriji:s.
87
('lost' of which [he voiiii;;" iiiiiii Miid IN'.'iii would i^o
with ]iu» for t\V(> (h)ll;iis ji dnv. 1 iiskt'd Pcmu if hn
could l;ilk I'Jiulish, ;iud he said "yes," lull ihls
|U'ovrd. iu mI'Ici' experience, to l)e id)ouI the oidy
KiiU'lish \v(U'd he could speak. He lushed into tlie
Jiut. Jiud in about three oi' foui' tuinutes I'etunied
with his ii'uu. powih'r-hoiii, hidlet-pouch. pip*.',
and a small foil of blankets, and was I'eadv fof
u journey into the mountains of, he knew not iiow
man V (lavs. His ctuioe was on the river bank near
us, and as we wert^ stei>pin,u' into it F aske<l hiui a
few (piestions which he ti'ied to answei' in Enulish,
but mad(^ a poor stagger ut it, and slid oil' into Chi-
nook.
.lust then another old Inditm came up with a.
canoedoad of wood. I askt^d him if he could speak
EiiU'lisii — '• wahwah Iviniz' (.feoruc " " ; and he sjdd
"i'es."
I then tohl liini I liad liire*! tliis other man
to <i,'o huntin.U' with me and asked him if he knew
him.
Oh,
yes.
aid
me chief Ikm'c
All
(lese
lioiise my house. All (h^se peojjle my jx'ople. No
other chief liere
1 said I Avas deliu'hted t '.now
liim, sliook liands with him, gave liim a cigar, and
in([nired his name.
" Captain (feorge," lie said; '"me chief lien^''
Is lie a good hunter f" i)ointing to Pean.
Yes, Pean good hunter; good man. Ht^kill i)lenty
sheep, deer, b(:»ar." With this aihlitional certificate of
efliciency and good character I I'elt more c(jnli(h'nce
in Pean, and stepping into the canoe was once more
eii route to the mountains.
u
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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
1.0
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2.5
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1.8
Photographic
Sciences
Corporation
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1.25 U iiiji^
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yi 'VEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80
(716) 873-4503
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88
ei:risiN<is in- t:ii: cascades
-.
Still, I Mt some niisnivinns. for my past exiH'iicnre
with the lisli eateis had taiiglit me not to place
imi»li<'if faith in their statements or ])retensions, and
the se(piel will show h<nv well grounded these fears
were.
CHAPTET? X.
«^
"5^,
r".
-^
^
\ ,
'HE FJathead nation, to
wliicli nearly all the Pimet
Sound Indians l)elon<i-, may
almost he termed ampliihians;
for though they can, and d(>
in some cases, live iidand ex-
clusively, they are never hap})y
when away from the water. They are
canoeists by birth and education. A coast
IS' Indian is as helpless and miserable with-
out a canoe as a jJains Indian without a horse, and
the Siwash (Chinook for coast Indian) is as expert in
the use of the canoe as the Sioux, Ciow, or Arapahoe
in the use and control of hisfavuse. Almost the sole
means of travel, of intei-conmiunication amoni;- these
people, and between themselves and the whites, is
the canoe.
Thei'e are vin'y f<>\v hoi'ses owned in any of the
<'oast tribes, and these aiv rarely ridlen. When a
Siwasli attemj>ts to ride a hors«> he climbs onto it
kicking and grunting with the elfort, much as an
Alabama negro mounts his mule, and sits him about
as gracefidly. But let the Si wash stej) into his
canoe, and he fears no rapid, whiilpool, nor stormy
billow. He faces the most perilous water and sends
(89)
'1
1)0
<l!Ils|\(;s l\ riiK CASCADKS
>-)
o
a
v.
u
Q
I— I
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AND OTIIEI: IirXTINci ADVKNTI- liKS.
1)1
'i.
his fi'Mil cediiiTsUell into it \vitli:i .skill and a cousdous-
ness of niasteiv that wonld i)iit to the blush any of
the prize winners in our Eastern canoe-club regattas.
The canoes are models of nautii.d architectuie.
'i'liey are cut and carved from tlie cedar trees which
bounteous Xature, in wise provision for the Avants of
Her children, has caused to grow so plentifully and
to such i)rodigious size in the Sountl country. They
are of various sizes and lengths, owing to the uses
for which they are intended. If for spearing sal-
mon or for light traveling, they are cut from a tree
twenty to twenty-four inches in diameter, and are
not more than twelve to iifteen feet k)ng. If for
attending nets and bringing in the catch, they are
generally longer, and if i'or freighting and long-dis-
tance traveling, they are of inmiense size and capable
of carrying grejit burdens. A tree of the size wanted
is selected, perfectly sound and free from knots, and
a log of the desired length cut off. The log is hol-
lowed, carved out to the desired shape, then trimmed
and tapered outside until it is a mere shell, scarcely
more than an inch thick anywhere.
It is then tilled with water, a lire is built near in
which rocks are heated and thrown into the canoe
until the water boils. This is continued until the
wood is thoroughly cooked and softened, when the
water is turned out, the canoe is spread at the
centre, braced out to nearly twice its natural width
or diameter, and left to dry. This gives it " sheer"
and enables it to ride a heavy sea like a lifeboat.
Handsomely carved figureheads are attached to
some of the large canoes, and the entire craft is
painted, striped, and decorated in gay colors. I
m
92
CiMISINCiS IN IIIK ( ASCADKS
.
mt'Msiircd out' (tf llu'sc ccdur cmuocs lluit wns tliii-tv-
«
lour IVt'l loiiu' and live and a hall' IVct iH'aiii, and was
(old by its (twiK'C thai in* had canicd in it four tons
ol' I'lt'luhl on one trip, and 1 wo cords of ^reeu wood
on anolht'i'. It would carry lil'ly men coinl'oitaMy
and safclv, 'IMicic arc nol manv of the Indians that
can make the lai-j^cr and better' <i,iade of canoes, and
the trade is one that but few master.
There is one famous old canoe builder near Van-
couver, to whom Indians no from distances of a,
liunditMl miles oi- more when ihev want an extra
line, lai'u'e. liiiht canoe. For some sjiecimens ol' his
handiwitrk lie y.ets as hi«i-h as s8() to sjdo. The In-
dians throuuhout Washinn'tou Territoiyand British
Columbia do considerable fi'ei^htin.u' Tor whites, on
streams not naviuable for steamei's, and they take
freiu'ht np over some of the i'ai)ids whej-e no white
man coidd run an emjtty <'a)ioe.
Some of these Flatlieads are indnsti'ions and are
employed by the whites ill salmon canneries, Inin-
berin,<;' and lo.u'u'inii' operations, farminu'. etc. Steam-
boat men einplov them almost exclusivelv for deck
hands, and they make the best or.es to be had in the
<'ountry; lietter than either whites or Chinamen.
They are excellent i)ackers by education. In this
densely-timbered country horses can not, as a rule,
be used for ])ackin,u', and the Indians, in goin.u' across
country where there is no watercourse, pack nil
their i»lunder on their backs. Whites travelin<i' in
the Avoods also de[)end on Indians to pack their lu<i-
«ia,iie; consequently it is not strange that the latter
bt'conie exjterts at the business, and it is this
schooling: that makes thein valuable as deck hands.
1
i
'i I
AM> oTiiKi: iir.Mi\(. Ai>\ KNTi i;i;s.
Til
ey iii-enot luru'.' iiicii. hut arc toiiul
I, SlllCWV, t\
IK}
nd
miisculiu'. An invrn.uv Siuasii nill pick up iibanvl
ol Hour or pork, ;i case of drv i-oods. or ,,tli,.i. I,,.;, vv
hvi,..|it Nv..i-lii!io-tl,,vcl,uii<ln><!i.nun(l.s(,rin(>r.', roil
It onto liis back, and walk
river-bank
MS easily as a wlijt
ipa uanu'-plank oi- a steep
<• Mian would uitli a
bairel of crackei
Xo W(n'k is loo (liity ())• too liard j'oi- tl
are obedient to ordei
but their weak i.oint, like that of all jnd
inordinate love o
ICJU.
Tl
s ajid submissive to disci})!
lev
ine
lans, is ihcir
\v
1' whisky, (^uite iVetpientlv, after
oi'kin.i^- a few weeks or luoiiths. tl
K'y »iuit and no
on n drunken (h'banch thai ends (uil'v when tl
money is none. Their dress is much'tl
genei-al, as that of tli<' whites in thi
exeeption that the Indian
leir
K' same, in
srenioii xvith tin
s wear moccasin
■'■> when
Inintini.-. This foot-ear is lit fl^in favor here with
white hunters, owin,o- to tliere bein
fall, and so much wadinn- to do. Kubbej- I
indispensable foi'liuntinu- in most
'j; so much I'ain-
>oot:
are
ber coat should also be included
oiitiit. 1 found the JIannafoid
boot tlie most cond'oitable and i)eifect f
seasons, andaiiib-
in every hunter's
ventiJatt'd lubbei-
footuear I
have ever worn. You can scanviv walk a mile i
any diieetic
n
moun
er. :
most
m in this countrv at anv tii
.AI
on
watt
tlie
one of my onides why he ,|i,| i„,t
instead of moccasins.
ne of ve;!i-
buns or lowlands, without encounterini-'
'occa.sins soon IxM'onie soaked, and are then
mcomfortable t hinus imaiiin
and h
ii>lc. 1 asked
wear rubber boots
O, I (lunno. l)e
'plied
luoxicans cheaper, mebbe. 1
mek him myself. Can't mek de boot
This is about the onl
y use the Indians make of
^
I
1 i
i
: 1
,i 1.1
04
( i:ri>iN(is IN rni. cax \iti:s
buckskin. It is not j»(»i»iil;ir with tiicin ;is ii in;it«'fijil
lor rlotliiii^, on jii'comit ol" tin* vast jniKtiiut of rainy
weather.
It lias been said they make chitli from tiie wool
of the p)at, l)iit, so Far as I coiihl h-ain, they make
very little, if any (»!' it, of late years. 1 saw some
l»lank<'ts that Indians liad woven from this wool,
but tliev were verv coarse. Tiiev have iiomaehineiy
I'oi" spinninii'i the yarn is merely twisted ly hand, and
is socoaise and loose tiiat it woidd not hold t(',uether
a week if made into a garment and worn in tin- woods.
Of course, a fail' ai'ticle of yai'ii, and even cloth, may
be, and has been, made entiivly by hand, lait the.se
peoj)le have neither lh«* skill, the taste, nor the
industry to enable them to <lo such woi-k. A
coarse hair ^rows with the wool on the .u'oat, and
the s(|uaws do not even take tlie tronbh' to sejtarate
it, but work l)oth up touethei', makin.u' a very
nncouthdookinii- fabric, even if thick, warm, and
serviceable.
As a class, tlie.se Indians a])i)ear to be stricily
honest, toward each other at least. Thev leave their
canoes, li'uns, iijime, or in fact, any kind of in-operty,
anywhere they choo.se, without the sliuhtest effort at
concealment, and always feel perfectlv sure of lind-
in.i"' it on their retnrn. About the only case of pilfer-
inii" I evei' heard of while amon^u' them (and I
took special pains to investigate) was when John
asked nu' for some iish-hooks, anil sjud in exi)la-
nalion:
** 1 had i)lenty hooks, but 1 reckim Seemo he steal
all my hooks."
"Why, does Seymonr steals" 1 inquired. He
P.
AM» (tinKi: urNriNci akvk.n rri:i:«;.
05
looked :iil nioiiiKl to sec il'Sf'ym<tUi' was within licar
iiiu', and not MM-inu' liini. rrjilird:
" Vou bt't. Ik' steal my hooks, too."
A .-T-lWAbll AND 1I1?> MUKN'IXG'S CATCH.
vl
1
l)tl
< iM i>i.\<.-- IN rm; < ax adks
"'XT^/.'^r^-
■>v-.^i
-.i^-"^'
/t^l^v.
M
: I
-f^a -V «<■
AN INDIW SALMON FISIIKItV,
'-> i|
I
iiS;.:
^
CllAl'TKl} XI,
■1
I
1
■35^
', !
1,
I
"! t
08
CIM lsI.N(is IN IIIK ( Asr.MUiS
HOW ;il)(Hit MS proiKiimccd :i luiiiictto as its owiirr.
'I'll*' otlu'i- l)!Miik«'t wMs^iMv. Itiit t'vcii throimh this
sniuhic sliinlc, ;is \\«'|| jis tliroiiuli tlh' liMlk odni'
it «'!iiitt«'(l, ^;i\<' ex idt'iirt' thiir it Imd not hft'ii
washed for many 3«'ars. IN-aii ItioijuJit with him
a cotton lM'ds|ii'«'ad that had also oiici* hren
Avhilf, but l«*ft this with th«' ('ano«'. In my pack I
(•allied til.' ^ii'ul), and an extra eoat for iis^mui the
mountain, where we e\j»ected to encounter colder
weather.
We started u]) the mountain at ten o'clock in the
l'oi<'no(ni, lM>r the lirst two miles we skirted its
base to the eastward, throiiuh dense tiiiiln'r, crossing-
several deep, dark jiinules and swamps. Then we
bcLMii the ascent proi>er. and as soon as we i^-ot ui» a
few hundred feet on the mountain side, we found
numerous fresh deer-signs. We lialte<l to rest, when
IVan toolv from its case liis gun, wliicli iq) to this
time lie had kept covered, and whicli 1 naturally
sui>}»osed to he a good, modern wea[»on. It i)roved,
liowever, an old smooth Inuv, muzzledoading,
percussi(m-lock musket, of .05 cali'ue, with a
barrel about liftv inches lonu'. He drew out the
wii)ing stick, on the end of which was a wormer,
piilh^l a, wjid of i>aper from the gun and poured a
charge of shot out into his hand. This he })ut care-
fully into his shot-bag. Then he took from another
IKJUch a No. 1 buckshot, and dropi)ed it into the
muzzle of his musket. It rolled down onto the
powder, when he again instated the ])uncli of paper,
rammed it home with the rod, put on a cap, and was
loade<l for bear, deer, or whatever else he miglit
encounter. He then replaced the musket in its seal-
ru"^,
TT
AM> "llll.!: Ill NUM. .\1»\ KM I Ki;
jis if it li:ii
lircli
lU)
s:!(io
skill cover ;is <'jirt'riiliv
|)I'"»M'||-I(»;i(lt'r.
N«';irly nil liio.' |||<|i;ilis use jusj sijcli old llllls-
k«'ls. hoiiiilit from flit' IIikKom I'mn ( 'oiiiiiiiiin , .'ind
y«'t ilu'v k»'f|t ilifiii ill covci's iiiiiil*- <»r lilt' skill of
tiM* scj k wliirii iIk'v kill ill tin- rixcrs IhTfjiltoiil. or
of (k'<'i' or oiIht jiniiiiiiN. Tlicy tiikr «'.\r»'ll>'iit ciiic
of llicir ^iiiis ill tiiis rt'>jM'ci. liiit i linvc iifvcr x'cii
oiH« of tlicm clejiii or oil his \vi'jiin)ii. ;,ii(l scvciiil of
iImmu told iiic tJH'V st'ldom d
( > .S( ».
iNJy WiiicJM'stcr t'.'vpi willi kmry siork. Lyiiiim
siu'lit, «'!('., WMs ;i ciiriosiix ]o tlinii. >i'oiit' of tin'iii
liiid t'vcr .sct'ii iinythinu like il. ;iiid out- of tlicm
asked lilt' wliat kind .» a riiif it was. Wlifii lolij it
was a WiiK'lM'stcr, lie said:
•" I ditliTt kiion- Wiiiclicsicr so liiu- like ilat.
Didn't know he liad stock like dat."" lie hat! tinly
seen the little .44 Winchester, wit!) a plain stock.
Jind innocently snppcjsed it was the only kind
made.
IVan and T had a hard day's work toilinu up the
mountain thronuh fallen tinibei'. over ami art)iind
great ledges of jilt ling rock, across deep, riiuued
canons and gulches, and through dense jmiules of
underbrush. Ahoiit two o'clock in the afternoon we
halted, lay down foi- a rest, and had heen there hut
a few minutes when 1 heard tlie sharji. familiar
chatter of the little ])ine stpiirrel. 1 looked around
quickly, expectiiig' to see one within a few feet of
me, but instead saw IVaii lying close to the grotind,
l)eckoning to me and pointing excitedly np the game
trail in which we had Ix'cn walking. Looking
throuiih the thick, interveniny," brush, 1 saw two
) .
^l
I'M
loo
CIMlSlXCiS IX TIIK (ASC AIH.S
(U'fM-, ;i buck 5111(1 :i doe, lookiiii*' towai'd us. Tliey
li;i(l not seen noi- scenrnd us, l)ut luid merely heard
the cjiiittei' of tile little squirrel, as they sujjposed,
and, though apparently as coinpletely deceived l)y it
as I had heeii. they had sto]>ped tolisten, as tliey do
at almost eveiv sound tlievhear in the woods. Bnt
there was no s([uiriel there. Pean had taken tliis
methocl of callinu' my attention, and had imitated
the cry of the familiar little cone-eater so perfectly
that even the deer liad been deceived by it.
I cautiouslv and slowlv drew jiiv rifle to mv
shoulder, and takinu' aim at the breast of the buck,
tired. Botli deer l)ounded away into thi<'ker brush,
and were out of sight in an instant. Pean sjtrang"
after tlieni. and in a f<'W minutes I heard the dull,
uiutHed re[»ort of \i\> musket. He shouted tome,
and going to hiiu 1 found the l)iu'k dead and the
hidian engaged in butchei'ing it. ^fy bullet had
gone a little farther to tlie 1^'ft than I intended,
breaking its shoulder, and had passed out through
the ribs on the same side. The deei- had fallen after
going but a few yards, but was not quite dead when
Pean came up and shot it through the h«^ad. We
took out the entrails, cut a choi<'e roast of the meat
for our su]q»er and breakfast, and hurried on our
way.
We camped at four o'clock on a small bencli of
the mountain, and you may rest assured, gentle
reader, that our conversation in front of the camp
tire that night was novel. Pean, you will remember,
ct)uld not speak half a dozen words of English. He
sjjoke entirely in Chinook, and 1 knew but a few
words of that iaruon. I had a Chinook dictionarv
i
AND OTIIKU JirXTINd ADVKN'jntES.
101
with lUH. however, and by its aid was able to i)it'k
out the few words necessary in wliat little talking I
had to do, and to translate enough of Pean's answers
to my questions to get along fairly well. The great
trouble with him .seemed to be that lie was wound
up to talk, and whenever I made a ren.ark or asked
a (jriestion in his ado])ted language he turned loose,
and talked until 1 siiut him off with ''Ilalokum-
tucks'' (I don't understand ). No matter how often
I repeated this he seemed soon to forget it, and
would open on me again whenever he got a rue. He
was a Huent talker, aud if I liad only been well up
in the jargon, 1 could have got lots of pointers from
him.
The deer of this region is the true black-tail {Cdr-
vus cohunbiunnn), not the mule-deer (Ccrriis mn-
crotis), that is so often miscalled the black-tail.
The black-tail is smaller than the mule-deer, and its
ears, though not so large as those of the latter, are
larger than those of the ^'irginia deer (Cprr«.s r/?--
ffiiii'anns). It>s tail is white underneath, dark out-
side, shading to black at the lower end, and while
longer than that of the mule-deer, is not so long as
that of the Viruinia deer.
■^
fi,V« ^■«,^i«OTy
S:
M i
i f
CTI AFTER XII.
IIINOOK is ;i qiwev .jj'r^on. It is said
^^ to liav(^ been iiuiiiul'jietuied many
years ai-o 1)V an enii)lov6 of the Hucl-
son Bay Fur Company, ^\ilo taught the
])rincii)al cliiet's of various Indian tribes to si)eak
it in order to facilitate traffic witli tlieni. From tliat
time it has grown and spread until almost every
Indian of the Xorth Pacilic Coast, and many inland
tribes of Washington, British Columbia, and Oregon
s[)eak it. White men of all nati(ms avIii live in this
country speak it, and even the almond-eyed Cliina-
man learns it soon after locating here. In short, it
is tlie court language oL' the Northwest, as the sign
language is of the plains. It is made np fnmi va li-
ons Indhm tongues, witli a few English, oi I'ather
pige<m-English, Fivnch, and t*^panisli words inter-
mixed. Tliere are only about ].r)00 words in the
language and it is very easy to learn. Of course, it
is woefidly lacking in strength and beauty. You
will often want to say souiething that can not be said
in Chinook, because there are no words in that
j:irgon with which to say it. But it is made to
answer the purposes of trade, travel, and barter, in
common forms. For instance:
''K'di-tali si-all ko-pa Frazer chuckf would be.
" How far is it to the Frazer river:"'
" Yutes kut klat-a-wa ia-i)e-a." "Only a short
(10-,')
' !><> you want to
AXD OTIiKIt JrT'NTIN(. Ai>V KXTrKKs. ](;8
"Kla-how-yji, six."
''(Miah-roy;,h-\vn" is " Coim
"Mi-ka tik-eli mani-ook'"
woik^'
" Ik-ta mi-ka 7nain-ookr" *• Vt wlnt'''
-Mam^ok^ick." ^Cnt some wo^d:*'
^a-wit-ka." "CVrtainlv."'
"Kon-si(lat-la spose mi-ka inam-ook kon-a-wav
o-koke stick' ' " Wi.Mf ,k , ' -
that lot of ,voo,ir "'""■'""''"■ ™""'^-
"Iktdolhi.-' "Ono ilollnr"
(tliree) lock-it (four), k«in-im„i (livei, tn.'h.kiini
-.X) «m-na ,„ox («.ven), sto t«-kln,..ilHr n
nmej, f,h-,Iu,n („.„,, tak-tlun„.ee.ikn4v™ , h
"u l>ee.mox (t«dv..j, moxMal. ,l,„n u«Jn
klone tah-tlum (fhii-tyX ikt tal.-kanK.-, mv o,e
m„.h« t.h.tl„,„ t.,.ka „.o.n,ik ,o„e t„„„.,;
fm,„ 1 "^' '.'•""'■"" '" g"f "•■"■-at,. mforn.atior
t.om these Iiuliaus ms to ,li.srances or tin,,. „s the
have httle idea of Enslish ,„iles or of th^;, e ' ,;
.ents ot tm,e, an.I very fe»- of th,.,,, <,«n , ■ k „
UHv to read a wnteh or eloek. Vnder Pean's , . e "
I learned rapidly, and was soon able to e n "^
ii;t2t;r;r'"'''"'"-^"'^''"""''-^-»''-'''^<>^*i'"
By the light of a I'ousing eanii,-(ire I cut a hrn-e
quantity of ,.edar honghs and made L n vseTf^I
bed a foot deep. On this I spread n,v sleepin.,-, ' ,
en.ul„l into it and slept the sleep of fhe wea y , ,;;:
ter. Pean ent only a handfnl of bonghs, p ."ad
1
!*
) ■('
,'l
j I
h
ii
104
CUriSINCJS IN THE ("AS(\\I)KS
tliem near the tire, threw his eoat over tlieiii, and hi y
down. Tlien lie fohled his two hhmkets and spread
them over him, mostly on the side awav from the
lire, leaving that part of his body next to the iuv
exposed so as to catch its heat direct. Duriii*'- the
night, whenever he turned over, he would shift his
blankets so as to keep them wlune most needed. At
frequent intervals he would get up and replenish
the lire from the large supply of dry wood we had
jnovided. The night was bitter cold, at this high
altitude, and snow fell at frequent intervals. A
raw wind blew, and the old man must have suffered
from the cold to which he exposed himself.
There are few of these savages that understand
and appreciate fully the value of a good lied when
camping. In fact, many white hunters and mount-
aineers go on hmg camping trips with insufficient
))edding, simply because they are too lazy to carry
enough to keep them comfortable. I would rather
get into a good warm, soft bed at night without my
sui)per, than eat a feast and then sleep on the hard
ground, without covering enough to keep me warm.
After a hard day's work a good bed is absolutely
necessary to prepjire one for the labor and fatigue of
tile following day.
" In bed we lauiih, in bed we cry,
Aud born in bed, in bed we die;
The near approach, ii bed may show,
Of human bliss to human woe."
Any ablebodied man may endure a few nights of
cold, comfortless sleep, but it will tell on him .sooner
or later; while if he sleep comfort bly and eat
*5
AM) OTIIKU lIlNTINCi ADV l.\ IT KKS.
KC)
lieartilv, lie iiiav eiidm'e ;ni iii('i'e(lii)le aiiioiiut of
labor and hardship of other kinds. You may tramp
all dav with voiir i'eet wet. and all vour clothiuji'
wet, if need be. but be sure you crawl into a good,
warm, drv l)ed at uiuht.
Old Peau complained of feeling unwell during the
evening, and in the morning when wm not up said
he was sick. I prepared a good breakfast, but lie
could Jiot, or at least wou'd not. eat. Then he told
me that he had once fallen down a mountain; that
his breast-bone had been crushed in bv striking on
a sliai'p rock, and that it always hurt him since
when doing any hard work. He said the climb n[)
the mountain with the pack was too hard for him
and he was i)layed out, that he could go no
farther.
Here was another bitter disappointmHnt,as we were
yet two miles from the top of the mountain, and in
going that distance a perpendicular asct^it of from
2,(K»() to 8,000 feet must be made. I deliberated,
therefore, as to whether I should go up the mount-
ain alone and let Pean go back, but decided it
would be useless. I could not carr\' more load than
my sle,'i)ing-bag. gun, et(\. and therefore could
bring no game down with me if 1 killed it, not even
a head or skin. Beside, if he went back he would
take his canoe, and I would be left with no rueans
of crossing the lake, fso the (mly thing to be done
was to pack up and retrace our stei)s. On our way
down we stoi)ped and took the head and skin ott of
the deer killed the dav befoiv, and I cai'rind them
to the canoe. Arriving at the lake, we pulled again
for Chehalis in a cold. disagreeal)le rain. 1 stojjped
I %
\ur,
(•uiisi.\(is IN riiK ( \s( Ai)i:s.
iit the liot .siiiiiin's oil my way down, and took my
leave of my host. Mi'. Jjiown, wlio had been so kind
1o me, and wlio regret tetl my ill luck ahnost as
mnch as i did.
'. i i]
■ji
M
ClIAPTEl? Xill.
iX our ivtuni lo Clicliiilis— that town of
unsavoiy odors and saliiioii-dryiii^",
silinoM-sniokiiii;' Si\vasli«'s — I at once
omplo\>'d t\v(i otlitT Indians, named .Jolin
and Seymour, an 1, on tlis; followinii; day we
stai'fed up Ski-ik-kul Creek, to a lake of the
same name, in wliicli it lieads ten miles back in
the mountains. The Indians claimed that goats, or
sheep, as they call them, av<'1v plentiful on the cliffs
surrounding this lake, and that we could kill plenty
of them from a I'aft while floating np and down
along the shores. Seymour claimed to lia\ e killed
twenty-three in March last, just after the winter
snows had gone olf, and a ])arty of seven Siwashes
from Chehalis had kilh'd ten about two weeks pre-
vious to the date of my visit.
Such glowing accounts as these built uj) my hopes
again to such a height as to banish from my mind all
recollection of the bitter disa[)p()intment in which the
former expediti^m had ended, and, although the
rain continued to fall heavilv at shoit intervals, so
that the nnderbrush leeked with damimess and
drenching showers ft»ll from every bush we touched,
I trud.!:ed cheerilv alonn" legardless of all discom-
forts.
The iirst two miles up the creek, we had a good,
open trail, but at the end of this we climbed a steep,
(107)
I
los
<UriSlX(iS IN' TIIK CASCADKS
rocky Miilf. about .")(>() fe«*t lii'i'h, sind made the pea ter
poi'tioii of tliH reinaiiiiiii;' distance at an aveia<ie of
about tlds lieiulit above the .stream. There was a
l)lind Indian trail all the wav to the lake, but it h'd
over the rounhest, most tortuous, outlandish country
that ever any i'ool of a goat hunter attempted to
traverse. There are marshes and morasses away up
among these mountains, where alders and water
beeches, manzanitas, and other shrubs grow so thick
that their bian(dies intertwine to nearly their full
«
length. Manv of these have fallen down in various
directions, and their trunks are as inextricably mixed
as their branches, forming altogether a labyrinthine
mass, through which it was with the utmost ditliciilty
Ave could walk at all.
There were numberless little creeks coming down
from the mountain into the main stream, and each
liad in time cut its deep, narrow gulch, or canon,
lined on both sides with rough, sliai)eless masses of
rock, and all these we were obliged to cross. In
many cases, they wei-e so close together that only a
shari) hoii-back lav between them, and we merely
climbed out of one gulch 8(>() or 4<)() feet deep, to go
at once down into another still deeper, and so on.
Fire had run through a large tract of this country,
killing out all the larue timber, and many trees have
since rotted ;iway and fallen, while the blackened
and barkless trunks of others, with here and there a
craggy limb, still stand as mute monuments to
the glory of the forest before the dread element laid
it waste.
We camped that night at the base of one of these
great dead lirs ai'ound which lay a cord or more
li
AM) oTHKii iirxTiN*; ADVKN rii;i:s.
lou
of (►Id dry hurk that had hlhrn lioni it, and wliicli,
witli a few dry logs we gatliered, t'lirnislied fuel for
a rousing, all-night lire. Witiiin ji few feet of our
camp, a clear, ice-cold little rivulet threaded its ser-
pentine way down among rocks and ferns, andmade
sweet music to lull ns to sleep. After supper, I
made for myself the usual l)ed of mountain feathers
( cedar houghs), on which to spread my sleeping-bag.
Tills old companion of so many rough jaunts, over
plains and mountains, has become as necessary a
jiai't of my outlit for such voyages as niy •itie.
Whether it journey l)y day, on the hurricane deck of
a iiiide, in th i hiitchway of -d canoe, on my shouldei*
blades or those of a Siwasji. it always rounds ui> at
night to house me against the l)leak wind, the driv-
ing snow, or i)ouring rain. I have learned to i)rize
it so highly that I can appreciate the sentiments of
the fallen monarch, Xapoleo'i. on the lonely island
of >>t. Helena, when hewi'ote:
•'The bed has become a place of luxury tome.
I would not exchange it foi-ali tlie tluones in the
woi'ld ""
These Indians, like Pean, and. in fact, all oiheivs
who have seen the bag, are greatly interested in it.
They had never seen anything like it, and watched
with undisguised interest the unfolding and pivpar-
ing of the article, and when I had crawled into it,
and stowed myself snugly away, they looked at each
other, grunted and uttered a few of their peculiar
guttural sounds, which I iniauined would be, if
translated:
" Well, I'll be doggoned if that ain't about the
sleekest trick I ever saw. Ehi"
t . ifl
110
CU«'ISIN(JS IN TIIK (ASt ADKS
'' You lujt it's nice to sleep in, but heavy to can y."
liy tlie way, some of my readers may never liave
seen one of these valuable cami) ai)peiula,u'es, and a
des('i'i|>tion ol'itmay interest tiicm. The outei'bai-is
made of heavy, bi-own, walerprool' canvas, six I'crt
long, three I'eet whU? in the centic, tapered to two
I I i tn
:
«
[
UI.UiliAM OK SLKKl'INGli.Vd.
feet at the head and sixteen inches at the foot.
Above the head of the bag proper, flaps project a
foot farther, with which the occupant's head may be
completely covei'ed. if desired. These are i)rovided
with buttons and button-holes, so that they may be
buttoned clear across, for stormy or very cold
weather. The bag is left open, from the liead down
one edge, two feet, and a iiap is provided to hip over
AND oTiii.w iirxiFNi; .\i>\i:n riiM:>.
Ill
this ojM'lliim'. lentous iiiv .sewed oil llie Iciu', Mild
there JUe Ifiittoii lioles in tlie ll;ips so it iiKiy :ilso he
buttoned up tiulilly. Iiisich' of tins ciinvMs hni; is
anotlier of the same size iiinl shaiie, less ihe head
flaps. This is nia(h' of liiiiib sivin witii tiie wool on,
and is lined witii oidinary siieetini:', lo kee[) liie
wooli'i'oni cojuini;' in diieet (ontact with tiie per-
son or clotldnu,-. One or moiv pairs of blankets
may l)e folded ajid inserted in this, as may be
necessary, for any temperature in wiiich it is to be
used.
If the weather ))e warm, so that not all tiiis cover-
ing is needed over the sleeper, he may shift it to
suit the weather and his taste, crawlini;' in on top of
as much of it as he mav wish, and the less he has
over him the more he will have under him, and the
softer will be his bed. Besich' being waier[)roof, the
canvas is windproof. and one can button himself up in
this house, leaving only an airdu)leat the end of his
nose, and sleep as soundly, and almost as com-
fortably in a snowdrift on the prairie as in a
tent or house. In short, he may be absolutely
at home, and comfortable, whei'evei- night linds
and no matter what hori'id niu'iitmares he
him.
n
lav have, he can not loU oul of bed or kick olf t
ne
covers.
Nor will he catch a draft of cold air along the
north edge of his spine every time he turns over, as
lie is liable to do when sleeping in blankets. Xor
will his feet crawl out from under the cover and
catch chilblains, as thev are liable to do in the old-
fashioned way. In fact, this sh^eping-bag is one of
the greatest luxuries I ever took into cam}), and if
.
I
\VJ
ci:i i>iNtis IN Tin: i A>t adks.
any biotlifi' sportsiiiMii wlioiiiiiy ivjul this wants onr,
and can not liiid an arcliitrct in iiis nci^lilxniiood
capai)]*' of l»uil<lin^ nn»', let liini coninninicat*' with
in«' and I will t«'ll lilm uln'ic mine was made.
•:
(niAPTEU XIV
,, .4?
ON(t jif'tci- tlie TiMliiuis wt'iil to sloop I l.iy thf»r«%
Joukin.u;' into tilt; liiv and thiiiUiiig. Maiiyjiiid
vjiriod wj'iv tlio rancics that cliasod
each other tliioui-h my restless hrain —
some ])leasant, some unpleasant. I jiondered on
the novelty, even the danuer, of mv situation. I
was away np there in that wild, tiackless, jn')untain
wilderness, ahme, so far as any eonuenial com-
panionship was concerned. Yes, I was worse
than alone, i'or the moment I miuht close my eyes and
sleej) I would 1m; at the mercy of these' two reckless
red men. True, they are not of a courageous, war-
like race, hut what might they not do for th<3 sake of
plunder 'i They could crush niN' skull at a blow and
conceal my body beyond all possibility of discovery;
or they covdd leave it and, saying I had kilhd my-
self by a fall, reveal its resting place to anyont; who
might care to go in search of me. I had some prop-
erty withni«», es|)ecially my rille, sleei)ing-bag, and a
small sum of money, that 1 knew they coveted, and
I reflected that thev miuht already have concocted
some foul scheme foi- disposing of me and getting
possession of my elfects.
8 (ii;^)
114
CIU'ISINdS I\ TliK CASCADES
(
Tn their native tongue of strange, weird gntturuls,
liisses, and aspirations, they liad conversed all the
evening of— I knew not what. John had rather
an h<.»nest, I'rank face, that I thought bespoke a
good heart, but Seymour had a dark, re2)ulsive
countenance that plainly indicated a treacherous
nature. From the iirst I had made uj) my mind
that he was a thief, if nothing worse. lie ju'e-
tendetl not to be able to speak or understand Eng-
lish, although I knew lie could. John spoke our
tongue fairlv, and tlirouuh him all connnunication
with either or both was held. Should thev contem-
plate any violence I vrould welcome them both to an
encounter, if oidy I could have notice of it a second
in advance. Their two old snujoth-bore muskets
would cut no figure against the deadly stream of tire
that my AVinchester express could i)our forth. But
I drcnided the treachery, the stealth, the silent mid-
night assault that is a characteristic of their race.
Yet, on further consideration, I dismissed all such
forel)odings as purely chimerical. These Avere civil-
ized Indians, living within the sound of the whistle
of a laib'oad engine, and would hardly be willing to
place themselves withiu the toils of the law, by the
commission of such a crime, even if thev had the
courage or the desire to do it, and I hoped they had
neither.
Then my fancies turned to the contemplation of
pleasanter themes. I thought of the dear little
l)lark-eyed woman, whom I had 2)arted with on board
the steamer nearly a week ago. She is homeward-
bound and must now be speeding over the Dakota or
Minnesota prairies, well on toward St. Paul. AVill
AND OTHKK IH'XTIXd ADVKNTriJKS.
11, ■)
slie reach home in safety i God jLiiaiit it — and tliat
in due time I may be permitted to join her tliere.
Then otlier hnniliti]' images 2)assed and repiissed my
mental ken. Tlie kind acts of dear friends, tlie
liospitalitiL's shown me by sti'angers and passing
accpiaintances in distant lands and in years long
au'one came ti'oopinir throuuh mv memory, and a feel-
ing of gratitude foi- those kindnesses supphmted for
the time that of solitude. Gi-adualiv and sweetly I
sank into a profound slumber and all was stillness
and oblivion.
Seyeral hours, perhaps, have passed, and I am
thirsty. I get up and start to tlu^ little brook for
water ; to reach it a log, lying across a deep lissure
in the rocks, must be scaled. With no thought of
danger I essay the task by the dving lire's uncei*-
tain light and that of the twinkling stars. I have
not counted on the heavy coverinii' of frost that lias
been de[)osited on the log since dark, and stepi)ing
out upon the barkless part of the trunk, my mocca-
sins slip, and with a shriek and a wild but unsuccess-
fid ii'rasp at an overhaniiinu' limb 1 fall twenty feet
and land on the mass of broken and jagged gi'anite
beneath I The Indians, alarmed by my cris s, sitrint'-
to my relief, cany me to the lire, give me stimulants,
bind up my broken arm, and (U) all in their power
to alleviate my sull'erinu's.
They are not the crafty villains jind assassins that
my fancy had painted. They are kind, symi)atheiic
friends. I realize that uiy light collar-bone and three
ribs on the same side are broken, and when I remem-
ber where I am, the de[)lorablen(^ss and utter hel])-
lessness of my condition appal me.
110
CRT'IsrX.,,-. IX THE CASCADES
■■'■-'
i'\
l]r
if],
I. Ml
Tlie long hours until daylight drag .slowly by, and
at last, as the sun tips the tlistant mountain tops with
g(tlden light, we stai't on our perilous and ])juni'id
journey to the Indian village jind to the steamboat
landing:* The two red men have rigged a litter from
poles and blankets, on which the v carry me sal'elv
to their homes, and thence in a canoe to the hmdiug
EX ROUTE TO THE INDIAN VILLAGE.
below. How the long, tedious journey thence, by
steamer and rail, to my own home is accomplished ;
how the weary days and niuhts of sull'ering and
delirium which I endure cii nnd'i were passed, are
subjects too painfid to dwell u[)on. I am iinally
assisted from thesleei»erat my destinarion. My wife,
whom the vv'ii'e hasinformedof my nnsfortuneandmy
coming, is there. 8he gi'cets me with that fervent
love, that intensify oi pity and emotion that only a
■I ';
AND UTIIEK IIUNTINtf AUVENTl' ItES.
117
wife ran feel. Her lips move, hut lier tongue is jKir-
aiyzed. For the time slie can not speak ; the wells of
her grief have gone dry ; she can not weep ; she can
only act I am taken to my liome, and the sus})ense,
the anxiety, having been lived out, tlie climax
having been reached and passed I swoon away. Again
the surgeon appears to be racking me with pain in
an effort to set the broken ril)s, and seems to he
making an incision in my side for t^hat jjurpose, when
I awake.
The stars shone brightly above me, the frost on
the loaves soarkled brightl v in the tire-liyht It took
me several minutes to realize that I had been dream-
ing. I searched for the cause of the acute pain in
my side, and found it to be thesharj) })()iiit of a rock
that mv cethir boughs had not sutficientlv covered
and vrhicU was trving to uvt in between i wo of m v ribs.
I got up, removed it and slept better through the
remainder of the night.
^1
: i,
:l;:a
!
li
I t
t ■'
m
^■Vii
m c
CHAPTER XV.
IjKI-IK-KUL, or Chelmlis Creek, as the
^ whites cnll it, is surely one of tlie most
. heautii'iil streams iiitlie whole (.'ascatle
Kan,ue. Its size may be stated, approxi-
mate! v. as two feet in depth hv iil'tv
feet in widtii, at or near the mouth, hut
its course is so crooked, so tortuous,
and its bed so l)roken and uneven that
the explorer will seldom lind a reach
of it sufficiently (piiet and undisturbed to afford
a measurement of this character. At one point
it is cliolved into a narrow gorge ten feet wide
and twice as deep, with a fall of ten feet in a
distance of thirty. Through this notch the stream
surges and swirls with the wild fury, the fearful
power, and the awe-insi)ii'ing grandeur of a tornado.
At another i)lace it runs more placidly for a few
yards, as if to gather strength and courage for a
wild leap over a slnvr wall of frowning rock into
a foaming jxx)! thirty, forty, oi' lifty iVn^t i)elow.
At still another phice it seeMs to carve its wav, l)v
the sheer power of madness, through i)iles and
walls of bi'oken and disordered (juartz. granite, or
basalt, even as Cortes and his handful of Spanish
cavaliers hewed their way through the massed
legions of Aztecs at Tlascala.
Farther up, or down, it is split into various
(118)
AXD OTIIEU lirX'lING ADVKXTriJKS.
Ill)
clianiiels by «|,'reat masses of iiplicaved rock, and
these miniature streams, after winding liitlier and
thither through deej), dark, narrow lissuivs for
perliaps one or two liundred yards, i-euniti^ to form
this lieadlong mountain toi-rent, Mewing these
scenes, one is forcibly reminded of the poet's words:
" IIow the giant oleinont,
From rock to rock, leaps witli delirious bound."
Series of cascades, a quarter to half a mile long, are
met with at freipient intervals, which rival in their
l)eaiity and magnilicence those of tlie Columbia or
the Upper Yellowstone. Whirlpools occur at the
foot of some of these, in which the clear, briglit
green water boils, sparkles, and effervesces like vast
reservoirs of chamjxigne. Th<» moanings and roar-
ings emitted by this matchless stream in its mad
career may be heard in places half a mile. At
many points its banks rise almost perpendicularly
to heights of -300, 400, or .Ooo feet. You may stand
sonearlj^ over the water that you can easily toss a
large rock into it, and yet vou are far above the
toi)s of the massive lirs and cedars that grow at tlie
water's edge. Looking down from these luiglits
you mav see in the crvstal fluid whole schools of
the lordly salmon jtlowing their way up against the
almost resistless fury of thecunvnt, leaping through
the foam, striking witli stunning force against hidden
rocks, falling back half dead, and, drifting into some
cl(>ar pool below, recovering strength to renew the
hoi)elcss assault.
The time will come when an easy roadway, and
possibly an ii'on one, will l)e built up this grand
canon, and thousands of tourists will annually stand
jii
'9 m''
I
I
*
!:>(>
cinisi. %■<;-; IN Tin; ( ascadis
within its walls to <:;iize upon these maiiic i)i('tures,
jil)soi'l)e(l ill their i'landeiir and romantic beauty. Nor
does the main stream afford the onlv objects of
beauty and interest here. It is a diamond set in a
chister of diamonds, for many of the little brooks,
ab'eady mentioned, as cominu' down the mountain
on eitlier side, are only less attractive because
smalltM', Many of them tumble from the tops of
rockv walls, and dance down amonu' the bi-anches of
evergreen trees, sparivlinii' like ribbons of silver in
the ravs of the noondav sun.
Tlieodore Roosevelt, in his excellent work, "Ilunt-
in«;- Trips of a Ran -hnian,'' sav-^' "* Thirst is lai'<''elv
a matter of habit." So it mav be, but I am sadlv
addicted to the habit, and I found it one from which,
on tills trip, I was able to exti'act a great deal of
comfort, for we crossed one or more of thesf> little
brooks every hour, and I rarely passed one without
taking a coi)ious draiiuht of its icv fluid. The days
were moderately warm, and the hard labor we per-
formed, wallving and climbing, made these frequent
opportunities to quench thirst one of the most
l)leasant features of tile journey. 1 was frequently
reminded of Cole's beautiful tril)ute to the mountain
brook:
" Slot'iiiiig ill orystiil wells, '
lA';»i)iiig in shady dolls,
Or issuing cluar from the womb of llic moiintaiu,
8ky mated, relateil, earth's holiest daughter;
Not the hot ki>s of wine.
Is half so divine as thu sip of thy lip, inspiring eold water."
AVe arrived tit our destination, the foot of tSki-ik-
kul Lake (;ind the source of the creek up Avliich we
had betMi traveling), tit foiiro'cl(K'k in the afternoon
iii'^J
AXD OTIIHi: Iir.\TIN(J ADVKXTriJKS.
1-il
of the second day our. We made eanip on the bank
ol" the creek, and John and I eiiJi:a,o-ed in •••atheiino-
a supply of wood. After we liad been thus occu-
pied for ten or lifteen minutes, I noticed that Sey-
mour was nowliere in siglit, and asked John where
lie was.
" He try spear salmon.'
'' What will he spear him with^' I said. '• Sharp
sticks
"No. Tie bring' speai- in him pocket," said John.
We were standing on tiie bank of the creek again,
and as he spoke there was a crashing in the Iwiish
overhead, and an iuimense salmon, nearly three feet
long, landed on the ground between us.' Seymour
had indeed brought a. spear with him in his pocket.
It was made of a fence-nail and two pieces of goat
horn, with a strong cord abont lour feet long-
attaOhed. There was a sort of socket in the upper
end of it, and the points of the two pieces of horn
were formed into barbs. As soon as Seymour liad
dropped his pack he had picked up a long, diy,
cedar pole, erne end of which he had sharp(>ned and
inserted between the 1)arbs. fastening the string so
that when he should strike a fish the spear point
would pull off. With this simi)le weapon in hand
he had walked out on the vast body of diiftwood
with which the creek is bridged for ha If a mile below
the lake, and i)eering down between the logs, had
found and killed the tish. Wo n.ade a lire in the
hollow of a great cedar that stood at the water's
edge. The tree was green, but the lire soon ate Ji
large hole into the central cavity, and, l>y lr(>-
quent feeding with dry wood, we 'had a fire that
s m
)
i
S
r, i:
t
i
hllTEU FOU THUKK-AMtJfOA' /iOr/.
(122)
AND OTHKU lIlNTIXd ADV KNIT IIKS,
1-2: J
roared and crackled like a great fiiunace, all niglit.
It
" Kindled the gummy 1)!irlv of fir or pine,
And sent u comforliibl ■ heat from far,
Whicli miglit suppl}' the ^;!ln."
Seymour cut oft' tlie salmon s head, split the body
down the hack, and took out the si)ine, TIkmi he
spread the lish out and put .skewers through it to
hold it Hat. Ih^ next cut a stick about four I'eet
long, split it half its hMigth, tied a cedar withe
around to keep it from splitting further, and insert-
ing the fish in the aperture, tied another withe
around the upi)er end. lie now stuck the other end
of the stick into tlu^ ground in front of the lire, and
our sui)i)er was under way.
I have often l)een reduced to the necessity of eat-
inggi'ub cooked by Indians, both squaws and men,
and can place my hand on my heart and say truth-
fully I never hankered after Indian cookery. In fact,
I have always eaten it with a mental reservjition,
and a quiet, perhaps unuttered protest, but I counted
the minutes while that lish cooked. I knew Sey-
mour was no more cleanly in his habits than his
kin — in fact, he would not have washed his haiuls
before commencing, nor the tish after I'emoving its
entrails, had I not watched him and made him do so;
but even if he had not I should not have refused to
eat, for when a man has been climbing mountains
all day he can not aft'ord to be too scrupulous in
regard to his food. Wlien the lish was thoroughly
roasted on one side the other was turned to the lire,
and finally, when done to a turn, it was laid smok-
ing hot on a i)latter of cedar boughs which I had
ill
ill
8'i
I
134
ciMisiMis IN riii: ( AS( .\i>i;s.
|)ri'[):irt»(l, and tlic sjivoiy oilors it oiiiittcd would
li:iv«' tcinptt'd tlit» palate of an t'picmc. 1 took out
my liuiitinii" knife, and niakinii' a suiip'stive <i-esture
toward the sniokinu' lisli, asked .)ohn il" 1 sjiould cut
olVa i)iet'e: lor not withstanding- my consuming hun-
ger, my native modesty still lemaim'd with me, and
1 thus hinted for an invitation to help myself.
*• Yes," he said. "Cut otf how much voucaneat."
You can rest assured I cut olf a ration that would
have frightened a tram}), (iood digestion waited on
ai)i>etite. and health on both. I ate with the hunger
born of the day's fatigue and the mountain atmos-
phere,an(l the Indians followed suit, or rather led, and
in halt an houroiUy the head and si)ine()f thatlifteen-
])ound salmon remained, and tlu'y were not yet in an
edible condition. Near bedtime, however, they were
both spitted before the lire, and in the silent watclies
of the niiiht, as lawokeand looked out of mv downy
bed, [ saw those two simple-nunded children of the
forest, sitting there picking the last remaining
morsels of llesh from those two pieces of what, in
any civilized camp or household, would have been
considered olfal. Ihit when a Siwiishcpiits eating lish
it is g«Mierally because thei-e is no more tish to eat.
After such a supper, charmed by such weird, novel
surroundings, lulled by the music of the rushing
waters, ajid wanned by a glowing camp-iire. 1 sh'[)t
that night with naught else to wish for. at i)eace with
all mankind. Even •* mine enemy's dog, though he
had bit me, should have stood that night against my
hre
V
CIIAPTETl XVT.
EFORK lioiiiii' to IxmI, Scymoui' cMiitioiit'd
nie tlirougli his intcrpivtri', tin* Inithl'iil
.lolui, Muninst uvtiiiii;' oiil too cMi'ly
V ill till' inoiiilnLi'. lie said tii«\ii'<>;!ls
(lid not comnK'nct' to move
Miound iniiilMiiiit' orten(M'lo('i\,
and if 'At' stai'icd out to limit
lu't'orc tliat time we wow liable tt)
pass tliciii asleep in their beds.
Bnt I read llie hypocrite's nieanini;' between
his words: he is a lazv loafer and loves to li'- and
«
snooze in thf^ morning. It was his own coinrort,
more than onr success in hiinliiiii', thai he was con-
cerned about, (foats, as well as all other ^p«H'ies of
large game, are on foot at dayliglit, wlietlier they
liave beiMi ont all night or not. and from that time
until an hour after sunrise, and again just be'.oredark
in the evening, are the most favorable times to hunt.
The game is intent on feeding at these limes and is
not so wary as at otluu- times. 1 told Seymour we
would get up at four o'clock, get breakfast, and be
ready to move at davliuht. And so we did.
The night had been clear and cold: ice had formed
around the margin of the lake, and a lioai' fro.st a
quarter of an inch deep covered the ground, the logs,
ami rocks that wen* not sheltered by trees. Ski-ik-
kul or Willey's Lake, as it is termed by the whites,
§1
hi
■■>
V2(\
(•IMI>IN(;s IN Tin, CASCADHS
is !i bciiiiliriil littlf iii(>mit;iiii tarn nUmt :t (luartcr ol
ii mile wide jiiid foiii' inilt's loiiu-. It is of ^'lassy
traiisi»ar«'ii('y, of ureal (N'ptli, imd abounds in iiiomit-
aiii I rout, salnioM, and saluioii ti'out. it is walled
in by abrupt, rocky lacrd luoiiiitaiiis that lisc many
iiundrcds ol' fct't I'roiu tli«' watJ-r's cduc and on
wliicli a scanty urowth of laurel, cuii'ant buslics, and
moss rurnlsh food for the li'oats. Stunted cedars,
balsams, spruces, and ])ines also urow fiom small
lissures in the rocks that all'oi'd suUicieiit earth to
cover their roots.
TIm' ciaft on winch we were to navigate this lake
was an intereslinu- sjM'cinien of Indian nautical
architecture. It was a raft Seymour had made on a
former visit. The striniiei's were two lai'ue, drv,
ce(lar lou's, one about sixteen i'eet loiiu', tlie othei'
about twenty; these were held tou'ether by I'oui'
poles, Ol' cross-ties, i)inned to the lo.us, and a floor
composed of cedai' citii^boards was laid over all.
Pins of hard, dry bircii, diiven into the lous and tied
toii(4hei'at the tops, formed rowlocks, and the ci-aft
was providt^l with fourlaru'e paddles, or oai's, hewed
out with an ax. In fact, that was the oidy tool used
in buildini'' the laft. The pins had been shar])ened
to a Hat i»()int and driven tirmly into sockets made
by strikin.ii' the ax d. e}»ly into the loo-, and instead
of ropes, ce(hn' v. i'jit ^, were used for lashinu'. These
had l)een roasted in ; he lire until tou^h and flexible,
and when thus treated they formed a uood subslitut(»
for tin? white sailor's marline or the cow-boy's picket
rol)e.
We boarded tins lubberly old hulk and pulled out
up the north shore of the lake just as tlie morning
AM) nlllKi: Hi NIINd .\1>V K.N Tt'lMlS.
i 41
'
i ■;
,■ i.
. i
U
12^
CIii;iSI\(iS I.\ TllK CASCADKS
Ifl
flic lirst lioiir, ])ut we li;i(l Ixhmi out imoi'h tlijiii lliat
ltMi.L!,th ol" liiiic Im'I'oic! av(^ saw any. Fiiuilly, liow-
ev«'i'. Jilt*'!" we Imd gone ;i mile or iiioie up the lake
shore, I saw a, lar^e buck goat bi'owsing among the
ci-ags about i'ou»' liundredl'eet above us. He liad not
.seen us, and dropj)ing the oar 1 caught up my ritle.
'I'he men l)a('ked water, and as tlie raft came to ;i
Ntandslill, I sent a buHei into liim. He si)i'ang
I'orwai'd, h)st his footing, can»e l)ounding and crasli-
ingto the foot of 1h(^ mountain, and stopped, stone
(h'ad, in tliel)rush at the watei'"s edge not nioi'e than
twenty I'eet J'roin tile I'aft. We puslied ashore and
toolv him on l)oard, wlien I found, to my disappoim
ment. tl)atl)otli liorns had been brolven off intlie fiiJl,
so tliat liis he:id was wortliless I'oi- mounting.
We cruised clear ai'ound tlie lalve tliat (hivand
could not lind'anotlier goat. In tlie jd'tei'iioon it
<'lou(hMl up and s(»t in to rain heavily again in the
canon, whil*.' snow fell on the mountains a few jiun
dred feet above us. The next morning T went u[) a
narrow canon to the noith, and ascending a high
l)t'idv Inuued until neai'ly noon, wlien 1 found two
nioi'e goats, a female and he)' khl (nearly full gi'owi.),
both of which J killed, and taking the skins and one
ham of the kid, 1 letuiiied to camp. It continued
to rain at fi'ecpient intervals, which robbed cami) life
and hunting of much of their charm, sc I decided
to start foi' home tlu' following morning. In the
affernoon I rigged a hoolv and line, cut an alder pole,
and caught live line trout, the largest seventeen and
a h;df inches long. Seymour speared three juore
salmon and roasted one of them, so that we had
another feast of lisji that night. We also roasted
!i
a leg f,f j,„.|t f,
.v„r,ls ].,,,(,,. "' *'""■'* •■^"■ai'ings, „i„l „ f.nv
VfMii' Ian
word
snage don't
s as oiirx.
si'<:Mii |(, liav,
as many
Lin
a
((
^^o; English too .nncli. Mai
^^^llel•e (lid you ]ear
O, I woi'k
!^<' awful tired I
earn
n it:
yeai-, and work on boat
i ere did the boat
m pack train Tor Hudson I
^Sh
on«^ year
run
' 1
><»3' one
/''
r.,"'""'"?/'r'^''^''<>""."li'=»aid.
<i
n
!va;
^VJieie to, Ahisl
O, 1 diinno."
How I'ar nortli?"
O, I dunno. Tal
mout of ,Ie ri
\'er,
Ive seven da v. \V
go to de
ii
WJiat rivers What ....„
O, 1 dunno know wliat \
^vas th«^ name of the tow
And tJius I learned, I
ou calJ Vni.
n
/"
that lie did not 1
n
Sey
imes
'e J
nioiir
' '\v continued questioni
know or remember the Kngj
•isited. but that 'tl
f the places he had
•obably in Alaska. U
ish
ley
•l^vays ai)pealed to
lat 1
^ I
le
)•:
Hi
IV
1 :
* I
j:}()
CKUISINliS iX 'IIIK CASCADKS
could not liimsclf iinswci-, ;ni(l Ji qiK'stioii or I'cniark
1li;il ill our tou.iiin' liad taken u (1oz*mi words to
expii^ss Ik; would rcix'ut ina couuli, a throat -cleariiiu'
sounti, and a <iiunt or two. Scynioui-'s answn- would
1k' i'»'tuiii('d in a lialf sneeze, a lisp, a supjiiessed
whistle, a sli^iht ,ii'i'(;an, and an upt ui'niu<i- of the eye.
'I'lieii .lohii would look thouuhtlul while IVainin^'
the answer into his pigin Ku,i;lish, and if would
come l)a<'k, for instance, soiueluiuL!,' like this:
"Seynjosayhe tiid\ we ketch plenty sheep np (hit
l)ig' niountain. on de to})" Or, "He say Ik; tink
niavl)e w(' ii'et i)h3nlv <iroiise down de creek. Ti;
moi'i'ow we don't need cariy meat,'' etc .lohn
seemed to ren.-ird Seymour as a perfect walkings
cyclopedia of knowledge, and, in fact, he was well
iufoi'Mied on woodcraft, the habits of hiivls and
auimals, Indian lore, and other luattersjtertaining to
the country in which he lived, hut outsideofthe.se
liuiits he knew much less than .lohn.
I was disgusted with his jireieuded inability to
speak or undtMstand I'Jiglish, fo)' on one of my
foi'iiier visits to I'm' \ illage I had Iward him s[)eak
if, and Ik; did it mu<'ii better than .lohn could,
lieside, Pean had told me that Sevmour had
attended school at the mission on the Fi'azer rive;-,
and could even rewd and write, but now that he had
an intei"i>i'eter he considered it smart, just as a gi'<'at
many Indians do, to all'ect an utter ignorance of our
language. I asked him why he did nottJilk; told
him T knew he could talk, and reminded liim that I
had heard him s[)eak good Knglisi): that 1 knev>' Ik;
liad l)e('n to school, elc. lie simply shook his Ik 'id
and iii'unted. Then I told him he was ;i boih'<l down
•^^■" <>nn:u invrrv,,
M>\ j;\T(Ki;s.
^""' ^" '•"■' thus. ,,w ,1,,.
'■''•'"'•■"• ^"•••"•'••>"v.M, n,-,M his (""11 """'; '''■'"'"''
'il'l ni.ik,. In,i,^,.||
'■'M"n,.Mnn.^ Hk, 7,, ,::;: ''V' ■^•.^'"■'■''•■.n«v.l
'"■"•■'MOMS, l,.n ',,"■'' "''r'"'-'"-- "" «--n,l
•^"•■"■p.,..-sr n .;„;:: :>■''■■■'• ■^' ■^"-'•t,
'''''''"■'■'■'■•■M<>p;.in./, I, •■"'''•' :7'''''-'"'-i^
II
CHAPTER XVII.
TER jiinkiiig Ji ln^aity breakfast r»n
m / Roc'kv Mountain kid, salmon, and sea
euits, we began our return journey
own the creek in a drizzling rain.
Our burdens were inci-eased hv the
weight of the three goat skins, and
the walking was rendei'ed still
more precarious than before l)y
the h)gs, grass, soil, pine needles,
"and everytliing else liaA'ing become
so tlioroughly watersoaked. If we
had had hard climbing up the steep pitches on our
outbound cruise, we liad it still harder now. ^Ve
coidd not stick in our toe nails as ^\ell now as
before, and even if we stuck in our heels going
down a hill, thev would not stay stuck any better
than a second-hand postage-stamp. I ren eni-
bered one hill, or canon wall, that in the ascent
made us a gi'eat deal of hard work, and much
X)erturbation of spirit, because it was steep,
rocky, and had very few bushes on it that we
could use as derricks l)y which to raise ourselves.
I dreaded the descent of this hill, now that the
rocks were wet, but we made it safely. Not so,
however, the next one we attempted; it was not so
rocky as the other, and had a goodly bed of blue
clay, with a sliidlow (M)vering of vegetable mold for
mi)
A\D OTIIKU m'.\TIX(i ADVKXTT'KKS.
VA'S
a surface, with a little grass and ji few weeds It
was very steep, I think about wliat an architect
woiid call a three-quarter pitch, but we ess.-.ved it
•oldly and fearlessly. Seymour was in the' h'ad
his faithful partisan, John, followed, and 1 consti-
tuted the tail end of the procession. We had just
got Avell oA-er the brow, Avlien the end of a dry hem-
lock stick caught in the mansard roof of my left foot-
the other end was fast in the ground, aiid,\liouoh I
tried to free myself, l,oth ends stuck; the stick
played a lone hand, but it raised me clear out in
spite of my struggles. I uttered a mournful groan
as I saw myself going, but was as helpless as ii ten-
derfoot on a bucking cayuse. My foot was lifted
till my heel punched the small of my back, and my
other foot slid out from under me; I spread out like
a step ladder, and clawed the air for succor, but
there was not a bush or branch within icacli I think
I went ten feet before I touche<l theearth again, and
then I landed head iirst among John's lec-s' He s-it
down on the back of my neck like a trip-hann)H'r
and we both assaulted Seymour in the rear with
such violence as to knock him clear out. P\)r a iVnv
seconds we were the worst mixed up communitv that
ever lived, I reckon. Arms, h^i-.s, o-uns, hats, packs
an(, human forms were mingled in one writhin<"
S(piirniing, sui-ing mass, and groans, shouts, aiS
imprecations, in English, Chinook, and Scowlitz, rent
tlie uir. Ex ery hand was grabbing for somethino- to
stop its owner, but there were no friendly stoppers
within reach; if one caught a weed, or^i stunted
.junipti-, it faded away frcmi his heivuleau giasp like
dry grass before a prairie lire. I seemed to have the
I ;
f '
hi.
i\
TKYINd TO <;KT Ur.
Axn oTiiKii iir\ri.\(; .\i>\i:Nrri;i;s.
i:r)
liin'hcst initial vt'loclty of Jiny iikmiiImt of tlf <'Xi)e-
<iition, 5111(1, though in th<' raw i\t Ihc stait, I was a,
full length ahead at th»; liiiish. AVe iiiially all
brought up in a confused mass at the footof the hill,
and it took some time for eaeh man toexti'icate him-
self from the pile, and i-eelaini Jiis ])i'opei't yfrom lh<'
\vre(;k. Strange as it may seem, however, lait little
damage was done. There was a skiniK'd iios(% a
l)ruised knee or tw(j, a s])i'ained wiist. and every-
body was i)ainted with mud. All were, however,
able to travel, and after tJiat, when going down steep
liills, the Siwaslies kept looking baek to see if I
were comiivg.
We x>(^i'f<>J"nied several dangerous feats that day
and the next, walking jdong smootli, barkless logs,
that lay aci'oss some of the deej) gorges; in places
we were thirty feet or more above the groun<l, or
rather rocks, A\liere a slij) would have resulted in
instant death. 3>Iv hairfrecnienti v stood on end, what
little 1 have left, but John and Sevniourahvavs went
~ ft »
.safely across and I could not alford to be outdomun
courage by these miserable, fish-ejiting iSiwashes, so
I followed wherever they led, AVe read that the
wicked stand on slippery i)laces, l)ut I cjin see these
wicked ])eople, and go theui about ten l)etter, for I
have stood, and even walked, on many of these Avet
logs, and they are about the all-liredest slipjx'iyest
things extant, and yet 1 have not fallen off. 1 fell
only that onc<', Avheii I got my foot in the trap, and
that would have d()\vne(l a. woo'lenman, .hist before
going into camp that night, .John shot: a gi-ouse,
but we were all too tired and hungry to cook it then,
and made our meal on cold kid, Jish, and biscuits.
■p
TliYINtt TO GET DO\V\N.
(l:W)
m
■ h
AM) o'lIIKi; II|-NII\(; A DV KNITKKS
\:n
After suppHi', liowcvci', .loliu drc-iscd tlie l)ir(l ;iii<l
laid it. iisidii lor l)i'('akf:ist, saying' we would cacli
liave a piece of it tlieii. The lain ceased falliliu' at
dark, and tiie .stars came out, which ,u'reatly revived
our droo[»iu^' spirits. We uathered lar.L-e (piantities
of diT wood and hark, so we were ahl«^ to jveep :i
uood lire all ni.uht. 1 drew from a half-rottt'n lo,u\ a
liat. slal)dike piece of i)iu<s which at lii'st 1 fulled to
reco<j,ni/e. John saw it and said:
'Miood. Dafsheech."
'• Beech," I said. '' ^^hJ, there's no beech in this
country ''
"'^No, beech wood, make <j:()od fii'e, good kindle,
good what you call hini^ (rood torch.""'
''Oh," 1 said, "pitch ])ine, ehf'
" Yas, beech pine." And this was as near as he
could get to pitch.
About two o'clock in the morning, it commenced
to rain heavily again, an<l the poor Indians were soon
in a pitable condition, with their blankets and cloth-
ing wet thronuh. Thev sat ui) the remainder of the
night, feeding the lire to keej) it alive and them-
selves warm, for they had neither canvas or rubber
coats, or any other kind of waterjjroof clothing.
They put u\> some of the longer pieces of the bark we
had gathered for fuel, and made a passable shelter,
but it was so small, and leaked so badly, that it
was far from comfortable. 1 pitied the poor fel-
lows, but had nothing I could give or even share
with them for shelter. 1 got u[) ;it liv<» o'clock, and
we commenced i)reparations for breakfast. I told
John he had better cook tlu.' grouse, but he shook
his head, and said sadiv:
i:}s
ri:risi\(;s i\ 'i"iii; ( ascadks
l\ !
" Scyino, lie s|»il<' (Ic urolisr."
" How (lid ]u» do tlint^'" 1 iiHiiiiied,
" He s;iy |>nl liim on slick by tire to cook in do
niylit. Then lie uo lo sleep niid stick burn oil",
(irouse I'mII in de liie and bni'ii."
''Tlnit's too thin," 1 snid, '• Sevmonr cooked
that grouse and ate it while you and I were asleep."
Seymoni' ulared at nie, ))ut hnd not the coni'a.u'e to
resent or deiiv the ciiaru(\ An Indian does not let
sle^'p interfere with his ai)i)etite; he eats whatever
there is tirst. and then sleeps. I divided the last of
the bacon and biscuits e(pudly between us, and with
Ji remnant of cold l^roiled salmon, we eked out a
scant breakfast on which to be^in a (hiy's work.
John was clawinii' some white greasy substance from
a tin can with his hngers, and spreadiu,<>: it on his
biscuits with the same tools. He passed the can to
me, and said:
''Have bultaT'
"No, thanks." 1 answen-d; •• 1 seldom eat butter
in camp."
" 1 lik«' him all time," he ivplied; "I never git
widout butta foi' brade at h(>me." This 1)V wav of
« «
informing me that he knew what good living was,
and i)racticed it at home. Tt rained heavily all day,
and oui' tramj) thi'ough the jungle was most dreary
and disagreeable.
" Tlie day was dark, and cold, and dreary;
It rained, and the wind was never weary."
About three o'clock in the afternoon, we sat down
to rest on the bank of the creek. We hiul been theie
but a few nunutes, when a good sized black bear
came sluunbling along up the bank of the creek,
v*4 A.vi) oriiKK iirvnxa Ai)vi:\TruKs.
i:}'.)
lo()l\.iii,L!; Tor salmon. Tlie Jiuliaiis saw liim when
!i liiuidrt'd yards or nioi'o away, and llattent'd ilicni-
s«*lv»'s out on tlie ^I'ouiid to awail liis nearer
uppioach. 1 raisetl my rille lo my sliuuldei', but lliey
EX F.y^ILLE
both motioned me to wait, tlri^ he was yet too far
away. I disregarded tlieir ii. junction, however, and
promptly himU^d an ex])ress l)ullet in the bear s
))i'eiist. He reai'ed, uttered a smotliei-ed groan,
turned, made one jump, and fell dead. xS'ow arose
the question of saving his skin; it was late, and we
were yet three miles from tli<' Indian village; to skin
140
CIM'lSlN'(iS IN Tin: CASCADKS.
I
the bear llicii iiit'jiur to cMmi* lli«'iv I'ortlu'iiiylit, and
astlie rain still caiut' down ill a ,st<'acly, lu'avy slu'ct, 1
at once decided tliat I would not stay out there
another ni^ht for the best bear slvin in tlie countiy.
Seymour antl .John held a short consultation, and
then John said they would come bjick and get th(^ skin
next day, and take it in lieu of the money I owed them
for their services. We struck a bargain in about a
uiinute, and hurried on, arriving at the village just as
it grew dark, ^fy rubber coat and high rul)b('r boots
had kept me comparatively dry, but the poor Indians
were wet to the skin.
CHAPTER XVIII.
IN ai'i'iviim- at Clu'luills John kiiidlv
iiiviti'd me to stop over ni^ht witli liini,
l)ut I declined with tiiaidvs. I went into
his liouse, howevei', to wait whih^ lie got
leadv to talve me down to I3a river's. It
was the same type of home that nearly
1 all thes" Indhins have — a large claj)-
board building about eight feet high, with smoked
salmon hung eveiywhere and a liie in the centre
of the room, which, by the v,i\y, was more of a
smoke than lire, cniing the winter ])rovender. A
pile of wood lay in one corner of the room, some
empty barrels m another, lish-nets were liung in still
another, and the family lived, princii)ally, in the
fourth. John lives with his fatli(n'-in-law, mother-in-
law% two brothei's-in-law, one sister-in-law, his wife
and three papooses. Blankets, pots, tinware and
grub of various kinds were piled up promiscuously in
this living corner, and the little undresscHl kids hov-
ered and shivered around the dull lire, suffering from
the cold. We were soon in the canoe again, en route
to the steamboat landing, where we arrived soon after
dark. I regretted to i)art with John, for I had found
him a good, faithful servant and staunch friend. I
was glad to get rid of Seymour, however, for 1 had
learned that he was a contemptible sneak, and told
him so in as many words.
(141)
ill
li!
'
142
CRCrsiNfiS IX 'IlIH CASCADKS
En ronfehonw 1 h:i(L ulxmt two lioiirs to Avait at
Port Moody rorthe])oat. Tlieie were great numbers
of gr( 'cs and ducks in tlie bay, and I asked the dock
foreman if there was auy rule against shooting tliere.
He said lie guessed not ; he had never seen anyone
shooting thei'e, but he guessed there wouldn't beany
objection. I got out my rilie and two boxes of cart-
ridges and opened on the birds. The ducks left at,
once, but the grebes sought safety in diving, and as
soon as the fusillade began a number of gulls came
hovering around, a[)i)arently to learn the cause of
th'* racket. I had fine sport between the two, and a
large audience to enjoy it witli me. In ten minutes
from the time I commenced shooting all the clerks
in the dock oHice, all tlie freight hustlers in the
warehouse, all the railroad section men, the ticket-
agent and baggage- master, numbering at least
twenty men in the aggr(\gare, were clustered around
me, and tiieir c(miments on mv riile and shooting
were extremely' amusing. Not a man i" the party
had ever before seen a Winchester express, and the
I'acket it made, the way in which the balls plowed
U}) the Avater, and the way ti».^ birds, when hit, van-
ished into thin air and a few featliers, were myste-
ries far beyond their jjower lo solve. At the first lull
in the liring ludf a dozen of them rushed Mp and
Avanted to examine the riile, the fancy finish and
combination sights of which were as profoundly
sti"ange to them as to the beniglited Indians. They
soon handed it l)ack to me, however, with the I'equest
to resume hostilities ag.dnst the birds ; they pre-
ferred to see the old tiung work rather than to handle
it. The gidls were soaring in close, and six shots,
^if^.
AXI) OTIIHli HFXTIXC; ADVKXTrui;
143
rapidly delivered, dr()i)i)ed tliree of tIi.'mi into the
water, nmtiliited beyond reco«-iiitioii. Tiiis wus
the climax; tile idea of killino- birds on ih-. wino-,
with a rille, w;i.s something tliese uwii Jmd never
before heard of, nnd iwo oi- three examined my cart-
ridges to see if they werc^ not ](wded \vith\shot,
instead of bidlets. When they found this suspicion
Avas gionndh'ss tliey were beside themselves with
wonder and admiration of the strange arm. As a
mattn- of I'act, it reqiunnl no particidar slvili to idll
the gulls on the wing, for they were the large gray
variety, and frequently came within tw<'nty or thirty
feet of me, so that anyone who could kill them with
a shotgun couhl do so with a rifle.
Finally the steamer came in and I went aboard.
The ti-ain arrived soon after and several of its passen-
gers boarded the boat. The gulls were now hover-
ing about the steamer, picking up whatever i)articles
of food were thrown overboard from ihe cook-room.
One old Irishman, who had come in on tJie train
from th(^ intei'ior wilds, walked out on the (piar'ter
deck and looking at them intently for a IV-w minutes,
turned to me and iiKpiircd :
'• Pliwat kind of bui'ds is thim — geese (''
'' \<'s,"' I said, '• ihim's geese, 1 i-eckon."
"Well, be gorry, if I imd a gnn here I'd shoot
someo^thim";aml h. ucnt and told his companions
"there was a Hock .1' the tamest wild geese out tliare
ye iver sawed."
The return journey to Portland was without inci-
dent. There I board.'d the steamer and si)ent
another delightful day on the bi-oad bosom of the
Columbia river, winding iq) among the grand basaltic
Hi
144
CliUlSI.NGS IX Till-: CA>LADK8
I:
j! ;
III
AM) OTIIKK IllNTINti ADVKN'Jr liliS.
145
cliffs and toweiiiiii; luoiiiitain peaks of the Cascade
Range. Again the little camera came into reciuisi-
tion, and though the day was ch)iuly and blusterous,
though snow fell at frequerit intervals, and though
the steamer trembled like a reed shaken by the wind,
I made a dozen or more exposures on the most inter-
esting and beautiful subjects as we passed them, and
to my surprise many came out good pictures. Most
of them lack detail in the deeper shadows, but the
results altogether show that had the day been clear
and bright all would linve been perfect. In short, it
is possible with this dry-plate process to make good
j)ictures from a moving steamboat, or even from a
railway train going at a high rate of speed. I made
three pictures from a Northern Paciti(^ train, conung
througli the Bad Lands, when running twentv-hve
miles an hour, and though slightly blurred in the
near foreground, the butics and bluffs, a hundred
yards and farther away, are as shai'i> as if I had been
standing on the gro' d and the camera on a tripod;
and a snaj) shot at a [»rairie-d(»g town — just as the
train slowed on a heavy gradf -shows several of the
little rodents in various poses, sonic of th in appar-
ently trying to look pretty while having their i)ict-
ures took."
J'<«,
\
10
I
fj^ -1
^Sr'
CriAi'TKR XIX.
stoMpcd olV Mt '/'-J.
Spokaiit' I'^ills
on iiiy wny ij^c-
lonic, for :i tVw '^^'^i
(hiys' (It't'T hull - -
- inu\ inul thoiiuh
thilt I'.'u'iou be iioi cxuclly in the ('ns-
(.'ades, it is so ucar tliat a, IVw points in
rvhirion to llu' sport there may be
Lo ailmissible in connection with tlie
. ,^ >.-^ -^ru-' t^^^>i'*\ii"<>i»,i;' narrative. I iiad
'^ff'f'A^^XuJ^'ii'' - advised niv u-ood friend Dr.
;^V-. i)hnined b)r ni(> a imnt-
in,u' trip. On the niorn-
^., , uiix after my arrival
'/SS-V his brotiier-in'-hiw, :Mr.
^V/^Ji • '• '''• -'''H^'i'son, took
i^-! ine u[) behind a j>air of
/' ^:()od roadsters and
1 tlrove to Johnston's
j ranch, eiuliteen nuh's
■^ from the falls, and near
the foot of >rou]it Carle-
ton, where wc hoped to lind
plenty o\' deer. We hunted
'l::^
S >■'■
ANH (»i'iii:k m NiiN(i \i)V]'Nrri:i:s.
i-r
rtruiii iioint' Mt that time on Mccoiiiit <il" :i hiisiiu'ss
pii^aut'iiu'iil. but Mr. .loluistoii. with chnrMctcristic
Wt^tei'ii liospitiilit y and kliulncss, said I ninst
not leave witliout a shot, and so honkt'd u\) his
team and drove nie twenty-live miles raither
into the monntains, to a ]>la»'e where he saiil we
wonld snrely tlnd i)l»'nty of liaine. On the way
in we picked up old l^illy Cowuill. a famous deer
Imnter in this reuion. and took Inm ah)nu' as ii'uide.
148
(•lU:iSIN<;s IN TIM-: CASCADKS
We stopped at Br(x)ks* sta^^e raucli, on tlie Colvillr
road to rest the t^'ani, and tlie propiietor <iave us an
amusing account of some experiments lie iiad been
making in shooting buckshot from a niuzzledoading
shotgun, lie had ma(h' some little bags of buck-
skin, just laige enough to hold twelve No. 2 buck-
shot, and aftei' tilling them had sewed up the ends..
He shot a few of them at a tree sixtv vards awav,
but they failed to spread and all went into one hole.
Then he ti"ied leaving the fi-ont end of the bag open,
and still they acted as a solid ball; so he had to aban-
don the scheme, and loaded the charge loose, as of old.
He concluded, lif)wever, not to tire this last load "t
the tai'get, and hung the gun up in its usual place.
A few days later he heard the dog barking in the
woods a short distance fi'om the house, andsii[)posed
it had treed a porcui)ine. Mr. Brooks' brother, who
was visiting at the time, took the gun and went out
to kill the game, whatever it might be. On reaching
the phu.'e, he found a riilfed grouse sitting in a tree,
at which he tired. The ranchman said he heard the
report, and his bi-other soon came back, cariying a
badly-mutilated bird; he threw it into th(^ kitchen,
and i)ut the gun away; then he sat down, looked
thoughtful, and kept silent for a longtime. Finally
lie blurted out:
"Say, Tom; that gun got away fi'om me."
" How was that i'' (pieried the ranchman.
" I don't know: ])ut 1 shot pretty near straight up
at the gr()us(\ and somehow the gun slipped oil' my
shoulder and done this." And opening his coat he
showed his vest, (me side of which was split from
top to bottom; lie then took out a handful of his
ii.!->
A.vn „•,■„,,,. ,„-.v„.,.,, .unjCNTriiKs, J4u
c J t lM,,,,shH,Uhe,li,,l ,„ve,l i„, and, l„. ,■„,„'
ge.u ; II „„xed „„. Tile n,„el,n,„n ,sni,l l„. ^.,,,.,1
e .1(1 i.ut on,, of the bn.'k.ski,, I,„ks of sCt into
iat |,a.,,,,. „„„ u„.,Mi„. thnt iaet, la.l a, ed t
loose eharge. He said he fe-.koned twentv-fo , Xo
2 i.u.kshot n,ade too heavy a load foraneis-ht-iKanKl
"hi«h «a.s to he on.- eanii,. at three <,\.|ook in the
d hesot eooknig, eating, an,lgalherin,«-wood. Old
JSdIv proved a, very interesting eharaeter; l,e i. a
M.>;i;le, qu,et, honest, nnpretention., old nun md
'"like most backwoodsmen, a veritable ..ow!!rd «
nd H,n"'''i?"'"' ^''"*'.''<'"-«™>'- t"a,lniit it franklv,
and tluis disarms eritid.sm. In faet. his freqneni
amusing. He savs
admissKm of this weakness is „.,„.,,„j,, ^.e savs
liat lor tear of getting lost he does not Tike to go off
«tonnd, .so that he ,,,« track himself back into cam,,
^em?f : ™;'""""'^'*'^'" l-.y that is as mode 1
tS;/ A t ,V'"" 1°^" *<* «""l'a.i(l he soon gets
repe Ui^i t '" f,'""' ^""'^ *at night, worth? of
ont ind 'he /■''"°;"'-' '"''^ """ '•«"i"'''^'l I'i-"
tint ltd T- T ' "' ^"' '"'''"^- ™°^i««t'y.
that he didn t know as we cared for anv bear
Stories. But we suid
and
u
urged tlie recital.
we were very fond of them,
Well, then," he said, -if
you will wait a minute,
I
mo
CKUISINOS IX TIIK ('AS(AI)KS
3 '
I'll take 51 drink oL' water lirst and tlicn Y\\ tell it to
you," and he laughed a kind ol' boyish titter, and
began:
" Well, nie and three otiier Tellers was ui» noi'th
in the Colville countiT, huntin\ and all the other
fellows was erazv to kill a bear. I didn't want to
kill no bear, and didn't expert to. I'm as't'eard as
death of a beai', and hain't no use I'oi' 'em. All I
wanted to kill was a deci-. The other fellers, tliey
wanted to kill somed(>er, too, but they wanted bear
the worst. So one mornin' we all started out, and
the other fellers they took the best huntin' ground,
and said I'd better go down along the creek and see
if 1 couldn't kill some giouse, for they didn't believe
I could kill anything bigger'n that; and 1 said, all
right, and started oit" (h)wn t'.ie creek. Piii'ty soon T
come to an old null that wasn't runidn' then. And
when 1 got purty near to the mill 1 set down on a
log, fori didn't think it was worth while to go any
furder, for I didn't think I would tind any game
down the creek, and 1 didn't care much whether I
did or not. \Vell, I heaid a kind of a jacket in the
mill, and durned if there wasn't a big black bear
right in the mill. And I watched him a litth^ bit,
and he started out towards nie. And T said to my-
self, says 1, VlVow 15illy, here's your chance to kill
a bear.'
"I hadn't never killed no bear before, nor never
seed one before, and durned il' 1 wasn't skeered
nearl v to death. ]5ut I thouiiht there wasn't no use
of runnin', for I knowed he could inn faster' n I
coukl, so 1 took out my kidf'e and conunenced cut-
tin' down the brush in front of me, for I wanted to
AXl) OTIIKIJ |||\Tr.\(; A DV KXTfUKS.
l.")l
makfMislmivslior if 1 (lid shoot. U I could. And
the heiir, he come out of the mill jind riiivd up, :iiid
put liis paws on a loo- ;,nd looked at mr, and I
said fo niysclf. says J, ' Now Billy, this is vour
time to slioot"; l)ut I wasn't I'eady to shoot yit. They
was (me more hush I want.vl to\'ut out oi' tlie way
before [ sliot, so I cutif olf and ]aid(h)wn mv knife,
and then 1 took up my ouu and tiled to take aim at
his ))ieast, but doooonedif I didn't shake so I
couldn't see the sights at all. And I thouoht one
time I wouldn't shoot, and ilicii I knowed the other
fellers would lau-h at me if 1 told 'em I seed a bear
and didn't shoot at him, and besick-s I was afraid
some of'em was up on the hillside lookin' at me
then. So I just said to myself, says I, ^ Now P,illy,
you're goin' to geteat up if you don't kill Jiim, but
you might as well be eat up as to l)e laughed at.'
So I jist took the best aim I could for shakin', aii'
sliet both eyes air pulled.
''Well, I think the bear must a begin lo git down
jist as r pulled, for 1 tore lii« lower jaw off and shot
a l)ig hole through one side of his neck. He howled
and roared and rolled around there awhile and then
he got still. I got round where I could see him, after
he quit kickin', })ut I was afeared to go up to him,
so 1 shot two more bullets through his head to make
sure of him. And th<Mi I set down and waited a long
while to see if he mo\('d any more; for I was afeard
he mightn't be dead yit, ai;d might be playin' i)ossum,
jist to get ahold of me. But he didn't move no more,'
so I went up to him with my gun cocked and ])ointed
at his head, so if he did move T could give him anothei-
one right quick. An' then I pum-hed him a little with
I
il'^<
f\
\r)2
(•in[siN«,> i.\ 'I'm-: cascadks.
my gun, but luMlidn't stir. An' wlien 1 Touiid he
was real dead I took iiiv knil'e and cut off one of his
chiAvs, an* tlicn I went baek to camp, the Inggest
feelin' oi<l cuss you ever seed.
''Well, arter while the otiier I'ellers they all conu'
in, lookin' niiuhtv blue, Tor they hadn't anv of 'eui
kill«'(l a thing, an' when I told 'em I'd killed a bear,
they wouldn't believe it till I showed 'em the claw.
An' then they wouldn't believe it, neither, for they
thought I'd bought the claw of some In jin. And they
wouldn't believe it at all till they wemt out with me
and seed the bear and helped skin 'ini, and cut 'ini
np, and pack 'im into camp. An' they was the dog-
gondest, disapi)ointedest lot of fellers you ever se»(l,
for we hunted five da vs longer, an' naivone of 'em
got to kill a bear nor even see one. They thought I
was the ])Oorest huntei' and the biggest coward in the
lot, but I was the only one that killed a bear that
clip.'
n
CHAPTER \X.
E wciv our ;it, (l;iyli,ulii tli«' next niorniim
JUid limited :ill (l;iy witli h'w siurcss"
i- .lohiistoii and Billy jmnix'da hmicli of
iive nudc-dccr, a hack, two does, and
two fawns. .lolmston liicd loartcen
jr; shots at tli(>ni bd'oiv tliry •••(,t out of
^ Mio country, ajid killed the two dors
In speakiiin- of it afterward Billy said ho was just
takinn- a ^ood aim at the old buck's eye when
Johnston's nun cracked iho Jirst time,* and of
course the buck i-an, so he did not o-et a shot.
'' But wliy didn't yon shoot at liini runninu'^' I
inciuiied.
"Because I can t liit a junipin' deer." he replied,
frr.idvly, -and I liate like thnmh'r to nuss."
I spent tlie day about a mile from camp on top of
Blue (irouse Mountain, a promim'nt landmark of
the country. A lieavy fo^- Innig about the mount-
ain and over tlie surrounding country until ab()ut
three o'clock in the afternoon, when it lifted and
disclosed a view of surpassino- loveliness. Away to
the west and southwest theie was a level tract of
swampy, heavily tind)eied country about thirty
miles long ami ten miles wide. 1 looked down on
the tops of the trees composiiig this vast forest, and
they a])peared at this distance uot unlike a vast held
of half-grown green grain. Beyond this tract to the
(158)
n
]U
• i
a.:
am
ONK OF JOIIXSTON-S PHIZES.
AM) (nilKi: II' NIINti .\l>\i;.N I rUKS.
l.')."*
west n cliiiiii ol' liills uoiiiid in sciprntltu' cin'ves
t'l'oni .'lortli to soiitli, tlicir piiiks mikI Mts df |)i;iiii«»
^•h'iiminii- ill tilt' sun like w»'ll-iii;i(lc niniis. Totli*'
iiortli l:iy liooii l/iUc iicsiliMu" MMioiiii,' lli<? ]>iiic-cl:i(l
hills, its pjiicid hosoiii s[»:irkliii,n- in the scttin;;- sun
lik«' a sheet of silver. Farther in the north and
northeast were two other lakes of e([iial size and
bt'aiity. while I'ai' distant in the east were several
hu'ge bodies of prairie separated by strips ^A' )»ine
and lir. I longed loi- my canu'ra, hut on account of
the iinl'avorahle outlook of the inornini;'. I liad not
bi'oui^ht the instriinient.
'I'he i'ollowini;' morning' ])romised no better, for the
fog liiing like a jiall over the whole country: l)ut I
took the little detective with me, hoi)in,u" the mist
would lift us ))efore: in tliis, however. 1 was disa])-
pointed. I staid on the mountain IVom early morn-
ing till hair-i)ast three, and tlic ' being then no ])ros-
pect of a change went down. .Inst as I reached the
base I saw a I'ift in the clouds, and siipi)osing the
long-wished change in the w«>atlier was about to
take place, I turned and began the weaiy climb, but
again the fog settled down, and I was at last com-
j)elle(l to return to <'amp without the coveted views.
I made several exiK)suresduring the day on ci'ooked,
deformed, wind-twisted trees on the top of the
mountain, which, strange to say. came out good.
The fog was so dense at the time that one could not
see lifty yards. I used a small stoj) and gave each
plate from five to twenty seconds, and found, when
developed, that none of them were over ex})osed,
while those given the shorter time wei-e niider
exposed. That day's hnnting resnlted in thiee more
.1 ■ ifl
i i
! Si
irj6
ClU ISI\(;s 1\ Tin; CASCADES
(Ifer, and as we then Iiad all the meat onr team could
take out up the steep hills neai" csunp, wedt^cidf^l to
start I'oi- home the next morniiiii;. While seated
aioundouihhizinglogtinMn IIk^ old cahin that night,
ARE Yor I.OdKIN.l KOU US?
Mr, J{)hnst(>n entertained us with some interesting
reminiscences of his ext'^nsive exi»rnence in the West,
He has been n ''broncho bu '"r," u stock ranchman,
and a co\v-l)oy by turns, and a r^^cital of his varied
experi'^nces in these several lines would till a big-
book. Among others, he told us that he once lived
AND orilKR HrXIINii ADVKN'irKES,
.u
in a portion of California wlieie the ranchmen raised
a great many hogs, but allowed them to range at will
in the hills [ind mountains I'roiu the time they were
littered until old enough and lai'ge enough for
mi.i'ket; that in this time thev became as wild as
deer and as savage as p^'ccarics, so that the only way
thev could ever be reclaimed and marketed was to
catch them with large, powerful dogs, trained to the
work, Tiieii' feet wei-e then secui-ej v tied with strong
thongs, and th<\v weic muzzled and packed int(>
mnrket or to the ranches, as their owners desired, on
hoi'SKs or mules.
Johnston had a pair of these dogs, and used to
assist his neighbors in rounding u[) their wild hogs.
In one case, he and several other luen went with an
old (xerman I'ancliman awiiy up into the mountains
to bring out a drove ol' these j)ine-skiuners, numy of
whom had scaicplv seen a human being since thev
were pigs, and at sight of the i)arty the hogs st:im-
peded of course, and viwi lil\e so nuiny deer. Tiiedogs
were turned loose, took u[) a tiail, and soon had a
vicious critter by the <c(rs, when the packers came up,
muzzled and ti<nl it secui'ely. The dogs were then
turned loose agiiin. and tinother hog was rounded u[)
in the snme wny. These two wei'e hung onto a pack-
aniniiil with their backs dowi, their feet lashed
together over the ])ack-s:iddle, and their long, sharp
snouts pointing toward the horse's head. They were
duly cinched, and the hoise tuj'ne(l loose to join the
train. This operation : \vas repeated until the whole
herd was corralled and swunginto place on the horses,
and the s({uealing, groaning, and snorting of the ter-
rified brutes was almost denfening. One pair of hogs
;f! '
(158)
AND OTIIKIt III'NriN<; A i)V KN I'l' UKS.
l.")0
were loaded on a little mule wliicli liad never been
aecustonied to this woi'k, mid, as the men were all
engaged in handling the other animals, the old ranch-
man said he would lead this muh' down the mountain
himself. .lohnston and hispai'tnei' cinched the hogs
on in good shape, while the Dutchman hiiug to
the mule.
As they were giving the ropes the final imll, Johns-
ton gave liis chum a wink, and tiiey both slipped
out their knives, cut the muzzles off the porkers when
the old man was looking the other way, and told
him to go ahead. lie started down the trail t(.\ving
the little mule, which did not relish its load in the
least, by the halter. The hogs were struggling to
free themselves, and, as the thongs began to cut into
their legs, they got mad and began to bite the mide.
Then there was trouble: still'degged bucking set
in. and nude and hogs were churned u[) aud down,
and changed ends so rapidl)^ that for a few minutes
it was hard to tell which of the tlnv ■ animals was on
the outside, the inside, the topside, or the bottom-
side. The poor little mule was frantic with rage and
fright, and what a mule c;-n not and will not do
under such circumstances, to get I'id of a load can not
be (hme by any four-foot (^d brast. lie i)awed the
air, kicked, and brayed, jum[)ed backward, forward,
and sidewise, and twiste(l himself into every imag-
inable shape. The (dd Dutchman was as badly stam-
peded as the mide; he shouted, yanked, aud swore
in Dutch, English, and Spanish; he yelled to the
men al)ove to come and hel[) hiiu, but they w.-.v so
convulsed and doubled up with laughtei' ihat they
couhl not have helped him if they would.
J GO
ci;ri.si\(;s ix tiik cascades
Finally, the nmlegot awiiy IVoiu the old man and
went tearing- down into the canon ; he overtook and
})assedthe balanctM)!' the pack-train, 8tanii)eded them
almost beyond control of the packers, and knocked
the i)()or ho,<>s auainst trees and bi'nsliuntilthey were
almost dead. lie ran ne^arly six miles, and being-
unable to get rid of his pack, I'ell exhausted andhiy
there until the men came n\) and took charge of liim.
The old nan accused Johnston of cutting the muzzles
I
^^ ^y^.:^M^=:^=:=^^.
TIM-: lU'CKKl! AM) TIIK IM'STKI!
off the hogs, but he and his [)artner both denied it,
said they certainly nnist have slix)ped olf, and they
Jinallv convinced him that that was the wav the
trouble came about.
I'his, with siunU'y other recitals of an ecpially
interesting ntiture, caused the evening to pass pleas-
antly, and at a late hour we turned into our l)unks.
AVe were up and moving long befoi'e daylight the
next morning, and as soon as we could see the trail
'"«■<■>• .-nid b..o,,„ t„ ,,,„^ ;'"*■'' " ^<"".l it a„y
the tongue, l„„.|v in tliH „ '" """"' '■i.n.eIC „„
■r. 'XU the brute u-„ul 1"';"'""'lf""ltoJ«ul
"■'""'' '- "'■"■.•.., -. o ': "' "">• '""'■« fl"m it
*«-^ long, ,,„,, j.,„„^,, tl e V i, '..""'" "■"' 'I'l-e
""■^'y. r took u han.i n ,!"'■'■ '''^''^ ''>'"■-
;'«l»e.st, ,,„,, „,,,„,^,,, ,,e ,':,?","'■• '" -'"hn^ton-^
'ri'- '".vuiniity^wt :.:':; t'^^^^
^"" '^"•ke'l, n»til it J, , ' ; '-'^"""l. '••»„,,„
'";;""■■'«■ .'ohnston and ';■""« ^'-'' ""I' iu.u,
'I»<1 lie Huallv got imvn'r,''™!'''''"''''' "'"'-r lusl.i.le
'"« l^ill and h.^ue to ^ ':, :r'"^'/'''''^ '"« l'« p
;'"^"';'i-M-nHin,.tioto':;""t''' ■''"""■-
t'.-, I ..aug„t the tn •.;;;;;;;,'-''- -i-^, m cu-:
'"^pokaiie Fulls ]\ .. '
u '"" '""*■' heautUul an<l
t ,} -J !
(162)
A.M> ollIKi; IIIXIIXi; .\1>\ I.NII UKS.
i(;:5
•J
.1;
>
p
a
H
^;
»-*
If
w
iiiterestiiii;' sights on llic line oi' the Norlhciii Piicitic
rond. Tlit'i'c tii-c ovci' ;i do/cii disliiict I'lills \viiliiii :i
hiiir M mile, one of which is oxer sixty h'ci in pfi-
ppiuliculni' lit'i.uhl. Scvcinl of these hills ;ire sjdit
into vnrioiis channels by small islands of ])illais of
))asaltic rock. \\ one ])la<'e, wliei'e two of these
channels unit<^ in a coninion jtlnnii-e into a small
])ool, the water is liii'own up in a heantifnl. shell-
like cone of Avliit*^ loam, to a lieiuht of nearly six
feet. It is estimated by comjjeteiit en,iiineeis that
the river at this point fui'nishes a watei"-p()were(]nal
in the njn',i;'i'e,ua1e to that of the Mississij)]>i at St.
Antlnrnv's Falls. Kveiv ijassenuer over this loute
« ill
should certainly sto[> oft and spend a lew hours
viewing- tlie i'lills of the Spoktine river.
**-
■ *
S
^^flf^
M
m
i
M^^Li-
MT;^
:,f^'
-.^
-^
i
* V^ff-
■'*; V ■'■^,
m^^- •^
' s 1 ' ■■
r' -t
'U , '
"■^
■■■■
ill
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i
■ II
I !!l
li 'j\
: I 1
t •
CHAPTER XXI.
IIUXTIN(; THE (HIIZZLY HEAR.
'^IIE beiU', like mail, iiiliahits almost every
ititude and every land, and has
even bec^n tninslated to the
stai'i-y lieavens, where tlie
constelhitions of the Great
Dii)per antl the Little Dipper are
known to us as well as to the ancients as
Ursi Major and Minor. But North Amevica
furnishes the largest and most aggressive species
in the grizzly (0'.s»« horribilis), the black ( n-.s'«.s-
anwricariHs), and the polar {Wrsus maritimus)
bears, and here tlie hunter linds his most daring-
sport. Of all the known plantigrades itiat-footed
beasts) the grizzly is the most savage and the most
dreaded, and lie is the largest of all, saving the
presence of his cousin the pola?' bear, for which,
nevertheless, he is moie than a mfitcli in strength
and courage. Some specimens measure seven feet
from tip of nose to root of tail. The distinctive
marks of the species ;ve its great size; the shortness
of the tail as compared with the ears; the huge Hat
paws, the sole of the hind foot sometimes measur-
ing seven and a half l)y five inches in Ji large male;
the length of the hind legs as compared with the
forelegs, which gives the beast his awkward, sham-
bling gait; the long claws of the fore foot, sometimes
seven imdies in length, while those of the hind foot
(Hi4)
AM) oTIIKIi Ml N'lINc; A I»V KNTT KKS.
If').")
measiuvoiily tluve or I'oui-; the erect, bristling )n;iiie
of stilT luiii', often six inches long'; tlie coai'se luiil'
of the body, sometimes tiiiee inches lonu", (hirk at
the l)ase, but with liuht tii)s. He lias a dark stripe
along the back, and oiu' ah)ng each side, tlie hair on
his ])()(ly being, as a rule, a bi()\vnisli-yclh)\v, tiie
region around tlie ears dusk}', the legs nearly black,
and tin* muzzle pale. Color, however, is not a dis-
tinctive maik, for female grizzlies have been killed
in C(mipany with two cubs, one of which was blown,
the othei'gray, or one dark, the othei' light; and the
.sui)posed species of "cinnamon'" and "brown''
bears are merely color variations of Ur^ns horrihiUs
himself.
This ubiquitous gentleman lias a wide range for his
habitat. He has been found on the ^lissouri river
from Fort Pierre northwai'd, and thence west to his
favorite haunts in the Rockies: (m the Pacilic slope
( lear down to the coast; as far south as Mexico, and as
far noitli as the Great Slave Lake in British Anieiica.
lie not ()\\\\ ranges evervwhe)'e, but eats evei'vthinu'.
His majesty is a good liver. He is not proi)erly a
beast of prey, for he has neither the cat-like instincts,
nor the noiseless tread of the /e//c?«', nor is he Heet
and long-winded like the wolf, altliough good at a
short run, as an unluckv hunter ma V find. But he
hangs about the hanks of a herd of bulfalo, with
probably an eye to a wounded or disabled animal,
and he frequently raids a ranch and carries olf a
slieej), hog, or calf that is penned beyond the possi-
bility of escape.
Elk is his favorite meat, and the knowing hunter
who has the good luck to kill an elk makes sure
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c'inisiNos IN Tin: ( A>«'AIU:s
tliiit its ciircnss will (lr;iu Mi. (iiizzly if lie is within
!i riin.uv of live iiiilt's. llf will vat not only llrsli.
lisli, iind fowl, hut roots, liri'hs. fruit. v«\u('t:il)l»'s,
honcv. and insects us weU. Plums, hiillalo-hcrrit's.
yr.ATH AM) TIIK CATSt-; OF IT.
und choke-cherries make u iariiv ]»art of his <liet in
their seasons.
The u'riz/Jv hear possesses li'reater vitality and
teiuu'it}' of life than any other animal on the conti-
nent, and the liunter who would liunt him must he
Avell armed and kee]> a steady iu-rve. Eacli shot must
he coolv i)Ut where it will do the mostii'ood. Several
A.\i> oiiiKij iMNTiN*. Ait\i:Ni I i;i:s.
1(1
u
5n'«' l'i'<'(|n«'ntly ii«>('»'ss;n'y to stoj) (»n»' ol' tlicsr sjivaut'
Ixnists. A siiiulf liiillt'f lodii't'd ill the bi-jiiii is I'jitiil.
If shot throiiuli tln' lit'iiit lie iMiiy niii ;i (iiinitcr of
:i niiU' oi- Uill :i iii.iii lid'oiv lie siicciinibs. In tiic
(l:i\s ol" llic old imi/./lf loiidiiiu' fill*' it v\;is li;i/:ird-
oiis indeed to limit l!ie uri/./ly, mid iiiaii\' a man lias
j)aid llie penalty of his folly wiih his life. With
onr ini|)roved hreecli loadin.u' and lepeatin.u lilies
tJieiv is less rislc.
Tlie uTizzly is said to hiiry carcasses of lai'Lie ani-
jiials for future use as I'ood, but this i doul>t. I
liave frequently retui'ued fo carcasses of elk or (h'er
that 1 had killed and found that durinii' niv absence
l)ears had i)arlially (h'stroyed them, and in their
excitement, occasioned bv the smell or taste of fresli
meat, had pawed up tlu' earth a uood deal there-
about, throwiiiii' dirt and h'aves in various directions,
and some of this del)ris may have fallen on the
bodies of the (U-ad game; 1)UI I have iieverseeii where
any systematic attemj»t liad been made at burying a
carcass. Still. Hruin may have playad the sexton in
some cases, lie hibernates during winter, but does
not take to his long sleej) until the winter lias
tlioroughly set in and the snow is (piite deep. He
may frequently be ti'acked and I'ound in snow Ji foot
dee]>, wheie he is loaniing in search of food. He
becomes very fat befoiv going into wintei' quarters,
and this vast accumulation of oil furnishes niitiiment
and heat sufficient to sustain life during his long
coniinement.
The newspapers often kill gi'izzlies weighing 1,5()0,
1,800, or even 2.ooo [loiinds. and in any party of
frontiersmen "talking grizzly "' you will tind plenty
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<'i;risiN(;s i\ iiik cascauks
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el' lut'M wlio ciin i-ivt' diitc iiml [iljicr wIhto tlu'V
killed or helped tu kill ut least l,t>UU poiiuds of
Bniin,
" Did you weiiiii iff"
"No, we (lidu't \vei<'h 'iiu; hut overy nuiu as seed
'irnsaid lie woidd \veii«li that, and they was all good
jedges, too."
And this is tlie wny most of the stories of hii>)>ea!-,
big elk, big (Uh'W etc.. begin and end. Hears are
usually, though not always, killed at <'onsid«'iable
distances I'loin towns, oi' even ranches, Avhere it is
not easy to lind a scales large enough to weigh so
inucli meat.
Tile hirgvi^t giizzly I have ever killed would not
weigh more than 7(M) or SOO pounds, and I do not
believe one has ever lived that would weigh 1,000
pounds. The tlesh ol" the adult griz/ly is lough,
.stiiugy, and decidedly unpalatable, but that of a
young iat on«Ms tender and juicv. and is always a
welcome dish on the hunter's table.
The female usually gives birth to two cubs, and
sometimes three, at a time. At birth they weigh
only about l^to 1^ poundseach. The gi'izzly breeds
readily in continement, and several litters have been
l^roduced in the Zoological (lardens at Cincinnati.
The female is unusually vicious while rearing her
young, and the hunter must be doubly cauli(Mis
about attacking at that time. An Indian rarely
attacks a grizzly single-handed at any time, and it is
only when sevei'al of these native hunters are together
that they will attempt to kill one. They value the
claws yery highly, however, and take gi'eat pride in
wearing strings of them around their necks.
I
AND O'llIKIt Iir.\TIN(i ADVKNTnnOS.
lOi)
Tlio <4ii/zly usiiiilly riv(|ii«'nts tlie tiniln'icd or
briisli-('()v« r«'(l jxn'tioiis of inoiintaiiioiis regions, or
tli«* liiiil)('i'»'<l viilh'vs of strt'jiins tluU licad in the
inoiinlains. IIh occa ionallv Tollowsdowii tlwcoiirse
of tlh's«' sli'canis and even travels many niiles from
one stream to aiiollu'i-, or from one ian,i;'e of mount-
ains to anothei, across open [trairie. I once found
on«' on a br(>ad ojmmi plateau in tiie J^iu' Horn
Monntains, about half a mile from the neai'cst
cover of any kind. II' was tuiiiin^' over rocivs in
.search of worms. At tiie report of my rifle he started
for tile neaiest carum, but never readied it. An
exi)losive bullet throuu'li liis ]un,u> rendei-ed him
unequal to tlie jouiney.
Few p<'i'sons l)elieve tliat a <;i'izzly will attack a
man before he is himself attacked. I was one of
these doubting Thomases until a few years ago,
when I was thorough! v convinced bv ocular (h'lnon-
stration that some gi'izzlies, at least, will attem[)t to
make a meal olf a man even though he may n(»t have
harmed them previously. We were hunting in the
Shoshone Mountains in Northern Wyoming. I had
killed a large elk in the moi'ning, and on going back
to the carcass in the afternoon to skin it we saw that
Bi'uin had been there ahead us, but had lied on our
approach. Withont the least ai)prehension of his
return, we leaned oui' ritles against a ti'ee about iil'ty
feet away, and commenced woik. There wtMe three
of us, but only two lilles. Mi', llulfmaii, the photog-
I'apher, having left his in camp He had linished
taking views of the (carcass, and w«3 were all busily
engaged skinning, when, hearing a crashing in the
brush and a series of savage roars and growls, we
I 111
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(■PvI'ISI.\(rS T\ Till-; (•AS("A1)KS
1 H
1.
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Jookt'd iij) ilic hill, iiiul wpiv lionilird t(; see three
<iii//!y l)ejn's, ;\n old I'emtile niid two cubs about two-
tliii'<ls <4i'o\vn, <'liai',uiii<j,' upon us uitli nil the sava<2;e
I'ui'V ol' a jiack of slaivini;' wolves upon a sheepfold.
To inak«' a. lonu- stoiy slioit, wo killt-d the old
ieniale and out' <'ul): tin- othfr escajx-d into the jiiu-
gl<^ Ijefoi'e w(> coidd ,uet a shot at him. The I'esolute
front WH ])ul oil alone saved our lives.
Ill another instaiu'e, v.hen huntiun' deer in Idaho,
I caaie sud(h'nly u[)on ad'eiualeiirizzly and two cubs,
when the mother beai' charu'ed iiie savau'ely and
would have killed me had 1 not i'ortunatelv <'on-
tr(/lled my nerves hm^' enou.uli to j)Ut a couple (d'
bullets tlirough her and stop her bei'ore she got
to me.
I li;!\('ht'ai'd of sevi'i'al other instances of o-j'i/zlipsj
makiuii" unpi'ovoked attacks oil men. which were so
Avcll s!d>stantiated that 1 (-ould not ijuestion the
truth of the rej)orts.
The gri/./ly is partially noctni-nal in his habits,
and apjiarently divides his lal.oi' of obtaining I'ood
and his traveling about ecpndly between day and
night. It is not (hdinitely known to what age lie
liv'^s in his wild state, but he is snpi>osed to attain
to twentv-iive or tldrtv A'ears. tSeveral liave lived in
(h)!nestication to neiirly that age, and ore died in
T'nion Park. Chicauo. a few veai's ayo. that was
known to l)e eighteen years old.
Notwithstanding the great coui'age and ferocity of
this i'ormidable beast, he will utter the most i)itiable
groans and howls when sciionslv or inortallv
wounded.
Two brothers were pi'ospecting in a range of Uiount-
i
A.vi) oriiKK ncN'riNii advkx rii:i;s.
171
ains mwv the licadwatcrs of tlin Stiiikino' Water
river. Tlic yomiuer ol' llic iwo, tlioii.uli an able-
bodied luaii, and ('a])al)I(' ol" doiiii'' a uood dav's work
with a pick or .sliovi^l, was weak-minded, and the
fclih'r V)i()tiier never allowed liini to uo anv distance
away rioin canio or tlieir work alone. He, liowevei*,
sent Irini one eveninu" to the spring, a few rods oil',
to brin.u' a kettlefnl of wat»>r. The spi-ino- wns in a
deep o'org'e, and tln' trail to it wound tlii-ou.^h some
fissures in th-, I'ock. As the younu' man passed
niuh'r a shelving lock, aninnnenseold female grizzly,
that had taken up tempoiary (piarteis tliere, ivaclied
out and stiiick a powei'ful Mow at ids licad. luit for-
tunately could not leach far enougli to do him any
serious hai'm. The blow knocked ins hat off, and
lier claws caught his scali), imd hrid it open cleai-
across the toi) of his head in several uulv uashes.
Tlie I'orci'of the blow sent Kim s[)inning around, and
not knowing enough to be fiightened, he attacked
lier savagely with the only weai)on he had at hand —
tliecamp Ivettle.
The elder brother lieai'd the racket, and hastily
catchng up liis rifle and hurrying to the scene of the
disturbance, found his ))i()ther vioo-onsly beialioi-
ing the beai- over the head with the camp kettle,
and the lieai- striking savage blows at him any
one of which, if she could have reached him,
would have torn his head from his shoulders.
Tliree bnllets fi-om the rilie, lired in rapi<l succrssion,
kx)sened iiei- hold upon the rocks, and she tunil)led
lifelessly into the trail. The poor idiotic boy could
not even then realize the danger through which he
had passed, and could only appe.-ise his aiigei- by
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Cll\l>\S('> IN TilK ('AiSC'AnKS
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f(mtini;in<^ to maul tlie bt^ar over tlw liead with the
cnini) kettle for several minutes after she was dead.
Some yeai's a<2,<) I wfiit into tiie mountains Avith a
)»ai'ty of friends to hunt elk. Our guide told us Ave
should iind plenty of lii'ous*' along the trail, from
the (hi V \y*' left the st'ttl«-ments: that on the third
dav out Ave should lin<l elk. and ihat it would there-
fore be useless to bunh^n oif packdiorses with meat.
We aceordinu'ly took none save a small piece of
baron.
Ccmtraiy to his predictions, howcA^er, aa^c found no
grouse or other small gamee/i route, and soon ate up
our bacon. Furthei'mor(\ Ave Avere live davs in
reaching the elk country, instead of three as he said.
All this time Av<' wei'e climbing mountains and had
appetites that are knoAvn only to mountain climbers.
^X^' had plenty of bread and ])otatoes, but these
Avere not sufficient. We haidveivd for Hesli, and
though Ave iilled ourselves with vegetable food, yet
were w<' huiigi'y.
Finally Ave reached oui- destination at midday.
While we Avere unloading the horses, a " fool hen"
came and lit in a treenear ns, A ritie ball beheaded
her, and almost before she was doiu^ kicking she
Avas in the frying i)au.
A m^gro once had a, bottle of whisky, and was
making vigoious efforts to get outside of it, a\ hen a
chum came u[) and asked for a pull at it. "O, g'long,
nigger." said the hapi)y owner <«f the corn Juice.
'■ What's one bottle of whisky 'mong one man;'"
And Avhat Avas one little gi'ouse among live half-
starved men; The smell and taste oidy made us
lonu' for more.
AM) OTIIKIJ IIF'.\TI\«; A I) V KXTl" IIKS.
I?;}
Altei' (liiiiuT we all went our and liiinted nntil
(lark. Soonal'ter leuving rnmi) some of us heard
]iv.'Iy Hrino. ,ip t|ie canon, where our uuide had
gone, and felt ceitain that he had s.'cured meat, for
WiOiad heard olouin- accounts, i'roni hhii and his
iriends, of Jii.s i)rowess as a hunter. Tlie ]-est of us
wei-e not so despondent, thei-el'ore, when weivturned
at dusk empty handed, as we should othei-wise have
been, until Ave reached camp and found the i-uide
there wearing- n long face and bloodh^ss hands.'"
He told a (h)leful story of havin- had five fair
shots atalargel)ull dk. whostood hioadsidcon only
seventy-iive yards away, but who liuallv became
alarmed at the fusilach" ami tied, leavinn'iio blood
on his trail. The guide of course anathematized
his gun m the choicest terms known to frontiej-smen
and oui' mouths watered as we thought of what
might have been.
Our potatoes, liaving been compelled to stand for
meat also, Imd vanished j-apidly. and we ate the last
of them foi- supp.M- that night. h\^\v words were
spoken and no jokes cracked over that meal We
ate bread straight foi- bivakfast. and ttnTiiii- out
early hunted diligently all day. Wc were nearly
hunished when we leturiied at inght and luxuic had
seen any livin.o- thing largei- than a pine scpiiriel
It IS written that ■•nmn shall not liv bv breml
ahme," and we found that wc could not much Icmiier
And soon we should not have even that, for oui'
flour was getting low. i3ut we l)roke the steaming
tiat-eake again at supper, and turned in to dream o7
juicy steaks, succuhTit joints, and de!ici(,us rib
roasts.
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( i:riSl.N(.> IN 'IIIK (■AMA1)1>
We wci'c lip hcfort' (lii3'li,u'l)l lo liiid ihat six oi'
eiglit inclu's ol' liulit snow liad rallcii silent ly diii'ing
the iiiglil, wliicli lay jiilcd iij) on the bi'anclics of
the trees, diaitiliu' the dense i'oivsts in nhostlv white.
Our (li'oo}tin,u' sjtiiits revived, for we liojH'd that the
tell-tale mantle would enable us to liiid 1 hi' uaiiie we
so uiucli needed in our business. \V<' broke our
bread more cheei-fully that morniiiu- than for two
days [d'eviously, but at the <'ouiu'il of war held over
the fi'Uiial meal, decich'd that unless we scoi-ed that
dav we must make tracks for the nearest ranch the
next iiioruiuii'. and tiy to nudve our scanty icm-
n:int of Jloiii' keep us alive until we could get there.
l^reakfast over we scattered ourselves 1)V the four
])oints of the c(uii[>ass and set out. Tt fell to my lot
to go lip the cai""u)n. Sih'utly 1 stro(h' through the
I'orest, scanning the snow in search of foot-prints,
but for an hoiii' 1 could see none. TIkmi, as I cautiously
iiscendefl a ridge, I heard a crash in the biiisli
bev<md and reached the summit just in time to see
the lattei' end of a lar^e bull elk disappear in the
thicket.
lie had not heard orseen me, but had winded me,
and tarried not for better acquaintance. ] followed ids
li'ail some three iinles up the canon, cu'efully
[)euetrating the thickets and p(-i-i'ing among the
larger trees, but ne\ei' a glimpse could 1 get and
nev«'r a sound could I hear of him. He siHMued
uuusiially wild. I could see bv his trail that he had
not stoi)ped, but had kej)t straight away on that
long,, swinging liot that is siu'h a telling gait of the
species, and which tlie\' will sometimes keeji u;> for
hours together. I^'inally 1 <'ame to wln^re he lia<l
A\i) (.TiiKu nr\Ti\(; Ai)Vi;\Tri;i>.
i.)
left the cauoii nnd nscpiKl.^l ili.> iiiomitain. 1 lol-
loped up this loi-i, linu'. l.ul sw'inii- ihal lie li:i<i ik.i
yet pausf^d, and tindiiio' that my raiiiislird condition
rendered nie nneiinal to tlie cliinb, was romiH-lled to
al)an(h)ii Mie i)ni'suit and witli a lieaw heart ivtiirn
a.uain to tlie canon. J kej)t on up it. )„it could tind
no otlier oame oi- sjoti of ;,„y. Like the red liunter,
in the time ot faniin<'. who
" ViiiDly walked tliinuoh 1]^. forc.,i,
Sought for l)inl, or l)c>ast. and found none;
Saw no I rack of door or rabbit,
In (ho snow bohold no foot -prints,
In th(; ghostly rioaming furost
Foil ! nd ooidd not rise from Avoaknoss,"
so T trndg-ed on until, wearied and woin out, I lay
down beside a giant tir tree, whose si)ieadiiiu
brandies Jiad kept tiie snow from the .uTound. niid
fell asleep. When I awoke my joints weiv stilf and
sore, and 1 was chilled to tlie'boii(>. It was late in
the afternoon, and ti quiet, drizzling rain liad s.-t in.
I found the trail tliijt led through tli(^ ctihon. aii<l
started l)ack to cjimp. trudging along ;is ra])idly as
possible, fof hungvf u-as gnawing at mv vitals and
my strength was fast hiiling.
" Over snow-tiold.s waste and ixtthloss.
Under snow-oucuniiicrod brancbos.
Empty handed, lioavyhoarlod,"
I toiled wearily (mi. The snow had l^econie satu-
rated with the rah), and gtval <'hunks of ii wei-e
falling from the trees Avith dull, monotonous -oiind.s.
"tSlush, slush," '' Splash. s])l:ish,'" came the gh.omy
sounds from till ])arts of th,. woods. I was I'lejiiing
cam]), and had tibandon.d all hope of seeing game'
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CKUl.SI.NCiS l.\ TIIK CASCADES
V 7
My (:»iily ()l)je( t was to I'cjicli shelter, to i-cst, and
feast on the misatisrviiii'- bread. I heard Ji succes-
sioii oL' the sphisliinii's ♦ hat caiiie from mv h4't with
such re^i!,'idar cack'iice as to cause nu^ to look uj),
wlieii, n'l'eat St. Hubert I theiv cauie a liu.ue uiizzly
bear shambling- and splashing along tlirougii the
wet snow. It was his footstei)S that I iiad becu
heai'ing for a. nunute or two past, and which 1 had.
at lirst, thought to be the falling snow.
He had not yet seen me, and what a marvelous
change came over uie I I forgot that f was tired;
tliat I was weak; that 1 was hungry. The instincts
of the hunter r<\inimated nie, and I thought oidv of
killing the grand game before me. I threw down
my rifle, j'aising the hammer as the weajton came
into position, and the click of the lock reached his
ear. It was the lirst intimation he had oT possible
dangei'. and lie stop[>ed and threw u[> his head to
look and listen. My thoughts came and went like
flashes of lightning. I i'eniend)ered then the tVim-
ishing condition of myself aiKi fi'iends. Here was
meat, and 1 must save it. Theiv must be no nerv-
ousness — no Avild shooting now. This shot iunst
tell. And there was not a tremor in all mv svstem.
Every nerve was as of steel for the instant. The
little gold bead cm the muzzle of the rifle instantly
found the vital spot behind the beai-'s shoulder,
gleamed through the ivar sight like a spark of fii(%
and before he had time to ivalize what the sti-ange
appariticm was that had so suddenly confionted
him, the voic<^ of the Winchester was echoing
through the canon and uu express buiiet had
crushed tlirougii his vitals.
A.\!> nlllKi: III NIIN(. A I >V KN IlitK
/ /
TIm» shock \\;is so siiddfii Mild tli»' «'fl't'<'t on him so
(h'jidly lh;il he :ii>|i;ir('iitly tlioii.n'hr iiothiii.i!,' of ii.u'lit,
bill oidy ol' M'l'kiim' ;i jihicf to die in iicjicc.
lie wheeled nn 1 sliol into ;i lieiulil)oiiim- tllicket
with the s|)ee 1 of ;i!l lUTow. I lii'ed ;it llilll Illillill ;is
he dis:ii»[)e;ire(K Ilecriished throlllill the jlllliile out
into the open woods, turned to the I'iLi'ht ;ind went
iicross ;i lid ^e IIS if S;it;in hims.-lf were after him.
As tile !)iu' lii-ay iiniss sliot t liroiiuii ;i clear space
between two trees I <.ia \ e Idlll ailotlier s[>eeder. and
tlieii lie disai)[)eared beyond a ridue.
The snow had ]iieli<'([ rapidly and the .uToiind \vas
bare in [ijaces. so that I had some trouble in trailiiiu"
the Ix'ar, but whei','\<'r he crossed a i)at('li of snow
Ids trail was ix'spattered with blood. 1 followed
o\"er the rid^'e and lliroiiuii scattering' jnck jiines,
about two hiindied \ards. and foiind him Ivinu
dead Mear the trail. My lirst and third bullets liad
ii,'oiie in behind his shouUh'i' only an inch apart.
The lirst had i)ass<Ml clear ihronuii him, and the
other had lodued au'aiust the skin on the op[)()site
side. Several ribs weic broken on either side, and
his liiiius and other iioi-tions of his interior were
,uroiind inio sausauv; yet so uivat was lii>, vitality
and tena<*ity to life that he was able to make tliis
distance at a, speed that would have taxed the best
horse in the countrv. and if he lia<l seen fit to attack
me instead of riiiininu" awav he would inobablv
have made saiisau'e of me.
i'ut w hat h'astiiii;' and what revelry there was in
camj> that niulit. It was a \ouim; bear, fat as
butter, and rib roasts and cutlets wer^ devoured in
(piantities that would ha\t' sluM-ked the modesty of
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178
( ,'risi.\(;s IN riii; cAscADiis
;i truiiij). N i' iiiilil well into llie iiii;lit did we ccnso
to ('III, ;iiid \ ipoiirsclvcs in oiii- hhmkcts. W'c sliiid
.several d;iv> ' i tliccafioii alter that, uiid killed phMity
of elk :ilid .►' "T u'ailie.
takiii.L; of
the liiiiite:
may jiisl i
The he:.:
))eai — thaf
The skill 1 Ihe iirizzly is one of lliemost valiiahle
trophies a "-ii >rtsiiiaii can obtain on any lidd, and its
rarity, aini • i ' daiiuei- and excitement atteiidin*-' the
I he conrau'e it Ix'speaks on the pait of
cndcr it a prize of wiiicli the winner
■ '1 ])i<)ud for a lifetime,
('■alities in uhicdi to hnnt the .urizzly
.. those most accessible and in which he
is now ni'>>f aiimerons— ar<' the liii-' IIoiii, Shoshone,
Wind !fh '!, P,('ai- Tootii, ]5(d;, and ('razy Monnt-
ains. ill W >iiiiii,ii' and Montana, all of \vlii(di may he
easiK re.) 'i • I ))V way of the Northern Pacitic
road.
Til' l)e^' inie of year to hnnt I'oi' this, as well
as all (h ' 'f' L 'r si)ecies of large game in tln^ ]^)cky
Monutaiit.-. "s in the months of September. October,
and No\ 'i ibej', though in tlu^ latter jnonth the
.sportsman, slionld not yenture high iii) into the
moniilaiii- Iumv heavy snowfalls are llabh^ to
occur. Tkm ' is a great (h'al of bear hunting done
in the stiat(ti.'i' months, hut it is contrary to the laws
of na'iue, Mild should not be indulyed in bv any
triu^ s[Kn r-,rtian. The skins are nearly Avoi-thh^ss
then. V. hiie iti the autumn they are jnime; the hejit
is o[>p!es.siv^ and the tiies and mosquitoes are gi ^at
pests.
The be- uni b)r this (dass of game is a repealing
rilie oi irge calibre, 45 or Ad, cari\ing a large
AM) nliiKK HI .\ri.N(. Al)\ KlNTl iJi;>.
179
chtii'ii't* of powdci' iiiid ii solid l)ullet. 'V\\r new W'iii-
clit'slcr rxinvss. -j\"„. willi solid bnll. is ]i('ili;ips llie
best in t lif iiiiiikcl. all ihiiius coiisidcicd.
Tliciv arc si'\t'i'al iin'tliods of limiting liic xi'izzly,
tin' iiiosi ('oiimionl)t'iiiuto kill an t'lk, an<l llicii walcli
tli«' carcass. Shots may I'lci^iicntl y bi' obtained in
this way early in the nioiniiin' or late in t heeveninu',
and on bri.uht nioonlii^ht ni,!j,his it is best to watch all
iii.uht, Tor the im mense size oi' the, liTizzly I'endei's him
an easy taruvt at short I'anu'e even by nioonliuht.
Aiiothei' method is to stilbhunt him, the same as is
done with deei'. This is [)erhaps the tnost spofts-
maiilike of all, and if a conlee or ci'eek bottom ])v
selected whei'e there are jdenty of ben ies, or an
<)p(^n. hilly, rocky country, wheiv the bears aic in
the Inibit of huntin,!'' Tor worms, oi'aiiy ;;(»()d feedini;-
gi'onnd whert^ bear sii^iis are plentiful, and due care
and caution be exercised, there is as .u'ood a ( liance
of success as bv any other method. Manv hunters
set iiiiiis with a cord running from the trigger to a,
bait of fresh meat, and the miizzh^ of the gun i)oint-
ing at the meat; others set large steel trai)s or deaxb
falls. But such contrivances are never used bv true
si)()rtsinen.
(lame of anv kind should always be i)ursu(>d in a
fair, manly mannei', and given due chance to pi'e-
serve its life if it is skillful enough to do so. If
caittured, let it be by the sui)erior skill, sagacity, or
endurance of the sportsman, not by trai)s which
close on it as it innocently and unsuspectingly seeks
its food.
drizzly bear hunting is un([uestional)ly the grand-
est sport that our continent all'ords. The grizzly
i'i
ISO
( i;ri>iN(.> IN I III; (Axauks.
is till' only r<':illy (hiii.uvroiis uMiMr \\r li:i\<'. ;iiul tliB
(l<'<'i(l»'(llv luiZMidoiis cliar.-ictrr of the >|K)i'r is wliiit
U'ivi's it its uTt'jilcst /('sl. ;iii(l it'iidns ji i lie most His-
ciiniliii.U' of i>iiisnils. M:iiiy sportsiiicii idocliiitii the
Mipcrioiily of llii'ir finoritc iKistiinc ovtT nil oilirr
kiiid^, !)•• it (luail, uioiisc. <>r (liicl-; sliootiiiu', fox-
cliiisiiiu', (It'cr-staliviiiii', or what not: and facli lia> its
ciiariii, iiioit' or less iniciisc, accoidiiiu' to its nature;
lait no luaii ever ft'lt liis JD'art surl] with inidc, iiis
nerves tiiiule witl- aiiiiualioii. his whole system iilo\v
with wild, iincontiollalile enthusiasm, at the hau'-
liinu' of any l)ird oi' small animal, as <h)es the man
who stands over the j)rostiaIe form of a monster
uri/./ly that lie has slain. Let the devotee of these
other ('lasses of sport try beai' hiiiitin,u', and when he
has hai^'^ed his lirst ,uriz/ly. then let him talkl
i i .,{
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i:i-K HI VTIN,; ,x •,■,,,,; ,;,„ KV
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J'" illl tile !;il<i(> (i-iiii,. ,vi, fi, »
\ _ ■'".-' -.Illlt' oil tile Allicjic'ii)
'■'^'''•;"-M..st.t!...,u-,,,n.l..s,.tlH.sini..|i,.s,
''""'' *'"^''"'^ '""lii'iu' IVoM. ll,rn..l,lr
•^<'HI.'ll,vw|,„.|M,„l,,,,i, tclh. |,„„T(>r
;I-''^;"='"- '-''^i'— llMH>ss.ss.s.HHv,|..a.nv
in. ^> r.,Kk.r lun. . vi,ihnn s,.n,in..I of his ouu
Ili^i^n'at s.V.<>;,n,I iKnv.Hi.lmnsrnlarrousiniriion
^•ive J.nu alinos, nnUnuuU.i ..ulm-anr... NV|„,,
nnnn.,l(„. purs,,..! J,, will l,;,v,.l ror,uv„(v or
1'inMlorJoodorr.s,. H. is . p,..,,.!. l<.:„-l..ss n,,,.., •
^'nd rv.u when sin.ply mi,uT:,,ino. iVoni (HUM,,!...,: or
;'"""'t=.,Hstoano,lH., willt,,v.l iron. s.veHt;.!! e
^•"•' J"nHliV(Un,I.s without ]yino,hnvn H,: is -t
^''^"•^•<'l<"'s u.ountain..,,, „„!. ' ronsi<h'.nii./ Jn,
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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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HiotDgraphii
Sciences
Corporation
.-) WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, NY. 14580
(716) 872-4503
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182
CKlIslNdS IN TIIK CASCADK.-^
iiniiKMist' sizi' and wei^lit, often iis<«'ii<ls to h»*iirlits
that s«'»Mn incivdihh'. Ht* may ofttMi l"* lomul a\v:iy
111* to timluM- lin«^ and will traverse narrow (ki^s.-s
and deliles, ('lind)in,i;' over walls f»t' ro<-k and tlK'-ouiih
fissures wliere it would s«^ein imi»ossihle I'm- so iarue
an animal, witli such massive antlers as he caiiies,
to iio. lie chooses ids route, iiowevei-. with rare
<i-ood judunient, and all mountaineers kn<»'v that an
elk trail is the Ix'st that can }>ossil)|y l»e selected
over any uiven section of mountainous countiy.
His fa<'idty of traversiuu' dense juiiules an<l wind-
falls is e(|ually astoiushinu'. if uiven his own time,
he will move quietly and easily throuirh the worst of
these, leapin.u: over lous higher than his hack as
uracefullv and almost as liuhtlv as the deer: vet let
a herd of elk he alarmed and start on a run thiouiih
on'M)f these lahvrintlnne masses, and thev will make
a noise like a reiiiment of cavahy on a i)reci}iitous
charire.
I have stoo 1 on the maruin of a quakinii-asp
thicket and heaid a larue hand of elk <-oniiim
toward me that had heen "jumped" and tired uit<>n
hy my friend at the other side, and the friirlitful
>ise of their liorns i)oundii\i;' the trees, their hoofs
noi
strikini;" each other and the numerous rocks, the
crashinu' of dead hranches. with the snortinir of the
atfriuhted heasts, mii;ht well have struck terror to
the heart of anyone unused to su<'h siirhts and
sounds, and have caused him lo seek safety in
iliuht. ]5ut l)y standiui;' my liiound 1 was enahh-d
to lie t in a coui»le of shots at short ra Mire, and t()
hiinii' down two of tlie linest animals in the held.
The whistle of the elk is a sound which manv
AM) oiilKi; 111 NiiNc; .\l>\ i;.\
IS}
liav«* liifd f(» (Icscrihc. yet I doiilit i: ;'ii\ oin' w ho
limy li:i\ »> i>';i(l all tin' (lrs('ri[>ti<tiis oi' • . vt-r u ritU'ii
would rrcouiii/c ir on a lirsr licariiiu-. :i is a most
stiaiii:*'. \v»'ii(|. peculiar sound. l»allliii^ ; il «'tl'orts of
tli»' most sl\illl"ul word painter. It is < i . iitti'i«'d l>y
tli»' iiiah', and then' is tlif saint varirf. 'i lli«' soiukI
inadf* Ity dillVrrnt staiis as in dillVr»'nl i nan voices.
I siinlly tlit'ciy lu'uins and ends w itli :: -' 1 1 ol" uinnt.
somewhat like the Itellow ot'a doinesti« < .\ «Mit short,
hilt the interlude is a loii^-diawn. ni» •
like sound that lisi's and Falls with ;
("uh-nee. lloatin^'on the still evening ;
it is often wafted with sin^nlai' distiui '
tlistanres. I5y other individuals, or <
same individual at varior.s times, eiti •
last of thtT-se ahriijit sounds is oniitte(l.
otlie)-. in i'onnectioii with the lonu-(,,
toiM'd strain, is ^iven.
The stau- litters this call only in the
season, and for the |iiirpose of a>i '
wherealxmts of his dusky mate, who m
slu»rt an<l utterly iinmiisical sound, sli
with which the male begins or ends hi- - ;; I.
Once, when exi>lorin,u' in Idaho. I hai : n iiiterest-
inu' and excitiiiu' experience with a i : . d of «'lk.
] had canijied for the niiihtona hiuh dJ '.♦•. Iietween
two hranclies of the Clearwater river. ': • •• weather
had heeii intensely dry and hot for sev< ; days, and
the tall rye liiass that urew in the <»ld 1 '..ii where I
had pitched my <amp was dr_\ as pov. (!♦,•. 'I'lieie
was a p'litle hi-eeze from tlK' south. F« arin.!;' that a
spark miuht he carried into tlie<4rass, I cxtiniitiished
my caini>-lire as soon as i had cooked ain^ * a^en my
!ioii'^. Iliite-
; hyt hmical
r. l»y which
* s> to gle;it
' n Ity the
1 he lirsl <ir
id only the
.11. >ilver-
ive-iiiaking-
'aininu- the
I'Ollds hy ;i
:ii to that
If!
■ (I
i!l
i,
; i
184
(•|MISI.\(;< I\ THE CASCADES
THE W.lP/ri, oil AMKRICAN KLK.
A.Nu oiiiKK' III .\ii.\(, .\i>vi;.\ n i;i:
I s:.
sni)ppi-. As (liiikiirss (livw oil. I w.-m out i,, pick,-!
my liois.'s iiiul noticed tli;it tliry w.'iv ;i<Mili-
sfrMiiucly. TIk'V wvjv lookiiiu' douii the iiioiiMt.-iiii
side uitli ,.:iis point. ■(! l"oi\v;ii(k siiiniii- tli.. ;iir :iiid
iHDviim alxmr mit'Msilv.
I .unyc rheir i)ick.'t r<»i»i-.s:i fiini jii'oiuid convenient
jjick pines. ;ind then slippin- caiitioiislv l.nck lo the
tent, o-ot my rill.' ;in.l letmn.-l. I ,.ou|",l s.v nothinn
stninu-e Mild s:it d..\vn Ix-sj.l,. a |on- t,, ;,\v;iit d.'\.'I.,ir
nients. (nn r.nvniinul.'s I l„.;,rd ;, de;i<l linihl.iv.Mk.
Then th.'iv \w.s :i lusilin-' in ;i Ixmch ..1' tall, .liy
^TMss: ni()ivsn;,ppin-(,rt\vi,os:nidsli:ikinu<)n)nsh..s.
I ascei-mined that ih.'iv u.mv s.'v.Tal lar,-v aiiiniMls
niovino' tou-ard nie and IVaiv.l it mi-lit !.<• a lainily
of hears. I h-ar-'d it. I say. he.'ans.. it uas n..\v s'o
dark tli.it I conid not see toshooi at any .listaiKv. an.l
knew that if hears cam.' near t li.' iio'rs.'s th.- latter
would l)r.':ik Iheir ropes and stami.ede. J ili,,iiMl,r
of shontin.ii' and tryin-' to friuhl.'ii th.-iii oil', hnr
(h'cided to await deveIoi)ments. I»ivs.-nily I h.'ard
a sn;ij.i»in,u' of hoofs and a sncc.'ssj(»n of diiH, heavv.
thmiipiiiii' neis.'s. :i< coini)aniea hy r.'j..)its of hivak-
inuhriish. which J kn.-w at .)n<'.' w.-r.- mad.' hy a
band ol' elk jiinipiiiu' ov.-i a hiuh lou'.
Th.' uaiii.> was now n..t moiv than iiriy vards
away and in op.-n -I'.Miii.l, y.'i I c.)!!],! n..i se..'..v.-n
'I i'«>v.' nt. lor I was looking' down towar.l a dark
rahon. many hnndivds of f,.,.t d,.,.p. Slowly ti-
^•reat heasts worked toward in.'. Tli.'y w.-r.' .■.iminu.
<l()wn wind and 1 fdr sure conhl noi s.-miI in.'. hiiT
tlicy conld e\i(hMitly sc my hors.'s. ..ntlin.'d auaiiist
tlu' sky. and had doiihtless heard them snoriin-
and niovinu' ahont.
I
ISC.
(•|MI>IN«.- I.\ IIIK ( ASCADKS
Tlic jtoiiirs nrt'\,- iiior*' jiiixioiiN l>iit less I'l iulitciiHd
tlijiii ;it liist. ;iii(l st'fiiit'd now (l(-<ii(iiis o( making
tlu' ac(iiiaiutaii('»' of tlieir wild visitois,
Sloulv tlu' nlk moved I'orwaid until witliiii tlilitv
« «
or forty IV'ct (»f mt'. wIkmi I could l.^uiu to discern
by tlic stai'liiilit tiicir dark, shauuy forms. Then
they stopiied. I could licai' them sniftinu' the air
and coidd set' them movinu' cautiously fiom j.lace
to place, ajtpareiitly suspicious of tlanuer. IJiit
they were coiinnu' down wind, could .uet no indica-
tion of my [tresence, and were anxious to interview
the horse's.
Thev moved slowlv forward, and when thev
stoi.iied this time', two old l)ulls and one cow,
who were in the front rank, so to speak, stood
within ten feet of me. Their ureat liorns towered
u\) like the In-anches of (U\iil trees, and 1 <'ould he;ir
them Itreaihe.
A.ii'ain they circled from side to side and I tliouulit
surely they woidd uet far enough to one (punter (»i'
the other to wind me. hut thev did not. Several
other cows and two timid little calves crowded to tlie
front to look at their liornless cousins wlnniow stood
close behind me. and even in tlie starlight, I could
have sh(>t any (»ne of them between the eyes.
M\ saddle cavuse uttered a low ueutle whinnv,
whereat tile whole band wheeled and dashed away,
but after making a few leai»s their momentary scare
set'ined to snl)side. and tliey stopped, looked, snoi'ted
a few tini.eis and then began to edge u^) again— this
time even more shvlv than before.
It was intensely interestinu- to sttidv the caution
and circumsj.ection with which these creatures
«
Til. (.nly n.israk. tl,.y M.a.l.. an.l <„,.. :u ul.irh
lUlcll
-..u..,r:.ri/t;.:;;x,:;rr:;,,:::H;,:':,,:i
:v;;,;;;;;:r"'^'''-''^''<'"^--'-Miu...^
As l,er,„,. ,t,f„,. I ,.,,,,1,1 ,, ,„„, ,.,,„,.,,
I ■ I,., I„,r,„y„„|y|,n,.k.,„„.,„ „•„,,„„,,
fMri,.,„.l,ii„>v,,,,,i,.,||„„,„„^,ll ,. '
mill w,is iiiiu ii,|„- ,,, ...,^,,. , „ I ' " "1 III' .11.
'i"-'""i;'i. „r tiiei.„ii,.ikK,„,vt„,.,,-,.p,,r.b,.
iH.siu.,i.sti„.„M„|.v,„.,„,, „,.„;„.,, ,.„„,-.i. . ,;
,,,,,l,,,M,,y,,,,,|i.,.,,,..,.,|„,,,^, ,.,,,- '
,ai»«rliol 1,^,1,.: ir ,i,ufii|.,.s „,„i i,„,.,i..„. :.. ... ■
, ^. ''^ III"' liiiiili'lls ill Vli"iisr .
e.i.lMo rij ,.„ii,.|„.„,„,, „.i„, ^,„_^. ,.^.^^1 ^l_^^^^,^^^^_^^^^ .^1
HJII
1
' !|
IKS
( iMISINo I.\ illi; ( AS< Ain;
Ills Wiiy. Tilt' nittiliu' sc.isou ovrl'. lie liMs lio ruillK'i
list' tor his .Hitlers until tiif i.*'Xt :iiitiiiiiii, :in<l lli»^v
<|jo])(»IV. 1'liiis the inoccss is it'|M':itf'(l, vc'ir iil'tfi
v«';ir. ;is iciiiil:irly ;is the Icnvcs uiow and lull I'lcmi
tllf lives. Ill It it si'clMsil St I'M nut' l>Jo\ isidll of liMllllv
tliiit should loiid MM fiiiinuil with sixty to si'vciity-
livf iioiimls of horns, for hiiH" lln* y«':ir. when
wt'iiitoiis of on»'-(jii;ii't('r tin- si/c mikI weiuht \v<»nl(l
!»' »'»|ii;illy clViM't i\'<' il" !ill wri)' Minicd nlikr.
I have ill my colleciioii the head of a ludl elk,
killed ill the Shoslioiir Mountains, in NortlnMii
Wyoininii. the antlers oi" w hirh nieasine as j'ollows:
J.(i'n,iith of main l)eam. -i feet S incln s: leiiuJli ot
l)l'e\\ line. I foot (i,i inclirs; lenutll of Ites tille. 1 foot
8A im-lics; leiiuih oi" i()\al tine. I fool 7 inches;
l«*n,ulh of siirroyal. I fool SA^ inches: ciicnmfeit'nce
around l>iiir. 1 fool :'>^ inches; circumference aioiind
l)eam al)o\c lniir. I i iiiclie'^; ciitaimfeience (»!' In-ou-
tine at l>:ise. 7^ inches; sjji-cad of main l>eams al tips.
4 feel 1) inche>. They ai'c om' of 1 he hirii'esr and tinesi
]tairs of antlers of which I liav<' any knowledge.
'IMie animal when killed would have wei<.ihed nearly
a thousand jxMinds.
The elk is sti'ictly u'leuarious. and in wintei- time,
especiallx. the animals uatliHT into larirc bands, and
a few years aiio heids of fioni li\e hiindretl to a
thon.saiid were not nnc(»mmon. Now. however, their
niiml)eis liavc heeii so far reduced l>y the ra\aii"es
of '"skin hunters" and olher.s that one will raiely
lind more than twent\-live or thirlv in a hand.
In the fall of IS71>. a ]iarty of three men Wi'W
siuhl-seeinu' and hnnlinu' in the Yellowstone Na-
tional Park, and having i>rol<)nged theii stay until
A\i» <>iiii:i; iirNTiMi Ai>\ in i r i;i;
IS'>
hitc ill ( )ri()lM'i', \\f\r (»\i'rt;lk<'ii Ity ;i friril»li' >n(i\v-
stoiiii. wliidi ('oiiijticlrly l)l(ti'k:i<l»'(l and <>l)litt'i;iti'(l
.-ill iIm- tniils. iiikI liilt'd tlif unlclirs. nifions, jiiid
<'(Hll<'cs to siirli ;l (jcplli tli;if their JKdsc-; ntiild liot.
tnivf'l ovrf lih'iM ill :il
'I'licv
li;i(| l;iiii 111 <-;iiMl>
tlii't'*' (|:iys \v;iitiiiLi' I"**!' llic stor.n l<» iiliatc: l»iit ;is it
('((iiiiniitMl t<» ,ur<»\v ill x-xt'iity, mikI ;is tlic >ii(>\v
l»('(';ini<' (l('«'|)('r ;iii(l »l»'»'[)('r. lln'ir sitiuitioti utcu (hiiiy
and lioiirly iiioiv ;il;iriiiiii.u-. Their stuck of jno-
visioiis \v;is low, they Ii;id lio shelter silfiicielit to
withst.'iiid the riuois (tf a whiter :it thiit liiuh iilti-
tllde. iiiid it w;is [';ist bccoiilillii,' ;i <ii|eslioii whetiier
they should e\«'r l)e ;il)le to J'SCilpe lieyoiid the siiow-
<'lad jx'tiks and siiow-lilled caMoiis with v^ hich they
w«'re heiiiined ill. Their only ho[)e of escape was hy
abaudouiiiLi- their horses, and construct iiiu' snow-
shoes which iiiiiiht k(M'i» them ahove the snow; but
in tliiscase thev could not carrv beddinu' and food
cnouiih to last them throimhoiit the several davs
that the journey would occupy to the nearest ranch,
and the chances of killinu' uanie r/^ rouh' after tlie
isevere weather had set in were extremely }trecari(Mis,
They had already set about makinii' snow-shoes
from the skin of an elk which tiiey had saved. One
pair had been <-ompleted. and the storm having
abated, one of the party set out tu look o\er the
suri'oundiini' country for the most feasiiile route l>y
whi<'li to get out, and also to try if possible to lind
game of some kind, lb- had gone al»out a mile
toward the northeast when he came u[>on the fresh
trail of a huge band of elk that were moving toward
the east, lie follow(Mi. and in a short time came u])
with them. Thev were travelini'' in simile lil«», led
n
VM)
( i;i i^i\<is IN nil; « as( aius
liy :i pnwcrliil old hull, w lii> wnllowcd tlnoiiuh snow
ill wliirh (»iil\ his lictid iiiid in'ck wciv vi>il»lt'. with
all the |i:iti<'n('»' and itdscv cianct' of a I'ailhriil old
ox. Tilt' otin'is I'oIIowimI him — llif s roiipT ones in
fionr and tli*' w«'ak«'r ones hiiniiinu up th*- ifar.
There were t hill \ -sfveii ill the l»aiid. and by tiie
time thev had all walked in the same line tlicv lelt
it an open, well Itcatcii trail. The Ininter ai>i)n)ached
within a IVw vards of tlwiii. Thev were uir'atlv
alainied when thev saw him. and mad*' a h'W hounds
in various directions; hut seeinu their stniuules
were in vain, they meekly siihmit ted to what seemed
their imitendinu fate, and lell hack in rearol' their
iiledeader. This would have ))een the lioldeii oppor-
tunity of a skin hunter, who could and would have
shot them all down in their tracks from a sin.ule
stand, lint such was not the mission of our friend.
He saw in this n(>hle, struii'iiiinu' hand a means of
deliverance from wiiat iiad threatened to he a wintry
^rave for him and iiis companions. Ih' (li<l not tire
a shot, and did not in anv wav create unnecessarv
alarm aiiionnst the elk. hut liurried hack to camp
and reported to his friends wliat lie had seen.
Ill a iiKJinent tlie camp was a scem^ of activity and
excitement. Tent, beddinu'. provisions, everything
that was ahsohitelv necessarv to their ioiirnev. were
hurriedly packed upon their i)ack animals; saddles
were phu'ed, rities were slunu' to the saddles, and
leavinu' all suri)lus l^augage, siicli us trophies of
tluMr hunt, mineral si)ecimens and curios of various
kinds, for future ccmiers, they started for the elk
trail. They ii.id a, slow, tedious, and lahorious task,
breaking a way through the deep snow to reach it.
AM> n|||i;i; Iir\||\». A l»\ liNII lIKs.
191
but iiy \v;ilkiim ;iii(| It'iidiiiu tlieir s:i(l<ll«' :iiiiiii:ils
iilit'iid. tilt' pnck ;iiiim:iN wciv ;il>l»' ti» fnllou >lnu \\ .
Fiii;illy tln'V i»';ii'li»'(l ilit- ti;iil nl" llifcll^ lit-id. mikI
t'dllou inu tliis. :il"i»'r nine (l;iys nl" ti'didiis ;iii(l puiiiliil
tr.'ivi'liiiii'. tlif iciitx iiilivfd ;il :i iMiirli on (he
StiiiUiiiu' W.ih'i river, wliicli \v;is kepi l»y a
>(
|ii:i\\ iiiiiit
Mild liis wift
w
licit' tlli'X' WCIf
<miji1)|»m1 to ludu<' Mini ivciiiil tlit'iiisrhcs Mild tlH'ir
stock. Mild whence tliey liiiMlly reMi'lie<l tlieir lioincs
in SMl'cty. 'IMle hMIld of elk liMssed oil (jowii llic
river, Mild oiir toiiiists never smw tlieiii MuMiii; l)Uf
tliey liMve doubtless loiiu" eie this m11 I'Mlleii M ])rey to
the ruthless \v;»r tliMt is coiistMiitly lieini;' Nva^i;-ed
Muiiinst tlieiH by hunters white mikI red.
It is sMd io think tliMt su<'h m noble creMture ms the
Anierican elk is doomed to cMily Miid Mbsoliite
extinction, but such is nevertheless the I'Mct. YeMl'
bv vcMr his inountMin liMbitMt is bein^' surrounded
and encroM(died upon by the MdvMnciiiu' line ol" set-
tlements. MS the UshermMn encircles the stiim;ii:lin,j;'
mass ol' tishes ill the cIcmi' pond with his loii^- und
(dosely-meshe(l net TIm' lines nre diMwn closer mikI
closer cMcIl VCMl'. These lines Ml'e the iMllclies of
cMttle and sheep raisers, the cabins mikI towns of
miners, tlu^ stMtioiis nnd residences of em])loy6s of
the railroMds. All these ]i1mc(^s Mre made the shelters
and temiiorary abidinu' places of Eastern and for-
eiu'ii sportsmen who uo out to the mountains to
hunt. Worse than this, they Mie niMde the perma-
nent abidinu' places, and cfuistitiite the active and
convenient markets of the nefariousand unconscion-
able skin hunter and meat liunter. Here lie can
Hnd a ready market for the meats and skins he
i
.\M» nrilKl; lir\IIN(; \l»\ KNTI UKS.
V.Ki
liriiiu's ill. ;iii(| :iii (iiiiioi't unity to sim-ikI tli*- luocfj-ds
(»i" siicli ()Mti':m«'niis ir;illi(' in laiirli uliisUv imd i»'v-
t'iiA. 'I'lir riiiiciinn'ii tii»'ms»'lv<'s hunt and lav in
tiK'ir stock <»!' nit-at for ilif year uIhmi tiir ^ani»'
conit's down into tin- \ali«'ys. Tlic Indians. \\li«'U
tliry liav«M«at»'n np tln'ir <iovt'rnin»'nt lations. lie in
wait for tilt' flk in tin- sani«» manner. S(» that ulim
tli<' lirsi uTcat Ml •vsol' the antnnin or winltT fall in
t!M' hiuh ian,u«'s, w'i»'n the elk hand tou»'tlit'r and
s«'»'k i'«*rn<i«' in tli- \allt'ys. as did th*' ln'vd that (Mir
I'ortnnato ton;i>ts loilowcd ont, lln'y find a inix«'(l
and hnnury liord*' uaitinii" for iht'iii at the month <»f
cvt'iv canon, Jicfor*' iIicn have iracjifd fh" vallcv
t * •
where the snow-l'all is liuht enon.uh to allow theni
to live thronuh the winter their .skins are diyin^- in
the neiichborinu' "shrieks."
Tli's nneipial, one-sided warfare, this rnthless
slanuhtei' of inoll'ensive cieatnies, can not last
always. Indeed, it can last but little lonuer. In
ranu'es where onlv a few vears auo liei-ds of four or
live hnndied elk could he found, the hunter of
to-day considers himself in rare luck when he linds
a hand of ten or twelve, and even small hands of
anv number are s<> rare ihat a uood hunter mav
(►ften hunt a week in the best elk country to he
found anywhere without uviiinua single shot. All
the Tei'iitories have ^(tod. wholesome name-laws
wiilch I'oi'bld tlie killin.u' of uanie animals except
durini;' two oi- thive months in tiie fall: but these
laws are not enfoi'ced. They aie a dead h-tteron
the statute-books, and the illeii'al and illeicitimate
:skiui^l)ter uoes on unchecked .
13
CUAPTKH XXIII.
AXTi:L(»ri: imntin*. in Montana.
F Jill t lie iimiKMoiis sjit'cit's of liii'.uc unnic To 1)«^
found ill lh«' fill' West, tli«Mv is none wiiose
,) pursiiif fiiniisliHs urnndcr sport to the expert
ip litlt'iiiiiH tlmii liie ;iiit«'lope [Antilocaitra
(iiiierivaud). His li:ihir:it l)ein<;' the liiuh,
R/^ open ])l;iiiis. h«' luiiv Ix' hiilitt'd oil lioist.'-
bjM'k. Mild with a luiich ureattM- deuree of
eoiiifort than may the dct'i', elk. hear, and
^•'■- other s[)e(*i«^s wliieh inlial>it the wooded or
H'.l nioujitainoiis districts. His keen eyesiulit,
line sens(» of siii«dl. his iutcnsc fear of liis
iiatuial enemy, man. however, render him tiie most
difiieiilt of all .uanie animals lo ai>pioa('h, and
lir must indeed be a skillful hunter who can juet
within easv ritle ranu'e of the aiiteloi»e. unless lie
happens ro hav<' thr ('irciimstaiiees of wind and lie of
uround i)e('uliarlv in his favor. AVIien the uame is
tirst sighted, even thoiiuli it be one, two, or three
miles awav, voii must either dismount and picket
your horse, or iind cover in some coulee or draw,
where you can riile entirely out of sight of the (piarry.
But ev«Mi under such I'avoiahle circumstances it is
not well to attempt to ride very near them. Their
sense of heariim' is also verv acute, and should vour
horse's hoof or shoe strike a loose rock, or should he
(1!>4)
AND OTIIKI: HI'\TI.\(i ADV K.V IT K KS.
V.C)
snort or iU'iL;li, tli»> uanif is likely lo catch the sound
while voii are vet «Mitirelv out ol" s'uht: and farawav,
and when yon linally <'reep cantionsly to the top of
the ridii'e from which yon exjtect a I'avoraltle sli(»t,
yon may Hnd the uanie placidly lookinu- for yon
i'rom the top of another ridu'e a mile or two I'arthei-
away.
lint we will hope that yon are to have better Inck
than this. To start with, we Avill presnmethat yon
are an exi)ert I'ilitMnan; that yoii ai-e in the habit of
making iiood scores at the bntts; that at 8tM>, ixio,
and 1. (»(»() yards von i'retinentlv sc(n'e 'i(»(» to :21<) ont
of a possible 2*i."> points. We will also suppose that
yon are a hunter of some experieiict^; that you have
at least killed a good many deer in the Stat<'s, but
that this is your lirst tri}) to the plains. You have
learned to estimate distances, however, even in this
rare {dmosi)here, and i)ossess good judgment as to
windage. Y(ni have l)rought your Creedmoor ritie
along, divested, of ccnu'se. of its Wnier sight, wiiul-
gnage. and s]iiritdevel. and in th(nr i)la('es yon have
litted a Beach combination front sight and Lyman
rear sight. Besides these von have the ordinary
open step sight attached to the liarrel just in front of
the action. This is not th(0)estarm for antelope hunt-
ing: a AVinchester exi)ress with i''e same sights
would be much better; l»utthis will answer very A\«dl.
We camped last night on the baidv of a cleai'.
rai[)id stream that gurgles down from the mountain,
and this morning are n^) long before daylight;
have eaten our breakfasts, saddled our hor^^es.
and just as the gray of dawn begins to snow
over the low, tiat prairie to the east of us, m ^
19G
<"i;riSIN(.S iX THE "A>rAl>KS
nKMinr. niid ;ir«' Vi'iuly fuitlie stair, TIih wind is from
tlie iioitln^Jist. Tliat suits us very well, for in tliat
direction, about a mile away, then* are some low
foot-hills that skirt the vallev in wliirli we are
camited. In or just bevond these we are verv likely
to lind antelo2)e, and tliey will jaobably be coniinu'
toward the creek this morninu- for water.
We i)iit spurs to our liorses and uallop away. A
brisk and exhilaratinu' ride of ten minutes brinirs us
to the footdiills. and then we rein up and ride
slowlv and cautiously to iieai- tiie toi* <»f the first one.
Here we dismount, and, picketim:- our ponies, we
crawl slowly and carefully to the apex. ViV tliis
time it is almost fully dayliuht. We lemove our
hats, and i)eer cautiously through the short, scatter-
inii' grass on the brow of the hill.
Bo you see anythinu"^
No; notliing but prairie and grass,
Noi Hold I What are those small, gray objects
away off yonder to the left^ I thiid\ I saw one of
them move. And now. as the light grow.s stronger,
I can see white patches on them. Yes. they are
anteloite. They are busily feedinir. and we niiiy
raise our heads slii;htly and aet a more fayoral)le
view. One. two. three — there are five of them — two
bucks, a doe, and two kids. And you will observe
that they aie nearly in the centre of a broad stretch
of table land.
"But." you say, 'Mnay W(Mtot wait here a little
while until they come nearer to usT"
«
Hardly. You see they are intent on getting th.^ir
breakfast. There is a heavy fi-ost on the grass,
Avhich moistens it sufficiently for pre.sent purposes.
AM) nTlIKII HIMINt. A I»\ KNi I Kl>.
lo:
aii'l it niuv l>e an lioiii- oi- iimir licfdif tlirv will start
« *
for water. It won't pay iis to wait ><» loiiu, I'oi- we
sliall most ]ik('|\ tiiid others within thai time that
we <'an ,uet within ran.ue of without waitiiii:- lor them.
80 yon m:iy as well try them I'rom here.
Xow voui" exiterience al the hutts mav serve von
a uood tnrn. After takinu' a careful look over the
^Tound. you estimate the distance at ."^.')0 yards, and
settinir 111) your Beacli front and Lvnian rear sights,
vou make the necessarv elevation. There is ;i lnjsk
wind blowinu' from the riii'ht. an<l you think it nec-
essarv to hold oil' about tlirep U'cl. We are now
])otli lyinu' })rone upon the iir<)und. Y mi face tiie
irame. and su}»port your ritle at your shoulder by
restinu' your elbows on the uround. The >nn is now
.shininu' briiihtlv. and vou take careful aim at that
I V I. ft
old buck that stands out theic at the left. At the
report of your ritle a cloud <»f dust rises from a jtoint
about a hundred yards this side of him. an<l a little
to the left, showinu' that you ha\e underestimated
both the distance and the foic*' of tlie wind — things
that even an old huntei' is liable to do occasionally.
AVe l)oth lie <'lose. and the anima's havt^ not yet
seen lis. Tiiey make a few jum})s. and stop all in a
l)nn<'li. The <'ross-wind and htiiu' <lisianc<' prevent
them from knowin<i' to a <'ertainty whrre the re])ort
<'ome-; from, and they don't like to run just yet. lest
thev mav run toward the daniivr instead of awav
from it. You make another half-jioint of elevation,
hold a little farther away to the liuht. and try them
aLTiUii. This time the dirt rises abont twenty feet
beyond them, and thev lump in evt'rv diicctie'i.
That was certainlv a ( lose call, and the l)ullet evi-
i I
IDS
CKl.'ISIXGS I.\ THE CASi ADKS
(lently wliisth'd iinconirortjibly close to several of
tiieiii. They iii'c iiow thoroiiniily IVinhteiied. You
insert anolln'i' ('arti'i(l<Ae, hurriedly draw a bead on
the lar,u>*st buck a.u'ain, and tire. You break dirt
just l)eyond him, and wc can't tell for the life of us
how or on which side of him your bullet passed. It
is a.stonishin<j; liow iuu<'h Aaeant space there is round
an antelftpt', anyway. This time they go, sure.
They have located the piilf of smoke, and ai'e gone
with the speed of the wind away to the west. P)Ut
don't l)e discouraged, my friend. Y'ou did some
clever shooting, some vera clever shooting, and a
little practir'e of that kind will enable you to score
before night.
AVe go l)ack to our horses, mount, and gallop
awa v again acro-^s the tabledand. A ride of anotlier
mile l)ringsus to the northern margin of this plateau,
an( 1 1< ) a nnjre broken country. Here we dismount and
jDicket our horses again. AVe ascend a high butte,
and from the top of it we can see three more antelope
about a ndle to th«^ north of us; but this time they
are in a hilly, broken country, and the wind is com-
ini"' dircctlv from them to us. We shall be able to
U'et a shot at them at short range. So we cautiouslv
l)ack down out of sight, and then begins the tedious
process of stalking tliem. AVe walk briskly tdong
around the foot of a hill for a (piarter of a mile, to
wherr it mtdves a turn that would carry us too far
out of our course. We must cross this hill, and
after lof)king carefully at the sh pe and location of
it, we at last lind a low i)oint in it where bv Ivini--
tiat down we can crawl over it without rev»nding our-
selves to the game. It is a most tedious and painful
AND orilKi: IHNI'INCJ A DV KNIT UK
VM
pif(v of work, foi' tht^ umuiid is iilnM)st rovcrpdwith
ciicttis Mild sli:ii[> iliiity rocks, and oiu* liands jind
kupcs ai'e terri^lv huvratcd. But everv rose lias its
tlioin, and iicai-ly pyhit kind of sport has sonirtlilnu-
uni)l('asant ('onn«'.'t<'d with it occasionally; and our
r
f
'^..f''
'^.t
\ I'liKTIJAiT.
re'»v;u'd, if we ,u"cl it. will In worth the pain it costs
us. With such rctlcci ions and couiiucnts, and with
frequent longing l(»oks at the game, we kill time till
at last the critical part of our work is done, and we
■ I
n
i. 'I
ii
200
CUriSI.\(i.s I\ TlIK CAS( ADi:s
can arise and descend in a conirortable but cautious*
walk into another draw.
This we follow for about two hundred yards, until
we think we are as near our quarry as we can
get. We turn to the right, cautiously ascend the
hill, remove our hats, and peer over, and there, sui'e
enough, are our antelope quietly grazing, utterly
oblivious to the danger that threatens them. They
have not st.'en, heard, or sc(Mited us, so we lia\<'
ami)le time to X)hin an attack. You take the stand-
ing shot at the buck, and together we will try and
take care of the two does afterward. At this short
distance you don't care for the peep and globe sights,
and wisely decide to use the plain open ones. This
time you simply kneel, and then edge up until you
can get a good clear aim over the apex of the ridge
in this position. The l)uck stands broadside to
you, and at the crack of your rifle spiings into
the air, and falls all in a heaj), pierced through the
heart.
And now for the two does. They are Hying over
the level stretch of prairie with the speed of an arrow,
and are almost out of sure range now. You turn
loose on that one on the right, and I will look after
the one on the left. Our ritles crack together, and
little clouds of dust rising just beyond tell us that,
though we have both missed, we have made close
calls. I i)ut in about three shots to your one, owing
to my ritle being a repeater, while you must load
yours at each shot. At my fourth shot my left-
lielder doubles uj) and goes down with a broken
neck; and although vou have fairlv "set the ground
atire" — to use a Western jihrase — around your
AND OlIIKU IirNTI.\<r AKV KNTIKKS.
•^01
right-fielder, you Iuivh not luid the good rortmic
t) stop her, an I shn is now out of sight l):'hiud a
h)W ridge.
But you have the better animal of tlip two, and
have had sport enough lor tin- first morning. ^^^•
will take the entriiils out of these two, lash them
across our horses heliind our saddles, go to camp,
and rest through the heat of the day; for this J^.-p-
tembersun beams down with great power in mid
day, even though the nights jire cool and i'l-osty.
And now, as we have quite a long ride to camp,
and as we are to pass over a i-ather monotonous
prairie C(umtry e« ronte, 1 will give you a point oi-
two on fiagging antelope, as weVide along, that ma v
be useful to you at some time. Fine sport may
fi-equently be enjoye 1 in this way. If yon c;in finJl
a band that have not been hunted much, andaiv ik.i
familiarwiththe wiles of the white man. you will have
little trouble in decoying them withiii rifie lanue
by displaying to them almost any brightly-colored
object. They have as much curiosity as a*^ woman,
and will run into all kinds of danger to investigate
any strange object they may discover. They lia\-e
ham known to follow an emigrant or freight wauon.
with a white cover, several miles, and the Indian (it'teil
))rings them within reach of his arrow or ))iillet
by standing in ].lain view wrap.ped in his red blanket.
A piece of bright tin or a minor answers the same
l)urpose on a clear day. Almost any conspicious oi'
strangedooking object will attract them; but the
uiost convenient as .veil as the most reliable at all
times is a little briuht-red fiaff
v.. ^
On one occasion I was hunting in the Snowv Mount-
'i
■
:
ii
I
II
•J< »-i
(•i:risix<;s i\ 'I'm: <ascai)Ks
ains, ill Nortlicni Montana, witli S. K. Fishel, the
^•()v«'i'nni<'nt scont. and HicliardTliomas. tlie packri",
lioin Fort Ma<iinni.s. \Vt> liad not hct-n sncrcssfiil in
lindinu' ,uanie tlnTc and ononrway l)a('k totliepost
ranqu'd two days on tlu* li<'ad of Flat Willow creek,
near the toot of the mountains, to hnnt antelopes.
As niuht ai)i>roa('hed several small bands of them
came toward the cret'k, but none came within range
of onr ('[imp dnring daylight, and we did not go
after them that night. l)nt were up and at them
betimes the next morning.
I preferred to hnnt .alone, as I always do Avhen
after big game, and went out across a level Hat to
some low hills iioith of cam}). When I ascended
the liist of these I saw a handsome buck antelope
on the j)rairie half a mile away. 1 made a. long
detoMi- to get to leeward of him. and meantime had
great dillicnlty in keeping him from seeing me. 15ut
bv^ carefid maneiiverinu' I linallv uot into a draw
below him, and I'onnd the wind blowing directly
from him to me. In his neighborhood were some
large, ragged volcanic rocks, and getting in line
with one of these I started to stalk him. lie was
feeding, and as I moved cautiously forward I could
frecpiently see his nose or rump show up at one side
or the other of the rcK'k. I would accordingly glide
to right or left, as necessary, and move on. Finally,
I succeeded in reaching the rock, crawled carefully
up to where I could see over it, and there, sure
enough, stood the handsome old fellow not more
than fifty yards away,' still c<miplacently nipping
the bunch-grass.
'•Ah, mv tine laddie." I said to nivself, "• vou'll
A\n oiUKK iiiNrFxc Aitvi;xTri;F.
'J( ►;3
n»'V('r know what limt voir." and rcstiiiu' tlif iiii:7,/Ih
ol* lliH rillc on tilt' lock. I took a line, strady aim lor
Ills ht-art an<l tiinit'd ilic hiillcr loose. TImt*' was a
tei'iilic loar; tli»* lead t<»r«' iij) a <doiid of dust and
went s«'reaiiiinii" away over tlu' liills. while, to my
litter astoiiisliment, the antelope went sailing' across
the prairie with the s))eed <»!" a li'reylioiind. I sprani!,'
to my feet, immiied lead after him at a lively rate,
and, thoiiuh 1 tore the uronnd up all around him,
never touched a hair. And wluit annoyed mc most
was that, owinu' to some ]ieciiliar coinlition of the
atmospliere, th«' smoke of each slujt hiinu' in front of
me lonii' etiouuh to prevent me from seeini;- just
wiiere my hullets stiuck, and, for the life of me, 1
could not tell whether 1 was shootin<i' over or under
tliepimel
I w>'nt hack over the hill to my horse, with my
heai't full of disappointment and my maua/.ine oidy
half full of cartridii'es. I loa(h'<l uj*, howevei'.
mounted, and, as I rode away in search of moie
•iiime, I could occasionally hear the jilmost whis-
pered *' pidl", i)ulf " of Fishel's and Thomas's riHes
away to tiie south and west, which brou.uht me the
cheerinu- assurance that they weie also liavinu' fun,
and also assured me that we should not be without
meat for sui)iter and breakfast.
I socm sighted a baud of about tliirty antelopes,
and riding into a coulee dismounted, picketed my
horse, and l)euan another crawl. In due time I
reached the (h'sired "stand." witliin al»out eighty
yards of tiiem. and, picking out the linest buck in
the bunch, again took a careful, deliberate aim an<l
tired, scoring another clear miss. The band,
i' *
1
f 1
i
! >
» ./
204
('i;ii-'i:>».> IN iiiK < A>( Ain:s
iiilsi'nd of riiiiuiiit'' Jiwiiv. tiinuvl mid ran dircctlv
toward nif. and, ♦'iirlini'' sliulitly, itasst^d within
tliiitv yards of me, drawn ont in sinult* lilr. Jt was
a <i<>lden opportunity and 1 felt sure I should kill
hair a dozen of them at least; hut, alas! for Hej'tini;
liopes. I knew not the frailty of the sui)port on
which I built my expectations. 1 fanned them as loni;'
as there was a caitiidue in my nia^uazine, and had
to endure the intense chagrin of seeing the last one
of them go over a ridge a mile away sale and
sound. " '
I was dumb. If there had been anyone there to
talk to, I don't think I could have found a word in
the language to express my feelings. As before, the
smoke prevented me from seeing just where my l^ul-
lets struck the ground, but I i'elt sure they must be
striking veiy close to the game. I sat down, pon-
dered, and examined my ritie. I could see nothing-
wrong with it, and felt sure it must be perfect, for
within the past week I had killed a deer with it at
170 yards and had shaved the heads oft' ti dozen
grouse at short range. I was, therefore, forced to
the conclusion that I had merely failed to exercise
proper care in holding.; I retuined to my horse,
mounted, and once more'set out in search of game,
deternnned to kill the next animal I shot at or
leave the country.
I rode away to the west about two miles, and
from the top of a high hill saw another band of forty
or fifty antelopes on a table-land. I rode around
till I got within about two hundred yards of them,
when I left my horse under cover of a hill and again
began to sneak on the unsuspecting little creatures.
AN'i> <»Tiii;i; iirN'iiN<i ai>vk.\ti'i:i>
•iiC)
TIk'v wtMt' lU'jir iIh' »'(Iu»' of tli»' tJihh', niul I'loin just
l)fy()U<l tlu'iii tilt' rornijition l"»'ll jilMuptly jiway into
tilt' valh'V soiiiH liftv iV'»'t. I crawird up this l)liill'
until witiiiii alxmt I'oity yards of tlie' iu*ar<'st ante-
l(»li«\ and tli»'ii, lyinii' Hat ujion the juioiind, I placfd
my litlt' in jxisition lor lirin.u-. and. inrli ])y inch,
rdurd up over the apex ol' the hlnfV until within
fair view oi' the ^anie. .Vua in - selecting the best
buck — for 1 wanted a good head for mounting — I
drew down (»n his Itrown side until I felt sure that
if there had been a silver dollar hung on it I could
have driven it through him. Conlidently ex])ecting
to see 1dm dro]) in his tracks, I touched the trigger.
])Ut, alas 1 I was doomed to still fuither disgrace.
When the smoke lifted, my coveted prize was speed-
ing away with the rest of the herd.
1 simi)ly stood, with my lower jaw hangin.u down,
and looked after them till they were out of sight.
Then 1 went and got my horse and went to camp.
Sam and Dick were there with the saddles of three
antelol»es. When I told them what I had been
doing, they tried to ,.)nsole me. but I woiddn't ))e
consoled. After dinn«'r, Sam picked up my ritie
and looked it over carefully.
•• Why, look her(^ you blooming idiot," said he.
'•No wonder vou coiddn't kill at short range The
wedge has slipped up under your rear sight two
notches. She's elevated for 8.j() yards, and at that
rate would shoot about a foot high at a hundred
yards." I looked and found it even so. Then I
offered him and l)ick a dollar each if they would
kick me, but they wouldn't.
Sam said good-naturedlv: "("ome, go with me
!i
i
I
*2(i()
Cl!ri8I.N«iS IN Till-: TAX AlUvS
Jiiid ti't't the ln';i<l <>r tlirltiick I killed. It's ii v»'i'y
liaiidsoiiH' oMc. Mini only two miles I'loiii ciiiiip."
I .said I didii"! want any heads for my own use
unless I could kill tlieii- owneis myself, hut would
take this one home for a fiieud. so we sa<ldled <»ur
ii(»rses and stalled.
As we reached the top of a hill about a mile from
camp a iaruc buck that was ^razinu' ahead of us
jump:'d and ran away to what lie seemed t() consider
a safe distance, and sto|>pe<l to htok at us. Sam
.li'enerously oll'ered me the shot, and spriiiuing out
of my saddle I threw down my rille, to(»k careful
aim and lired. At the crack the buck turned just
half way r(jund. but was unable to make a sinule
jump and sank dead in his tracks.
Sam is ordinarily a (juiet man, but lie fairly
shouted at the result of my shot. 1 i)ace(l the dis-
tani'e carefully to where the carcass lav, Jiiid it was
exactly 'ilM) steps The buck was standiui'- broadside
tome ;md I liad .shot him throu,i;h the heart. Of
course, it was a .scratch. 1 could not do it a;iain ])er-
haps in twenty .shots, and yet when I considered that
I shot for one sinnie animal and ^ot him I could not
help I'eeliuii' a little lU'oud of it. As we approached
the animal, not knowing just where I had hit him,
I held my ritle in readiness, but Sam said:
"Oh, you needn't be afraid of his g-etting u}).
One of those Winchester exi)ress l)ullets is all an
antelope need.s, no matter what part of the body you
hit him in,"
This old fellow had a line head, and we took it
oft', and now as I write it gazes down npon nie with
those htrge, lustrous black eyes, from its place on
.\\i> MTFiii; Frr.Mrx). .\i>\i:.\ri i:i;s.
•i<>7
tli<' Willi, MS |>i'(»ii(|ly iiikI ciiiioiisly as it did iln'if on
the pr.'iirir u hell j Idckcdatit tliroiiiili th.. ,siu|,|s ,,r
my Winchester. His poinjut adorns j.mv" IK'J oI'
this l)(M»k, and flioniili lli.' arti>i lia> tivjiicd it w iili a
mastei-'s hand, il dors not [)o.ssess tlif lordly Iwam-
iim'. the fa^einatiny ,<i-race, ihr timid In-auty that
distinunished the li\in,u' animal.
it was so late when \»e yot this one divssed that
Ave decided to retnrn to canq) at once.
The curiosity which isso prominrnt a r.'atuie in t h..
antt'|o|,«.'s natnre costs many a on»' of th.-m his lilV,
and is taken advaiita.uv of hy tiie hnnt.'r in vari<»us
ways. Wlu'ii we i-eached ramp that al't.'rnoc.n Dick
told lis how he had taken advanta.ue oj' it. 11.' had
seen Ji small hand on a level stretch of piaiiir where
there was no possible way of uetiin.u' within ran.ue
of them, andhavin.u' heard that if a man wonid lie
down on his hack, elevate his feet as hi,i;'h us i)os-
sihle. and swiiio- tlK'in back and lorlh thronuli the
ail-, that it wonId attract antelopes, decided to try
it. ]5nt the ant. 'lopes of this section had evid.'ntly
nevei- seen soaj* boxes or bales of hay lloatin.u'
throngh the air, and liad no desire to cnltivate a
clo.sei- acipiaintance with such fright fnl lookinu'
objects as he exhibited to their astonished oaze.
And Dick sai<l that when he turned to .see if they
had yet come within shooting- distance they w.-re
about a mile away, and juduinu- from the cloud of
dust they were leaving behind them seemed to be
running a race to see wliich could get out of the
country first.
The next morning Sam Jind T went togetlier and
Dick iilone in another direction. During tlie fore-
I
>f
3
2(lS
C KllSlNGS IX THE CASCADI^
iioou I Nliot :i l>iu'k tlu'()ii,uh both fore legs, cut ting-
out' oif cle:!!! aud ]>;ir;ilyziug the other. Sam said
not to shoot hiui iigaiu and lie would catch liiui. and
putting spurs to his liorse was soongaUoping akmg-
side of tlieipiarry. 11 M-aught liini l)y one liorn and
held him until I <'anu* uj). Tlit' little fellow ])ranced
wildly al)out, ;ind l)leat«^d pitit'idly. but a stroke of
the hunting knife across his throat soon relieved his
sutfering.
We then got the head from the l)uck Sam had
killed the day before, and returned to camp about
11 o'clock a. m.
In the afternoon we rode out together again, and
had not gone fai' when we stiw iiv^' of the bright little
animals we were huntinu". on a hill-side. Thev were
too far awav for anvthinu' like a sure shot, but were
in su<'h a position that we coidd get no nearer to
them. 'They stood looking at ns. and Sam told me
to try them. 1 had little hope of making a hit, but
dismounting took a shot olf hand, holding for the
shoulder of a good sized bnck. When the gun
cracked there was a <-ircus. Iliad missed mv aim
so far as to cut both his hind legs off just below the
knee. The l)uck commenced ))ucking. First he
stood on his fore fee't, got his hind legs up in the air
and shook the stumps. Then he tried to stand on
them and ])aw the air with his foi'e feet, but lost his
balance and fell over backward, lie got up. Jumped
first to one side, then to the other, then foi'ward.
Meantime Sam rode toward him. and he tried to run.
In this his motions were more like those of a rock-
ing liorse than of a living animal. The race was a
short one. Sam soon rode up to him, caught him
>-k
AXD i,niKll IirXTIXo ADVKXTI-UKS. O()0
by a horn nnrl held him till I came up ami rut the
little lellow s tiiroat. Tli.^n Sam said that was a
very h,ii,u- «hot. and he would like to know jest MJiat
the distance was. He went hack to where I stood
when T sliot, stepprnl rhp distance to wlun-e the
antelope stood, and found ir to Ix^ m-) paces
We rode on a mile further a.id saw a voumr ante-
lope lying down in some tall rve-urass " We could
just see his horns and ears, and though he appeaivd
to ])e looking- at u.s he seemed to think himself
securely hidden, I'or he made no movement toward
getting up. I told Sam to shoot this time, i)ut he
.said, ';^o, you shoot. I live in this country and
<-an get all the shooting I want any time. You' have
(•ome a long way out here to have some fun Turn
loose on him." And slipping olF my horse I knelt
down to get a knee rest, hut found ihat from that
position I could not see the game at all, and was
compelled to shoot off hand again. Kaisin.- up J
drew a bead on one of the horns, and then h.ueri^nu-
the muzzle to where I thought the body should he
pressed the trigger. There was a lively commotion
m the grass, but the buck never got ou't of his bed
Uie ball went in at one shoulder and out at the
opposite hip. On stepping the dista.nce we found it
to l)e only 125 yards.
And now, having in a measure wiped out the dis
grace of the previous day's work and secured all the
meat, skins, and heads that our pack-mules could
carry, we returned to camp and the next chiy ^veiit
l)ack to Fort .Alaginnis.
These bright little creatures, though naturally
timid, som^etimes show great courage in defense o'f
HI
I
111
i;
li i (
'
210
OUUISIXOS IX THE CASCADES
tlieir vouiiii'. I once saw a covote sneak from behind
a liill toward a lierdorantelo})e. Instantly there was
a grand iiish of all the adult members ol' the hand,
male and female, toward the intruder, and when
they had gotten in front of the kids they stopped,
with bristles erect, ears thrown forward, and iieads
lowered, i)resenting a most warlike an<l 1)elligerent
appearance. The coyote, when he saw himself con-
fronted with this solid [thalanx. suddenly sto])ped,
eyed hi.> opponents for a few moments, and then,
ai)parently overawed at the sn^teriority of nnmbei-s
and warlike [Jttitnde of his intended prey, sluidv
relnctantl}' away in seai'ch of some weaker victim.
When he was Avell out of sight, the older mend>ers
of the band turned to tlu'ir young, caressed them,
and resumed their grazing.
The speed of the antelope is pr bably not excelled
hv that ol anv other aiiinud in this country, Avild
or domestic, except the greyhound, and. in fact, it
is only the iinest and iieetest of these that can pnll
down an antelope in a fair race.
In the little village of Gartield. Kansas, there
lived a man some jears ago— the proi>ri»4or of a
hotel — who had two pet antelopes. The village
dogs had several times chased them, but had always
been distanced. One diiy a Mexican canie to town
who had with him two larfre, handsome u:revhounds.
Immediately on riding up to the hotel he saw the
anteloi)es in the yard, and told the proprietor gruffly
that he had better put ''them critters'' in the corral,
or his <logs would kill them. The propiietor said
he guesst^d the "critters'" were able to take care
of themselves, especially if the dogs did not spring
AM) OTlIKi; in\TIX<; ADV KXir KKS. O]]
upon thoMi unau-aivs. This arn„.<.,l tlu- Mexican's
r ur his ,l(.o..s svnnhl pull (lown one or both of
til.' antelopes within a mile. The diallenge was
:H-<rpfe(l, the stakes ,leposiie,l, the antelopes turm, I
into the street, and the ^^reasei- told his dogs
i<> take Pill. o
Til,. ,l„o..s .,„„„o- nr th,. auiHlopr..,. hut tho latter
sn^'t. Jl„.y started olf ,l„u„ ,|„. Hver For -i
-a,,.,,., and as level as a 11,.„r. As the ,„.artett"
H»-'l <ner this ,i.ran,l i.afMral ri,ee..-„„rse, the (vh„le
I'-l-ulaee „!• the ,ou-„ t»r„e,l „„t e„ «„.,..; to see the
jiee. Men and h„ys shouted, ami ladies waved
•h; handkerelnels. ]Vtti„g was rife, the native
■ ■■imutw„t„one „n the an,elo,,es. the Mexican
.M <1 the lew other stranj^ers in t.nvn heiny- easer
takers. It was nij, and tnek, neither anin.a'ls oai„.
i«g nor los.ns pereejitihly. and when at last the lonr
"■ent round a hend i„ the river four ndles awav, and
ereh,,ldenh,-ai,h,,r, ,heoan,ewas,asnearlva'
ould he seen hy the ai,l of .„od (ield-o-lasses. 'just
. >™ the san,e distance ahead of the dogs as when
tliey leit town.
^Sonie lionrs later the do,n:s returned, so tired they
coiid seaivelywalk. The Mexi<-an eagerlv looked
fo, Imir on their teeth, and althongh he <.o'nhl li„d
none was eonli.lent that his do.us had kilh-d the
antelopes. A mounted expeditir.n to search for the
camisses and settle the question was agreed upon,
b^ as 1 ^yas too near night t<. start when the dogs
letumed, it was arranged to go in the morning But
'I
i; I
;! i;
J ;*!
J,
^21-2
(•itrrsr.\(is t\ the cascades.
wlieii tln^ parlies u'ot iij) the next iiioi'iiinu' 1 hey found
the jiiit<'l(»i)cs (jiiif'ily gi'nzing in the h()t(4 yai'd.
The Mexican leJr town in disgust followed by liis
hune, sore-footed dogs, and muttering that he
"never seed no varmints run like them things did.''
The antelope, one of the brightest and most grace-
ful and beautiful of all our Western game animals,
is fast disap})earing from our ])road phuns, owing to
the ceaseless shumliter of it that is carried on by
''skin hunters." Indians, " foreign noblemen/' and
othei's who ccmie to this countrj" year after year and
spend the entire sununer in hunting. Hundreds
of them are killed every summer by this latter class,
and left to rot wliere they fall, not ;i pound of meat,
a skin, or even a head l)eing taken from them. I
have seen with mv own eves this l)utclierv carried
on for years past, and know whereof I speak.
Nearly all the Territories have stringent laws
intended to prohibit this class of slaughter, but in
these sparsely settled counti'ies the provisions for
enforcing them are so meaure that these men violate
them day after day and year after year with imini-
nity. This is one of the instances in which prohi-
bition does not p)rohibii^. And what I have said of
the antelope is true of all the large game of the
great West. The elk, deer, mountidn sheep, etc.,
are beinu* slaughtered l)y the hundreds evt-ry
year — tenfold faster than the natural increase. And
the time is near, ren/ near, when all these noble
si^ecies will l)e extinct. The sportsman or natural-
ist who desires to preserve a skin or head of any
of them nnist procure it very soon or he will not
be able to liet it at all.
CHAPTER XXIV.
S?^!';'"'^ in-^TIX(. ox THE TEXAS PLaIXS.
^IlE "Texas boom" was at its
lieight ill 1870, and tlieiv was
a grand rnsli of eniio-i-ant.s of
all nationalities and conditions
of people to the then Xew Eldo-
rado. Thousands of men went
down there to make money. lAIany
of them had not the remotest idea
how this was to be done, but from
the glowing .stoiies atloai regardincr
the resources of that wonderful coun''-
..... try, they felt sure it could be done in
some way. The little town of Fort AVorth was tlien
on the Irontier-that is, it was one of t^/e most
^n' T' '"'r^ '"'^''^'^ ->nununicat ". a^
as the efore one of the important outfitting p ,i„ts
lor parties goii.o- into the wilds. A <.,,.," „• nv
were going further west, <m all kinds of ;:;^:di;r
scmie in search of minerals, «ome in search of dt^
L.n,K^^^^
The village consisted of a public square, around
^na Imnting on which were a row of cheap o e
story, P^ and frame buildings, most of wh ch w^
occupied as saloons and o,,nibling houses. Eut
(213)
n
n\
"|".::i:Fi'M:iii:i;iiiii
i!!i||5'"!!i'i^'
i!i !••;!:; iS'l
^■liill
, ,„ m'w
\>r^
:l
(2U)
AM) oTiiKi; lir.\TIN(; A l»v i;.\Tn;i;>. 'Jl.")
there w.'iv .'1 few ivspcctnl)].' uch.m'.-iI .stoivs, li.-ilf :i
(loz.'ll ,S()-call<'(l hotels, ,sli,»|,s. etc. Tlie towii u:is
full to ovelllowiliu' will) n>;iliil»lel-s, lllstlel's. llimtel's,
CouIh.vs. .\Iexic;ili iniieliel'os, JloU li.M'li siuht-seel's,
advent lirel's. coiillllelcinl tlllVeleis. ,.]('.
•All (hiyjiiid 1(11 iiiulit could 1.,' heni-d the call of
the ('njiiju'i'r at the .uainhliu.u-tahle as he aiiuoiiuced
the nuiuheis and conil)iiialioiis that the wheel oi-
rards ])i'()duced in the course of the iiiauiixilat ions
to which his deft linuei-s suhjected them.
Hot woi'ds often came fioni foi'tiiiiale and nnfoiDi-
iiate o-amostefs. and theshoit. shafp lepon of the>ix-
.shooter. the shouts of combatants, the liroaiis of
wonmh'd or (lyin,u' hkmi. the c!att<'i' of Jieavy boots
Ol' spuis on the feet of stamj.e.h'd specttltors weiv
sounds that, nearly every ni^ht. iireeted the ears
of the [)opnhire.
Mob Jaw rei,i--ned siipi-enie. and tliere was little
eit'ort on tli*^ j.art of the villa.ue aut]ioriti<'s to punish
oheiideis. Sometijues .ludii'e Lynch" s ecu it was
convened on shoit notice, and someone who had
committed an uiiusuall\ lla.uiant violatioji of the
"law of honor"" and had killed a man without due
provocation, was luirriedly tried and strun<i' up to
the IK'ai'est tl'ee.
Oni'evejun-in the month of Nov.'inbei'. t lie excite-
ment was varied by the aiiival of a '• l)ull-train "'••
of ten wa.u'ons loaded with biijfalo skins. Th v
drove to the waivjiouse of the lariivsi trad<"i-in tlie
*Wlial is known -u ilic IVnuiirr ;i< ;i •• tiullnviin'- i- ;, nurnl» r of
ponderous w;iL;-on--. diiiwn l>v I'roi
used for liiiulinu lieavv freiniit
Iron) MX to ten yoke of oxen cicli,
1U.TOS.S tlic plains.
) 5
•Jir,
(•i:ri>>IN<iS I\ TIIK CASCADES
pliicf lo unload, and were quickly surrounded by a
crowd of caii'cr inquirers who souglit Tor news from
tln' Iroht.
Some inquired as io tlic nature of tlie country,
some as to the pro^Tess of settlements, some as to
I'ricnds wlio weie at the front, and many as to the
bulfalo herd fron; which tlie iive thousand skins
bi'ouuht in 1)V tins train liad been taken.
••The main lierd." said tlie wauon l)oss, ''is two
hundred miles west on the headwaters of the Brazos
river."
'• How larue a lierd is itr'
"Xobod}' knows tliat, for none of 'em lias took
time to ride to the west end of it."
••Are there many liunters tliere^" inqnired a
vounu' St. Louis lawyer.
••Wall, you'd reidvon." said the boss. '"Tlia's
"bout a hundred and Jiftv white liunters. and inore'n
a thousand I'ed-skins.""
•• When do you start l^ackT'
"To-morrow mornin', if 1 can keep my bull
punchers from gvttin' full of pizeii."
The crowd uradually scattered, Avhile a little knot
of the more respectal)]e element repaired to the hotel
to discuss the question of orii'anizing a hunting
party to go to the l)uiralo ranue. In an hour thev
agreed to go. the time for the start being lixed for
the morniug of the second day following.
And then the luisy notes of prei)aration were
heard throughout the town. But few of the men
who decided to go were prepared for such a trip,
and it Avas necessary for most of them to l>uy -a* hire
complete outfits. Horses were the lirst and most
■■,-, i
A\l» OTIIKK nc.\TIX(; ADV K.NTC lIKs. OJ?
important miuisite. The rorral (tlie frontier liverv
.stable) was lirst visited, and spirited hiddin- wan
mdiilovd in for the ehoieest animals. Tlie stoelv
here was soon exliansted, and th,' demand was n(,t
yet supp.lied. Then all the horses ami p(,nies stand-
ing- tied to the railin- ;,ronnd the pul.lie S(inare
were inspected, and any that were lor sale were
tested. \\ ord living been circulated that a huntin<-
party was ontlittin- a lai-e number of ponies were
brought in from neiohborini.- cnini.s and ranches
Ihe i)arty was soon creditably mounted, thou^di the
number had increased to double that oridnallv
luanned.
Xext, teams must be employed. A number of
these were also found, and live were enirauvd their
ownei-s agreeing to work for seven d,;ilars a dav
"and found."
Guns and ammunition were also in demand, and
enough were offered to arm a regiment. A number
ot hunters had recently come in from the front and
Avere selling off their outfits. Every store and hotel
had from one to half a dozen guns in pawn, and one
dealer liad a number of new ones. Anything in the
shape of a rille could ))e had. Old Kentucky nu.zzle-
loaders, -five feet hmg in the barrel;" amdemned
army carbines of Spencer, Sharps, and other pat-
terns; Springfield muskets; Henry and AVinchester
rifles; and a few of the old reliable Sharps -l,uffalo
guns ot 4r, and 50 calibre, and using loo to VH)
grains of powder. These latter were taken at good
hgures by the more knowing ones, and the best of
the others selected by the less inteUigent buyers
until all were fairly well armed
:!iiil
I III
1 III
I
•J IS
«i;ri>i.\<.> IN iiii; cvx .\i>i:s
Tlit'ii ;i liuidc wiis iKM'dcd. niid ;i Cliicjiu'o iu'ws-
JCIltt'i' ('()ir('s|)()ii(lt'|it. w ho WIIS lo he ;i liicinht'r of
tilt' cx'pcdirioii. was dcpiilcd lo »'in[tl(>y <»ii<'. As
iisuni ill J'roiitii'r towns, tlirrr wt-ic plenty of lliciii,
cacli oiii'of wlioiii. ill his own fstiiiiatioii. was the best
ill the whole coiiiitrv. Kacli (•laiiii('<l to know cvcrv
loot <»r t he .uToiiiul ill tpn'stion. to !)♦' ahlc to speak
the laiiuuaue of every Iiidiaii trihe on the front iei\
to l>e a crack shot aiitl iiitrei»id horseman, afraid of
notliinii\ and ready for any undertakiiiii". ii<» matter
how hazardous.
Iiupiiry aiiioiiu- the more reliable citizens of the
tow 11 as to w ho was best suited for the uses of the
})resent enterprise I'esiilted in the choice of a rather
(iiiiei and attractivedookinii' voiim;' man bearinu' the
euphonious i>send(»nyiii of "Red River Frank." lie
was clad in the conventional buckskin suit, and his
loiiu' lilossv ])lack hair bunu' in heavy curls down to
( < » > a.
]iis shoulders. He was six feet two inches in height ,
straii;ht as an arrow, and liad a i\*H^i), clear liray eye;
rode a uood size<l spirited niiistaii.u', and sat in his
saddle like a life-trained trooper.
At the tiiiK^ ai»poiiite(l for the departure, tlie
l)a)'ty. which had now swelled to thirty-two men all
told, assembled in the piil)lic s(piare. 'IMie wauons
wer<' loaded with the tents. l)e(hlin,u'. food, and other
necessary jirovisioiis for the trip, whicli. it was
arranued. should occu))y about six weeks. At ten
o'clock the l>arty lode out of town on the load
leadinu' west, taking' witli them the hearty good
wishes of the assembled throng. Tiiey crossed a
narrow belt of timber and emerged upon a sti'etcli of
gently undulating piairie, which was densely cov-
Axij ()Tiii;r hinting ad\ kntiuks.
'iUi
eivd with a Iiixuriaiit.iir(m-Ili of ^Taiiiina -ra.ss, and
OUT which ilipy liavrl..,! ;,t a livrlv w-air until al't.T
smidowii Ix-foiv a^uaiu iv:ichin,u- tiinlxT and wat.-r.
Th.'ii tli.'v camiMMl on a sniai! civ-k wli.-iv r,M,d.'
fuel, and ,uo<)d uauT were abiUKhint. 'Ih.. i.-iiis
wriv piicjird, ,sui»iMT pivpaivdandeatrn. and Mim
t]i(' party assciiihl.'d around a Jaruc cami) lir.'.
Tlio lawyer a i-os.', and iviiucstini;- th.' attention of
tlie men, said that, a^ tliey were aoinu' on a loni^'
journey into a wild <-(.untry. wiiidi wa>^ infested
with Jiostile Indians and lawless wliite mm, whei-e
it ndn-ht ))e necessary fortius ])arty to (Ud'end theju-
selvcs and tlieir i.roperty l.y fore,", of ;,n,is. it was
thou.ulit Ix'st to effect a permanent and lunding-
organization, winch would insui-e uniiv of action
tiirou-hout the trip, and ^'specially in the event of
iinvNUch trouble as he had intimated mio-ht aiise.
IL' tlierefore nominated as chief <'x<'cutive officer
of_ the expedition. Captain W . If. f-auh-rs, who, he
•said, h;.d done good and faithful sei-vice during the
late war; who, since the war. iiad traveled exteii-
.sively in the W.vst. and who was n,,w eiiga-ed in
cattle raising in fvaiisas. Several men seconded the
nomination, and Captain Knders was unaiuniouslv
chosen by acclamatioji.
lie aros<' and thanked his friends, modestly and
gracefully, fortius mai-k of their esteem andVonfi-
denc(s stating that he had no desiiv to exercis<^ • nv
ar))itrary or unnecessary authority ovei- tiiem, biit
should only order them in so far as safetv' and
success in their undertaking seemed n^^'essaiy. He
asked that all who were willing to stand bv him and
obey his orders to this extent should so pled-'-e
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CKriSl\(iS FN rilK CASCADKS
tli«'in.s('lv»'s l)y lisiiin' to tlicir feet. 'I'lif eiilirr juii-fy
aiosc. TIh'Ii tlit'ii' Ifiidri- tliiinked tlu'iu ii^aiii, iintl
tlu'ir intniinal dt'lilwiatioii ended.
The (•:ii)t:nii d«'t;ule(| four men to net as ji guard
over the cauip and stock during tlie niglit, <'a('h
•watcliing two lionr.s and then calling np tiie one
wlio was to relieve him. and this precantion was
I'ol lowed up throughout the e\'i)editiou.
The men weie tired fioni tlieir long ride, and
sought the comfort of their l»lankets at an early
hour. As tlievliad a ten davs' ionriiev before them
to reach the hult'ah) range, itAvas agreed that they
shonid .start early each morning, and the camp
lires were thend'ore ordered to l)e lit at r<fnr o'chjck.
The; ioiirnev was iineventrni for several da>'s.
The road upon which the paityhad first traveled
bearing oil' to the southwest, and the course of oui'
party ])eing due west, they left it. ''lied River
Prank'' now sustained his good I'eputatiou as a
gindt^ by selecting with excellent skill and judg-
ment the best portion of the country to travel in,
avoiding the unmerous swamps and sandy plains,
linding safe and easv fords across the streams, and
selecting good camp sites for each night.
Thev were uow in a country where deer and tur-
kevs were ibundant, and tlieir tables Avere bounti-
fnlly supplied with fresh meat. They camped on
the uight of November 12 in a clump of tall cotton-
wood trees that skirted a small creek. Just at dusk
a great rush of wings was heard in the air, and,
looking in the direction from whence the sound
came, a large iiock of wild turkeys was seen sailing
directly toward their camp, and, a moment later,
AM> (»iiii:i: iii\iiN<i Ai»vi:Ni'rKi>.
OOJ
tln'V lit ill lilt' iirt's aiii()!m">t \\ iiidi our ii;irl\- \\i\h
('!UinM'(l. Iiisliuitlv cVciN ritlc was l)i(»iiulif I'oi'lli,
a lid iIk' w holt ' en III]) wasaMa/r w ii li l)iiniliiu' imwdi'i .
Tilt' smoke lloalt'd iipaiiioiiust i la- da/i-d and |iaiii('-
,stri<'lN.('ii liiids. who lliitlrivd wildly and aimlfs>|y
from Irt't' to tivr. kiiockiiiu' tlicir wiiiu-s a.uaiiisl each
oilier and the (lead limbs, and makinua m<»st I'liLiiit-
I'ul noise.
The liiint<']'s srntter^'d and tonu'iies of 1l;inie shot
U[i IVoni e\<'i'y (inarter. \'olley al'ler volley was
iired. 'i'he I'oai' of llie lilies inieis[M'rse(l with the
"■thiKV aial '•crash*' of ralliiiu- Idrds, the shouts of
the excited throiii;', (lie neiuliiiiu' of teriilicd hoi-se.s,
the baikiii.u" of dous, turned the ([iiiet cam[t of a few
moments a.u'o int(» a veritable pandemonium. The
slaugliler went on for, iierhaps, twenty minutes,
when the more humane Ix'came ashamed of them-
selves and quit. Finally they prevailed uj)on their
friends to desist, and the dead uame was iiatliei'ed
up. Sixty-thi'ee of tliese iK^ble birds had met their
(h^ath, and the survivors were allowed to sir quietly
and watch tln^ camp lires till niornin<i', when they
sailed away toward the east.
In the afternoon of that dav, Frank and the
journalist were ridinu' in advance of the column
across a level, monotonous stretch of country, where
there was little to attract attention or excite remark.
Thev had al read v become warm friends and talked
contidentiallv on many subjects, but Frank had
said nothing' of his i)ast history, yet his stran.ue
demeanor at times had excited in the mind of
the newsi)aper man an anxiety to know what
had moved this relined, generous, scholarly young
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222
('KriSIX(;S I\ THE CASCADES
iiiiiii to jidu[)t a life so uucivilizecl as the one he was
li villi;'.
"Franlv," ho linally said, •• I have no wisli to
question you on a subject that you may not wish to
si)eal\. on, vet 1 liave observed manv tniits in vou
that are not found in otliei- men of vour eallinu-. 1
am of the oi)inion tliat vou liave been bred in a verv
different spliere of life from this in which you now
live. If you have no objection, I shoukl like to
ivuow what motive prompted you to adopt tUis wild
life."
lie bit liis lip and hesitated. Finally, aftei* some
moments, he said:
'"AVell, ril tell you liow it came about, and I'll
make the story l)rief. It is similar to that of many
another scout, in general, but dilferent in detail,
2)erli:ips, from any of them. I was born and bred in
an Eastern citv, and was beiuu" ediictiteil for the
ministi'v. Mv father failed in business and I was
compelled to leave school, lie unthered what little
was left of his shattei-ed fortune, and with his family
emigrated to the far West. There he enuaued in
farming on what was then the froi\tier, but before
we had ])een there six months we v^ere awkened one
morninu" at davlight by tlie veils of savage Indians,
and, looking out, beheld them all around us. They
were Comanches.
" Our house was burned. M\ father was toma-
hawked and scalped before our eyes, and my mother,
my sister (who was older than I), and n)yself were
carried into captivity. I was fortunate enough to
escape. I returned and organized a [)ursuing party,
but our efforts were fruitless, and a few months
AND OTIIKK in\T[X(i A ;.V i;\Tr i; ,:s. O'Jli
later I learned IVoni a lu.lf-l.reed tlint clentli had
i-elieved tlie suiTerino.s ol' my motli.T and sister,
lliat was tuenly years ago. I ^vms fifteen years old
then, and from that day to this I Imve l,e;.n on tlie
trail ol that tril)H. I lH>.,stof nothin- but eaeli vear
1 feel better satislied with n.y work. " I liope that, in
time, I may feel content to return East and .^K-aoe
in some lawful and more eonoenial i.ur:^uir.*' " "^
Ai that instant a deer bounded up out of the tall
gic.ss a hundred yards aliea.l and went praneim-
away to tlie left. Frank eau.uht his rifle from the
«ling- at his saddle Ijow and sent a bullet throu.-h
Its head. ^
Early tm^ next morning tlie hunters came u,H,n
fresh bnfhdo signs, and in the afternoon a few
stragglers were seen. One was killed in the even-
ing, and on the ereek where the> .^npe^l that nii-hr
tmsli Indian camp signs were foumb A small herd
of bullalo came to the creek to drink, a mile belou>
Jiist alter sundown, and various facts indicated
that they were near the main herd. All throu<di
the next^day they were in siglit of small bands, ami
several hunting parties were sighted, some white
ana some red. The feed was getting scai.v, owin-
to its having been eaten down by the game, and at
tu-o o.'lock the party camped on Will„u- <-re(.k a
small tributary of th.« Brazos river. The main h. 'rd
was yet about ten miles auay, but the hunters could
not consistently go any nea ler for a permanen t camp,
and (hM-Med to make It here. Tuo white hunters
visited them in the evening, ami told them that -
party of ten Comancli
creel-
K's were camped on TurtL:
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v seven miles further west. At this inte
11
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AM) (»T1I1:k in'NTl.N*; ADN KNirUKS.
22i
Frank's face durkt'iied and his eye gleamed, l)ul lie
said n(^^liing. Soon Jiftci' dark, lioufvci-. Iif was
missing, and did not turn npagain till nearnoon the
next day. He liad a diftVivnt horse from the one lie
rode jiway; not so good a one. it is true, and there
were two hullet holes in his coat. lie was reticent
and uncommunicative as to where he had heen, l)ut
A\wre a very i>leased exi)ression on his countenance.
an<l was occasionally seen to smile when not talking
with anyone.
The majority of the hunters mounted and rode
southwest early in the morning. Seven men in one
party siglited a herd of buffaloes numheiing about
200, and dismounting, when within a mile, cached
their horses in a coulee, and began a cautious
advance.
They found a deep and crooked ravine into which
tiiev crawled, and in which thev weiv able to ap-
ju-oach to within about 400 yards of the nearest ani-
mals. A gentle l)reeze blew from the game toward
the hunters, and taking advantage of the most favor-
able point, they crawled up the stee[ baidv to where
they could command a good view of the giime. The
''tenderfeet'' in the party were in favor of tiring a
volley, but ar old hunter who had led them
advised them t ) lire singly, and at intervals of a
minute oi r.vo, this ])lan being nuich less likely to
frighten the game. lie cautioned them to take very
careful aim. to make every shot count, and to wound
as few animals as possible. One slightly wounded
animal, lie said, would create more uneasiness among
the herd than ten dead or fatallv wounde<l ones.
Several of this party w«^re good marksmen, and
15
22t)
CKrisrN(;s in the cascade^
lind good str'^'ng-.sliooting, long-range ritles. . Tliongli
theysliothejivv cluii'ge.s, A'et, the wind intlieir I'uvor,
at tliis long distance, the animals wonld scarcely
hear the reports. The leader advised them to shoot
only at animals broadside, and gave them careful
directions as to elevation and where to aim. Evans
(►pened the fire with a sixteen-i)ound HO-calihre
''''•»>'. s. Immediately after the report the emphatic
" l"' of the bullet came l)ack and a large cow was
seen fo drop on her knees, get ui- again, stagger
awa}' a few rods and li<^ down.
"Good," said the old hunter. "Xow, Pete,
you go."
••Fete fired, and an old l)ull whisked his tail,
walked sullenly away, turned around a few times,
and fell (h'ad. Another complimentary remark from
the old hunter, and then he said:
'•Now I guess ril try one."
He lired, but to his great chagrin did just what he
had cautioned the others not to do, broke a fore leg
below tlie knee. This cow commenced to bellow
and "buck,"" and in an instant the whole herd was
in commotion.
•' Stop her, somebody, stop her, or she' 11 stampede
the hull biznessi" he said, as he pushed another
bullet into his muzzle loader. By this time she had
stopped broadside, for a moment, at the edge of the
herd, and the journalist, at the order of the boss, drew
a bead on her. The ' ' spat " of the heavy bullet told
of a palpable hit." She no longer felt like running,
but was not yet down and it took two more bullets to
lay her out. The next shot was a clean miss, so far
as it concerned the animal shot at, but it wounded
one somewhere i„ tlie l,e,,l The,, m
vw;,(e,. full ,j,ee,l. '"""' *''•« «"o>i l'»t them
'J'lie Imnters now niomif,-.^ ,i, • i
«Hting sport „n<l th,.,le- 'i oJ'h '* '" """"" ^"^
Tl'i« over, thev returned , '"'""'"■'■ ^'""■'""-^
the ,sti,n,l.-' Then * '?''"""''""''* '^'"'•'1 "on
■••sain „n,l were ™. Z '"''Tf ""•"■ *""1 "'■■•'«t«
;;■'-> the, heara ru^'.^' trrfT- ^^ •■■■>"'"
the west belieUl a .-re^it l.Inn 'ooluns toward
«ncl rolling up acrots t ."'^ "."?'"'«■ "'^-S waving
great olou,£ of cC vh r '"■■■'"■"*' '"'" ^"<1'1«'" l>y
blown away by t e L ,r''' "'•'•■ "'^'■''^'"""4
g.'eat herd of bnffalo Id '," T',*"'' ^' "••■•« "'«
by the Indian hunt"; Tl l'"' ""'""'" -stampeded
the dry earth was like tl^ In ' 1 *^' '"""^^ "1'™
Tlie vanguard of tlehenl w '?'' '"""' "'""<'-■••
a"-.-'y. but the d.-uriTnes 1?;"'"'™'" *''••'" ^' ""'«
almost as faras the:ye"o; ''"^f '° V^'"' ""'' left
?a«- that instant and pi •t,:;;:/!"'' -"■ '"">t«-.s
>» order to save their live 'tIv^^ ^n "'"'^'■'''y
northward as offerin,. the s'ho, tt ;' '''l'"™ "y «bose the
byvvhiehtoescapethe„;i?''V'''' ''"■'* ''"•"^""l
the .spurs deep iJuothirtr;.;:: '";""'' ■^'"'''"^'
«e"-with the velocitvof „"''"'"'"• "'ey
l--f ;ie. A mile w, Lve.'- d inZ """'' ''"" '''^^
yet they were not i.ast t^ i , ^ ^''"' «eeonds. and
olosingln uponrtti;;,:' ""'' ^^•'"^" '^"^ '•■•1'^%
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A.xn nl'IIKi; IHNIIXO ADVK.N rniKs.
'22[)
y.
Tliev tiinu'd tlit'ir liorses' lieuds |);iftlv in the
direct ioii the biilfiilot's were going mid. iii'ging liiem
to liicii" iirmost speed, liually passed the outer line
of the lierd just as the jeach^'s passed hy. Then,
h;iviiig I'eached ;i place of safety, they dismounted,
and throwing their hridle reins over their iinus coin-
nieiiced to load and lire into the herd with all possi-
ble r.qtidity, nearly eveiy shot killing or disabling
an animal. It took nearly half an hour for the rolling,
surging, angi'y horde to pass the [loint where our
hunters stood, and as the rear guard came in sigl;r
there came a new and still more terrible scene in the
U'lcat tra<i(Hlv.
More thaira hundred Indians were in hot pursuit
of the savage beasts. Thev were mounted on wild
and almost ungovernable bronchos, who were fi'oth-
ingat the mouth, charging and cavoiting amongst
the ileeing game. The white foam droi»jied in Hakes
and bublih^s from all i)arts of their bodies. Their
nostrils were distended, their eyes Hashed lire, and
they seemed as eager as tlieir wild masteis to
deal death to the bulfahx^s. The savage riders
seenunl beside themselves with mad, ungovernable
passion.
Theii' faces were paint(^d in the most glaring colors,
their bright and many-colored blaidvets tluttei-ed ill
the wind secured to t he saddle only by an end or a
corner, their long black hair stre;::ning back like tln^
pennant at the mast head of a ship, and their deep
black eyes gleamed like coals of file in ;> dungeon.
Arrow after arrow Hew from deep strung bows and
sunk to the feathered tip in the (piivering llesh of
the shagii'V monsters.
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2:30
CUri.SIXGS IN THE CASCADES .
Ponderous spears were liurlecl with the power and
l^recision of giants and struck down the defenceless
victims as a sturdy woodman strikes down the frail
sapling in his path.
"Crack!" "crack!" came from rifles, and
a
ping
t " u
ping!" from carbines and revolvers.
Hundreds of shots were lired by those who carried
firearms, and before these murderous weapons, the
poor bison sank like rix)ened grain before the reaii-
er's blade.
One young warrior, more ardent and fearless than
the rest, had forced his high-strung steed far into
the midst of the solid ])halanx, wliei-e the horse
was Anally im})aled upon the horns of a monster
bull. lie and his rider Avere tossed like sheaves of
wheat into the air; then both sank to earth, and
were instantly trodden into the dust.
At last the great storm had passed, and our friends
watched until it faded away in the distance and
finally disappeared from their view.
Then came tlie squaws, the ])oys, and the old men,
to dispat(!li the wounded and to skin and cut up the
dead. These were strewn all over the prairie, and
not a tithe of them were, or could be, saved by all
the peoi)le, white and red, assembled there.
Our hunters returned to camp at sunset, where
they met those of their companions who had ])een
out during the afternoon, and over the evening
camp lire, each related the thrilling incidents which
he had witnessed, or in which he had participated
during the day.
On the following morning they again started out in
severalparties of live or six each and going in various
AXi) oi'HKit iirxTiXi; .\i)vi:NTrin>
231
dirertions. Fmnk and the newspaper man started
with tliree others, but soon separated from them to
go after a small band whieh they had sigiited about
two miles soutli of camp.
When within a proper distance, they dismounted,
piclveted their hoises in a swale, and stalking' to
within al)out a liundred yards opened lire. A young-
cow droi)ped at the tirst shot, to all api)earan('es
dead, and the remainder of the band scurried away,
one old l)ull l)eing badly wounded. The hunters
started to run to the top of a ridge, over which the
game had gone, to get another shot. As they
passed the cow the guide called to his companion to
look out for her, as she was only "creased" Mud
liable to get up agjiin and charge them. They had
gone but a few rods, when, sure enough, she did
spring to her feet and make a dash at Frank.
He turned to shoot hei', but his gun nnssed lire, and
as he attempted to throw out the cartridge, the action
failed to work, and his gun was. for the moment,
disabled. By this time she was almost on him, and
as his only means of escape, he sprang into a
"washout" (a ditch that had been cut by the
water, some ten feet deep), the sides of which were
perpendicular.
He called loudly for help, but his friend had not
seen the charge, and was by this time a hundred
yards awav. He turned and saw the cow, almost
blind with rage, rai)idly jumi)ing back and forth
across the washout, in a mad t^ll'oit to get at the
guide, but she seemed unwilling to jump down into
it. She was shot through the throat, and the blood,
flowing from her in torrents, had deluged poor
t ■
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CUriSINliS IX TIIK CASCADES
Frnnk, until lie look»Ml ms it' lie hud hefii at work in
ji slaiigiitci'-hoiise. The sci'ibe ran back, killed the
cow, and drew his friend J'roni Ids saniiuinary
retreat.
The guide then repaired his gun, and mounting
their hoi'ses they puisned the wounded bull. 'I'hey
soon i'ound him at bay, and riding up close to him,
coiiinienc«'d liring at liim with tlieir revolvers.
Quick as a Hash of liglitning he made a fi-ightful
charge at the Journalist, who, taken by surpi'ise, wa*
unable to avoid the rusli. Both luu-se and rider
were dashed to the earth. The horse was so badly
injured as to be unable to rise, and Jis tlie burly
antagonist made another I'ush at him, the man was
enabled to seek safety in tlight, and before the l)idl
again turned his attention to tlie fugitive, the I'ajiid
and well-directed tire of the scout had brought the
sluggy beast to the earth.
The horse Avas fatally injured and had to be shot,
so our friends, a\ ith one horse between them, took
turns riding and walking to camp.
This day's killing by the party was large, and
supplied all their wants as to meat, skins, and sport.
The next few days Avere devoted to jei'king meat,
dressing and drying skins, jind preparing for the
return iournev, and in ten days from the date of
their arrival on the hunting ground, the teams were
all loaded up, camp was broken, and the homeward
march was begun, which i)r()gressed uneventfully
from day to day, and was made in safety in about
the same time occu[)ied in going out.
Twice during the hunt the party were alarmed by
the discovery of Indians lurking about their camp,
AM) oTIIKl; IHNl'IMi A KV KN TI l.'Ks.
^m:j
hitt' ill lli»' nii^lit. Tilt' giuiids discoveivd tlnMii in
l)()tii iustMiicrs, ;uid lii'«'(l on tiu'iii, ulicii tin-y l)t';it
n iiiisty ivtreat and disiqipcarcd in liic dai'kn«'ss. It
was not known that tli«'ii'ol)jt'ct was anything' worse
than [liirciiiiu, and y»>t thciv was iilllt' (lon!)t tiiat
liad tlipy i'onnd tih' party all olV uiiard and asleep,
a massacre would have resulted. Ihit, true to tlieir
al>oriuinal instincts, they did not wish to enuaue in
a li.ulu with a rormidabh' i'oe, whom they round ever
readv for such an eniei'i'encv.
i'i:ii\vi.i:i;-.
Such scenes and such sport as this party enjoyetl
were cominon almost anywhere on the great plains
west of the Missouri river up to ;i lew years au'o.
Herds of hufhilo extending over a tract of land as
large as oneof theNei - i-lnglaiid Slates, and number-
ing hundreds of thousands of heads, might be found
any day in what was then "' biilTah) country," An
army oflicer told me that, when crossing the philns
in ]8t)7 with a conii)any of cavaliy, he encountered
a herd that it took his command three <hiys to ride
through, inarching about thirty miles a day.
\Vlien two of our iraiiscontiiu'iital railways were
^ '
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2:54
("IMISI\<;S I\ TIIK CASrADKS
lirst Imilt it was no uuconimon thing for lieids of
hiill'iilo to (l«»lMy trains for sj'vonil honrs in cross-
ing tin* tracks, tlie animals being packed in so close
togetluT that the train could not force a passage
through tlu'in.
]^ut, ala;;, those days are passed forever. This
noble creature, provided to feed the human mul-
titude who sliould people the piairies, is to-day
practically extinct; slaughtered and annihilated by
that jackal of the plains, that coyote in human
.sha])e, the "skin hunter." Hundreds of thousands
of l)ulTaloes were annually killed, their skins sold at
from seventy-five cents to a dollav and a half each,
and the meat which, when propc taken care of, is
equal, if not superior, to the ti- . domestic beef,
was left to rot on the ground.
There are scarcely a hundred buifaloes left on the
continent to dav in their wild state. A verv few
stragglers are known to be in the Panhandle of
Texas, a small bunch in the Yellowstone ^National
Park, and a few in the British Xorthwest, but
they are being remorselessly pursued by large num-
bers of hunters, and it is safe to say that a year
hence not one will be left in the whole broad
AVest unless it be those in the ])ark, and they will
escape only in case they stay within the park limits
where they are protected \)y United States soldiers.
Should they ever stray beyond the bounds of the
park they will all be killed in less than a week.
"* Several small bunches have been domesticated bv
Western cattlemen, and it is hoped the species may,
by this means, be saved fiom total extinction.
They are being successfully cross-bred with domes-
of
AM» OTiiKi: ii.-.vU.N
<■ Al,'i;.\Tri;K
111 •'x-c'llont srniiri <>l' .sf.H-k is tl
tiV' rnrtl.'. and
Pi'odiiccd, i.iit fli.Mii;nidlH.rds""t'i
»t will over tlie u].,
past.
-w « Iff
HIS
i:n for ngt's rojimcd
••'t plains ;nv u tliitio- of tii.-
iil-
at
IS
*i
ie'
"•i.«^^y.^^^.^^"''
lU
1 '
(MIAITKIJ \\V.
iiT'\Tr\<; TFii; r.iMKv moi-xiafn' (joat.
Ih
If
ill
i-
II I'^UH is, jx'i'lmps, no hii'uc in;mmi:il iiithis
couiitiy ol Aviiicli tlic sf'i"!itili(', anoj-M ami
the ivadiiii;' piibliv'- in liciicral knows so
little as of tho liocky JNIonntain goat
{Ap/oceri/s M()}tta)H(.s). Tliorejire several
I'casons ['()]• this. First, its limited i-ange.
It is conrmedro a small area of tlu^ Rocky
Mountains, principally west of the main
divide; to Western jNIontaiia, Kastern Idaho,
thel'ascadellanaein Wasliinuton/rerri'oiy,
a small portion of Jh'itish Coliind»ia, and to Alaska.
Seco;i<lly. its habitat is the tops oi'neai'tiie tops of tii«^
liiu'hest: and most rugged peaks and cliirs, whei'e
none hut the lir.rdiest and most (hiring liunlei- may
venture in pursuit of it, and so ('omi)arativt'ly very
few aie ever killed and hi'ought into the s»'ttlements.
Tliird, it can not he successfully domesticatf-d. Its
i'avoiitci i'ood is so dilfei't lit J'i<»m that generally
growing in or near any settlemeivt, tlie atmos])here
it breathes, the mean temi)erature in wJiich it Jives,
and the ground, or rather I'ocks, on which it is
accustomed lo walk, so widely dill'er(>nt from tlutse
suri'ounding any hiiman habitati(»n, tlial the lew
AM) OTIIKK IK \TI\(; A 1>\ KNTr" ilKS. ^:>7
yom.i^thul: |,;,v. I....U <.:,pnj,,,| .,,,1 Lroudndoun
;>>lH's,.ftl.Mn..ntsh..,vrsoo,Mli,.|. Sotlmt'non. of
^'"'"""■•''""•"l i" l'.irksmi.l/(,(,Io,uirnI o,,nl,.ns ns
^.••;'si>.'nnH.nsorn...rly.m<,llHM-l.,o.,.uildnniM.;,ls.
1 K'm.'.m l(weri„.,Mnt..<l. skins or this .-niiM,;,! i„
.l'^:'.stmiiuus.Munstli:n,<,rany o}!,,,- ,s,.,.c.i,.s in.li-..-
'•ous to thi.s co.n.try, ,,n.l Jh.hv Ih. p„Mir .-nHl
"'"nmlistslmvoJ.ud IVw.M- o,,,H.rf uniti.s to st.„lv
'""' I>''''oine familiar with it thai, with otii.r uilil
lUMmmnls. Y.t it is on. of thn most h^antilul i.n.l
l>iol,al)]y m> sportsuKiu or imturalist i.;,s ov..,- vH
mustm.a (...n-a-*. and J.MnliluKHl P,u,uo.), ,o no u 1.;.,..
lH3co,.ldkillaHorkyMo„ntaiuo.oMt' without f.-.l
in.i^ .'nnj.iy r..,,aM fornll the hU.or and hardship
'"'"''>""f"'vd l,y Iviu.o- ,l,lo to holiold this n.vstil-
nv.tnnMn his lofty mountain hon... In vi.u of
th.;iinu(..(lhici]iti<.sj,Poi.h. hiiv<. hnd for sludvin-
Hs an,m...l a somnwlmt minut. .h^scriptionof it mav
not he amiss liciv,
'H «i^eitisbutatrilie]a,xorthan tlio M.rino
>sh(,..i>, whKdi, m fact, it (dosely resHml)],..s ia manv
respec^. Thef<,nnofitslKxlyisrol,ust,fon.^
lathr.rthioW than hinder parts, witli a slil,^iltl'un,,,
oyer .shonlder.s, .imiliar to tliat of tlie Ameri<-a!i
Hson. Its cdor IS entirely wliite, or, in son..
Hi.tMnees. of a Jio-ht eivamy sl,nde. Hair hmu; an<l
i-ndant. A l,enrd-like tnft of hair on tiie d.in
l^on;^ coarse hair, more abundant, on shoulders, n.^ck"
and Imvk. ^ I n.hn" and intermixed witli this hm<r
hair thei.Ms a dose coat of fine, silky, whit, woof
e(puil in fineness to that of tlie Cashmere ^oat Hair
on lace and legs short and witliout wool. Horns
I ill!
1^.
m
I'i
M
M I
fiia
8K
H '
M
238
CKUISIXGS IN THE CASCADES
(wliicli are present in both sexes) Jet black, small,
conical, nearly erect, poiisliecl, and curving slightly
backward; ringed or wrinkled at the base, much like
those of the ciiainois. Muzzle and hooi's also black.
False oraccessoiy hoofs jtresent. Dentition: Incisois,
S lowei': canines, noiM^: molars, 12 upper, 12 lowei-;
total o2. The mountain goat brings forth two
or thi'ee voung at a tim«^ usually late in May or
early in June, t^linhtly urenarious, being freuuenily
found in small bands in winter, but in sunnner sea-
son not more than a single family is usually seen
togethei'. and in summer and fall the older males
may fi'e<|uently l)e found eutirelv alone. The nose
is nearly straight, ears rather long, i)ointed, and
lined with long hair. Tail six to eight inches long,
clothed with long hair. Legs thick and short.
Hoofs grooved (»n sole and i>rovided with a thick
spongy mass (d' cartilage in (•♦Milre. projecting below
the outer edges of hoof, enabling the animal to
cling lirndy to steej) (»r smootli rocks. The dimen-
sions of oac adult male si»ecim»^n measured are a ;
follows: Length from tip of nose to root of tail. 3
feet 7 inches; length of tail. 7 inches; length of head,
llf inches; length of horns. 8^ inches; diameter of
horns at base, 1 inch. Its estimated gross weight is
loO })( Hinds.
The food of the mountain goat consists principally,
in summer, of the leaves of the alder and of various
mountain shrubs, and in winter of mosses and
lichens that grow cm the rocks.
Aplocerus Montanu.s is much more closely allied
to the antelope than to the domestic goat, and has
few characteristics in common with the latter
AXD f,Tii,,,. urxTix,; Auv,.:xTn:;;s. 230
gemis. lie i.s an agile, IVnrless eliniher, an,l ,,ppe-,r.
o <lel,ght m ,s,.a i„g ,l,e tallest, p-,,„„lest, a, t;
gged crags ana diffs ,o be found in l,e a '^
"liiH l,e inliah.ts, not so n,url, in ,,„est of T,'s
nvonte food, for tl,isgrow.sabnn,lan,lv,t,.n
but apparently fron, a ,nere spirit of ,larin..- '.I
<Iesne to breathe the rarest and ,,nrest at n,', I -e
obtainable and to view the grandest s.vner n h r
the ,sun without havin- Ids vision i„ tif I
ohstrncfedbyintervenin":ol,|eet TLslf %r''*
ami almost inaccessible ,; ^fa ^ tl e T™-;"'''"'!
nearly the ex-dnsive, hannts of .Ids t -ang ' tatn"
nd the hnnter who follows it thither in , J
l&a daring mountaineer. The ..o'lt i.. f,. .,
found at altUndes of fo,ooo to' Hooi^; t ^^^
;^r::i':::^:,:r::t:hi:'cf''''''"''-'^^'"''-"^
leans fro,,, /I' ■^"""' '"'ailess creature nimblv
leaps fiom c. .r to crag, over deep vawnh,..- ehas.ns
with 1,0 more lear than the domestic la,,,!, IWl w 1
hoiinding over the giveusward in an Eastern hu'm
Tlie Imnfer literally takes his lif. r„ i,{, ..
-..dpiiingei,inio.ei':/;;r:ci ;;!:.::,;: j^^^^^
tal thousands of feet, or be hurle,l i,„. , some n" 1
Over such rugged and perilous ground he nnv
chmb, hour after hour, until he has passe ,L 1 if
inountaiii
other game, for the niount;
"ep, and all the
c'liainoi.s," a.s lie has I
img-oat, "theAmei
)eeii aptly termed.
lean
raim-ei;
I
II
24()
CUriSlNCiS I\ 'I'llK CASCADES
i;!
liiiilicr lliaii {Uiv of them, lie iiuiv toil on until he
is I'iir :il)ove tinibei' line, and is working his way
oveiand around " ist dril'ts and beds of perjtetual
.snow and ice. Finally he sights his game— a line
handsome Si)ecinien — standing fearlessly on some jut-
ting crag, deliberately feeding on some tender lichens
or, perhaps, peering proudly out over the lower
woi'ld. The hun^^er now changes liis course until he
can conceal himself behind sonui neighboring rock,
and then crawls stealthily and cautiously up to
Avithin ritie range of the game. Then, peering cau-
tiously from l)ehind his cover, he take.-^ careful aim
and iires. He is m dead shot and the ritie ball pierces
the heart of the quarry, l)ut to liis dismay it makes
a convulsive ])ound and down it goes over the preci-
pice, rebounding from crag to crag, until it finally
reache.- u resting place hundreds of feet below. It
niav go i.> where he can never reach it, or mav land
where lie can recover it on liis return down the
mountain side; but if the latter, it may be torn to
fragments and scattered here .ind there until tlie
hide is useless, the horns are broken oil, the skull
crushed so that the head is unlit to niount, and the
flesh so bruised and mangled that he can scarcely
save enough of it to make him a, dinner.
A few years ago an officer of the United States
army and a party of friends were hunting goats in
tlie Bitter Root Mountains, near Missoula, Mont.
They followed two — a male .and female — to tiie top
of a rough and dangerous peak, when the game,
before they could get a slM)t at it, started down the
opposite side and took refuge from the hunters
under a shelving rock. Here it was, owing to the
AXD OTin;,. nrXTrx<; M^VKSTrUKs.
-Ml
iintuiv of t)
<(>'• t]ie liiniteis to foil
1
i^' i-'H-ks and i,v, ahsoliirel
('(M"
not t()l)rl,;,ff|,M| ijlll
'>",^-»-o,H> s.rmvly around his hod
iU'ius. laid down, and
<lovvn, on a hcd o|' ,',
y iinj)(),s,sil)|,>
OH' tli.'ni on ro,,r, |„n ,|,,.
K'piiisnit, fiVnla
y. just under liis
(inietlv
^vlnleliiscouipanionsJieldou to ti
'■'>1><- and conti'olled 1
ii' s])inu- I, is i'iH,>slid
some sixty or seventv feet
leotlici'cndol' the
»is i)(>riIous descent. FinalJ'
.i^one larenoiin.!, ,,, i„. .,|,|,. ^
wlien lie liad
i^;nne. he signaled ],is fri.'inls " ud
raisino- on )iis (dl
() S(M' file
'<>sto])j,ed liiiu, and
and
h(
^\'as then di
>'>H-^ li" liJvd au<l kiHed I.otl
'\^'» ni» auain in safer
>v^-<M:er, was the nature of the roeks I
I .ii'oat;
Sue!
1.
and the
caj
va.sses that it was uttei'l
x^fween him
^■<^ach them aft.n- he Jiad id'l^d tl
ir''*'*^ reluctantly to al.and
y inipossihie (
o
com
niemlu
'•'Ml, and he w
rs o
)tl
th(
OH them.
IS
party tried to reach then, j
Se\ei'al
•^' unable to do
'•^tuni empty-jianded
other j)oints, but wei
H«^i-c all oblioed to
camp.
Ill anothei- instance thi
in^-outon theedneof a she!
^owu over a precipice hundreds of 'i
lom
s(». and tlie\'
lo
s same oflicer, uj
H)n ci-awl-
^■m-' lock and look
tu'og-oats near the base, but tl
ect below
vinu'
sa w
of
<ilH^il)cndiculai'lin<'
i<'yw,M-eactuallvinsi(h
i'ockIie(,ccupied,andhewastl
of the
fo brino- his j-ifJe to^^l
in,<
tl'
I'linnino' (h)wn i
I'oni tin- ed;
^'''JJ' "l)on them without
lis l)ody out over tin- edi-e of tl
"''■<'i'oreunab|(
l)l'oieet
'''!» was safe. After d
^ome minutes, o„e of his friends'off
'f' I'ot'k furthei-
iscussinii- the matter f
or
nis ei
fwt and tl
«lionlders 1'
lueuns both of the
16
^•''>J<' liini to extend his head
II" cnouiih out to ovt Iii
>^i'«'d to hoM I, is
and
s aim,
ioats were killed, but
lis
Hv tl
a partv
242
CUriSINCiS IN IHK CASCAUES
luul to u'o aioiind iiiid Msccud tlif luoiintaiii from the
other si'lt' in oriltT lo secure them.
The same parly, uhih' ('liml)iiiu" the ruu'.ued and
ahiiost i)i*ri)e!i(licular face of l>irih' Moiiiitaiii lo
bi'iuu' down some litiats tliey liad already ]\illed,
came siid<leidy ui»(»ii a lai'ue laick in a iiariow \-
sliaped lissiiie in the r<ick, from .vliicli there was no
escapehiit l)y the opeiijnu' at which tliey had entered,
and across tliis they ftained a skirnush line. The
^'oal climhed np(tn a nariow iij-ojectioii on one of the
walls of the lissure just out of ivach of the tallest
man in the party, and as they had no ritleswilh
them (havinii' left thenil)elo\v to liLiiiteii the lal>orof
the ascent I. they ti'ied to dislodu'e liiin hy tlii';wiii,u'
r<H'ks at iiim. l>ut their footinu" wa.-. m) insecure ami
tliei'e was such ureat daii.u'ei- of their falliii.u' that
they could not hurl these with sullicieiit fol'Ce to
brin.u him <lown ihouuh sevei-al of them hit him. if
tliev liad had a lope tliev could easilv have lassoed
lum. hut there was no such thinu' at hand. They
linally decided to leave one of tin' men to .u'uard
their [irisoner, and on their return to camp another
man took a rille. went hack, killed the .uoat, and the
t\\(» lH)re him triumphanlly down to cam[). The
gentleman says : '•Jiad I not heeii an eyewitness,
and had J suhseijuenily heen siiown the j)lace where
the <i(»at stood thus at l)ay. 1 could scai'cely have
believed it possible Tor anythiiiu' lai-.uei' than a tly to
have found footin.u' there.""
Fortunately, however, ihe successfid hunting' of
the u'oat is not alwa\s thus perilous, for thou.uh he
linbitmdly selects for his home the ]■( uiuhest and
most inaccessible i»eaks to be found in the mount-
le
1(1
K)
no
CM
th
ol
iii.i;'
\]\d
i:it
lo
If
)('(!
nil
hrr
Iriu'
Icrt'
iive
to
<»i
llKl
liit-
ANi) oiiiKi: inNiiNi; ai>\ km iiiks.
243
ains. v<'t lit' soiiK'tiiiM's niiiucs on inort' favorable
groiiiid, ai:'l if tlif qtoi tsnmii l)c so t'oi'tiinate as to
liiid liiiii llirrc lie may he killed and saved. They
)aiiue soiiiewiiat lower in uiniei- than in simiiner,
hnr llevel' e\-en thenvennii'e dou n into the ciirions.
ol' valleys, as do all the oilier larue mountain ani-
mals. They only come down upon the lower jteaks
and i'idu"s, and i-emain aluait the locky walls, which
are so pi'ecij)itons that the snow can not lie on them
to any consideiaMe deitth. Their ].<)wer of climhinu'
over and walking' (Hi these almo>t |ierj)endicular
rock walls is ntterlv astonndin<i'. Thev will walk
alonu' the side of anniui.u'hr ^^rojectinu' leduc that
towel's limidl'eds of feet a'>o\e ;|jid helow them
where a shelf pi'ojects not more than four or live
inches wide. They will climl) straight u[) an almost
l)er[)endicnlar wall, if only sliuhtly roiiuh and irre-
u'ular, so that they can .u'et a chance to hold on with
their siionu'v hoofs here and there. And thev seem
to select these difficult passes in many instances
when a u'ood. easy ])assa,U'e could be had to the place
to which tlayare hound by u'oinu' a little further
around. They seem todejiuh! in scaliiin' a d;niu'er-
ous cliff as a coiira.u'eous boy does in climliiuii' the
tallest ti'et\ I once saw where a u'oat had walked
straiu'ht up over a smooth Hat slab of uranite ten
feet wide, that laid at an anule of al»out lifty decrees,
and tli[it was covered with about two inches of wet
snow and slush. I could iioi climl) u[) it with nioc-
casiiis on mv fe(4, and no dou' coidd have followed
him there. This faculty is accounted for by the
jieculiar shape and (luality of their hoofs before
des( ribed.
«
; i
n
I!
2U
( Krisl.N(;> IN lilK (A^CAIH.S
Tilt' skill of till' IJockv Moiiiitiiin aoat Ims nevfr
liiid ;iiiy rcuiihii' ('(>iniu"r('ial viiliic Tlic still', coarse.
I'-rittIc hair that ismixed with the wool rciidei's them
iiiisiiitabic I'oi' rol)t's or niu's. and this hair can not
I'cadilv be plucked out. The onlv dcinaiul I'oi' thriii
is for inomitiiiii," \'t'iy I'cw wiiitc iiiintcrs and none
ol" tiic Indians nndcrstand how to skin and i)rcservc
tiicni pi'o])ci']\ I'oi' tiiis [uii'i»os('. and tliis I'act, taken
in connection with that of tlie roui;'!! and <hin-
i;'ei"(jiis nature ol' the liroiind they inhabit, makes
it dillicult to secure good skins, or even heads lor
mounting.
The llcsli of tlie goat is edil)le, but in the adult
animal is dry and tasteless. When kills of less than
a vear old can be obtained, their flesh is tender and
toothsome. The}' are not hunted. therefore.for meat,
for in the ranges where they aic found, deer, mount-
ain sheep, or elks can be ()l)taine(l much lower down
and are much more desirable for the table.
During a sojourn of a month in the ]3ittei' Koot
Mountains, near Missoula, ]\Iont., last fall 1 had
some very excitinu', not to sav danueious, exi)eri-
em,^es in hunting this animal. We were camped in
Lost Horse Canon, tlu'ou^h which tlows a typical
mountain stream. The walls on both sides are very
abrupt and from three to four thousand feet in height.
Thai on the north is coy eri^l from bottom to top with
great masses of gi'anite that have been broken loose
from the clift's at the top by earthq[uakes. the action
of frost, or other agency, and liaye tumbled down,
breaking into irregular-shaped fragments, of all sizes,
lodging and piling on top of each other in such a
manner as to form a gigantic sort of payement from
A.M. ..,,,■,,,, InMIX,. Am,;M,„KS. .J4r,
l'"'"'l""',""' ""-nnuuu .o,|„. r„„f. TluT,. hvi-p
1. . «i< ic III). oiKci-oMDiMo- <''i-iiiir..
.■nm,,,., ,,M.sna,uralsl,.p,._i,,,.„,,,,,V'|,i;.;:^'
',■'';" 'I ''•■' '»i"iii-M.'aMii..,i,„i„.,ii,„.
"'•. .^ .11,1 rcllsoMI,. cIl,,,!,,,!' ,,I.„MI iwn Mlil,.s
; '' "''-■" •" «'■.-«■ Ml...... six i„H„.s ,1,.,' V;,
-"..■i.o...s„i,i,i„„i„.i,M,i, „iv,,ii;; Hi,,., ;
.-iiul ll
"•"Wliie IllSUcli;, W
or possihiy my Jiend. 'i'j
loiviu'cessanin [.ickino-
K' M"i'*':ir.'.sr cai
will.
•' uas thd'c-
<*"unri'y, and f was 1
"ly \v;iy()V('i'tliis(|;,„o.
pi' 'Visions wliicl, Xatii
ii-H(iii(Mir\vsrnick wiih tl
eroiis
If* wise
•'lids when I
'•'' luak^'s lor I'liliiiii,,,.- I
h:id I
^•lu- wIkmv tli<' animal F
if'i'
HJiiuded liuiiilv [
'":>iiy feet in widrl
I'oiii rock to rod
sharp edo-e of
i; ov where ]i.. ]i;,(l
S(
tlnve or hmv ind
'Mie slalt of
was p!irsiiiii<i>
V o\<'i' chasms
\\alked up tlie
ics wid
■'■="iif^' nor nioic t
<)!• ^v\um^ h,. ii;, 1 .valked
eand lyiiiual aJiiohanuI
lian
tilted
S(
mountain
> ^r''<'P that no other hn-o.
'1^ «'<)iild have followed hi
"P ov.'i-a Hat slab of it,
'^ Jinimal in the
ni.
Thei
•e Avei'(^
U:
J 'i i
III
. i
i
'Mr,
< i:fi««iN(is i\ iiiK <AS('.\in:s
mjiiiy of Ills |t;iss:i,ut's in uliich 1 ('(»iil<l iiol follow,
I till I li:i(l to iii:ik('slo\v jind torliioiis dftoiirs, com inn'
uj)))!! Ills ii;iil imaiu Im'VoiuI tlie.s»' most (IjiiiiAcrous
points.
llnd he trjivclcd sti'tiiulit idicjid T could iicvfi- Iimvc
ovt'itMkcii )iim. lull ilic time lie coiisumcd in lif-
qiU'Utly stoppinu' to nip the tcndci' Iriivcsol' the
mountiiin iildcr oi- the juicy lichens tli:il 14 row upon
the rocks j»i'oved t';it:il to him. ;ind linully, al'ter n
cliMse of pi'ohiilily two miles iind when uciir the top
ol' the pe;dv close to tiinbei' line, I came ill sulit of
him. Jle was truly a beautiful creature. Theic lie
stood, unconscious of a[>pi()achinii' dan,u'er, look-
iii.i;' calmly out across a nei,i;hl)oiin^' canon as if
enjoy iiiu' I he li'i'and scenery about him. Occasionally
he t iii'iied to take a nioul h fill of some delicate mount-
ain herb that stood near him Tlu' i>ale creamy while
of his fleece conliasied delicately and beaiitifiillv
with the n'reeii of t he <'edars. l he ii'olden aiit iimn-col-
ored leaves of the sliiubs, thediill ,<;iay of t he^i-ranite
rocks, and the pure white of the early aiitiimii snow.
The siinlin'ht i;listen<>d u])on llie ])olished black of
Ills proudly curved and beautifully I'ounded horns,
and his lar,i4'e black eyes gleamed as with conscious
innocence and i)ii(h\ t contemjtlated his majestic
mien Tor several minutes befoi-e I could nerve my-
self to tli(^ task of taking' his life, but linally the
liunter's instinct coiupiei'ed my more delicate feel-
iiiiis. I put my rith^ to my shoulder, pressed the
li'ently yieldin*;' trii^u't^r, and in an instant nioi-e liis
lil'e blood ciimsoiied the driven snow.
After makinu' temporary dis])osition of liis remains.
I returmnl as rapidly as possible to cami) to li'et my
A\i» <tTiii;i: iii\ii\(. ai>\i:n iii:i:s.
•2 a:
IP
is
pliotou'i'Mpliic (tiitlit ;iii(l s(»iiit' lirlj) In cair.x liini
ill, for we wt'if short of iiicjit nl tlif tiiiif. || wns
three (M'lock in tllc al'leniooll w hen 1 renclied riiiiip.
iiiid. e.'itiiiu' ji liMsty liiiieh, I siaited haciv up 1 he
MioiintaiM with thi'eeol' iii\' I'lieiid-^.
When we Muaiii reachiMl the caiciiss it was live
(/(dock, and our work must l)eih>iie hastily in orih'r to
t;'ef down tile mountain as I'ar Jis [)ossilth' btd'oiedaik.
To a(hl to tli(; discomrort ol' our uiKh'itakiiiu' a dri/-
zlini;' rain set in just as I was read_\' to make tlic \ jews,
I exposed a couple of Jthltes. howevei*, which lol-
tuuately tuiiieil out I'aiily. We then set t(» woik to
sivin liiui as rapidly as possible, and as soon as this
was accoiiii)lished wi' started on our I'eiurn to camp,
two ol" the men lakinu' the two hind (piarters of the
Jinimal, anotlier my camera, and I the skin and liea<L
Witli these loads, wejuhinu' from twenty live to
tliirtydive ])ounds each, besides oiii* I'ilies. and con-
sidering' tile dillicnit and dangerous naluiv of the
i-round we had to tinvel over and the fact that it was
already beii'inninii' to .ii'i'ow (hi rk. we had, indeed, a
perilous journey before us, * diml)inu' over these lock
inles when covered witii snow was dillicult enough
work in (hiyliuht. but to attempt it in the daik-
ness and now that it was raininu' heavily, the snow
having b(^c()ine wet and slushy and the ro(d\s moic
slip[)ery than ])ef()re, it was doubly ]»erilous.
Our couise lay dia.u'onally dow n and alonu' the side
of the niountaiii. and as lonu' as the liiiht was sulli-
cieiit to at all see w hei-e we were stei)])iiiu' Ave made
fair prouress. {''reipieutly, liowever, someont,^ would
.slip and fall, but fortunatelv witliout receivinu- anv
serious injury. We were often compell(»d to hold to
r
2-ls
(•Kri>iN(;s IN I'ln: ('AS( \i»i:s
I.'
^i\
soiin' sliriil) nv irrc mikI let oiiisflvfs down (>\»'r jiio
ji'f't iii.u,* I'ocks st'vcnil I'rt't, wln'ii' uc could not jiossi
l)ly li:iv(! stood up without such iiid.
I'^iiiidlv, when \v«' were set lf>;s th:iii liiiH' \v;iv <h)\\ ii
thi' Miouiifiiiii si(h'. it Ix'c.'iiMc [titch daik. Here wc
silt down to I'ost. The niiii w;is I'Mlliiiii' in tonvnls,
:iiid l)iit I'oi' ihc snow on tin* ufound we couhl not
now have scrii ;i slcp nlicnd of us. We had ciilcrt'il
one ol' those more favored strii)s ol' hand v»lieie tiie
railing' focUs had not ('oveiv<l the uiound entiiely,
and where tiiei'e was a consi(h'rahh'<irowt h oi'tind»ei-,
liolli hii'n'e trees and miderhrusli, I was in ra\-oi' of
,U'oin,H' sirai,!4ht (h»wn through this into tiiec i-cei^ i>ot-
loin V liere we couhl at h-ast wali\ in safety, even if
our pro^'i'ess shouhl i)e slower. One of r \ friends
— Mr. Overtuif — aureed uitli ine. hut th ' 'her two
— Mr. McWhirk au<l Mr. Ilinciiinaii — i»referre(l to
continne over the rocks in a direct line to camp. We
tliertdoie (h'ci(hMl to se))arate, Fraidv and I uoin^'
straiuht (h)wn throuuli tiiis strip of timl)er and o\er
tile sniootiier ground, and tiie other two following'
the more direct course.
We two readied tlie l'o(»t of I lie mountain in about
an houi' more; not, however, Aviliioul encountering^
st'rious didicullies in _ni'aspini>' and iindin,u' our way
down over pre<'ipit()us rocks and earth, han,ii,inu' on
to one limb or shrub until we came in reach of
another, and thus leitinu' ourselves down sabdy.
We were then about a mile and a half from camp.
The creelv bottom was densely timbere(L There was
a dim ^^ame trail leadinu" through it up to oiircamj),
but it was imi)ossibh> to b)lIow it in the (hiikness,
iind, in fact, it reipurcd the closest attent ion oi' ex peri-
ANi> oiiiii; iiiNriNt. M>vi:\ II i:i:s. "iiu
(MU'cd ucmmI-iik'H ;iimI liiiiitt-rs lo follow il in dny-
li.uiit. W't' were t ln'refore iitfei-ly ;it seM. We unv
s.'ife, llowevt'T. ;ill(l we lit-nvnl ;i >ii;Ii of rclit-f U liril
\V» follll'l olll"M'l\<'S oil Icvt'l iil(.l|||<l, for llolH- of US
li:i(| rclislit'd tin' iflcii of li:iviiiu;i lioiir l)i(»k('ii in tiiiit
coiiiitry, so f;ir from rnt'tlicMl :iiil .ind Ii(»mi(' conifnits.
(ilc.-it SHOW slide-; li;id for ii^rs Im'cii coiiiilli;' down
tlit'sc iiioiiiiiain sides hriiiuiiiii' llieii' dehiis, siidi
;i^ rocks, mid lous, :ind whole trees with them.
These li;id fre<| llelit ly ,U'oMe >omi' di>I;iliee into tilt'
creek l)oItom, l)ie;ikiliu' mid felliliu' ;dl the trees ill
their piith. Toriiadoes hud raued throimli tIiec;i^oii.
:ilso, hreakiiiu' and l(»i)i»iim- trees in various direc-
tions, so that w»' now eiicouiiieied a ))ody of W(tods
tiirouuh N\hicli l!:e ni(»->t expert \vood>nia!i couhl not
possiMy travel more than a mile an hour in day-
light. Add to this the ( imnierian darkness in w hicli
We were now ^ropiir'^' (i'oi' there was no snow here in
the bottom of the cnnoii . i\].i\ the ivadei- may wi-ll
imai^ine t hat oiir prouicss was sh.w and ledi(uis in
the extreme.
We sat down and held another consultation. I
favored l.uildiiiii' a lire and stay iiii;' there till inorn-
ini:', luit; l^'i-ank preferred [msliinu' on to camp, so I
jic(ini(^sced. We soon found, howcvf-r, that il was
utterly im[)ossil)]e for us to uet thronuli these wind-
falls in the dai'kne.ss and with our liea\y loads, and
deci(h'd as a last I'esort to uet into the bed of the
civek and wad.' u}) it. We were already uct to the
skin from head to foot, and this wadinu' could be no
worse than clamb.-rini;' o\-erlo,<iNand throuuh jniiuh's
of wet underbrush. We soon reached the creek and
our hearts sank within us as we listened to its tuinult-
.i
il
Ml
f [
i t
•i.'jO
(•|iri>IN(iS I\ TlIK ( ASCADKS
rt!;«
ml
ifli
lions roar and lookt'd idoii its aii.uiy liosoni. lor
line uc weit^ enabled \o s<'e sliu'litiv. owinu' to the
Taint li.i'ht adinllted tliroiiuh the narrow ojiciiin^u' in
the trees overhead, how Kinuhand hoistcroiis it wasi
Its hed was a succession ol" bowlders IVoni the size ol'
a man's head to that of a small house, and its waters,
com inu' direct Iroin the snow, were ice 'Id Vet to
camp here was to snU'er all niulit from wet and cold,
and we preferred to push on.
I'v keepinu- near the shor*' we could nearh all the
time have brush to han,u' tw and steady oui'selves,
but where there w«'re none (»f these in ivach our
I'ubbtM- boots sli])))ed on thi' sniooih wet I'ocks. and
several times we fell into :iie icy liood uj. t(» our
chins. Once, in particulai, I fell in watei- nearly
three I'eet deep, droi»i)e(l my uun and it went to the
bottom. T lished il out. iiowtve]-. staui;ered to niv
feet, and stiiiu'u'led on.
After nearly tv.o hoiii's of this :• rrible U'liduinu',
waoin.i:', and stauuerinu'. w«'al last r<'a"hed cam}) at
'l:v(>n o'clock at idiiht and triumpliaiitly deposited
our burih'iis within the tent.
Oiii- two fi'i'.'iids. horn whoiii we had sei>arate(.l e?i
rotifi\ had arrived only liaM' an liou)' ahead of us. and
not wit hstandinu' the rail!, v.hich still fell heavily,
Di'. Hale, who had remaine(l in camp, had a ui^at
lou-heap lii'e l)laziuu' in fi'ont of ihi' tent. A i>ot of
coil'ee steame(' by the iire. and a sunii»tuous sup])er
of liroileil bear steaks, baked jtotatoes, and hot
biscuits awuited us. liut I was too tired to eat. I
drank, a, pint ol hot colbv. put on diy llannels,
(-!">wled int>) my blankets, and slept soundl\- till
niorninu'.
A\i) oriiF.i; iii\'UN(. Ai)Vi;N"rri;i;s.
:>ol
ill
As fni'tlKT illiisirariiiu' tiir liahits of tlic mouiilaiii
ft'oiit and the jM'rils attt'iKliiiu- its rajitiiiv, 1 may !•»'
periuittvcl to nanatt' tlif rxpciiciicf of Mr. West-
lake, a raiu'liniaii in ivistern Idaho, who aitt'inpted
to ^,rof'iire a pair of skins for a IVicnd in the East a
''.-\v yeai's aL>'o. lie ('nij>h)yed a Flathead ln<lian as
unide and assistant, who claimed to know the conntiy
tlioi'oniihly in wliich they pnrjxtsed hnntiiiu-. and to
ha\e liad ('ousideral)le expeiience in iinnlin:^' uoats.
Mr. Wes'lake provided liinisell' willi a uood saddle-
horse and one packdioi'se, ;! rillc. camp out lit. in<'li.d-
in.u' a sni.dl tent, and provisions for liimsflf and the
Indian for twenty days. The Indian was fairly
inonnted on a small hnt ton,uh Indian pony aiul well
ai'nie(l. They set out on S(>i>teml)er rl and traveled
aciv)s.s tile country to the Cleai'water rivei'. np which
they I'ode sevei-al days. ov<'r a veiy diflicnlt and tedi-
ons trail, an<l when well nji tow;u'd the head of the
stream the.v I't'ached the mouth of one of its trihn-
tai'ies which dehoin'hes from a deep and I'liu'iied
canon. Up this tliey (h'ciih'd to li'o, for it v.as their
intention to r^'ach the liitter Root Mountains, one
of tile host known ranu'es lor the .u'oal.
This canon pi-oved. like many others in that
reu'ion, ahnost im])a>sal>le for man oi- he.-ist. and it
was with the utmost dillictilty an-l hy ihe endurance
of untold an ' includible hardshijjs that they were
al)le to make seven or eiu'h' miles ;i dav. Thev
encountei'e(l plenty ol' ,u'ame in the canon. lioweAci'.
amonu' which weiv e
ht'ars. and mnh' (h'cr. and
the creek which ran thronuh the cafion vieldcd
them
an ahundance of trout, so thai lliev fared
.sumptuously so
far as lood was concerned.
('l;r!>I\(.> I\ TIIK CASCADKS
^.
iil
Fiiiallv, nt'tci' s('\cr:i.l davs in tliis ciifioii. tlicv^
ivaclit'd iIk' head of il and caiix' out on a lii_u'li pla-
teau which was covered with heavy jniie tiinher
iiitei'spersed with beautiful i»afks or meadows aiul
thickets ol' jispcMi and alder. Xuiueioiis s})ringsl)oil-
iiiii' u}) hei'c couised down into 1 he cauou from wJncii
they had Just eineru-e<l, and WA the cieek wliich ran
thi'ouiih it. rres>inu' forward across this forma-
tion for a distance of ahout ten nnles, they r(^ache<l
the liase of one of the ufeat snow-cai>i)ed })eaks,
near the toj) of whicli they t'xpect<-d to iind the par-
ticular game of which they were in search. l>ut
tiiis mountain w;is so pr(M'ii)it()ns an<l so rougli that
it was im[)ossil)le for them to get their horses up it in
anv wav. 'I'hex- di'-cii»cd \arious plans of accom-
plisiiinu' theii- object. It was hiuhlv dangerous to
leave their horses here alone, lest the bears or
mountain lions, which wt^re so numerous in the
viciinty. should stam[)ede and run them olf. It w;is
iin]>ossil)le foi' eithei' man to go alone and laing
down two of the skins and heads suitably j)i'epared
for mounting, as they, with the othtM- load whi(di it
was necessarv to take aloau'. would be more than
anv one man could carrv. It woidd lake tuo davs
t(» make the ascent, have a lew hours for hunting,
and return to where tliev then were, and in older to
pass the night at all comfortably in that high alti-
tude ;i liberal su]>ply of blankets must be carried.
They theiefore decided, as the oidy feasible plan,
to make camp where they were and start up early
the next morning, leaving their horses behind.
They imide all possible prejtaratioiis that night, and
the next morinii'j; arose at four o'clock. I^v sunrise
I i
AM) o'niKi: in\ri\(i ai»vi;n i ii:i;s.
'2X1
III.
lly
i.
Ill
they li;i(l hrmkl'iistt'd. ami uiili ilirji- packs, cdu-
sistinu,' of two pairs dl" hlankt'lscacli and a two days'
siip[»ly of (H)okf'd food, tlicy - tartcd. Tlicy did not
dart' ])i('k<'t oi' lioM)!*' their lIo|•s('>^, as cit lirr would
uivc tiie \vild Itcasls a cliaiici' to attack and kill
tlh'iii, and could only ti'u->t to luck, an al)Uiidaiit
supply oi' u'ood ii'i'ass ami waliT. and tln' well know n
attaclmu'iir which ncarlv all Wcsicru horses feel I'ur
a caiu]), to kee[) th Mil there until their return.
After a liai'd day's clinil) they came upon alxin-
dant siii'iis of ;L;,'oals al)out the middle of the afler-
uoon, and, prf^parinu' a tt'inporary bivouac nmiei' a
shelving' rock, tliey deposited their loads, made a
pot of coll'ee, ate a lieaity diiiii;'!'. and slaiteil out to
look for the game. They iiad not uoiie far when
Mr. Westlake siiihted a laruc handsome male i;oat
standinu,' on the top o" a clilV. and ai>itroacliinu,'
within easy rille r.iiiue he jired and killed it. it fell
some twenty or thirtv J'eet. and lodued behind ii luo-
jeciiiiL!,' slab of ui'aiiite. It was secured after consid-
erabh' hai'd woi'k, liastily skinned, and the sldn and
.some of the Ix^st cuis of the meat carried to their
temporary camp. Xiulit was now approachinu', and
the hunters set about prepariiiLi' a suii])lyor wood.
There were nimieioiis dead ))ine and cedar 1 1'ees. of
stunted ii-r(»wth and jieciiliar shapes, staiidinu' and
iyin.ii," anionu' the rocks, and a ueiieiou-^ su|>;»ly was
s(»on i)ro\ided. Next, a larue oiiantily of cedar
l)o;i,i;lis wei'e cut. broiiuht in and sjd-ead un ler the
overhaniiinu' rock, to a dei)th of a foot or mo: '. On
these tlie1dank<'ts were si)read. and the linntei-s had a
bed wdiich many a tired lodger in Kastern city hotels
miii'ht well envy them. By bnildin.u' u rousing- tire
L>:)4
Cia ISINCS I.V 11! K ( AX ADKS
in
ill IVoiiT. uliicli uiis r.'llcctf'il ;m;iiiist \\w rock wall
Ix'liiiul liif'iii. :iii(l by nccasioiially r<'[)l('nisliiH,u' it
diiiiiiu' tilt' iiiuhr, iIh'V sl('[)t ('(Uii Cor ("ably, tlioii.uli
I 111' tf'iiqx'i'al II rt' i-aii .'<i'\ cral dfui'tM's Ix'low zero.
Karlv tli<' next iiioriiiim' bet h men slartt'il out in
search (>r a female <^'()ar to cnminete tlieir mider-
takiiiii'. Nearly two lioiirs had l>eeii sjient in imiit-
iii;:'. wlieii the Indian i'oaiid a fresh trael^ in the
siioNv some distince ab(»\(^ llieir temporary cam]*,
lb' b)ih»\ved it until it led iiiaimuii^'a b)rest; of rent
and jau.u'ed cllfl's of liraiiile. and Westlake, \v|io
was some distance away, st-einu' by tlie Indian's
motions that he was on a ti'ail, started toward him.
When within a b'W b-et of where he had last seen
the Indian lie heard the repoit of his lille. and a
shout announced that his shot had been successful.
Mr. Westlake b>llowed on into the chasm from
wiieiice the re|>{n-i c.iiiie and saw I he Indian attempt-
inn' to scale the si'.b^ of ;i nearly p ■i'[)eiidicular wall
of rock, st 'ppinu' cautiously from niche to niche
and shelf to sh'lf; holdinn' on with his hands to
e\-ery i)roiectiim' ]»oiiit that afforded him any assist-
ance, lb' linally r"ac!i<'d the top of t he ledu'e. and
reachinu' over cauuht hold of I lie now lib'less body of
the u-oat ihat he had killed, aiil divw it toward him.
But when it switmi' oil" fl'om the top of the ledu'e its
weiu'lit and the cons'cpient strain on his muscular
jiower was n-reater than the Indian had anticipated,
and l)eb)i*e he had time to let uo of the earcass and
save himself his sliuht hold on the I'ock was torn
loo.se, and uttering a wild shi'iek he b'll a distance of
nearly sixty i'eet, strikinu' on a hea[> of broken
rocKs
lb' was instantiv killed.
Ir
AM) ol'IIKU IirNII.\(i Al>Vi:.\l IKKS.
2X>
ll<'i'»' wiis a sad blow to poor Wcstlakr. His only
('oiii[)aiiioii, ills faitliriil .u'liidc, and llic only hiiniaii
ix'inu' within tit'ty miles of liini, lava corpse al his
feet, lie had no means whatever of uetliiiu' tln^
l)ody Iiaek to their camp, mncli less of ictnrninn' it
to the nid'ortnnate I'ed man's friends. He iiad not
e\-en a tool of any kind to diu' a ura\(' with, and the
oidy thini;' lieconld <lo in that direction was to bnild
a wall of i()c'.;s aronnd the body, lay sonn^ Hat slal)s
aci'oss the to]), and then ciiiy and lay on toj* oT
tliex' a nnmber of the lai'uvst and heaviest I'ocks he
conid handle, to jirotect it from the lavaucs of wild
beasts. When this satl dnty was completed he
r<'tnrned with a heavy lieait to tlieir tempoi'ary
camp, and with as mncii of their Inu'uauc as he was
al)le to can V started down the monntain. Arrivinii:
abont in)()n at the tent, he was hoiiilied to lind the
tracks of a lai'ue bear in and about it, the ^'renter
[)ortion of his snp[ilies eaten n[) oi' destn-yed. and
his horses nowhere in siuht. A iiasty examination
showed tliat the beai' had jiassed t liionuh t he lit tie
park in which they had hist ))een urazini;- — evidently
early that mornin.u' — that they liad tak<'n lliulit and
tied in the dii'ection of the iiead of the cai'ioii np
which they jiad come. Westlake followed them
several miles nntil com inced that they had leally
started (»n their l)ack trail, and then he retained to
camp, liy this time niuhl was auain a[)[)roachinu'
and it was witli a lieavy li-'art that he piejiaied to
pass it tlier<'. all alone, and still fnither depressed
with the tlionulit that lie had now a Jonrney of a
In I nd red miles or more before him. to the nearest set-
tlement, which he ninst nndoiibtedlv make on foot.
i
s
i
r i
1 1-.
til
I-
w
• -
'2r>ij
(M:risiN(;-> ix I'lii; (■as( ai>i;s.
He ;ite liis .sup])!'!" nloiic mid in sadiit^ss, tiiid ;is the
CMiHp iir(^ bhi/cd in fiont of iiis tent it cnst iiiliil
.sli:id<)\vs into llic lilooin, Avliicli wjis iinl)rokeii by
any soniid s.-ivc llic occasionnl sou^hini;' of tlie wind
tliioiiuii tlif pine trees oi' tiieciyoi' some wild ani-
nial. lie linally i-eiired to lest, l>ut ids slee]) was
brolveii b\- tionbled dreams ^Vs tln^ sun arose in'
l»re[»:iied a hasty meal, which was eaten in silence,
■<\\M with a i)air of l)laukets, a few i)onn<'s of tloiii'.
salt, and colb'e, and his ri!l(\ he started, leaving his
tent standin.u' nnd all else in it as a moiiinnent to the
memory of his friend and a laiKbnark to future
hnnters and monnttiineei-s to locate the scene of his
<2;real iinsfortnne. II(» traveled sevoi days befv);e
weeing the lace of a hnmaii being oi •^.leeping undei'
a shelter of any kind, when he linally i'eache(l a
ranch wlitM'e his horses luul ]>receded him and had
been coi raled to await an owner.
It is fortnnale that all goat hiintei's do not meet
with s.ich disasters as did poor Westlake and his
yoiinii' friend, or the noble s}»()rt would have still
fewei' votaries than it now has.
CHAPTER XXYI.
TROfTIN-,, I.V Tl.,.; ,:,„,KY MorXTAIXS.
A^ SEPTEMBER, l«,4, I joined a na.-tv of
«5>jw^
ms 1 -1" V, 111 J, iuis.^iion was to Inmt
l# n«'h for the trip, whi.-li o.ru,,ie,l uu,
with us t,.,„e,l what ,vo„l,l otli.nvise n-. t
i.om cneii ci.\ stalline retreats anil transferrin,, ti,
13 our creels and our can,;, table. "'"'■'''''""« *'"-»'
o" of t ' T, r "■"■"'''' '^■"™''^ '^"'°'- f'^'t tu n I
Hellgate rlver.'iultre!;::? l^Zr"^''^ ^'^ '''^
: Vi
I;-'
;■■ i
li
17
(^'•■ir)
258
<J1{LISL\(;S I.\ llli: CASCADES
AM) OTIIKIJ lir.\TIN(} ADVKXTinKs. o;,j)
Its v.lN.y is tw., to |\.,u' iMil,..s wi(l,., an.l th.. l.mri.
l>orti(>uoltln.sis(,(r.ii,ie(n)yuunR.i-oiisnni,.l,,.s Tlie
soilisnlN.l by u'HI-t,Mlof:,nn..rs <„-.,, lurhmen-
osp-nU nitlMMvninn.l..,,. <,rii., ,o,„„,.v. s,, tliMf
the aiioler, whih' uithiu n ,„il.> ,„• two of m- ..l
mountain p.Mks, is stillin tluMHMst of <.iviliza7i:>n,
^vliere lus Innh^y uuiy (L.ily I.h ivplenisl,,.! with
ne .rly uU t)ie varieties ut n,,o,l things tl.af ^nnv on
any .New Lno-huul lann. TI.m l.anks of the st,va,n
;M-e rino-ed with stately pines and cottonwoods, and
111 plares witli thickets of umh'rhrnsh
^;'-;"'i a tiny hrook at its somre the stream -rows
I'apid y to a^ veritable rivei- of thiitv to tiCtv va.ds
111 width as It passes on toward its (h-stination It
•sweeps and whirls in its e<,nrse, here runnin,.
straight and pla<-idly for a Jinndred yards, then
tiirnuio- ahi-uptiy to nVht or left and retnrnin-
alniostparalleltoitself, fonnino-horse-slioehends -
-ox-bow bends,- con.ponnd S's, rioht an^kis
etc. .^ <
111 many cases it tumbles down ov.t a Ion- sfei,
pavement of oranite bowlders, workin- itselFinto u
veiy a-ony of bnbbles ami foam, ami when the foc^t
ol this tall IS reached it whirls and eddies in a -reat
pool ten or twenty feet ,hvp and c(,verino- half an
ace ot ground, almost surrounded bv hioh-cut
banks, and seeniin- to have lost its wav.' It event
ually hiids an exit, hou-ever. throuMh an openin- in
the willows aiKl masses of driftwood, and a-ain
speeds on. *
_ In many of these lar-e, deep pools whole trees ot
pant size, brou-ht down by the sprino- freshets
have found lod-nient beyond the p,>wer of the
111
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■:'.i- I
200
(ItllSlNiiS IX TIIK CASCAnKs
mighty rnnvnt to diivc tlicni I'luihci-, and iindcr-
iiciitli tlu'si' dril'tstlu' Miiult'i- isliahh' to liook ;i lusty
trout tli:it will uuikc shoit work of liis tjickh' if he
be iKJt vciy fivntle and expci't in nianipulatin.u' It.
SDl.Il) COMKOIiT.
This river niiiy be iished i'rom ii canoe or ))ont, if
it be manned by a master of the art of fresh-water
cruising; but no amateur oarsman or canoeist sliould
ANh ••iinij ni\riN(i .\i»\'i:Nrri:i;s.
201
if
d
t'ver Mtit'iiiiit ii nr lit' will siircly coint' to aiiff. It
IllilVillso he IIsIkmI I'ldlll til*' l):illk .H" l>v wjidjim-;
;iii(l I litivc ('Veil kn(»uii it lo ))•' IIsIkmI IVdiii lli»'
liiirricniu'dcck of ;i ciiyiist', so tlmt till lovers of ihe
ut'iiilt' ni't iiiiiy !)(' ;i('('oimiio(l;it<'(l.
A hiruv Itiimi> of ciiiitioii would iilso he ;i u'ood
tliiiiu' loi'the MKiii to take jiloiiu' who cssnys to wiide
it, I'oi lit* will tiud i)la('«.'s— slippery i)lii<'<'s--\vlieie
even the wicked can not stand; for over tiie siii-face
theieof Hows such ;l iniu'lity ton-eiit of watei's that
his ])i'i(le will siiK'ly have a fall, even if he do not;
and if he u'et out with a dry thi'ead on his back he
will I'.'iiard it as a luitacle and not owinu' to anv
skdl or sti'enuth of his. I think a dav on that
stream will take the conceit out of any livin-j; man
and show him what a poor, weak wo ni he is, //" he
U'er into some of the places I have lieell in. lie will
lind himself in positions from whence h»' woidd^ive
half his woi'ldly }H)ssessions to l)e de1i\eied; where
he would foi-u'ive his hitieiest eiu'iny tln^ meanest
thinu' he ev<'r did if he were only there and would
cast him n friendly line. The hed of the stream is
composed of glacial drift, all the rapids lieiiiu ))aved
with bowlders vai-yiiiu in size from an inch to two
or three feet in dianietei-. These are worn smooth
by 1 he action of the water and conted with a. liu'ht
growthof funu'us. so that they furnish a veiy pi-e-
carious footinu' at best, and when the ])ower of
the raging toi'ivnl is lirouuht to l)ear against one's
netluT limbs, he is, indeed, fortunate who is not
swept into the ])o(d below.
On the rittlesor morei)lacid ]»ortionsof the stream
wading is not utteiided with so iniich danger or dilii-
I
!i!
0(;0
<'i:iisiN(,s i:; ';;iK cax aim:s
ciilty. And \vliil<' the Jiiiulrr l)('u,'iiil(s llic hours in
(hillijiiicc wiili tlicsc l)('!iiili<'s of tln' liviT, uaziiiu'
into its ci'vstjilliiit' (It'i)tlis ii!i<l toviiiu' witii its poetic
(If'iii/nis, ii njjinct' to cast »)!■ wcsi iwrals to liiiu
s('(Mi«'s of even .uiaiKJcr and iiioi'o
iiispiriiiii' lovt'jiiicss; I'oi' 1iit'i-t>, so . .
close as to I'cvf'al tiieii'ever\ i-ocjv ,'i,
Jliwl slinil), towel- tile siiapely ;;|iii>l^iL
peaks, the sliattercd ci'a.ns and /w .tjxvi.!';
beetling- dill's wliicii constitute .^t^r-^^i^
tiie J^itter J{oot ranu'e of V;i*
mountains. And even in .y%^\
niidsumniei' tin^ fivsli, .JIj
])ni'e hl'eezes sweep- ..-f^
ing th)wn i'roni '■'4^,'^
:^fii) iirsiiiyG watkrs.
tliese snow-chid summits I'an liis pandied I)i'()w and
render existence, under sucli circumstances, tlie
realization of a poet's dream.
On a bright, cheery September morning, Piivate
Westbrook, of the Third. Infantry, and myself left
AM) oriiKi: iii'NiiN*. .\i)\i;Niri:i;s.
m.i
r;ini[) ;is soon as tli<' siiii hud cxpfllcd ilic liosi lioiii
tli». V('u,('t;ili()ii. {)\i llif uiiy down wi- (-.•nmlit a iiiini-
IxM'ot' <ii-as,shoi>i»t'r.s — the oitliodox bait in tins rcuioii
— to i'all baclv on in rase of nt'ct'ssiiy; lor t lifiv ;ir»'
<la vs when llif iiioiintaiii trout, as well as liis coHsiii,
the brook trout ol* tlu* East, (U'clincs tlif most scdiic-
tivo Hy on the bill of I'ai't', and will have iiothiiiu' but
his i'avoritt^ cverv-dav did.
Arriving- at thf I'ivcr. \\'t'stl)i'ook skirniisiird
thi-ons^'h the bi'ush iiiilil la- found an alder al)oal :in
inch and a (jnarttT in dianit'tcrat thcuioniid and ten
or twelve feet hiuh. This he cat, trinini<'(l np. and
atta('he(l his line, a nntnbei' two Spiojit hook and a
si)lit shot, put on a •• ho[)per,'" and was ready for
l)nsiness. L lemonstrated o-(.iitly with him on the
heat henisli character of his tackle, but iie said, pleas-
antly and politely, that it was the kind that gener-
ally got to the Iront when trontdishiiii'' was the
business in liand. He sidd the fancy rods and i-eels
and Hies were all well enonuh for those who wanted
to use them, but he i)i'eferred soinethinij,' with
which he could round up his lish and <'orral tht-m
without losing any time. He said it was all
right i'or any gentlemen to s[>end half an hour
nioidvcying a tioiit after he lia<l hooked it, if he
wanted to, but I'or his ])art, he nevt^i- could see
much fun in that sort of lishing. He thought it
was (leci<ledlv more interesting to yank a lish in
out of the wet the instant he ))it, and then lay for
another.
He walked ])oldly out into the stream, waih'd
down a little Avav below the ford, on a rittle, till he
reached a point where the water was about two
1
yiu
CIMISIXOS IX THE CASCADES
': 111
ft'ct deep anil wliere it rolled sullenly and gloomily
over a series of large }K)\vi(lei's.
Here he mnde a cast, and his bait had barely
touched the water when thei'e was a vicious rush, a
swirl an<l a <lash downstream , I ait the cruel pole
was brought to bear in the opposite direction.
Then there was a flop, a splash, a hop, skip and a
jump, and a three-pound trout took a header and
went down into the soldier's haversack.
The bait was renewed, another cast made, and the
act was repeated on a hali'-pounder. Then another
weighing one-and-a-half pounds and a coux)le of
about a pound each followed in rai)id succession,
when this portion of the stream failed to yield, and
Westbi'ook moved on down. I followeu Jilong the
bank and watched him foi half an hour before
attempting to lig my tackle at jdl. To watch the
phiy of the various eni()ti(ms on his hard, bi'own,
Inaiest face; to study the effect of the intense enthu-
siasm which possessed him; to note the utter disre-
gard of personal safety and comfort with which he
would plui'ge into the surging rapids and eddies up
to his waist, or even to his arm-pits, wherever he
thougnt he could catch a trout by so doing, was a.
genuine treat.
Finally T went ba''k to the ford, jointed up my
rod, put on a gr.'iy professor, and wnlking down the
bank to a. sudden bend in the river where the current
had cut a deep hole near the bank, I made a cast.
The iiy dropped on the riffle just above the eddy,
and as it lioated gracefully on the little v.tivelets
down and out upon the bosom of the deep-blue nun-
iature ocean, it turned hither and thither with the
acXv
">«»»«.««
AND OIIIKK lirXIIN(. Al>\' INITKKS.
raOo
cnpricious (MUTfMits tliat played there, for ])^'l■lu^ps
Hve luiniites, I was just in the act of reelino- up
for another cast, wlien a uleani ol' silverv liulit
Haslied upon my vision, tiecked with settin.us of jet
and ^i^'old. There was a niiu'hty commotion u[ionthe
surface and a monster trout leaped full into tlie air
as he seized tlie feathered l)ait and then sliot down,
down into the crystal Unid, leavin.u' tlie watei' in the
vicinity of his exi)loit huhhlinu'. effervescinu'. and
s[)arklinu' like the rarest old champaune. For the
nonce 1 was [)aralyzed with the suddenness and
viciousness of his comini;' and uoinu'. and my i-eel
was sinu'inu' merrily when I awok<' lo a realization
of what it all meant.
Tiien T thuinhed the cylinder and checked him in
his wild liii;ht. l)ut he continued to liu'ht his way
clear down to the lowei" end of the pool, a distance
of twentv vards. Then he tuined and caiue toward
me with the speed of an arr< w. but the automatic
reel took U[> the >h\vk as ^apidly as he uave it.
When within twentv feet of me he turned out into
the stream, and as 1 checked him he auain vaulted
into the air and the sundiuht <ilistened on hisheauti-
fully-coh^red sioes and tins as he sri'UU'uhMl to free
himself. Findinu' tliis iiii[>ossil)lt- he started for the
hatdv. where brush and joots [»rojected into the
watei': but by a viu'orous and fortunate swee[» of the
rod I was euabh'd to check iiim auain. .V.uain he
sounded andau'ain I'ushed up. down, and out into the
river, but the steel W;is securely set. and lie was
compelled at last to succumb. (Gradually I leeled
him in. and as 1 brouiiht him up to the lank he
turned on his si(h' exhausted, lie welu'hed twoand
\J-
■ VBIUP IP 41
I f
Its
!iri:
as,' s
I,
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IrHf!^ 1
Pf ! ^
|r:
i
A.N A.N.MDl s MUMKNT.
^ U
1
)Mik
■■&
ANi> oTiiKi; iirNii.\<; .\i>\ knitiik-
•iC.T
thiu'j'-quartei' poiiiids and iiicasmvd scvt'iitt'cii inches
ill Icn.u'tli.
1 look two oilicrs. iieai'lv as laiuf. out of llifsaiiK'
liole. and llicii j)i'0('t-('diim- down lil'ty v.;i(ls. I saw
a ]ai;ue colloiiwood ii'cc lyin^' in the iniddlr of the
.stre'ain ^\■ll(M•p it had loducd and liccn sccni-ely
anchored. prol)al)ly a year oi' two helnic. The cni'-
rent liad scooiM'd out a ureat cavitv ahont iis loots
and I i"<'lt sure lher»^ iniist be a u'iant old trout lyin.u'
anionii'st tlieni. hut I could not ivach it with a cast
J'roin the shore. To alteini)t to \vade lo it I saw
Avoiild l)e hazaiihuis, foi' t he channel hetwetii nie and
it was Avaist deep and lan with all the velocity of a
mill laii. ]>iit what daiiuvr will not an enthusiastic
an,u'lei' bi'ave when in [)ursuit of a trout; 1 siarted
in, and when half way to the trunk, would ,uladly
liave I'etreated. hut was actually afraid to attempt
to turn in the midst of this curi'ent. so 1 pi'essed hir-
ward, linally ivached the trunk of the tree and
('liml)e(l upon it. 1 made a cast u}» near the root
and hooked a handsome I'ellow, bur after jilayinu'
him until 1 had him completely under control and
almost ready to land, the liook. w lii«'h had been but
slightly caiiii'ht. ton^ out and he drifted down the
river on his side.
Another ed'ort secured a t wo-i)f)utider. and failinu'
to (i-et anv fiirthei' encouraucnieiit. 1 climl)ed into the
icy t(»rrent and with uivat diflicult\ aLiain reached
t. t ■
the shore.
A little furthei' (low 11 1 sawanotherveiy deep p(»()l,
into which a small, ureen cortonw(»od tree had lately
i'allen and liun.uby its loots to the bank. I felt sure
of makinu' a uood catch here, for the hole was ten
ft
;;
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208
(;KL'ISlN(iS l.\ THE CASCADES
8 M ■'
i!Hi
;■ "(:
Miirfii!'
^ :;
I .'
or twelve feet deep, and the driftwood that liad
lodged about this tree afforded excellent cover for
the wary old fellows that always seek such secluded
and inixiregnable strongliolds. The ily settled grace-
fully on the surface at the upper end of the pool, and
as it floated listlessly down towai'd the drift, ^Vest-
l)ro(^k, who had come down and was lishingfroni the
baidi opposite, said:
"You'll get ;i good one there, sir. That's a
splendid hole for a big old fellow."
" I think so; but he seems backward a,l)out coming-
forward."
"Maybe that blasted bird has scared him,"
said he, relV^rring to a coot that floated uncon-
cernedly and even impudently about the pool,
eyeing ns Avithout a symptoni of fear, but evinc-
inu" the liveliest curiositv as to who and what we
were.
I reeled up and made anothei' cast farther out on
the pool. As the tiy fell, Mrs. i!oot swam up to it
as il' inclined to pick it up. I almost lioped she
would, for 1 should reallv have enjoved vauking her
a few times. But she thought better of it, and
turned away. After exhausting all my ingenuity
(m this pool, and luiding it impossible to induce a
rise, I laid down my I'od, picked u[) a. rock, and
threw it at the ill-omened bird, whom I blamed for
mv hick of success.
Westbrook took his cue from this and also sent a
rock after her. Both made close calls for her, but
she <»nly scurried about the livelier, making iioelVort
to get away. She, aowever, swam behind a jnojec-
tion in the bank, so that I eould not see her, and I
T
AND ((TIlKli IIIXlI.Nc; Al)\ K.N TC i;i;s.
•2m
told Westhrook to coiuiiiu.. iho attuck ami drive
her out.
He picked up another bowlder as laro-e asaleaoue
baseball and hurled it jit her, when the dullest and
most "thudful"' sound I ever l-i-aid, accompanied
by a faint S(piawk, came from behind the bank.
'' Well, bleach my bou'.^s if I haven't kilh-d h<*i-:"
said AVestl)rook, as he threw down bis hat and
jumped on it.
Sure enough, he had madea bulPs-eye, and a mass
of feathers floated off downstream, followed by the
mortal remains of the deceased. And now iIkm rout
wei-e jumping at these stray feathers, and ivtundng
to the siege, we each caught a good one at the lower
end of the jjooI.
We had now about as nuiny hsh as we caivd to
carry to camp, and staited back up river. On our
way W(^ met Lieutenant 'riiompson, of the Third
Infantry— also a member of our party— who had
M't camp about the same time we did, and we
stopped and watched him tish awhile. The lieuten-
amit is a veteran tiy-lishernuin, and it is a pleasui-e
t(» see him wield his graceful little split bamboo lod,
and handh^ the large vigorous trout found in this
stream. I had my camei'a with nie and exposed a
l)late on him in the act of playing a two-ixuindei-
while holding a suing of six others in his left hand,
and though I did not give it qui'o enougli time, it
turned out fairly well. 11. • had also lijh'<| Iils<-reel,
and on our return to cami) we liung (,ur lotal catch,'
with several otheivs that General Marcy had taken,'
on a pair of elk horns and got a good negative of
the whoh» outht.
I Ix
©
fh-
)! It
if-il
Ml-
:i7o
(;in'lS[NG,S IN THE CASCADKS
Uh
Trout oTow to prodigious sizes in tlic Bitter Root,
as well as ill several otliei' streanis in Montana,
Wvoniiiiu'. Idaho, and Wasliinutnii Territory. Tlie
Indians I'ret^nently s[)ear them tliroiiuh the ii'e, or
take them in nets, some of tliese weighmg ten to
twelve |»ounds each, liiit these large ones rarely
rise to the Hy, However. Colonel (lihscm, ol' the
I . S. A., commanding at Fort Missoula, took one
on a tlv that weighed nine jxmnds and two ounces,
and other instances have been recorded hi which
they have been taken ])y this method nearly ashir^"^.
They have I'lefjuently been taken on live bait, and
liavt' been known to attack a small trout tliat liad
been hooked on a ily, before^ he could be landed.
While 1 was hunting in the Bitter Root Mount-
ains in the Call of "813, a carpenter, who was building
a bridge across the Bitter Root, near Corvallis, con-
ceived the idea oi' lishing for trout with a set hook.
Me rigged a heavy hook and line, l)ailing with a live
minnow, tied it to a willow that overhung oiieof the
deep pools, and left it over night. By this means
he secured three of these monster trout in a wtek,
that weighed from nine to eleven and a hali' pounds
ea<'h.
The supply oi" trout in the Bitter Root seems
to be almost unlimited, for it has been tislied
extensively for ten vears iiast. and \et a man may
catch twentv-tive to lifty pounds a day any time
during the season, and is almost sure to do so it' he
is at all skillful or "lucky." 1 known native
Bittei' Rooter who, during the snmniei and fall of
"84, fished for the market, and averaged thirl y
l)()unds a (hiv all throuuh tiie season, which he sold
I
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i
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h
AM) oTiiKK iHNri.\(; Ai»\i;.\rri;i'>
:27l
in MissoiiJa at twenty-live cents ;i pound. Ot'conise,
the majority of tiic rancinnen aloiiu' tiir sti'eani (](»
little or no Hsiiino-, hiit the otficers and nwu at Fort
Mi^sso(Ua do tin immense amonnt ol it. as do the res-
idents of the town of Missoida; and visitiii<i' si)orts-
meii from the East takt^ ont hundreds of i)onnds
every season. I'ut the streatn is so lar^e and loiiu',
and its net-work of tributaries so vast, and fuinisji
such fine spawning- and breeding- ^rounds, that it is
safe to say there will be trout hei-e a century hence.
The heathen Chinee has never been pcrnutted to
l)ly his infamous dynamite cartridge here, oi- in any
of the streams of this \icinity. as he has lon.u' l)ecn
doin.U' in Colora(h). Nevada, and elsewhciv, and this
fact alone would account for the unimpaired supjjly
in these streams.
The rei)roductiv(^ ])ow(>r of the mountain trout is
equal to all the tax likely to be levied a.uamst it
here l)y h',i;-itiniate s])ortsmen, and if (Ivnanntiim-
and netthiu' are prohibited hereafter as heretofore,
no fear need be felt as to the future supply.
The market fisherman of whom ! sjioke was a
faithfid devotee to the fly, and nevei' woidd use any
othe)' lure. A white or uray hackh' was his favorite.
He used a stiff, heavy pole, however, about ten feet
lon,<i', (Mit from the junules that iiTow on the river bot-
tom, and a heavy line, a foot sliortej-. with double uut
for attaching' the tiy. He fished fiom the shoiv or
wa<led, as was ll^'cessary to ivacii the best water.
He cast with both hands, and the instant tli^e tly
toiK'hed the water he would laise the tip so that
the line would just clear, and then trail or skitter
the tiy gently, but rapidly, toward him. Tiius. the
I 5l
li 111
1 ;ii
1
f i
; !
1,1
m^
hv^
L il
I!:i:
27-2
('Kri.Sl.N(i> IN I'llK ( AX A1H>
line being tiiiit, when tlie ti.sli arose to the ily he
would simply hook hiinseH'. Then he was igiioiuiii-
ioiislv '• vaiiked," and i^ther landed hiiih and drv
on mother earth or in the lanchman's uunny-
sack.
Although devoid of sport and requiring little skill,
it was the most elfective nieihotl of iilling a "bag'"
that I have ever seen practiced. 1 have seen him
take ten to tweiitv-hve trout in an hour's iishinu'
and not miss a single rise. 1 had this man with me
on a hunting trip, and whenever we came within
two miles of a trout stream our table was sure to i)t
supplied with Jin abundance of fish,
I visited Fort Maginnis in September. 1S88. and
dui'ing my stav. Capt. F. II. Ilathawav kindly
invited me to spend a day trouting with him on Big
Spring creek, a beautiful stream that flows out of
the Snowy Mountains about twenty-live miles from
the post. We left tlie captain's (pmrters at noon,
comfortably seated on his l)uckboard, while Sam,
Fisliel, andl^ick Thouiasrode their horsesand drove
a pack-mule, which carried a part of our i)rovisions,
tlie remainder Iving cai'ried on the buckboard.
We covered tht^ twentv-hve nnles by six o'clock,
camping at the base of the Snowies, within two miles
of the source of the creek, which source is a cluster
of large cold springs. We pitched our tent on the
bank of the creek, where it murmured sweet music
in its course over the iiigged boltom ninl bdled us
in'o (puet and ref|es|}|||u sleep with its rliytl\mical
sounds. When \\V. HUuke the next moiiiiug the
foot-hills all alxmt us uijsteni^d with frost, and the
high peaks, three or lolll' Hllles away, were draped
T
AM) (•TIlKi; lliXTiv,. .\ DV KVi T IIKS.
'JVA
in a ii-.iul.M,r .si„,tl,.ss wl,it<.. wliicl, il,r. St, .nil-kill-
ilJKl spiVild up,,!, tlKMM a few (hlVS Il-O.
NotwitlistaiHliiiotlic IntHiiess'of tlln S,.;,s,,„ ;, iVw
inusquiroes Ix-aii to sino- j,l,(,ut „ur .mis ms s,,,,,, .,s
til'' smi ..amp iip. Fis|„.|. wi,,, was lull ol' dn.ll
good iiaruic. ohscrvcd tlieMii
" >Vel], look here/' hr said, as li<. l)n,k,. th,. i,v in
the wafer pail and di].,,,.,! („„ j, l,,sinriil to wash in
'*! 11 I)." dou-oned if Ihmv aint a lot of tli.'s.. m.-aslHy
musqiiitoes hnzzin- around here with hnlFalo ov,.r-
coats on."
The keen mountain air at this l„w tempciatiire
and the oraiid seeueiy with which w,. w.mv sur-
rounded, conihin.'.l to sharpen our appetites. an<l
our breakfast hesi.h^i rousin- eai'M.-iiiv wascn joyed
asoidya meal can he enjoyed amid such surround-
ings. As soon as the .sun had risen hii-h enoii-di
to banish the tVost and wai-in the air sli'ohily, tTie
gmss all a))out us was set in motion bv thousands
of grasshoppers who gamboled playiullV, in oider,
apparently, to warm up their benunibed limbs
and get ill! appetite for breakfast. All hands then
turned out ami harvested a goodly supj)ly of them,
for we had been advised that the t'rout in thatstreanl
would not take a fly so late in the season.
Then we proceeded to busim'ss; th.' captain and
Bick fishing up the stream and I down, while Sam
took his rille and went acioss the hills in search of
game. The stream, where we started in, was not
more than three to i\mv feet ^^•ide and two feet deep
in the deepest holes, yet jit the lii-st cast 1 hooked :i
trout that after a few vigorous plun-es took the
l)arb off my hook and departed. 1 put on a new
I ,'
18
274
("lMI>i:>(.> I.\ Till-: (ASC ADKS
'^i«
El
I s;
;f 1
©
out* 5111(1 liad Ix'ttci' luck in'xt time. Tor in MiiotlnT
holcji I't'wi'ods riirtlicrdowu I look out' that wciulit'd
ii ])(iiiii(l and a liall'.
Ill llif iiicaiitinu' ilic ('ai»iaiii s\\< nicd to iiu', and
lookiiiLi,' up llic stream I saw him ilisiiiayin.n" mm of
about the saiiH' si/r. We cacli I'ollowcd our courses
and did iiol nu'et auaiii Tor some lioiiis. wlicn the
(';i[»tain caiiK' down loscc how I was nvttinn" on. ih'
iiad t'injit and I had six. the avcrauv wciaht ol"
wiiich was ovci- a poiiiKl <'ach. Il(^ relievcfl nie of
my h»ad and ivturut'd locamp, and I'roin that time
on did Imt litth' lishiiiu' hiinst'li'. i)ivf«'n'in,i;', in
the fullness of Ids uimiitous nature, to devote the
most of his time to accompanying!,' uie, showini;-
me the most favoral)h' i»oints, exulting in my suc-
cess, ami in every way possible i)i'ouiotinii' uiy com-
fort. Whenever he left nie for a short time he would
seud one of his men to take my tisli to camp, dress
I hem, and do anvthinu' and evervthing else i)ossi])le
for me.
1 llshed down the creek nenrlv two miles duriim-
the (hiy, going over parts of the stream two or three
times, not ceasing from the fascinating spore long
enough to even eat a lunch tJiat I carried in my
pocket. Nor did I turn my stei)s toward camp until
it l)ecanie so dark that the lish would no longer rise.
Then, when I started campward. I met Dick coming
with an extra saddle horse which the cai)tain had
kindly sent for me to ride.
® After supper came the always charming social
intercourse around the camp-lire, the exchange of
personal notes of the day's sport — tlie experience
meeting, so to si)eak. Xo one had nijsgivings to
®'
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T
.^M> oTiii i; IK \n\<, ai»\i:m(i:i>
'27:y
l-HC()i'(|,s()r;ir:isili.. lisliiiinu;,scMii(Vin,.,l. Mnrli li:i,l
♦ 'lijoy.Ml liis Tiill iiir.isiiiv ,,r i|„. o|-;,ii,l ,sp..||, ;is u:,s
• •vid.'iic.-d l.y 111.' (lisj.l.-iy <.r tliH s.'\.i;il siiiiiMsol'
s;iliii()ii-<'()l(,rr(l |)(.;iiiti,.s wliicli Iniiin. ;ii(.iiimI tlin
camp-lin'. Tlinvw.is 11..1 n liimvilitii;- in tli.' ciifiie
catch. Xo (.11.. |i;i,l ciiimlii ii ir,,iit diiriiiM' tlKMliiy
of If'SS (liail folll' oillHVS ill Wriulil, ;iii(l v.'iy few (A'
that size Jiad l.ccn takm. Tjir m.ijoiiiy nf tii.-m
raii.wcd l)t't\V('rii linir ;i j„,iiiid -uui two ])()imds. ;iiid
tllc llllinlxTS Wciv (.Illy liiiiiird l.y the ailK.llllt ot'
Wdi'k <-ach had don.'. .My I'li.'uds, hriii-- ivsidcnrs
and accustom. 'd lo this kind of spoit wh.'u.'vci'
tlit'v choos.. t., enjoy it, had not cared lo hsh all
(hiy, aii.l coiis.'(|ii.'iitly ha.l not taken so many as I,
hnr liad taken all they want.'d.
The oidy man in th.' paily wlio had anythiiii;- to
re.uTet in the (hiy's exp.'ii.'iKv w;is Sam." lie Imd
.started :i laruc bull elk eaily in the moiiiino- .,n(l
had I'ollow.'d him several ndle.s, hut had not been
able to oet a, lavorabh' shot, thoiiuh he had twice
cau,^•ht siuht of him. We all symi.arhized deeply
with Jiim in his misfoitune, for Sam is an exi)ert
shot with the rille, and il' he ha.l everdi-awn a. bead
on the yame we should have had elk steak on our
table ut the next in.'al, sui'(>.
We broke camp early th." next morning- iind pre-
pared to stai't for home, but d.'clded to iish (h)wn
the creek till near noon l)efore leavinu' it. W%' drove
down about a iinle, wh.'n I alighted and started in,
the others (listri])uting- themselves at other jtoints
along the stream. The trout r.^se as rapidly and
ganiily as cm the pivvious day, and I soon had a
load in my creel that pulled ("lowii nncomfortablv.
il
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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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23 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80
(716) 873-4503
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27(5
ciM'isiNiis IN I'm: ( .\>(Ai)i:s
Ainoiiu" tlit'iu w:is ono oldiiiiu'-sitot which liinicd thf3
scales at two aiul a (luaitcr ixmnds al'tciliavini-lH'cn
out of the water over two lioiirs. He measured
seventeen and a half inches in leniitli.
Tile cai)tain told me of a certain deej) hole where
lie said an old pione.n' made his hea<l(iiiaiteis, who
had taken olf two hooks and leaders for him on two
different days durinu' thesumniei-. When 1 reached
the hole I recoiiiiized it in a moment bv the cai)tain's
description. It was in a short bend or tinule of the
creek. On theo])]K)site side from wheic 1 stood, and
on the lowi'r an,iil«^ of the scjiiaie, the channel had
cut a deep lujle umh'r an ()verhan,uin,ii- bank, which
was covered with willows. These di'o;)}»ed ov<'r the
water and shaded it nicelv. There was a slight
eddy there and the sui'face of the water was llecked
with bits of white IVnini which came from the rai)ids
just above. What a paradise for a wary old trout I
I stopi)ed about forty feet above the hole and put
on one of the largest hojjpers in my box; then I
reeled out ten or fifteen feet of line and cast into
the foot of the rapid. As the current straiiihtened
out my line I reeled olf more of it and still moie until
it floated gently and gracefully down into the dark
eddy, and when within two feet of the edge of the
bank there was a whirl, a surge, a break in the
water, as if a full-grown beaver had been suddenlv
frightened from his sun bath on the surface and had
started for the bottom. 1 saw a long, broad gleam
of silvery white, my line cut through the water, and
the old-timer started for his bed under the bank.
I struck at the proper instant, and, bending my
little split bamboo almost double, biought him
ANu oniKi; iirNiiN(. ai»\ i:m ri:i;s. 217
I
up with :i slioit tinn. llf (l.-irtt'd up tlic stivnin a
I't'w IVt't, and a.uaiu imiiiMu- sipiaiv al)()Ut siarl<'(l I'oi-
liis (leu. I simhhrd liiiii auaiii. This time lie shot
<h)\vn tht' cirt'l-i, and, tiiniiiiu'. made anolhci" dive
for his iiidiiii;' ])la('«'. Auaiii I uave him tlic Ixitt,
but this time h«' was dt't«'riiiin<'d to fr«*(' liimsrlf,
and with a Irantic piunu't' ln' t<»i«' tile lioolv from liis
inoutli and disappeared in ins (hirk retreat.
My lieart sank vvitiiiii lue. wlicn I realized tliat
lie was o-one. He was trnlv a monster, fullv two
feet lonu', and 1 tliiniv would have w^-ighcd four
pounds oi- over. I rech^d up and made two or three
more easts in the same hole, liis mate, a conielv-
«
IcMtkinu' fellow, but not neiirly so laru«', came out
once and smelt of the bait but declined to take it.
lie had evidently seen eiiouuh to convince him that
it was u((t the kind of a dinuei- he was lookinu'
for. I fished down the cieck for an hour and then
returned and tried the old IV'llow auain. but he had
not yet i'oi-u'otten his recent set to with me, and
refused to come out. I presume he is still tln're,
and will probably icjiiii for some years t(> come,
the tei'ror of tackle owners, Uldess someone gets
a hook lirmly fastened in his jaw, and has tackle
■iiilficiently (h-rrickdike to land him: and whoever
that lucky individual may be. 1 con.uratulate him in
advance. My tackle would have held him if I had
been foitiinate enouuh to get the p;()[)ei' ciiH'Ji on
him, and the oidy thing I have to regret in think-
ing of the trii>. is that I was not so foi'tunate.
We had enough, however, without him. Wetook
liome forty-eiiijii trout that weighed, when di'«'.ssed,
sixtv pounds, and of all the manv days i have spent
i>7S
riM i-i\(:> IN Tin; cAst ai»i:s
;' .1
■,. i
lisliiiiii,' ill the Miiiiiy yt'Mis loiiu,' uoiic, I iicvt'i- cnjovc*!
any Mioiv iiitriiscly. iicvcr li;i<i ^iraiidt'i' sport lluni in
tlu'sc two (luys nil Wiis Sjiiiiig creeiv.
It liJis l)«HMi stated that tli.' niomitaiii ticit lacks
tlic ;^anit' (jiialitics of our Kasteni l)rooiv trout, I
lia\«' not round it so. Tlicv ar»' uuitt' as uaiiiv, as
vicious in tluMi- ligliti n,u', and as destructive to line
tackle as the lu'ooix trout, the only pei'ceptihle dil'-
I'erence beini;- (hat tliev do Hot liniit so loll <J. Thev
yield, however, only after a stubborn i-esistance,
suflicieiitly i)rolonged to challenge the admiration
of any anuler. 1 have cauniit a number of two and
three pounders that re([uired very careful and
patient handling' for twenty to thirty minutes
before they could be))rouuht to the lamlinu' net.
There are various other streams aloni;' the line of
the Northern i^acilic Hailroad which aitVud almost
eciually as line sport as the Hitler Hoot, and s(»nie
of them that are even more pictuiesipie and beauti-
ful. In fact, nearly every stream reached by the
road, betw»'en Hilliiius and Puii'et Sound, t«'eins with
these graceful l)eauties. J'y leaving' the road at
almost anv i)oint on the Hockv ^fountain or Peiid
d'Orielle Divisions and imshing back into the
mountains twenty to one hundred miles, the eiiter-
l)rising anuler may lind streams whose banks have
seldom been jjiofaned by the foot of a while man:
wliere ;in artilicial lly has seldom or never fallen
upon the si>arkling blue waters, and yet where mill-
ions of these beautiful creatures swarm, ready to
rusli iii)on anythin.u' that reaches the surface of
their element beariiiu' the least reseniblanc»» to their
natural I'ood. with all the fearless enthusiasm of
AM) oTMKU IIINTI.NS ADN K.N ir Kl>. 27'J
unttiiiitcd and univstiiiincd niitmv. In tlicH" wildfi'
I'cuioiis i!i.' toiii-ist will ;ils(i lind IVt'ciiiciit use for his
rillt". I'oi' ,'lk, iH'iir. d«M'i-, inoiiiitidn slit>e]i. ;nul (»ili<'i
liii.uv ounic mny yet he foMiid in reasonable (juan-
tities ill all .such undisturlH'd rasriiesse.s.
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'■I
\V
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li
CHAPTER XXVTT.
DKKIl IIIMIN*; IN WISCONSIN.
OHTIIKUX WISCONSIN is nnv viist and
iiliiiost iiiibrokt'ii (ItM-r ran^t". It is |m'1i-
('ti'attMl by st'Vt'ial lailioads, aloiiu' tlx'^
% iiiiMH'diatt' liih'Sdl' which ar»' ii few small
i.;niis and some fair-siz»'d lownsand villaufs;
i)ut on goini;' a IVw niih's hack IVoni ihcst;
loads, in almost any direction, one passes
. the conlines of civilization and enters a
:\ wilderness that is lnokeii oidy by the iiii-
melons loiigliiL:' camps, and tliese as ;i rule
are occu[)ied only in winter. Thonsands of acres
of lliese pine lands have heen cho[»i)e(l over,
and the old slashinus. having- lirown up to l)iiish,
hrainhles, and briars of various kinds, fnrnish
excellent <'over and fet'diiiii' uroniiils for Cernis
' 'lr<ji iiiuiius.
Trne, it is diflicnit to sec the uame at any u'reat
distance in these thickets, nnless the hunter take his
stand on a iiigh stump or log and wait until the deer
come in sight. This is a fav<n-ite and very successful
method of hunting with many who know how to
ch()(>se location and time of day. But adjacent to
these slashings are usually larye tra<'ts of oi)en
woods, fretpieiitly hardwood ridges, through which
C'SO)
A.\I> nlliKK lit MINi, AI>V KNTI' IM>.
281
ta.. .,,iMr i.Mssrs i,t int-n-Mls u hil,. nicvin- horn one
l-'.lm-,i.T,„ni.lto:in..tli..r. In s,,,-!, |,M':,liti,.s:, ,1,.,.,.
iiiiiy 1... ,s,.,.,i :,t M <'nnsi.l,.i;,l.|,. .Jisi;,,,,... and >l|.,Is
ai«' olr.Mi t:ik«'n ;ir lAo to -joo yards.
I ivni('nilM'r,„i.'(,rmy liist" nips \n fli...s<. j.,infin'-
^iT.Muids. nuny y,,,,s ai;-... h.ln.v | kn-u- l.nu to
Mi.-ak on Ili..,iiani... and Ind'oiv I |,ad uain.-d sn(liri,.,it
'••""'■"lot' n.y n.MT..stol„. .-il.l.. to stop a d...,- u |,il..
|;"'ltinu-ov..r a lalh-n tiv.. tnink, niniiim- ,s.,dd..nlv
'':;•" l<'tt to ndit;,ndr/,.. r.r..,.asauaivoIdl.,„.k
^^dl liv,p„.Mtlyd„ wli,.„ fl.M.iim' r,,,Mi a jinntn- I
Mopped Mt M hot.'l in M.mll, ,M. tl... Wi>ron.in
\.-di,.y Division or tin. Cl.i.-aoo, Miluank.M- .v Si
l.'iiil K:nhvay. and. Iiavi..- j,,nn.-d so,M..(l,i„.- of
"'""••"'"••' <•!■ Hi... smToundin- <-ou,itiv hv a liastv
tnunpinil... art..,n..on. I uoi „p th. n.xi" ,„onnn"..-
:'"d start. -d at lonr o*.-lork I., what s....n,...l to 1... '^
'■'^■•"•''•'•* l''''<'" "I" UTonn.l. Uydnvliul,, I wa. on
t .|'.nnrn.i,,ora ]arn..slash,i.at.sin.;.l,..i,,^H.opp,.d
""•/'="' '"""*"• '•^"'' ■'""' 'li..n oTown up to hnisli
!<Hd u-....ds. Tiu.n. u..r,. „i:iny l,la.-k..n..,l tinidvs of
tiv..s lyino..v..,-yui„.n.. and so.n.. still sra.i.lin.- that
l';''l '..■.'n s.-oivh..d i.n.l roast...! iinh.. o-,,,,t nmlla-ra-
tion tlmt ha.l su-,.pt ov..,- tli.. counriv. hut ha.l Hot
""■•I ""tin-ly ,.o„snin...|. Thes.. iati;.,-. stripp-d .,r
l>M.k an. lin.hs. lo..k...l lik. o-iooniy nH.n,„M..nts
J.lMn.d ih..,v t.. niaik tl... n-stinu- phi.vs of tli.-ir
lii'pl-'ss t..ilous. aiKJ ih.' whoN' asp,.rr ..f tli- laii.j
sjMiH.Jii th,. ,o-,ay ..r dawn ums u,.i,d an.l cliillv in
tl"' .•xf.v.n... Tl,..,v uas s,.a.v..lv a luvath .d' air
srirrm- :in<l l,y list. -inn- int.-ntlv I <..,ul.l h.-ir th..
: >.stlin,u- of dry U.av<.s an.l tl... .Kvasiotml snappi,,.-
ol tu-io-s 1,1 various diivctious, that indi..at..d 11.7.
t ill
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cunsiNiis i\ Tin: c\s( Ai»i:s
neiir i)ivsHn('(M)f thn u;im" jind s»'t iiiv blood tiiiuiiim'
an<l my ihtvcs t witcliiiiu'.
So sdoii ;is tli('i'«* \v;is siitlici*'!!! li.ulit to sliowilie
front siuiit of iii\ rill«' ;m;iiiist ji. iir:i\' stmiii) liftv
VMl'ds ilWMV. I Stilltcil to lllO\<'. ilS Clllltioiislv IIS I
klU'W liow. to\v;ii'd ji <'liiMi[» of w ild-('li(M'iy l)Usli«'8
tlmt I had s<m'1i iiioviiiu' and I'roin w liicli caiiM' sliulit
luit siis[)icioiis sounds. WIhmi wiilun llnity yards
of ir I srei>iMMl on a stick that snapi^'d, and simnl-
tain'ously witli tlu* sound a luoiisttT buck h'apt'(l
hiuli in tlic air. and hmdinn' twenty I'cct away,
uttei'cd a shiill whistle and stoi>])cd. with his iit-ad
thrown up. to li'v and h)catc tlic danuci-. I broiiulit
]ny ritlc to my shouich'i' with a convulsive jerk,
l)oin1ed it at him and lii'ed without thiiikini;- of the
siuhts. and of course scored an i^nonunious nuss.
Well, I wish every fi'iend F have on eartli could
have l)e( n tliei'e at that moment. That whole tra<'t
of coiinti'v. as far as I couhl set\ senmed ;div«* with
deer. ThrashI Crashl Biunpety-biinipl Phew!
Phew!
Tiier«» was junipinu'. thrashinc: thron.uh the ))rush,
whistlinu', llippin.u' and tlappin.u' of whit(^ llaus, and
the air seenie(l fidl of .iilisteninu' ^Tay coats. Tin*
buck 1 liad shot at sailed av.ay, and was so(»n fol-
h>wed in his 1ii«>ht bv a doe and two fawns. .V (h)e
and fawn went in another diiection, thiee fawns
in another, two does and a buck in another, and so
on ad iujiiiitmn.
\ stood there, like a niile-p«)sr by the roadside,
nntil they liad all vanished, foru'ettin.u' that 1 had
other cartridu'es in mv belt. Finally I recovered
<x)nscionsness and beyan to wonder where some of
ill-
AM) (.TllKi: III Nils,, Al)\ KMIIIKS
'J^;i
thos.Ml,...IMV()Ml.l Stop. ir I rnuhl ,,„|v n.-t :,„nl!„.,-
<*ii:m.v Midi ;,s I lin.l ,,11 i|,:,t l.iick. u.,iil(ln"l I (|.,uii
Imii ill liii.. stylrj I u.Mil.l ,,l;,„t :, |,„i|,., j„ ,,„,
(viiirr of lii.N sli(.iil.l,.rii...\t lim.' smv. Xn .lim.'-
IIOV.-I srollt WMSPV.M' IIK.IV Illl.'ITilio. i„ |,is:,i„| l|,;ni
I would Ih. ir I (.,,1,1,1 ,,„|y nvt UUi^llu'V Jlilll. |
stJii-t,.,l on t,,\v;ir<l tlu- top ,,1' :i I'uh^r. ov.-i- u iii,-|i ,„„.
of 111,, liiruv bucks liMd (Iisui.i„':inM|. mii,! <,u r.'ticliiui.-
n I s:,\v liiiM. (,!■ >,,iii,. ,,f|„.,. ,,11... jusr l)..|iin,l mi ,,;ik
^Tiil. ,,u th,. ,,i,i.,,sif,. si,I,.-j)ill. I i:iis..,l nivntl.' :iii,l
took ciin'ljil Mini !iiis tiiM.'. I.iif \v:is s,, u.'rvous tli:it
1 could not ll,,Id th,. JH'Md ,,u him. ;ill,l \vil,Ml I i.ull.'d
Ik' mi:i(1,' :iiioth,'i' s,'i-i,.s ,,1' th,,s.. ,l;iiiiiu- h.^ps tliiit
soon r:im,",l him out ,,r si-lit. I iir,.,l ;, s,m-oii,1 shi.t
iir liim MS h,' \\>'iit. hut wiih n,, l„.ti,.i. ivsult than
the lil'st.
1 now ci'ossf-d ,,v,.r t,, th<'r:irtli,T,'dov,,l'tli,'sI:ish.
and. s,vin,u' no nioiv uani,.. Mait.vl thr,,uuha l„„|y ,,r
hir,y,'i,im's toanold I.iini thai I ha.l Im-.-u tohl'lay
aniiJetotliHeast. I was walkin-hum.'dl v ihioiidi
tins om^i timl),M'. not cxpfM-tinn- t,, s,.,. o-;nn,.. and
stppp,.d up,,na laruv I,)-. wh,.n a ,h,,' and tw,, lawns,
that liad been lyin- ,|,,\vn in the t,,], of a I'allcii tiv,-'
jinniu'd and ran a(T,,ss in IV,,nt <,r m,.. (.llVMin- ail
ex«-,']l,.ntoi,i„,itunity for a-ood sh,,t to liav kill,.,!
all thiv,.onh,^ni. islun- l.'ad al't.T th,.ni at a Iiv,.|y
rate, lirinii- tiv,' ,,)• six sh,,ts l„.r,,iv ih.'v ii,,t cut of
Huht, but<li,l no rurtlHM- harm than t,,"a,vi,h.ntal]y
dip an ear oir ,m,,' of the fawns elos,_. d„u-n t,, it's
head.
After they weiv,n„,i,. j ^v,.nt and i.icked ui, this
troi)hyand sto])ped to nieditat,' on my ilidiick. or
want of skill. I then remembered that thouiih I had
f 1
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: ;
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1 ■
m
•isi
(•i:i is;n(.s in iiii; ( ascaius
sri'ivcli t(» hold the I'lOIlt siiilll on one oi- the other
ol' thedt't-r ;it »';ich s!iot Mftt'i' the liist. I had t'litirt'lv
•
I'oi'uottfn lo look ihicniiih thf notch in thr icar
siulit. ( 'hauiiiK'd and mortilit'd heyond all power
to (h'scrihr. I trndu't'd ah»nii"and linally rearhtMl the.
Inirn I was in scaicli ol". The snn Avas now hiuli
in the licavcns and sliininu- hiiuiitly. so tliat tlic
uanic was no lonii^r on Toctt. l>ni had sonuhl the
st'( iusion of various hits of drnse covci- and lain
down. >ry only chance for a shot was, theiefoie. in
walkinu' them iij). whicli 1 proceeih'd to (h>. The
luiish was dense all over this Imrn. so tlial 1 could
raiely see twenty yards in any direction, yet 1 lM»i>ed
auainst hope for another chance. I was <lesiiei'ate
over the disui'acefid failures I had made, and yet I
knew I could shoot. I had killed cpiantities of Muall
uame with the same rille I was then iisinu' and had
killed one deer years auo with an old muzzle loader.
I coulil always depend ui)on making a uood fair
scoie at the tari;'et at 'ioo yards, or even loniicr
rannes. and yet 1 had shot away a dozen cartridues
this niorninuat (h'er. some of which wei-e standing
within it few yards of me, and had not stopped one
of them. 1 was furious, and (U'terndiied that the
next shot sliould tell.
I walked down an old louii'iim-road several hundred
vards. hoi)inu' that some belated traveler miuiit be
found crossing or walking \:\ i:. I»ut, failing in this,-
I turned out and walked along the crest of a ridge,
htoking (h)wn hoth sides of it. Struggling through
briers and brush, malvi^m" a good deal of noise, nna-
voi(hibly, T still failed to J'lnip a deer until 1 left
the ridge and started toward n "draw'' in which
ANI> nlliKK III N'llNi. Al»\ IM I i:i>.
w:is ii sm;ill nifiidow <>r sloiiuli. WIhmi IimH' w.-iy
<l(»\vnilit' liill I cMiiif In ;i lirut' stiiiiii>. :•'"•"' l*"i'"
r«M*t liiiili, I'rom wliicli :i live li:i(| hfrii nit wlim lli»'
siicw was «1«'«')». 1 cliiiilMMl ii]H)ii tlii^ to take a look
at tlw siiiidiiinliim- roiiiitiy. As I did so. a 1mi',u«*
Imck tliat liad hccii ))c»'ii lyiiiu' just Itclou it. sinaiiij,'
I'roin his lied ami l»omid»'d away thioimli tlic 1>iu«n|i.
siiouitiii- iit'ic and tlit'ira lla^li of Ids wldtf llau and
a ulcaiii of his niajcstic aiitlcis. hut not fiKumh nl"
lli>> l)odv to shoot at. I \\;is iMTlccth' cool now . M V
t 1 • 1
]if'r\ oiisiu'ss had ail dis:i|»]>;'ar»'d. In short. I was
mad. I stood watrhiim- his coiii'st' and awaitinu'
(h'V»'lo|iinrnts with all ihf conlidt'iicc ami roolnrss
of a vctt'ian. insii-ad of the novi<'t' 1 really was. lie
lan down the loiiu' hill, acioss tli<* swale and up thf
hill on the opposite side. and. on icadiinu the lop ol"
it and connnu-onr ni)on oix'ii uround. turned hroad-
sidf and stopiM'd to look at nu'", doulttlfss deeming'
himst'ir pcrl'crtly safe at that uit'at distam' '. Stand-
ing- ri'cct on that hiuh stump 1 was clear al)()Vt> the
surronndinii' nndcrhrush and had a line vi«'w ol' th»^
magnilicrnt cpiarry. His head was thrt)wn high up
and w«'ll back: his ears erect, nostrils distended, and
even at that distance I imaulned I could see the
deliant gleam of his jet Mack eye. llisgh»ssy coat
glistened in the hrilliaiit autumn sunlight, and his
sj»reading antlers and powerful muscidar develop-
ment chtiracterized him as a giant among his kind.
As I rais«^d mv title slowlv to mv shoulder, I I'elt
that at last 1 had jterfect control of my iieivesand
that I was in some measure to redeem mysidf from
tlie ignominy of past failures. I liad elevated my
rear sight for '2M) yards, and as I looked thiough
'1
rw
li
.(Li
t^
■iHu
n
:>s«;
ci:i i>i\<.>. IN mi; ca^cauks
tlif (|»'li('iit«' iiolcli ill il iiii'l "-.iw lln' little lioldcii
IVoiit l>»';nl <iliimin'i' on ilif ltn('l\">> slioiildrr, tlif iiiii/-
zlf (»r lilt' lillf \\;iN ;is stJ'jhly :iii<l iiiiiiio\ ;il)l(» .-is if
scit'u.'d ill ;i vice. Tliri»' WHS IK) iit'iiiof. ii(>\il)r;i-
timi now; nw\ lioMiiiL;' u*'ll ii|» ti> the spiiic iiikI
siiowiiii;' till' I'lill si/.*' <»r tli«' Ih'ikI. to iillow for tin*
(lisijiiK't'. I jircssrd t lit' tii.uiii'i'.
At tlif ifport 111*' (Ifcr l)<»iiii(l»'<l into the ;iii' :is if
a <l\n;iniitt' cMrtridu't' li:i<l <'\i>lod»'d iindfr liini. :ind,
lowt'iiiiu' liis head to :i liiif with his l»ody, st;iit»'d
to nm. Tlicri' \\;is none of those lofty, niry Ic-ips
How. no deli;int w;i\ inu' t<t niid fro of llit» white ll;iu'.
'!'h;it einlileiii w;is closely furled. His ]»ii(h^ \\;is
broken iind his sole oltject in life setMned to lie to ^t't
out of th»' count rv as soon :is nossihle, Tlic coin's«»
he h;,d taken lay al(»n,u' the top of the I'idue and I
liad a line view of the run from start to linish. He
at on<'el)egan io waver in his course, tnrninusliuhtly
from left to riii'ht and from riuhr to left. lie
stumltled and stauueied like a Mind horse, lie ran
craslilnu' and smashing;- into the dead top of a fallen
tree, hreakinu' the dry liiiil)s. some (»f them three or
four inches in diameter, as if they had been rye
stnm><. When he had uoneas far intothis hdjyrinth
of l)ranches as he conld ,iiet, he sank to the gioiind
MS if exhausted, but suddenly rose auain. extricate(l
himself by a few desperate striiu'uies to theriuht,
and sped on. He ran sipiarely auainst a uood-sized
sai»lin,jL'" with such force as to throw him i)rostrate
ni»on his sid«-». Still, his ureat vitality was not spent,
and. strng<ilin,iji; to his feet, lie dashed on again.
Next he ran against a log that hiy up from the
ground some tlu«'e feet and was set bacli upon his
A\I> nT|||;i; Hl'Mix,; a HV KMI i:i;>.
•J.S7
li:mnr'li..<. |I,. ,|iii,.UIy iv.,,vi(.,l, t<M.k it in -ood
nIi:i|m', Mild iK.w .|:is|i,m| im., ;, climii) of ...-ik ui iil.s
tliMf still h.-l.l thrirdiv l.-:,v..s. T.';,iiim:,Md r.MciiiM.
Iiis \v:iy llir,,imli tlirs,., |,,. r,,i-,-d :ilir:i.| uii|, ;d| his
'••''•lililliMU' shviiull, ..,,id p||||,M,,| |„.;|(||n||- jm,,
"'""'"''■ '■•'"•'" flv.-K.p. hi II, is ll.'stniun|..d. tivilli;-
to I'oicv his u;iy ..III iiiilil lics:i,ik iij.,.!; I li.' un;,,,,,"!
IVoiii sh.M.i- |,,ss ,,r i.|,„,d :,iid .-xpiivd. j.'r,,||| u |„.,.,.
Ik- stood uh,.n I shot, t,, wh,.]-,' h.- li||;,||v IVII U;,s
aboil r :50() vnrds,
I st..|,jMM| ihcdislaiKv I'lciii uhriM ! st(,od I,, uhrlo
til.' d.'.T \v:is uIlmi I liivd imd r,,i||,d it |,,I.,. v'.?
yar.ls. T.'ikiii.u' iij> his tniil. I fonpd ih,. o|.,,|ii,.|
roi>ioilsly >|.lillkl.'.| ;\iil| i,|ond \\lh-|v li.' .'MlllT' d. .wn
iit Ih.'. -11.1 of his lirsr jiiiiii.. and th.' l.-avs ;,i„||,|.||s|,
wcnM-riiiisoiH'd with it ri..ni tli.Mv i.) u h.T.' h.'u;i\,-
iil» til.' strii-'ul.'. Oil .•..iiiiiiu' lip lo him I ionnd
that iii\l.iill,.t had driri.'d sliuhtlyt.. ih.- I, .ft. r.uinu-
to 111.' I'oir.' ol" ;t stroii-i- wind which w.is i)lowiim' at
th.' tinu'. and .'iir his thront almost ns n.-atly as [
could h;i\-.' doll,, ir with my Jniiilin.u-knif.'.' The
(I'soi.ha.i-iis w:is rntir.'ly s.'v,.|>.d jiiid th.- thorax
li.'arly so. His l,(„|y \\:,s sa.lly hniis.-d .,,id I:,,vr-
ated l)y th.' t.'nil)l.' ordcnl thioiiuh whi< h h.- had
passed, and I concliidfd that h.' must liav.' none-
stoiu' blind wh.'ii th,> bi,ll,.t struck him. \n no
otiicr way can I account for his stranuc conduct, f
sav.'d his he.'id and had it mounted us m memento
of one of tile must lemaikable scratch shots 1 ever
made.
I
w
CTIAPTEl? XXVTII.
■. !■ I ■
11) ::i^:
TIIIJEE OF A KIXD.
ARLV Muiunm's frosts luid tinged the
I'oliiigv of tlie birch, maple, oak. and elm
tr(M's, that int«^rmin,iil<' in the great
pine forests, willi a thousand rich
colors and shades of gold, brown, olive,
pink, and crimson, Avhile the pines, the
icmlocks, the iirs, and tlu' ce(hirs still
e th«^ir dark mantels of perennial green,
and all Nature was clad in her sweetest smiles.
A solitary woodpecker, perched on the tojimost
bi'ancii of a dead giant of the forest, reaching out
fa I' above the surrounding network of leafy branches,
from which he might survey the suri'ounding coun-
try, sounded his morning reveille and awaited the
coming of Ills mate. The dry leaves with which
nu'ther earth was carpeted, rustled now and again
to the bound of the saucy led s(piinel, the darting
hither and thither of the shy wood-mouse, or the
tread of the stu})id, half-witted porcupine. The
chill October wind soughed through the swaying
tree-tops, laden with the rich ozone that gives life,
lit^alth, and happiness to all animate beings that are
pennitted to inhale it.
On such a morning, and annd such a scene of
natural lovelmess, I left the train at Junction City,
ci
AM» oTIIKlJ IILXTING ADVKXTlKKs.
2SJ)
on the Wisconsin (Vntnil R:.ilw:,v. stMited on a
th.ve-miie jnunt to ii lo-ino ,,,,,,1,. 1V„- :, dnv or two
on;. «leerro,n„l..i.. I r.ach.d n.y destination at nine
clock. I he men liad ]..iio- sii„v o-,>,„. to their wcik
bntthe-|,(,s.s"- h.-i.l letunied to . •.•,„. p to Mfte.id to
some l>usi„...s in iiand. and. nelcomino- ...e witli llie
livnemus Jiospitality th.-it is ahvavs shown l,v tliese
sum\y sons of the foiest to suan.ueis, ha.h' ni"emake
niyselt at home as Jon- as I caied i,, stav. To m v
inquiry as to the i„vs,.n<e of o-nme in tli'e vicinity
he SMid tliere was j.N.nty of i,. and that the men saw-
one or more deer nearly eveiv dav w!,il,^ ooin<.' to
or returning from their work, wjiieh was onfv a
nuh' a way.
I h.st no time in -ettino- out and enterin- an ohl
slaslimg to the east of the ean.i) wliere the foreman
.said sio,,, were ph-ntiful. ] had not gone n,ore
tlian iiali a mile, when, turninu- to the left on an
old loogino. road, 1 saw several fivsli tracks of deer
that liad been feeding there that nioinin- It was
now eleven o'clock in the forenoon and I ha<l no
hope of linding the game on ibot at that late hour
but dei)eiided entirely upon jumping a deer from its
bed and uponliaving to risk, in all probability a
running shot. [ m(,ved very cautio.isly. l^.^e'v^r
and was on the ,j,(i rir,> f,,r any stra-der that
might p-rchance be moving. Kverv foot of ^rouiid
that came within the scope of my visicm was care-
tiilly scanned and every sound or movement of leaf
or shrub, no matter how slight, received the most
caretul attention, during long and I'lequent pauses,
betore proceeding on my way.
1 followed tlie road through various turns, alon<
s »
I
18
^E
2Ui)
CIM ISINi.S IN TIIK ( AS( ADKS
tilt' l)t'(l oI'm sliulit riivine, and as 1 louudcd one of
its al>riii)t lu'uds that i^'ave mn a view of a roiisidcr-
al»lt' ('xi)anst* of liill-side. I stoi*p«'d again to rccon-
noitic Tilt' liToiinil was covei'ed with a dense growth
of weeds, raspberry briers, ami wild-cheirv h'lslies
that liail sj>rniiu' up since tlie timber had btvn
eut off. all t»r wlii<'li hail l)een sficken by
rei'ent I'losts. and dried by subsetpieiit sun and
wind. In these dry weeils 1 saw a slight nn)vement,
antl on cai-eful examination was able to tlistinguisli
a faint outline of a doe. stamling i)aitiallv behintl a
laige siumi). a hun<lretl yaids away. Her head and
shoulders were entirely hidden by the stunij). and
I had tt) stej> back some distance before 1 couhl get
sight of a vital part to shoot at. As hei- shoulder
came in view I knelt (»n my light knee, rested my
left elbow on my left knee. and. diawinga line bead
on her shoulder, lired. She droj)ped in her tracks.
My aim was a little hiuher than 1 inteiuh'd. antl the
l)ullet, passing through her shouhler blades high
uj). severeil the spine between them («n its way,
killing her as suthleillv as if it hail eiitertHl the
brain. At the report of the rille a young buck
btninded out of the brush near bv ami wavetl me a
vaunting farewell as he tlisappearetl over the riilge,
not giving nie even a fair running shot. 1 dressed
the doe and went back to cami> for dinner, tlit^
weh'ome notes of the huge old tin horn, lloating
in musical cadence through the forest, sumnnaiing
nie at that nionit'iit to that much neetled I'ejiast.
After dinner l went out on another old unused
logging road, leailing to the st>ntli, and, following it
51 few hundred yards, branched olf to another which
ANi> oriiKi; III .\iiN«; ai>\ k.n i riiKs.
1>1
1(m1 to tilt' si)iithu>'st. A nmiilicr of I'.-ilIrii trees,
lyiiiu' across these, unve rue freijiient opiiorliiiiilies
to iiioiint their prostnite trunks jiiid h»ok o\er Inrp'
tr:icls of surroiiiKliii.u' <'(»mitry. lii tliiis sjiiiiiteriiiH-
;iri(l lookiiiu' I had spent an hour or more wlieii,
on passinuan iinnsnally (h'nseeliinipor tall dry weeds
that stood near the road, 1 was startled l)\- a siidd'ii
crasliinu' and rattlinu" anionii' tiiem. and an instant
later t wo lai'Lit' (loes liroke CON cr at the farther side
and started across a naridwopeii sjiace. jhit hefoie
they reached the farther side of ii the voice of my
Winchester exjuess was re\erl)eiatinu' aiiioiiu" the
lofty pines, and a cloud of smoke liiiiiu' between me
and where I had last seen ihem. I sprang' t<» one side
to avoid this, hut they had hot h disappeared in the
tiiicket, and \ could still hear one of them crash-
in,U' away toward the ureeii woods. I fell suivihat
I had hit the other, and. u-oiii,u- to where I had last
seen her. 1 found hhtod. hair, and several small bits
of llesh on the ground and the iieinhhoriim' weeds.
Followinu' the trail a distance of jifty feci. 1 found
her lyinu' dead with her throat cut, and. in fact, a
considerable [)ortion of it shot away. The exi)ress
bullet, driven by a heavy chaiLie of jiowdei', has
such a liiuh velocity that when it stiikes tlesli it
invariaitly makes a bin- hole in it. One hind le,u' was
also broken s(piare!y oil' at the knee and the bont^
protrude*! throiiuh the skin.
I stood pondeiinu- and pii/./linu' over this stran^-e
phenonu'non. How in the name of wonder could
one bullet break her hind leu' and cut her throat!!
I stooped down and examined the wound. To my
sui'i>nse. I found that i' had not been made with a
l!
2\)'2
< inisiN(,> IN rm: ( asc adks
( : t
l)iillet at all. The joint was dislocat^^d and the skin
toi'u awav until tin* (lisjoinltMJ nifmlx^r litinu' only
bv a iiai'i'ow sf^n'incnt. 'i'licn llic nivstcrv \v;is
deeper tliaii ever. What could possibly have caused
this violent and terrible wound; It had been niadt^
after T shot, I'or at that time the a,uile creature was
l)oundin^' over l(\us and throuuh clunijis (»t' bi'iish
with all the li'race and airiness of her sylph-like
nature. I turned, took up her back track, and,
followiuii' it thirty or foi'tv feet, came to a fallen
C^ a. a.
tamarack sai»lin,u" about six inches iu diameter, that
laid up about a foot from the <i'round. The track
•sliDwed that the poor creature, in one of her frantic
leaps, just after beiiiu' hit, came down with her fore
feet on one side of this pol-- and her hind feet on the
other; that one hind foot had slipped on the soft
earth and slid under the i)ole to her knee, and tliat
the next bound had brouuht it up against the pole
in the form of a lever — much as a logger would i)lace
his handspike rnder it in attempting to throw it out
of his way — antl the pole, being far too long and
heavy to yield to her strength, the leg had been
snapped short off.
I describe this incident merely as one of the many
strange and mysterious ones that come under the
observation of woodsmen, and not with any desire to
give i)ain to sensitive and sympathetic readers.
The beautiful animal did not stiller lung from this
hurt, however, for she was dejid when I reached her,
within perhaps three or four minutes a. .er I tired
the fatal shot. I saved her head and had it mounted
and it hangs beside that of the ]»uck whose taking
off has been described and whose throat was also
:■' t
;■*! -i
AMI oillKi; HI .\H.\(, ADVKN'nilKS.
'Mi
nearly sPVHivd l.ythe bullet. They were two ivmaik-
able shots.
After (hvssiiiu- this dner I returned to the old 1
in Avhich I had killed the (h)e in tl
took a stand on a hmii. llat-toii >r
)urn
K' niorninu', and
niandeda^-ood view of a hiruv tract of
country. I fdt certain that tl
was with her ^^■\un\ I killect 1
toward nidit, to look un ]
p ^tuni}.. which com-
ably did not realize that si
within thirtv vards of ]
siiri'onnding
le young buck that
ler would come back
ip his coini»anion, for he prob-
kept a close watch in every direction, t
from one ])osition to another, so that
came in sight could not delect tl
le was dead. I stood
ler carcass and i'or an hour
urning slowly
uny game that
le movement and
consider me one of the
would, if seeing uie at all,
numerons old higli stumps with which the land
was mai-ked. Toward sundown a larue. hand
luick
'•ame out of the green woods half a mil
ape
some
walking delil)erately towai'd me. I could
a proud head and spreadim-- antl
sinnal glimpse of his silvery -gray back as L,
with stately but cautious nvad through the d
eawav,
see onl V
ers, and an occa-
le marched
weeds.
II
rv
e stoi)ped freipiently to look and listeii
for (hinger, or the c,,y maidens of his kind, of whom
he was in s,airh. Oh. how I longed for a shot at
hi
m! With l)ated breati
I and throbbiuii,- heart I
cross the open coimti'v.
lei'e wasj was
watched his slow pi-ogress a
But, alas: the wind (what little il
wrong. When wiiliin abcmt '2m yaids of nie he
scented me and bounded s(piarely sidewise as
though a rattlesnake ha<l bitten him.\itterinu- at the
same time one of those pe.-nliarly thrilling whistles
That miuht have been heard in the stillness of the
III
i?!»4
CIM ISIN(;S IV TIIK CASCADKS
H«'
ity
m
f
<'V('MiiiLC !i iniN'i or inorc llo struck m pirtmcscjiie
jittitiidc and .scanned tlie country in cvciy diifciion,
ti'vin.^' to locate the dau.ucr hut could not. Ai'tci- a
few' seconds lie inad(; auotliei' hiuii bound, stoi>|>e<l.
and whistled auM in. I stood perfectly still, and he
c.)ald make iiothiiiLi,' animate out of the inanimate
objects about him. lie leajx'd hithei' and thither,
snorted, whistled, and snilfed the air as we have seen
ji wild colt, do when libi'iated in a pa.sture Held after
loiiii' conlinenient in his stall.
Althouuh still unal)le to satisfy himself as to the
whereabouts of his fo**, lie linally seeme(l to decide
that that was not a healthy nei^hboi'liood foi- him.
aiid, takiuL!; his back trail, started to i>et out of
it by a siM'ies of twenty-foot leaps. I was teni[)ted
to hazard a .shot at him. but could see such a small
portion of his body wlien standing' that the chances
w«'re aii'ainst makinu" a hit. l^esides. as already
stated, T felt sure of a shot at shorter ran,ii.-e 1)_\
kee])in,u- srill. I watched and listened closely in
every dii'ect ion. The i>un liad .u'one down, Niuht
was silently wi'appiim' her.soniber mantle over th«'
vast wild(.i'ness, and the only .sounds that l>rokethe
o])pressive stillness were the occasional croakin,u,s of
il'tA raven as he winu'ed his stately lliulit to liis
I'ookeiy, and the low, solemn siuhinu,- of the autumn
breezes throuu'h the ])ine tojis. I was b/'iiumbed
with cohl, and was tempte(l to (U'seit my \n)s\ and
make a run foi- cami). 1 raised mv lille to niv
slioidder to see if I coidd vet see the siiihts, foi'
stars were be<iininii,!4' to s])arkle in tln^ iiimaiuMit.
Yes; tln^ little uold bead at the muzzle still uhMined
in the twilight, with all the brilliancy of one of the
i
i
AM) OTIIKK inNTIX(, Al>\ KMlKKs.
'J'X}
l:imi»s <,f ]it';iv<Mi. 1 tiirn.Ml t.» tak.- :i ]:ist look in
the (liicctioii of tlic cairiiss of my inoniiiiu's kill.
jni(l--iiiia,uiii.> my astonislnii.'iil ii' you can -tli.'i.'
.stood tht' yoimo- hiick. lickiii,-- tlic body ol' his J'all.'ii
mat.'! How !it^ cvci' ,u(.r ili.-ir. tlii'oiluh all flios..
brush and weeds without my heaiiim oi- seeiim- him
will always ivmaiii a i)i'ol'ouiid mystery to me. P,iii a
ball lV<)mmy«'xi.ivssentei-iiii.-his shouMei-and ].ass-
inuout ar liis tiaidv hud him dead ])y the side of liis
c'()m[)auioii. and completed tho best score T ever
ma(h' oil (h.,.i-— thre,. in one day— and I had liivd l)ut
three .shots in all.
■
l\l
, ;li i
P«4
h
in
)1f
ill
*/
CHAPTER XXIX.
M. Geor^v T. Pease lives in ji log shanty, in
t lie heart of the great Wisconsin ])ine
woods, live miles west of AVausankee
^-^ station, on the Milwaukee 6: Northern
Jiailroad. A l)eaiiliful litth* lake stretches
out in front of his door, in which numer-
ous black bass make their home, and
several brooks meander through the wil-
dtn'ness not far awav, all of which abound
in the sprightly, s|)arkling ))rook trout. Deer
^ I f roam over the hills far and near, and wlien
the first "tracking snow" comes, in the van of icy
wintei'. their hoof-prints may be found wi'liln a
liundred vards of th<^ cabin aiiv morniiii;-. Pease is
a genial, kind-hearted old man, in whose humble
(luartei's the true si)oitsman is always welcome.
Reared in these woods, and bred in the i»ureatmos-
phei'e that abounds here, a hunter by trade and
fi'oMi necessity, lie isasim[)le, honest child of natuie.
With tile exception of I'our or live years spent in
the service of his countiy, during the war of the
Hebellion, he has lived and hunted in this I'egion
since the days of his l)oylio()d, and his gr;iy hairs
bespeak foi- him the ivspect men always feel for the
honest old woodsman.
I spent several days hunting with him in Xovem-
ver, 1885, and the intei'veinng nights — or a large
Ci'JO)
AND (.TI[i;i; mXTIN,; AKVKXTII.'i:
•i!)1
portion of onch-in talkinu- with liim. I I.-urnod in
that short tiiiie to «'st«»Hiii and valii.' him as tnu^ (.f
the best gnidi-sand hnntnrs 1 .-v.-r kiipu, and one of
the trnest rrifnds I Imv... Althou-ii Im> hns hmi
linntino- so many y<'ars and has always l.ren a Hose
observvr oi' \\u^ Jiahits of -am."; alth.ainh tiioroiiiiiily
posted (Ml woodcraft in all its (h'tails, he is'^not
eii'otistical as aiv so many old woodsm».n. \h> n.-v.'r
intrndcs his opinions on any snhjV'ct nnless ask.-d
for them; luncr dictat.'s what anycme nndi'r his
gnidance shall do. I[,. modestly snuuvsts. and if
yon do not agree with him, defers Checi-fn I ly to
y<»ni' jndiiinent.
He is intelligent, well-informed .irenerally, fnll of
interestin<jc leniiniscences .,f his lile in thV wilder-
ness, and relates many thrilling- episo,;,.s in his expe-
rience in hnntinu' deer. Ix'ar. wolves, etc. He told
nie that (mce, when hnntinuon thn Menominee liver,
he saw a, (h»e lyinu(h)wn. and raised his ritle to shoot
her. Bnt before lirin- he noticed that she had se.-n
him and was strn,u-,uIinM' to.ii'et ii[). As she di(i n,,t
sncceed in this, he e(,ncln(h'd that she must have
been wonnded, and started toward her. She kej)t
strngo-iino-, l)ut was nnable to lise, and on goinu' to
her he fonnd that she had lain down near a large
hejnlock root, that had curved (uit of the ground,
foiniing anarch or loop thiee oi' fom- inches high.'
One of her hind legs had slippe.l un(h-r this root^to
the knee, and when she had attempted to get uj) she
liad probably])een thrown violently on her side, dis-
locating the hi[) joint and thus rendering it utterly
iuipossible for her to draw the impiisoiied If.g from
under the root llesaidthe poorcreature had ai>i)ar-
_ /
I
I
'2'.):^
CIMT-^IXOS IV Tin-: < \N( ADKS
liil
■? (■
ently ItiTii in lliis i)iti;il)|»' pliuht; sever:!! d.iys; tlinl
sill' Av;iS stiirved Mild (MUilcialed jillliost to !l sli;i(l()\V,
iui<l liMd tramped and [lawed n lioleiii tlie eaith more
than a I'oot dfe)). overllie entile spare readied by
her Tore Tee t. Had she li(»t l>eelldisc(>\ ('led. tile pool'
crealiire must soon liave died from starvation. As
it was, she was so \veai\ tliat when lie ich'ased lier
h*g I'rom tliis strange traji slie was unal>h' to stand,
and he reluctantly killed her, as the sj)eediest. most
humane, and, in I'act. tln^ only means of cndinj^ her
miserv.
I reiiched the old man's cahiii at about noon. We
hunted dilig«Mitly all the al'ternoon, and thoiiuU we
>saw plenty of I'resh tracks evcrywhej-e in tiie newly-
fallen snow, neither of us could <iet siuht of a deer,
ami when we met at the shantv at dark and
exchanued notes, Pease was sorely disai>[)ointed.
The next foriMioon was a repetition of this experi-
<*nce, and Avhen we met auain at the cal)in for
dinner, l>oth em[»ty-handed, liis disappointment was
intensilied into (lespomhMicy. We .separated after
1h(» noon meal, and when we came in at ni.uht, I
looked even more dejected and disi;usted than ever,
and asserted, with a good deal of emphasis, that I
did not helieve the "blasted" country was any good
for game; that I thought lie or someone had hunted
thedeerand shotat them until thev were so wild that
no man could get within ;")()() yards of one. lie
insisted that such was not the case; that he liad
been killing [»lenty of deer that fall, an<l that others
liad killed a few in the neighborhood, ])iit not
enough to spoil the hunting, as I claimed. He said
I
m
AND (»iin:i« iriNiixc; .\i>vi,NrrKK
21)0
oiii- \\;iiit (»l" ."^iicc.'ss utterly iisionislMMl liim: tlijit li«'
was fiiily .sori-y; llinf lie could not account for it,
and that w«* .should suivly jiiakc a killin-' on ilir
moirow.
•• Have you s...'n any fivsji tracks to-day?" 1 asked.
'M)li, yes. plciity of tlicni; liavcn't youf"
•'Well, y,vs, two oj- thrc- hut I think tin- d.-.-r
tliat ina(h' tlieni were ten miles away wiien I -ot
thei-(\"'
'• ^Vlly,*' said hp, " wlien T stni'ted out this aftor-
iiooii i skirted aloni;' that ))i,u' swani]>. where you
hunted in the niorninu'. and I saw where four (jeei-
liad crossed your tiack since you went aloiii:'. One
of them was an awfid l)ig l)uck. I took ui) Ids tiail
and followed it in hoi»es of overt■ikin^• him and ,uet-
tino- 51 sliot. lie i-oamed and ciicled aiound anioni;-
tile hills and thiougli the swamps l'oi\ 1 icckon,
moj-e than five nules. I walked just as still as ] pos-
sibly could, for 1 knew we wei'e nniihty niuh out (.f
meat, iiiid I am uettin' nno-hty tiled of hacon any-
how. Ihit somehow that ])uck lieaid me oi- suK-lt
me, or somelhinu-. an<l the tirst and h. J saw of him
was just one flip of his tail as he went ovej- a lidue
about three hundied yaidsaway. I sat down on a ]oo'
and waited and studied a lon.i;' time what lo <lo or
where to, uo next; and Jinally I concluded I'd just
come ill and ,uet supper ready by the lime you i^ot
here. Set up, sir, and have a cup of colfee and some
of these l)aked ])otatoes and some of this bacon. It
ain't much of a sui)per, l»ut maybe Ave'll feel a little
better after we eat it, anvwav."
«. ft ■
I suri'oiinded one side of the ronuli pine table
suddenly, and when I out nty mouth s(> f ull 1 couldn't
|ih
:{()()
< IMlslNii^ IN Till: ( .\<(A|)I>
1
1;
t;ilk id.'iiii, I Slid, in m can-h'ss. iiiiiiit«'ivst»'(l sort of
{I wav:
«
•• I saw \vii«'r«' ynii siit down on tiiat loy."
" Did vouT"
" \Vs; I sat down and i«'st«'d tlicre. too. I was
just about as tir«'d and as disyustcd antl as nia<l as I
am now; hut after sittinu' tiit'if l«'n(>ilil'l«M'n minutes,
I ti'ud,i;>'d alon.i;' tiii'ou.uh liiat mai»lt' tliicivet just
Ix'low tliei'e, and wiien 1 <^()t tiii'ouiih it I saw a l>i^"
buck smcllinn" aionu' on a doe's traci'v. ui> on llie side-
lull, and I killed jiimand then started on al'li'i' the
doe, and "
Pease had droi)[)ed his knife and fork and was
lo(»kin<i: at me witii ins mouth hall" ojjen and his eyes
half shut.
'•What did you sayT* heiiuiuiied in a dazed, half-
whispeied tone.
" I say I killed the buck and then started "'
" You killed a buck^'
" Yes."
•* Whenf' he gasped, with his mouth and eyes ii
little Avider oi)en,
"This afternoon," said I, calndyandcomitlaceiitly.
'•Where^'
" Why just below that thicket: just below where
you sat down (Ui the log."
The old man sat and ga/ed at me for two or three
minutes Avhile 1 continued to eat as if nothing
unusual had hai)[)ened.
" Are vou iokinu"^"' he said at last.
"Xo; I'm telling nou the straight truth. The
liver an<I heart are hanging out there on the corner
of the cabin; go out and look at them."
A.M» <»Tiii:i; lirMlN,. A I »\ i:,\ I I i;i;
:;ii
" W'll. I'll 1).' .|;i,l I. last. '(l:"* ,s||..Mt.".l 111.. (.1.1 111:111.
JIS h.. jllllllM'.l up ;,|„l nl.;,sj,,.,l |,„. |,y til,. |i:|l|,|.
" Why .,11 .'arth.li.lirt y..ii say s., uhi-ii _\.,ii iii>t
<'.'mi.' in; What <li.| y.ai want i.. .j,'<vi\..' m,. i',„'f
Wiiy .li.lyuii uaiit t.. .jo all tiiat ki.-kiii- alx.iit ili.'
luiiitiiin' lifiiiu' so j)(M»r;'
"Oh, 1 jiisr waiit.-.l t.) hav.' a liiti.- rim with
you.
Thn.ii-hoiit that .'v.miIu- P.'as.^ was ..u,. ul' tli.'
liMl.pi.'st iii.'ii I .'v.'jsiiw. II,. s.'..iu«.(l. and. in ia.'t,
.sii<l luMvas, lui.vas pioH.l t<. haw m.., his ou,.st,'
kill a (h'cras h.' \\-..iil.! hav.' I),...|i i,, Imv.' kill.'.l it
hiiiis.'ll'.
II<M-Jiatl.'.l .•li,.,Ml'ii]|y until .'l.-v.-ii ..".•|..ck l...r,,iv
shou ill- j,„y .signs ,,!' sl.M'pui.'ss. This was about all
the fi-ain.,^ I caivd t.) kill, so 1 aske.l l>,.as,. to -.. im,,
the station and <4vt a team to .•om.' out and tak.' my
ni.-atin. In or.h'r to i)ass th.* toiv]i..oii ])l.'asantly.
I took my HH.' and start. -.1 into th.Mvoods auaiii. 1
went at once to the laick 1 had kill.'d, iva.hinn- tlu*
carcass shortly aft.n- sunrisf'. I cut down a" jack
pine, and, tnmmino- olV tli.' l)ouohs, ma.h' a h.'.l.
Tlien I hiid down, took out a l)ook and coninien<'.'d
to read, whil.- waiting' f.n- the team and for anv deer
that niiolit luipiu-n aloni;-.
Bnt I liad not r.»ad lialf a doz.'ii lin.'s ^hen I
lienvd ii slight riistlino' and crackino- in the iVoz^n
snow, and, hjoki.ng in the direction of tli.^ nois.., I
saw a young spike l)U('k walking slowly and deliber-
ately down the hill not a hnndivd yaV.ls away. I
canght np my expr.'ss ami inad.^ a sliap shotatdiim,
bnt in i-iy haste and surprise missed him dear!
At the rt .ort he stopped, threw np his head and
;i(»^
(■Kri>i.\«.> I.\ TIIK CASCAnKS
M fH
: n.
\} H.^
presented a l)eautiful pic'tui'(\ as well as a fair, easy
target.
"Now. my lad,"" I said to niysell'. '-you are my
meiit sure.""
I was so eoiiliileiit of success this time tliat I
scarce] V took auv aim at all. Aiiain i scoivd an
ingloiious miss and the deer started awav on a. series
ot* long, high hounds. 1 threw in jinol her cartridge,
held ahead of him, and as he struck the uround the
second time I pulled for the third time. Then there
was a, circus of a kind that a hunt<M' rarely sees.
The buck fell to bucking, bleating, and kicking.
His hind fet^t vrould go into the air like a couple of
arrows and with such force that tliey woidd snap
like ;i whi[»cra( ker. Then he would ivaron his hind
feet and paw tiie air; then jump sidewise and back-
wai'd. He threw himself twice in his n'vrations, and
ea<'h time was on his feet again almost beforet I
could realize that he had gone down. This u'vm-
nastic »'xhil)ition lasted pei'haps two or thi'ee
minutes, duriiiu' which time [ was so paralvzed with
laughter thai 1 could not have shot within six feet
of him if I had tried. Besidt^s, I wanted to see the
l)erforman<'e out. Finally the bucker i-ecovei'ed his
wits and skipped out. I followed and found that
he was dischaiging blood at such a rate that he
could not go far. lie went into a largiUhicket. I
jiiiuped him three times befon^ 1 could get a fair shot
at him. and coukl hear him Avheeze evei'v time I came
near him. Finally I saw him lying ;i few yards
away, but his head was still up and I sent a bullet
through his neck. On examination I found that
my lirst shot Jiad cut the point of his breastbone
A.\i> ()rm:i; in'MiXf; AnvK.vrrifKs.
;3()3
o(hui(llia(lrui)tuiv(llt.Miiii:;(|.s<.l)lKi,uusan(ltr;iclie;i.
[(Iragovvl liini out and laid him by tlie si(V of tlio
l)ii;- buck, and wIumi Pea.st' came in with tiie team
an licmr lab^i- li<' said :
" Well, ril be dad blasted if he hain't ^-ot unothei'
one.
r shall always renu-mber that Inint as one ol* the
plcasantest of my life, cousitleiiiig the length of
time it occupied.
CHAPTER XXX.
COWliUY LIFE.
HE wo'kings of the law cf evolution
are plaiiil}' discernible in the
development of the ''cowboy," a
certain prominent and now well-
delined character of the far AVest —
, one that was made necessary by,
' *^ and has grown out of, the vast cattle interests
which have, in the past two or three decades, spread
over that mystic region, His counterj^art is sc. i'cely
to be found anywliere else in the civilized world, for
the very good reason that such a species of man-
hood is not required anywhere else. True, cattle-
raising is carried on extensively in many States of
our Union and in various other countries, but
nowhere under the same conditions and on the
same plan as in the West; lience, though hei'ders,
drovers, and the like are enii)loyed elsewhere, tliere
is nolocalitv in which a class of men endowed with
such characteristics and requiring such peculiar
tastes and facultifs are to be found as are combined
in the cowboy of our AVestern plains. The life he
leads and the s^ervices he is required to pei'form call
into the ])usiness young men possessing tastes and
traits different from tbose of average human n[iture,
and such as are not found in men following any other
(304)
'
)-,•!
A.Nr> oTin:!, in-vriN,; .M.vi.:NTri;i:s. ■j,i,';
vocation, „s a ,.la.s. Ir isano,T„j,a„„n iluu ,. mails
«'»-.l|ysi,«,kino-, a lilVot isolation !• .s/, . v
""[ » many ,.a.s,.s iVon, nvili.atio,,. It is o„ ■ ,1
";l"''''l'".'",.,.o„,f,„.rsn,„stl,...|isp,.„s,.,l„i, r K
;';;''l;-;i-.fteuint,.nsn.n.dsl,ipanJ„,^^:'
I";;,;:;:..-,:;:" '"''"''' '- "^"•^'■'- •" ■'-*- -^
\Vl.en all ,|„.s. fa,.,s and ,,,.,.nlia,.iri,.s ,..■ „„.
.illm,« nr,.,.onsid,.,,.,l «-,. n.ust iva.lilv ,„.,-,viv,. ,; ' t
m..n olo,-,Una,y tastes and i„,.|inatio,s„„,,
rV"""~^'-"""''- <''-»l'".vsa,-,.nor-„ai .
to the njanor horn- Tlipv ,1,, „ , r , '".' ■""
t,, .r , r , ■ . '" ""' lo o« m t he
ioots,.,.sol,l„.„.la,|,..,.sas,|oyonn.n„.aonl'.
-" anns The business is vK ,00 voun.n, a-
"' ■'"■""*• 'l"'"f-'l' ir will .■on,,, lo ,.xist in fn,,,,,. . ,
.t l.e.se„teow,.,ys a. , exoti,.. trans .n-..
stenso.l. Let nseonshle,, then. Hh'tnn.n
Ce.tainl) not he who eousjders a well-s,„ea,l table
a <™y ehee,.fnl ,,,on,, a ,«ood solY bed, a ,, '
tnstye|otlnn^essentialtoldsla.al,lun,,lha i .1:
- ;•"'-. •-n.villia.,,, se.eMnseom'i ;
» fh the socaal euvie ,„■ the hnnih- „,,, ,
leKi.il ladljties and eomfoits; „or vet he who
"I'"" ''- "■•■>vHs. nmst needs tide i,, J,, ,n ,,,,,;
'i,-..„e in ^he ocrnpat.on of Tnsiling ,.a„h,''
wm
800
<'IM'ISI\(;S IV 'i!IH CASCADKS
m>
on the plains, who is willinii; to nssiiiiu* tlie title
of "cowhoy/" must be he who, altlioiigli h<' may
love all these luxuries, jind may perhaps have been
accustomed to enjoy them, has in his natur*^ enou.uh
of romance, enouu'h love I'or outdoor life, enou.iih
love of si)ort, excitement, and adventure, enough
enthusiasm for the wild fi-eedom of the fi'ontier, to
be williiiii; to (h'liy himself all these luxuries and
to allow such i)leasui'es as the ranch and ran <4'e can
all'oi'd, to compensate I'or them.
The love of money can not enter larudy into the
consi(h'i"ation of the (piestion, for while the work is
oftt'ii of the hardest kind a man can enduie a:.d the
hours of labor only limited by the ntens i)ower of
endurance, the wages usually paid Jire low. From
i<2^) to s;}.") a, month is the average rate of wages for
all good men on the range except the foreman, who
commands from s()() to J^Tf) a month, according to his
ability, the number of men he is to have charge of,
and the responsibility of his position genei'ally.
Am])iiion to succeed to this diu-nitv, or a desire to
learn the cattle-growing business with a view of
enuaging in it on their own account, mav indiice
some l)ovs to engau'e as hei'ders, but the voung man
who deliberat<'ly chooses this occupation is usiuilly
one with a superabundance of vim, energy, and
enthusiasm; one who chafes under the restraints of
society, who is bored and annoyed by tlie quiet hum-
drum life of the Eastern village, city, or fai'm house;
one who longs to go wdiere he can breathe fresh air,
exercise his arms, legs, and lungs, if needl)e, w ithout
disturbing the peace; one who, in shoi't, lu^piires
more room to live in than his birthplace affords.
AM) (.TIlKi; inXTI^t, Al)\ KXTIKKs. ;}(l7
Many a (.(nvl,„y (>r r.-hiy was. iu his rhihlhcod
o> youth, th.. ,tiv,.t o,nni„, Th. H.-ushnv, tin-
"lianl nut- atsHi.H.l; th.- daiv-drvil „r thlrnvnl
•istnrts; Thph.T..of<h,nu,u.x-|,|„its: th.. I,nv uho
'r ''"^ ^"''" '" •■'''"'• ^" ^''" ^"l> -I- tl,. h'iuh.st
<'<";">l>"n<'iias,iuim.|(.,U(>t'hi.sJ.<,],.; uholrilthe
i'"( .m ail oivliaid or wnten,i<>],>n patrli .„i a (h.ik
I'lii.t: wh,,atc(,lle-ouas at tho head of all wild
'••'<'kl"sslrolw's.nnd w.-.s also uHl „,, i,u,is Hass.s-
^^''*' J"<1 tho villa.^on.arshal or th. rit v i.olhvn.an
inany a wdd-o,.(,,e chase and caused tli'eni nianv a
.sleepless ni^ht I,y his innocvnt ih.M.d. niischi,.v;.„s
pniuks Ue isth,.l..yuhouasahvavsn.a.lv hu-
ll in rk ol any kind that couhl pi-odu.vcxcitcn.-Mit
tuii, or adventure ndthont l),ino-i„o. serious haru, t('>
anyone. I[h was not the vicious, thievino, ivi,,.-
sncakini^hoy, but the irrepressible, uncoufrollabir
wild, harum-scarum chap who led the o,n,.... the
;'lim.ip,on of the weak; the hoy who wouhf tidit
at the drop ol the hat" in defense of a JViend of
his own sex (U- of even n sn-an^er of the opposite
sex. Ihese a,e the br.ys of leu, tueuty, or thirty
years ag<, whom to-day y<,u ,uay hud ridiu- wild
cayuses on the cattle raut^.s of the boundless
plains.
As a class, they have l)cen shamefully lualione.l
Jliat there are bad, vicious cliaracteis amoimst'them
caum.t ],e denied, b.ir that many of the uiunh-rs
thefts, arsons, and other dei»redati..ns whi.-h are
committed iu the froutie,. towns and <.har..ed to
cowboys, are really committed by Indians, bummers
superannuated l>uffalo hunters, and other han-.-rs
on, wlio never do an Jionest day's work of aiu" khid
< i:risiX(;s LV TIIK (ASCAnKs
:A s^i
li ^i
but \\ ho eke out :i Hiis(M';il)l<', luill'-stiiiVfil ('xist<'iu'(?
by giuiibliuii', stealing', iioisoiiiuii,' wolves, etc., is a
i'act Avell known to evt'iy close ytiidcnt of front ier
life. And yet. ci-iuics and niisdeincanoi-s ai'c occa-
sioiudlv coininitti'd by men who ai<', for the time
'-^y.
'■'WH'
.'J
^^^h'':mt'^^t
TllK ■ Wdnl.I.V foWHOV '
beino; at least, ivuularlv employed in ridini>: the
range. Fugitives from justice, thieves, cui-throats,
and hoodlums of all classes from the large cities
have drifted West, and have songht employment on
the I'anges because nothing better or more con-
genial oll'ei'(Ml; but snch are seldom employed,
and if enn)loved at all, are li'enei'allv discharii'ed as
so(m as their true charactei' is learned jind their
l^laces can be Idled l)y Avorthier men.
A\I) OTIIKK Jn\TI.\<; ADVKNTFHKS.
:U)S)
Xeitll.'i' do I wish todclViHl tll<. •MVesh" y,„nio-
man IVomtheEa.st who ,o-oe.s Wost to " i-anilvze "
tile natives, who o,.t,s m jol, on The ran«'h, niakes
a I'l-eak i'or'Moiul lo.us,- arnis, an<l knives. Jan-e
niekel-i.lated spurs, raises a nnv of ](,nn. Jiair ai"^l
'catclieson" toall thebadlaii-Hauv of ti'ie country
tilJs Tip on ]>ad whisky at .nvry opportiinitv and
then asserts that -lie's a wolf, ifs ],is nii^ht to
howl.
^'or do I wish to defend the swarthy, loud-oathed
heavily-armed -greaser" of Mexico and the Texan
ranges, avIio accounts himself a --couhov" /xn'e.rn-l-
lence, but who much prefers the lilthv atmosphere
ot the gambling ,h'n, or the variety diVe of Inmtier
towns, to th(^ ])uie air of the praii'ies. These aie the
excepticms, and fortunately are in a, " distinguished
minority." and it is but just that all such suaa<'vriiio-
Iiiimbugs should be loaded with the oblo,p,y they
deserye, and should be a])propriately branch'd, eveii
as their master's l)easts are bi'aiKh'd, that all the
world might know them, wherever found, for the
infamous humbugs that they are. My puipose
here is to chamiuon the frank. h(mest,\meruvtic
industrious young fellows Avlioeugage in tliis c:dlin.'-
from pure motives, most of wh(»m have fair educa^
tions, an<l some of wlioni are gra(biates of Eastern
coUeges-who are brimful of j.ure Jiorse-sens^s and
who are ambitious to earn an h«mest living, and to
make themselves useful to their emi)]oyers in every
possible way, aside from their ability to snare a
bidhu'k. Many of these are Nature's Jiobh-men,
and their good qualities shine through their rouuh
garb, as the sunlight of heaven shines throu<'ira
.
810
CIMlSINi.S IN' TIIK (ASCADKS
rift ill :i <l;irk cloud. Tlicii' hcai'ls. iIkmiliIi ciK'ased
in blue llaiUK'l or \v:it»'r-i)ro()l' cauvas, aic as liniil
as tilt' air they bivatlie; their iiiiiids as i)ure and
clear as ihe niouiit;nii brooks from which ihey love
todrink; liieir whole natures as generous and liberal
as the l)ouiidless iinvidows upon which llieir herds
graze, and their hospitality only limited by the
supply of food and oilier comforts they have with
which to eiiterttiin a visitor. Straiiuei's are alwavs
' ^ a.
Avelcoine at their shacks, and no inattei'at what time
of (hiv or ni<»lit vou arrive, von and \()ur liorses
are promptly tals-eii care of, you are invited to stay
and eat, tosleepif you will, andare]irom2)t]y •••iven to
understand that the best the ranch affords is at your
ccmimand. I liave known many of these men inti-
mately, and liave never known one who would not
clieerfullv share his last oiinc * of food, his last dol-
lar, or his onlv blanket with a needy straimer; or
wlio would not walk and allow an unfortunatelv
dismounted traveler to ride his horse half way to
cam}>, or the ranch, even thouiih that might be a
liundred miles awav. Thev invariably refuse jill
« ft «
remuneration for services or accommodations of such
nature, and if it be pressed upon them, the strange]- is
liable to be told in language more expressive than
eh'gant thev don't make their livinu' bv taking care
<> » C^ ft O
of tenderfeet.
As u class, they are brimful and running over with
Avit, merriment, and uood humor. Tliev are alwavs
7 ■ ^ ' ft. «/
readv I'or anv l)it of innocent fun, but are not per-
ft ft X.
petiially spoiling for a light, as has so often l>een
said of them. They ai-e at peace with all men, and
would not be otherwise from choice. As a rule, if a
AND OTHl i; IlINriNci AI)\ K.NH i;j;>.
311
man (inanvl with one of tlu-ni. lie I'oircs tlic war and
isljiniscir to l)lani(3. Tlieir love of I'un ol'lcii loads
to trouhic, thoiigli generally because the \iciiiii of
ir docs not know how, or is not willing, to eitlicf
••clii)) in" or excuse hiuiself. Tliey are fond of
" piping oir* anything that is pai-ticidarly conspic-
uous, or rice versa, no matter to wlioni it helongs,
and they dislike to see snoltMsh airs assumed in
their country, though such might pass current in
any Eastern citv.
1 once saw a dude stei)out of a hotel in Chevenne
Wealing a silk hat. cut-away co:ii. lavender ]»an1s,
liigh i)ressure collar, scarlet velvet scarf. i>atent
leather shoes, etc. Several cowboys weie riding-
through tin' street and sj)ied him.
"Say, Dick," .sakl one of them, vwhat ile ye
s'poseitis^'
''Let's tackle it and see," said Dick; ""it looks
alive."
"Pard, hadn't yon better put them togs on icef'
queried another of the party. "They're Hable to
sp)ile ill this climat(\"
The youth was highly offended, gave them a
haught}-, withering look, and without deigning a
reply of any kind turned to walk back into the hotel.
'•Let's brand it," said Dick, and as quick as a
flash a lariat fell about the d\uh\ closed round his
slender waist, and he was a prisoner. Tin' boys
gathered round him, chall'ed him good-naturedly,
took his hat and rubbed the nap the wrong way. ptit
some alkali mud on hisshoes, and then released him,
bidding him "go in and put on some clothes." A
little good-natured repartee on his part, (nan invita-
«p
It
1
:jl-i
( i:ri.si.\»,> IN riiK < ascadks
tiou to drink or smoke, or u plcasnnr r('i»ly of any
kind, \v.,uld hnvf Iff liiin out wltlirmt any nnplras-
ant tivalnuMit; l)iir lit' scDi'iic I thcni, and llicy <'on-
.sidcivd it a duty to society to ])()st liini (>n how loai't
wIu'U away IVoni liojn»>.
A I'licnd iclatcs iiavini;' sct'ii an ('('centric individ-
ual, with a loni;' jilaid ulster, walking' aloni;' the
principal sti-eet in Miles City, and as the sun came
out rr(»in Ix'hind a cloud and commenced to beam
(h)wn with a ^'ood deal of I'oi'ce, he raised a <:reen
uml>re]la. A "'cow i»unclier'" rode u^) unci, pointing
at the umbi'ella, asked;
'• What is siie i)ard^ I'Vt(di iKn'inand put a drink
ill "er."
The man was botli scared and mad. He tliouuiit
lie had been insulted l)y one of tliose "notorious,
ruflianlv cowhovs." lie called "i.olice."" J^)Ut the
])olice was not at liand, and in the disturbance that
followed iiis umbrella was spirited away, he Iviiew
not whither oi- l»y whom, and his jilaid ulster was
somewhat damaged by contact with mother eaith.
All he woidd have had to do to pivserve the jx^ace
and his self-respect, would have been to answei' the
fellow u'ood-naturedly in the lirst [)lace, either
declining or accepting his invitation, and he could
have gone on his way unmolested; but he brought
a. small-sized riot on himself l)v assuming a diu'iiitv
that was out of place in that country and undersuch
circumstances.
In common with all other human l)eings, the cow-
boy re([uires and must have amus(:'ment of some
kind, and his isolated condition, depriving him of
the privileges of theatres, parties, billiards, and
AM) (CriiKK lir.\TI.\(i A1»\1:M (UKS.
• > I .>
otluT vanities of jtmiiscmeiit tliat youn*;- iiicu in the
StiiK'SMsiiMlly iiitliiliiciiuol'tli.'ivliiiiiiniiiKl ivstrain-
iii<^-iiitliit'ii('cs ol" til.' IVmimIm sex. ii is hm natural that
his Hxiib.'ranct' of si>irir should lind sport ol' othrr
kinds. His only sources ol" aiuuseiucnt on tlu' ranch
arc his litl... iwolv.-i'. hronco, lariat, and ca ids. and
incouisc of tinic he tiivs ol'thcsc jmd scrksa chanuc
He goes to town and niccts there some of his coiu-
rades or aciiuaintances. and they indulge in some
wild pranks, which to Kastern people, and especially
those who happen to fall victims to their i»ractieal
jokes, appear ruflianly. Their love of excittinent
and ad\eniure sometimes gets the better of their
judgment, and they cany tlu'ir fun to excess. They
corral the crew of a train which |,;,s sTopi)ed at the
station. Mid ninuse themselves juid the ])assengers by
making the conductor, lu-akenian, baggauvman,
engineer, and lireman dance a jig t(» then.usic of six-
shooters. In one instance they boarded the train
and made the Theo. Thomas orchestra (which ha})-
l)ened to be aboard) give them an extemporaneous
concert. Tiiey havt' even been known to carry their
revels to a still worse stage than this, and to ivsort
to acts of real abuse and injury against defenseless
people. r>ut such acts on the part of genuine cow-
])oys are rare. They are usmilly peri)et rated by the
class, already mentioned, of '" fresh" young cliaiis
or objecti(mal characters who drift into the business
from other than jmre motives, and fre([uently by
pretended cowboys who are not such in any sejise of
the term. But by whomsoever perpetrated, such acts
are liighly offensive to and vigorously condemned
by the respectable element in the business, both
814
ri;il>l.\*rs IN iiii. ( A.->( Al»KS
fiiiploycis and «'nii»l()y(''s. Much (»fliiiiii lias altafli^'d
tiHliti rialt'iiiity by .such coiiduct, and luui'li niuic
bv ivasoii ol' Clinics coniinlltcd Itv ollicis and
('hai!j,'c(l lo this cla.ss, so that tlie ('()\\l)(>y is in
niucii worse i'c[)utt' aiiKMi,";' Eastern jicnplt! than lie
would he il'hcttci- known by tiii'in. And notwitii-
fstan(lin«j; all tluHiard thin.ns with which these men
ha\'H l)een chariied, 1 hail much rather take my
<'hanc«rs, as to safety ol'lUc ami [teisonal iti'ojiei'ty,
in a country inhabited only by tlKMii than in any
i
ON THE TKAll.
Eastern town or city with all their i)olice "])rotec-
tion." When sojouniinu' in cattle countries, 1 have
left my camp day after (hiy and night after night,
with valnable [)V()perty of vario'.is kinds lying in and
about it, without any ;:ff<;m[»t tit concealment. I
have left my liorses and nudes to graze, wholly
unguarded, several (hiys and nights together, and
though on my return T may have seen that my camp
had been visited, probably by several men, not a
thing had been distuibed, exc(^i)t that perchance
some of them had been hunu-rvand had eaten a meal
,■ I
AM) nTlli;i! IN .M|\(, A l»\ |;mi |;i;,s.
:!ir.
JII Miy .'XfM'Ils... If is Ww cilsK.l,, or ll„. CMintl'V t.,
l<':iv*M':inii..s;iii(lciil)ii,s;il -•111 y I iiii,., :,n.l lor jis |,,m- ii
lliii.'ns iHM-..ss:iry. uitlioiii lo.-kiiiu. „,,,„•, •on,-, ;ili,„Ti,t
<•! :iiiy kind, :iihI iiisfniKvs of .sf..:,lii,n- n,,,],.,. snd,
('iiriiiMstMiKvs :ii,.:,|,,|nsi !iiili,-:ii.| ,,C. ulijj,. |„. ^^|,,,
would |,.:iv.- |H-isoi,;,I pioiMMly simihirlv .■xi,(,s..,l
Nviiliin 111.' ])oi.ii.|s,,r,.i\iiiz:,(ion would sc'iinvlvli.. OH
to liiid ii on his ictiini.
^ An iii('i<l,.|if in:iy shiv." i,, illiistnit.' how siid,j,.nly
K:|st..|M 1M"0|.1.. cliiiiiMv iJH.j,. ..piiiinus ,,r ,.(,ulM,y'.s
on close Mc.|u:iint;iii(v. | w;is u'oinu- w..st ;i c'w
yr-Ais siii.v oi, the Xorthriu P.Mrilic Ridlrond, :in<l
fticppiii- (AY the tiiiiii ill OickiiisoM, J).Mk., mot
Ilowjird K;itoii, iiiiold-tinir IVicnd jiiid fellow hiuiter
n tyi)icMl cowboy, who li;,s elKiin,. of a ranch :iii(i
Jl iMl'oe lierd of (■.Mltl,. inilie •• l',;id Lands "• on ihe
Litih' .Missouri rivrr. ]j,. was divssed in ih.' le-u.
lalioncosr,imeortliecrafl-c:,nviisp:,nts:ind jnck^.t,
h-Mhvr (■//( I /HI re Jos, blue Haiiiiel shin. ;ind biond-
l»"'ninied white felt lint. His loins were uirt .'il.olit
Willi a well-lilled c:irtri(lne-j)elt. from which Jiiiiiu-
liic Mx-shooter, Avliidi may almost Ix- termed a bnd-e
of the or.h'r. Lnr-e Mexican spurs rattled at his
heels as lie walked. 1I,> had rid.h-n thirty-live miles
under the spur, airivino. at tlx' st.-ilion just in time
to catch the train, and havin- no tim.. t(') chnn-'v his
iU)parel, even if he had wished i,, d<. so. He was
^•oino- some distance on the same train, and 1 invited
liini into the sh^^per. As he enlere.l an<l walked
down the aisle the i)assenoeis became sud(h"nly
alarmed at the uj)parition— ima.uinini;. thnt tin- train
had been corrnled by a i)arty of the terrible cowboys
of whom they had heard such blood-cui'dling tales
;ji()
CKI'Isr.\(;s IN" TIIK CASCAIVKS
ait
£111(1 that this was ji coininittoe of one sent in to
order them to throw up their liands. They looked
anxious! V and tiinidlv from the windows for the rest
of tlie ganii" and listened for the i)opi)ing of r^'volv-
ers, hut when I conducted iiini to our section and
introduced him to my wife they began to feel easier.
He remarked casuallv tiiat he was hnnn'rv. We
had a well-filled lunch-basket with us, ;iud. ordering
a table placed in position, my wife hastily spread its
contents before him. lie ate as onlv a cowboy can
eat, es[)ecially after having lately ridch'U thirty-live
miles in three hours. Our fellow passengers l)ecame
interested spectators, and after our friend had
finished his repast we introduced him to several of
them. They were agreeably sui'i)rised to discover in
conversation his polished manners, liis tluent aiK^
well-chosen language. His handsome though sun-
burned face, and his kind, genial nature r^n'ealed
the fact that his rough garb encased the form of an
educated and cultured gentleman; and before we
had been an hour together they had learned to
i-esi)ect and admire the wild, picturescpie character
whom at first they had feared.
The skill which some of these men attain in their
profession challenges the admiration of everyone
who is [)ermitted to witness exhibitions of it. As
riders they can not be excelled in the world, and I
have seen some of them perform feats of horseman-
shi[) that were simply marvelous, A cowboy is
recjuired to ride anything that is givn hiui r.nd ask
no questions. A wild young bronco that has never
l>een touched by the hand of man is sometimes
roped out of a herd and handed over to one of the
AND (tTiiLi: iirxTixd Ai>\i;.\Triii:s.
:n
hoys with instructions to "ridp lam/' With tiie
aid ol' a companion or two he suddh-s and mounts
him, and the scene tJmt ensues baffles description.
A bucking cayiise must l)e seen unih^- the sa<hl]e,
iimUn- a limber cowboy, and on his iiativ hea'li. in
ordin' to be appreciated at iiis true woi-tli. His
movements are not always tjie sam.'-in hwt, are
extremely varied, and aie duubtle.vs intend,.,! to
bo a series of s-u'piises even to an old Jiand at the
business The brcmco is inuvnious— lie is a strategist
S(jmetimes the iirst break a '• fresh" one makes is to
try to o-et out of the country as fast as possible.
If so, the rider allows Mm to ,<:o as far and as fast
as he likes, for itothij;- will tam,^ him quicker timn
plenty of hard work. J3ut he soim liiids that he can
not net out from nnder his loa.l in this wav, and
generally leverses his tactics befoie n-o},io. fai'. 's<,jHe-
timeshe stops sud(l,:'iily—s,) su,ldenlv ;is lo tlii-ow
an inexperienced rider a Ion- ways in' front of him.
But a good cowl)oy. or ''bronco bustei." as he would
be tei-med while engaged in this branch of the busi-
ness, is a good stayer and keeps his s,'at. The horse
may then try to jump out from under his rider-
first forwai'd then backward, or rire rcr.v^ Then
he may spring suddenly sidewise, either to ri-ht
or left, or both. TIkmi he mav do some l,>l-ty
tumbling acts, alighting most alwa\s stiifdeiiued;
sometimes with his front en,l the hin"h,.st aii<l .s^'.me'
times about level, but usually with his himl.^r parts
much the hiuli,Ast and with h;, back arched like
that of a mad cat. He keeps his n,)se as ch.se
to thegrcmnd as h^ can get it. Som,.times h,. will
Utter an unearthly scpieai that makes one's blood
318
("IMISIXCIS I.V Til 10 CASCADES
nm cf)l(l, and will iicrnnllv eat Ji few mouthfiils of
tliH (^aith when lie gets mad eiioiigli. Sonietiines
he will throw hiinst'lj' in his sliMiiiii'les, and again
as a last resort lie will lie down and roll. This
must free him for a moment, but the daring and
agile rider is in the saddle again as soon as the beast
is on his i'ept. Then the liorse is likely to wheel
suddenly from side to side and to spin I'oiind
and I'oiind on his hind feet like a top; to snort
and bound hither and thither like a rubber ball.
During all this time the valiant rider sits in his
saddle, loose-jointed and limp as a piece of buckskin,
his body swaying to and fro with the motions of his
struggling steed like a leaf that is fanned by the
summer breeze, lie holds a tight rein, keeping his
liorse's head as high as possible, and plunges the
I'owels into his Hanks, iirst on one side and thi-n on
the other, until frecpieiitly the ground is coi)iously
si)rinkled with the blood of the tiery steed. The
duration of this scene N limited sinn)ly bv the
powers of endurance of the horse, for in nearly
every instance he will keep up his struggles until
he sinks upon the ground exhausted, and, for tln^
time being at least, is subdued. Then he is forced
14)011 his feet again and may generally be ridden the
remainder of that day without further trouble.
He is awkward, of course, but ra})idly learns the
nse of bit and spur, and soon becomes useful. Many
of these ponies, liowever, are never perr.ianently
subdued, and will "buck'" every time they are
mounted. Others will, all through life, start oft'
(piietly when iirst mounted, but suddenly take a
noticiii to buck any time in the day. This class is
AM) OTIIKi: nrXTIXc; ADVK.NTIKKS.
310
tlip most (lani-erous, t'oi- the best i'i,|,M- is ]\nh]o to ho
caiio-l,t at a disadvanta.u-e wIkmi oil;' his u.|,;,,,i .„i,i
thi'own, and many a {,o(,i- cuwUn has 1„vmi cripph-d
ior life, and many killed outni-lit l)v these vicious
brutes.
1 have seen -piln-nms" invel-led iuto n,li,i„.
'•I'lickm- cay us.- •• either for the sake of noveltv'^
or because tiiey wanted amount and there was no
other tol.e had; but in everv iustan<'e the trial of
•skdl between the luau an<l the ponv was of short
(.iiration. For an instant there wouU'l be a (onfused
mass of horse, hat, coat-tails, boots, and man, ilvino-
through the air. The horse, on his second upward
tiip woidd meet the man comin- <lown on his iirsf
the man would see whole constellatLons — whole
mdkyways of stars; the liorse would meander off
over the prairie free and imtianieled. and as we
woidd gather up the deformed and dislioured remains
of the pilgrim and dig the alkali <lirt out of his
mouth, ears, and eyes, he would tell us, as soon as
he recovered sufficiently to be able to speak, that in
luture he ''had rarlier walk than ride."
But, fortunately for the poor cowboys, there are
many of these ponies who are n<.t vicious, and let us
do full honor to the g-nuine, nol)le cow horse who
IS so sure and fleet of foot tha; he will speedily put
his rider within roping distam-e of the wil.h^st, swift-
est, longestdiorned Texan on th(^ range. .Such a hoi-s,^
always knows when the riafa falls right for head or
heels, and if it does not will never slacken his speed
but keep right on until his rider can recover ami
tlirow again. But when it does fall fair, he puts it
taut, wheels to right or left as directed l)v a gentle
:v2i)
('UriSIX(iS IX TIIK CA^-.CADES.
I
pi't'ssui-*' of his ri(l','i'*s knee, tnkes a turn on it or
i;,•i^ cs ir slack as may l)e required to down tlie bent",
and, wiien this is acconiplislied, stands .stift'-leg,n'e(',
firm, Jind immovahk^ as a rock, hokling him (h)\vn
by the strain on tlie lope, and watching, with eyes
bulged out and ears set forward like those of a jack
rabbit, every struggln of the captive bnllock, and
.stands | ; ni when his rider dismounts and leaves
liim to bra the steer. Wlien this is done, '.-.nd his
m 1 1
I1 1 1 '
;.i^
"^^N^\^r•:l).•'
rider remounts he is ready to repeat the operation
on another animak
I have frequently known a cowboy to rojte a
Avild cow. throw her and milk her while his hoi'se
held her down at the other end of a forty foot
I'ope. Suv'h a liorse is worth his weight in gold
to a cattleman, and hiskind-heaited and ajjpreciative
rider would go supperless to Ix-d any night, if nec-
essary, in order that his faithful st(^ed slunild be Avell
fed iind made comf(n'table ii! evei'v i^ossible wav.
The skill that some of these men attain in the use
the lariat is also most marvelous. An expert will
catch a steer l)y the horns, the neck, the right or
I'H Oil it or
"11 tile henl",
tift'-le<i'o',.(i^
him (Iowa
, Avitli eyes
e of a j;i('k
lloek, jiiul
Jiiid leaves
le. r.iid his
oiierntion
^ ro])e a
his horse
:)i'ty foot
^ ill gold
)re('iative
t, if iiec-
d be Avell
wa V.
11 the use
[»ert will
right or
AXI) OTuKll lU'STISO ADVKXTrinO^ ^
left fore foot or hind foot, whiehever he mny elioose-
a^ui AAhi e ruiimiigat full spee.l-uith almost uner-
ing certainty. 1 have eAen seen them rope |aek
^bbits ami eoyotes after a long run, and tl ere' uv
>ell au iH^ntieated instances on'rec-ord of even be s
-mg eolu. to death by the fatal noose ^^
Avielded by a daring '- knight of the plains '"
At a -tournament" in a Black Hills town some
months ago, a cowboy cauoht thi-ew .,,..1
ot skill, but on a bronco instead „f a stper, which
.tely took plac. in a. New Mexico town. . 1'
descnbeil by an eye witness
.,lin,f' Ir' •'",'"'":■ '■'' '"^'■"^■•'i"" ••'"'1 pleasant wran-
gling, the jndge, hiniseir a line rider, called ont the
name ot an Arizona cowboy, a champion ,., ,. ^
and rnstler iron, Apac^lie Conntv ; at the s. , e
numient a wild-eye,l bronco ,.ns .'elease,! i l.n
pen and went bonnding and lun^kint' over the niin-
i;itnre plain. According to tlie rule, the Vpaclie
Connty man had to sa.ldle his own bronco, rop
fleeing horse, and tie him for bran.ling in a c -rt ,
time. Being a -'rnstler." he rnslled ar, n „
lively that before the bronco was two hnn.I fe'
away, he had saddled and bridled his own animal
s-nng himself onto it. and «as otf. gathering np lis
lariat as he w.mt. The other bronco, sc^n- C
con.mg enemy, doubled his pace, .lodging I,,.; and
there, but at e, «ry turn he was met b? h s pnrsner
wlio was evidently directed by his rider's le-s n d
m an incredibly short space of time the fno-i J
«-as overlmnled; the rope whistled ihrongh the air
I
li
1
.
k
1
i
jli
■l:!
M
32^
cuuisiN(;s IX THE cascades
and (lr()pp<'(l(iiiiekl\' over the bronco' sliead, notwitli-
stundini'- 1 lie toss lie liad made. The instant it i'ell,
tlie }»ui'siiiM,i;' bronco I'lishcdand lieaded off tlie other,
winding the i'oi)e about liis ]e,iis; tht'ii siuhh'nly sit-
ting back uiK)n his hannclics lie waited, with ears
back, for the sliock. It came with a rush, and the
little hoi'se at the otlun- end of the rope, as was the
intention, went headlong onto the lield, the cowboy's
bronco holding him d(>wn by the continual strain
that he kept up. The moment the horse went down
the cowboy vaulted from the sachlle, untying a rope
from Ids waist as he ran, and was soon over the
l)rostrate animal, Lishing the lioofs Avitli dextrous
lingers, so that it could have ])een branded then and
tiiere. This accomplished, up went Ids hands as a
signal to the judges, who now came galloping over
the held, a roar of cheers and yells gi'eeting the
Apache County man, who had doiK^ the entire work
in twelve minutes, thereby securing the i)rize of
sundry dollars."
These men use large, heavy, strongly-built saddles,
and l)y setting the cinch up tight and taking a turn
or two of the rope around the Laddie horn they will
snake a large animal, either dead or alive, any
desired distance. I once got one of them to drag a
large bear that we had killed out of a thicket into
an open space, so that we coidd photograph him.
Few men take more chances or endure more hard-
ships than cowboys. In addition to the dangers
they have to contend with from riding vicious horses
and from riding into stampeding herds of wild cattle,
in both of which lines of duty many of them are
crippled and some killed outright, it is frequently
AND ..Tin:i: in mix,; auvkxii in;,-.. ;«:!
•oughw,.atlu.r,witlMH,,,rl,,,MuoU:,.i,,,,li, ;
tlif'ycimc,„T.v,.iith,.irs,.MI,.
Theshnigor ll„. fr.-,(,.n,it.v is l,i«l,lv ,„„„si„„- to
(o tli« f,.„- ,ll„sfratm„. ,,liva,l.v o-iv,.,, in tl.is sk,.f
her,, are „,a„y ofl.,.rs t|,at „„ul,l l„, „„;,;;,'
.■liable to an Easteni „.„, nnU-ss translate i' r
;astan,,-;. ,v„en ,„ey l,ran,l an anin.ai I ;^ „t 'Z
t'lf-J w V put son.,, iiniption in it": uli,.n thev
|«.rni nj, a l.orso ,vit|, ti,,, spurs or ,,uir tl ev' • f -^
urn: when tljey tl.row l,.a,l iVon, , six- ., .te, a
M,n..hesteraftera Hying ,.oyote thevfa,,- I „
And 'goose Imir ••-ev.-r sleep on goo;,. l,a ' Tl w
^s tavonteterm for any Idn.l ol a ".soft snap "
W en they want to ri.li.-ule a ten,lerfoot, an.l L
••■nlly one who is fon.l of good living, tl„.v "av ' he
'0 IS nliekhe ,s <les<u-il,e<l as having -a .n.ose
lair pillar,' or as -sleepin' with the hoss "Ct
•ncin' tea horses,- ete. Altogether, ,-oul,ovs re a
whole-sonle.1 hirge-hearte-l, generot. <.las -. f m"^
lows, vvhon, ,t is a genuine ,,l,.asure to ri,le ea ■ nl
associate with. aa,l iris „.,- "" . < at. .iml
fet
of tlie liard things that have 1
oome from men who never knew.'iui'i'nlatel
one or them.
o say that iiine-tenrhf
)eeii said oi' them Jiave
y, a sino-le
I conteml that
!i year spent on the liurricane deck
if
Ik
ifi
li
Iv
iv
I:
\
'I i
.1 !
:i:>4
ClMISINiiS IN IIIK CASCADKS
of ii c(nv-iK)ny is one of tlu' most useful Jiud vnlunble
pieces of expeiienee si young man can possibly have
in iitling himself for business of almost any kind,
and if I were educating a boy to light tlie l)attles of
life, I should S(M'ure him such Ji situaticm as soon
as through with his studies at school. A term of
service on a frontier cattle-ranch will take the con-
ceit out of any boy. It will, at the same time, teach
him self-ieliance; it will teach liini to enduie hard-
ships and suffering; it will give him nerve and
l)luck; it will develop the latent energy in him to a
degree that could not l)e accouiplished l)y any other
apprenticeship or experience. I know of many of the
most substantial and successful business men in the
Western towns and cities of to-day who served their
first years on the frontier as "cow punchers,'' and to
that school thev owe the firmness of character and
the ability to surmount great obstacles that have
made their success in life possible.
I claim that the constant communion with Nature,
the study of her broad, pure domains, the days and
nights of lonely cruising and camping on the prairie,
the uninterrupted communion with and study of
self which this occupation affords, tends, to make
young men honest and noble — much more so than
tlie same men would l)e if deprived of these oppor-
tunities, confined to the limits of our boasted '"civ-
ilization,"' and compelled to constantly })i'eathe the
air of adroitness, of strategy, of competition, of
suspicion and crime. I claim that in many instances a
man who is already dishonest and immoial mav be,
and I know that many have been made good and hon-
est by freeing themselves from the evil influences of
AM> OTIIKI; HINTING Al.V KXlr 1!KS. iHS
Aatme.(„,a If ,.v,.,y youns n,nn mis,.,! in .„wn
Mio„l,l Imvo mor,. lionest ni.-n, and f,nver defaulters
thieves, and ciiniinal.s „[ every class ""'"'"'''».
I
I
if
H;!
I
CUAJ^TKIJ XWl,
t'xciti' lilt' (Iciii/.fii <»r lilt' Stall's who lii^t
^^ {ittciuls a i(Hiii(lii|i oil lilt' •^rcat ])]aiiis lliat
I jun tcinittt'd to sjifak of >(»mii' of tlic more proiiii-
iKMit ])()iiit.s ill this •• liicatt'st show on earth." lor
the Ix'iielit oL' sticli as lia\«' not had thf iili'asiiic of
Avitnessinii' it.
Tlit^ iiitcrt^sts of cattlt'iiit'ii in u't'iifinl :ii'' so
t'h)selv liiikt'd. ami llu'if is such iirufiii iit'iij of a
I.
conctM't of uctioii Minoiiu' tlifin. thai in all Wcstfin
catth'-growiiiu" disti'icts tlifv liavf oiuaiii/t<l into
local or gviuM'al associations, in which tin' iiio-^t iici--
fc<'t liarnioiiy and u'ood fellow sjiip * isis. anil in
whicli the intcrcsrs of cvci-y iinlivitliial nn'iiiltcr arc
ch)selv guarded nn'l rostci'ctL hv llic orua:ii/ation as
a wlioU'. These associations meet in the sjninu" ami
fall of each Year and tix th(Mlat<'S for iioltlinu- the
i'oumlu[)s, usually prescrihiiiii' the ,u'eneral ])ouml-
iU'ies in which each local outfit shall work. Thespi-inu,'
roundup, which is the oiif now undci' considt:'ra-
Ci-^T)
I A
:V2H
(•|M"lSI\(iS I.V llli; CASCADKS
tion. is held in tlif iMttci' i);irl of Ainil ov t'jirly piirt
of Mjiv ill Wvouiliii;' and Montana, and earlier or
later in otiier States and Territoiies, accoi'din,!;' to
the natnie of the cllinate, weatlier, ete. A roundnp
district is nsnaily limited to the valley of some lar<;-e
stream, or its bounchiries are designated hy other
prominent and well Iviiown landmarks.
From liv«f to fifteen miles, or even more, earli way
from the ranch, are claimed })V each owner or com-
l»any as a ran^ne, thon,<!:li no ell'ort is made usually
to keej) the stock within these boundaries. They
are allowed the freedom of the hills and tahledands
in everv direction, the foreman merelv ])eini''
required to know about where to lind them wlu"^
wanted, and to prevent them from .li'oing, for instance
west of the Touiiue and north of the Yellowstone
rivers or south into \Vyomin<;\
As a typical sprin<^ roundup, let us observe the
one recently conducted on the Powder river in
^Montana, for it furiushed, perhaps, as many interest-
ing episodes and incich'Uts as ;ire usually seen at one
of these entertainments. This stream rises in the
]5ig IIoiii Mountains in Northern Wvomim
and
Hows nortiieast thr(»ugh Southern Montana to the
Yellowstone, Into which it empties its wealth of
crystal iluid just east of ]Miles City. Up to a few
Years a<io its valley and adjacent table-lands were
l)(M)pled (mly by roving bands of Sioux, Cheyenne,
Pegau, or Crow Indians, while vast herds of buffa-
loes and antelopes grazed upon its nutritious grasses.
The lordly elk and the timid, agile deer roamed at
will through the groves of cottonw^ood and box-elder
that fringe its banks, and the howl of the coyote
A.N'I) HTlIKij IICNTFN*; A I>V]:\T|- I'KS.
32:>
iniHl.'Ui-lit imisi.-al to tli.'r;,r ..!' I hr ,s;,vai;v i.i his
Nvi;;uMin. ]iut li(.u'cli:muv.l tli,. sc.-iin ot today'
All iron niiln.M.l hiid;.-,., tliarol' t h.. n.|,,,t N(,rrli. ni
1 .-intK', si.iins til.' sfiviim urnv its month, over wliich
n.ll tiMiiis of pahMvcoachrsar short intervals, while
<'«>nnn.'irial i'lvi.uhts en ronfe IV.,.i. the Atlantic to
iIh' I^acilic, ov r/re ver.sti, [.ass ovei- it almost everv
ioiir. From the n.outh of the stream to the fo„t'-
liill.s of tlie monntain ran-e, amid uhose sn,)w-
'•.■•pped peak.s it rises, is i.ou- u we||-l,eaten road over
Avhicii supplies for the varions ranches in the valley
are carried, and over which the nalhuit kni-hts o^f
tile plains -tiie (•.)U'l)oys-dash to and IVu in the
pei'lormance of their various duties.
> At intervals of ten to lifteen nnles aloim- the val-
ley, the traveler j.asses lanches, the headcpiaiters
of tne wealtliy cattlemen whose ]i,>rds roam all over
llu! vaHeys, the hills, and tahle-lands for manv
miles 111 every direction, desionatin- tlie compani,^s
or individual owners mendy by th.« brands tjieir
herds l)Par (wiiich is the custom of the country).
Ue shall encount(M' on our way tlu' "MC" outiit
wiiose herd numbers fourteen thousand head; the
'"WL" brand, six thousand head; "7()L'''one
thousiind head; -S-T," tuenty^tlve thousand liead;
•A, twenty-five thousand h<'ad; ^'EE," five thou-
sand head; and many other smaller and some lar-er
herds. The buildin-s and impiovements consist
^■enei-ally of substantial, roomy Ion- houses, stables
tor the liorses, corrals ov stron- vai'ds in which
large lierds of cattle may be confined for brandino-
etc. The Montana Stock (xrowers' Association lias
also built public brandino-.pens at intervals of four
:■!
',V.]\ )
CIM lSr\(.S I\ 'ri!K < AS<AI)1>
»►;,
to six Mil' 's along the river. 'Vho owners o!.' the
stociv seldom live on tli(^ lanches themselves, many
of them })eiiig residents of ICnstern cities, and others
having their lumies in the I'ailroad towns within
convenient distance of the lanches. The occnpants
o
f th(
diack
as I he ranch house is called, are
the foreman, the cook, and a sullicient niiniber of
cowl)oys or lierders to h)ok after ami handle the
stock proj)erly. Some of the choice bits of natural
meadow are fenced and hay cut on them, and each
ranch has inoi(M>r less h;iy land ahout the heads of
creeks on its I'anue, for it is necessary to make
hiiy enough each season to feed at least the calves
and some of the w(-aker cattle tlu'ough the severe
blizzards that so frequently occur in winter. The
cattle belonging to each of these ranches are allowed
to range almost at will ov<>r the adjacent hills and
t'lble-lands, though the limits jjroper of each range
are sui)[)osed to extend ten to fifteen miles in each
direction from the ranch hous(\
Tlu^ Montana Stock (ii'owers' Association, at its
meeting in March, designated the seventh day of
j\Iav as the dav for beuinnini;' the I'oundui) in ihe
Powder river district this year, and selected a fore-
man to take charge of it who had seen nianv \ears
of service in the saddle, who has a happy faculty of
controllin.ii' the men unde: his charge i)erfectlv, and
vet of i)utting himself on free and friendly terms
with them all. He can throw a ri'atd Avith such pre-
cision as to tak^ a steer l)y the h<':ul or bv either foot
he wishes in annost exerv instance, and beasts as
well as men soon learn lo obey his wishes.
Anyone who has only seen the great plains late in
, if-'-
AM) oiiir.i: nrNirx(r advkmtkk
331
sunuiicror in the aiitmim. iil'tci' the uni'^s liaslxM-onic
8ere iiiid AelloAV and tlie Inliau ' aloiiu' tli<' stivaius
lias faded, can liave lirrlc idea of tlie jti'istiiic hcauty
pl'PSi'll
ted b
SI
icll
a va
11. 'V
hat
lli.'l
owdt'i'
river ill early sprinu' lime, when the farlh is ('ari)eied
with vei'dui'e. tlie rivei' Itaidvs lined with iiewly-
clotlied trees and shiaihs. and tlie meadows bloomini;'
with ti(yW<'r.s. tlie heaiitv and brilliaiicv of which
ran not he excelled anywhere. The wintei- siio\vs
have melted; the sj^rinu" rains have coiiu^ and .uone.
leaving- the eai'th fiesh and moist; the climat«'
is mild and deliuhtful. liuh'r all these <'harminu
conditions who would not enjoy the scene unloldinu'
before our eyes as we mount our spiiited lu'oncos
and ride out to the place of rendezvous which has
been appointed near the mouth of the liver, and
wliere the clans are alreadv iiatherinu'. 'Pempoiarv
canii)S have been established by those who have
arrived in advance of us. around which gi-oups of
cowl)oys ai'e lounu'inu'. A band of horses and i)onies
Avliich tliev have libei-ated is contentedly gra/inu' on
the river iiaiik, juid several small bands of cattle
may l)o seen in various directions, most of them
at considerable distances away, for they are wild
and avoid the presence of hursian beings. A cloud
of dust is faintly visible oii top of the di'ide
nearly three miles to the south, and on examininu'
it carefully with oui' glasses we find it is being I'aised
by a jolly ImikI of live cow))oys, who are riding like
mad, each leading fourorlive horses. Lookingaway
to the noi'tli weseeaniess-wagon. or " chuck outfit."
api>roaching,di'awn ])y four horses, and fiom theslow
and laboi'ed uait at which thev Voilaloni:' ihev doubt-
33-i
<'KI'ISIN(;S IX TIIK (ASCADKS
less l)riii<^' abiUKlaiit stoi'e of good tilings. Behind
this, two j'iders are driving tenliead of loose horses.
And tliese sinidl detaclinients continue ro come in
from every point of the compass all the forenoon,
until, when all the ranches in this roundnp distiict
have fuinished their levies, the force numbers one
hundred and thirtv-five men and about twelve liun-
di'ed horses. Each rider has iiis " string" of horses,
numbering from five to seven, and changes two or
three times u day, riling one lio.'se twenty to forty
miles, and sixty to seventy-five miles a day is ccm-
sidered a fair day's work for a ni:in. The reserve
herd is placed in charge of a herder or "wrangler,"
who is i-equired to keep them under perfect conWd,
and to be able to produce such of them as are
wanted on short notice, the riutii being frequently
used in taking them out of the herd. The foreman
has anived and takes charge of the entire outiit,
placing it on a thoroughly effective and working
basis for the nu)rrow.
At ;^:}() o'clock in the morning the men are called.
Tliev are out of their blaid\ets and dressed in less
tinu' than it takes an Eastern man to rub his eves
!ind A'awn ; each catclu^s and saddles his horse:
«
breakfast is hastily eaten, and ai the iirst dawn of
day, they ride out in twos or fours in eveiy direction.
These www present a decidedly pictul•e^que, not to
say brigandish, ai)[)earance as they dash out across
the prai.'ie; their red, blue, and gray flannel shirts,
canvas i)auts, leather chaparcjos, broad scmibreros,
colored silk handkei'chiefs knotted around their
necks; well-lilled cartridg(^-belts, from which hang
their six-shooters ; their high-top cowhide boots
AXD OTIIKU irrXTINci ADV KXTC UKS.
333
and large Mexicnii spurs, making up a toni msewble
that a hand of Texan rangers might envy. Their
work, their fun, tlieir excitement nou- begin, for
small hunches of catth^ are sighted in every direc-
tn)n, which are to he rounded up and driven aJon-
and there is no time to lose. As thev dash hither
and thitlier after the fleeing, scurrvfno- creatui-es
the proverhial good nature, high spirits, and enthu-
siasm of these -knights of the plains'' find vent in
a series of hoots, yells, jokes, "ki-vis," hits of
song, and grotesque slang expressions, manv of
which are strikingly expressive when understood^, hut
which would he utterly unintelligihle to a fresh ten-
derloot. The majority of these Western cattle are
almost as wild as the native huffaloes whose place
they have nsurped, having never h.'cn sul)iected to
the dominion of man. and rarelv, in fact. Inn <■ thev
ever come face to face with him. At the lirst
approach of the riders, tiieretorv, thev ihrow up
their heads and tails, look wild, sniff fhe air, and
then turn and run like a heitl of anielop:^s. But
by fast riding and skillful maiieuveiing ihev are
soon rounded up and herded. It is a hit of the tine
spiH^ of life for these dare-devil riders to find a
VICIOUS, rehellious, -alecky " youngcritter who ron-
oludes that he won't he rounded up; and no sooner has
the helhgerent shaken his hurlv head, pawed the
eiirth a few times, tuined tail to his pursuers, brok a
thi'ough the skirmish line and sailed awav across the
prairie, than three, four, or p.M-haps half a do/.en cav-
iises, wlio are also now in their elements, aiv headed
for him. Lariats are loosened fioin the saddle horn
spurs rattle as they pierce the Hanks ..f the alreadv
• >•> 1
C l;ri.--iN*.> i.N ill]-: ( AX ADKS
i! !'
Avilliug and eagei' steeds, iiiid theie ensues a wild,
lieadlong, reckless I'ace that can liave but one result.
The steer ma V be fleet ol'l'oot. and mav lead, lhj'()U<;h
a haH'-inilc dash, l)ut soonei; or later is lieachMJ olt"
and tu)iie(l. lie may make a I'resh break inaiiotlier
<lirecti(Hi, but his pursuers are down on him asAain
like a pack ol' liun<iiy Avolves on a stray siie(-i). And
now. as the riders close in on him, thcv belabor him
unmei'cii'ully with their heavy coils of rope, oi' \Nith
I'.'iwhide "(piii'ts" cari'ied for this purpose. If par-
ticidarly wild, ol)stinate, or obsti'eperous, he still
keeps breakiui'' away, and refusiuiji; to come into
cani[). A rii(t(i ulisteiis in the sunlight, whistles
throuuh the ail' and falls over his liead. Another
follows and i)uts a, foot in the stocks. Takinn' two
or three turns of the hiriat around the horn of the
saddle, the men ride mi o])posite directions till the
roiM's <'ome taut, the sti'cr is fairly lifted from the
earth and falls with a dull and thudful sound that
may be heard a hundi'«Ml yards. Then anotlier rope
is thrown ovei' his head, tiie spurs are put to the
faithful ponies, they ai-e transposed for the time into
draft horses, and tiie luckless victim is ignominiously
"snaked'' towai'd the herd, while the other boys
"banu'" him with coils of rope I'lom behind. A few
yards of this mode of tnivel is usuallv sufficient to
tame the wildest lonu-horn Texan on the ran^e, and
a U'w vigorous bellows soon announce an uncondi-
tional surrender. The ropes ai'e then i^aken oil', he
is letup, audit is short work to put him in the herd.
The valiant riders scour the country IuIIkm' and
thither, far and near, ''nathering beef" from east,
west, north, and south. Every hoof found, re»:ard-
iU;
A.VD OTIIKU inXTIXc; ADVK.NTC IJKS.
33o
less of tlio bnnid it bears, or whetli.'i- it Ix-ars .my, is
picked u[) by thisliuiiiaii cycloue and earned aJonn-.
Toward iioon the lierds ahvady oatliered ;,r.' drivni
into the braiidiii- pens, where tliey are eonaled.
Tlie calves are siiatch<'d out and the '*jinij)ti()n is
socked to 'em." as the boysexpr.'ss it. So with any
yearlings or older stock that have esraped the braiuf-
ing--ironin former seasons. One or more irons i'or
eacli owner a.i-e kept hot. and when a I'oper has
'• downed " an animal he oi- the Toreman calls for the
iron wanted, and setting his foot upon th<' victim's
iK'ck places th(3 red-liot deA-ir-eon its i-ibs. and thi-ows
his weight uixm it, leaving a deep, indelibh', and
tune-enduring tra(h'-ina)-k which even li.^ who i-uns
may read. Its ears, dew lap, or the loose skin on its
jaw are then slit and it is turned loose agai-i.
When a band is l)ran(led it is turned out; the
party avIio brought it in change horses, and away
they go for another ]-uii. No special branders are
now provided, every man in the outtit, the cook and
u-rangler excepted, being reqiiiivd to "swallerdusr "
Mild •• wivstle calves- in the pens. Xear the middle
ot the day each st^uad comes in after linishing their
catch, make a run on the niess-wagons and devour
the substantial provender with which they are
loaded, with appetites lu.rn only of the hibo'r and
excitement in which they are engaged.
The afternoon is usually (h'voteirto brandino- the
lastbuncheslmmghtin, ami to -cuttiiiuout,-' return-
ing or throwing over such stock as does not })elon<.
to any of the ranchmen in this distri(;t. Strays are
fre(piently pi(.ked up whose brands show them to be
a hundred miles or more I'rom home. When a mini-
:}:}()
CMUJISIXGS IX THE CASCADKS
' iT
■: I
l)('r of these are collected they are cut out and a
.s(Hiud of men drive them onto tlieii' proper ranges.
This process is called ''throwing ov«'r."
Tlie cooks, teamsters, and wranglers nsnallymove
cani]) up the river every moi'iiing to the next brand-
ing-pen, or to some other spot designated by the
l'oren)an, to which lounders l)ring th(4r cattle during
the day. A portion of the stock collected, called the
"cavoy," is carried along with the camp all tlit^ time
and hei'ded by the '* holdei's," but lai'ge numbj^s
after being branded are bunched and again thrown
off onto the range each day. Thus the outht moves
slowly up the stream, making a clean sweep of every-
thing to the middle of the divides on the east and
west, until tlie Wyoming roundup on the same
stream is met coining down. And now, having com-
l)leted the work in iiand, the outfit breaks up, and
the men return to the respective ranches on which
they are employed or go to other roundups where
their services are needed.
The objeet of the fall ronndu]) is to gather
in and cut out the fat steers and drive them to
the railroad stations for shipment to Eastern
markets. The work being almost entirelv on adult
aninuds is even moi-e laboiious and hazardous
than that of the spring, where the majority of
animals actuallv handled are calves. Hard ridinu'
vigorous "cutting," and daring dashes into head-
strong, i)anic-stricken, stampeding herds are neces-
sary here, and ro[)ing and di'agging out by main
strength are hourly occurrences. Branding-irons
are also carried alonu', and anv calves missed on the
iT'^ ft
spring roundup, or droi)ped after it, are subjected to
AXD OTIIKi: iriXTi.\(; A I»V KXTCKKS. 8;->.7
tlie fiery ordeal, just ms rlieir brotliers and sisters
u-ere at tlie Mayday party.
«tn,y eattle/either calves or ad.ilts, hearing, „o
hraiid and io.md alone or herded with others already
branded, but whose parenta-*, can not be deiinitefv
determined, are calied -Mavericks," and in s„n,;
districts are sold at auction and th. proceeds given
to the school fund. In others, they l)econ,e the
property ot the man or company upon whose ran-e
they are found. This priNileo-e, h.nvever, is sed-^
ously abiis(^d by dishonest ranchmen and cattle
thim^es, ^rllo iufest every Western cattle-growing
district. Ihese men ride out over the ranges at
times when they are not likely to be obsei-ved, carry-
ing their bi-anding-irons along, and rope and bra/id
every animal they can find that does not already
bear a brand. In s<,me ca.ses these are allowed to
remain where found, for the time being, but are
usually driven onto the range claimed by tlie pirate
who does the work. In other instances, these men
hrst drive the unbi-anded stock onto their own
ranges, and then, under cover of the Maverick law
openly chiim and brand it as :heir own. Many
arge herds have been accumulated almost wholly
by this system of thievery, and there are wealthy
(•attlenienin the West to-day who nev.u- bou-dit oV
honestly owned a doz.'u head of the thousands that
bear their brand. A certain cowl,oy, when asked by
an Eastern man what constitutes a .Alaverick, replied-
-Its a calf that you lind and get your brand on
before the owner hnds it and gets his on."
But it is risky business, this cattle stealing, and
many a man who has been caught at it has been left
,1
'11'
"III
H
aiw
riMISl\(iS IX 'IIIK ( ASCADKS
on tlio pi'tiirics as food for tlic coyoics, or lias onia-
Hientcd llic iK^jirest cotton wood ircc until tlicniag-
l)ies and bntchei* birds liavc polislicd liis boiU's.
I^raiidini;' is a decidedly cruel proceed in.ii', and
would doubtless coni(^ uiuler the bane of Mr, Ber<j,h"s
displeasui'o wer<^ he hei'e to witness it. Yet it seems
a necessary evil, tlien^ beinu' no other known means
ol" markini;- cattle so efl'ectuallv and indelibly.
Parties ol" ladies iVeipiently ^o out I'lom the towns
or cities to see the roiindhp, not knowin,^' oi' think-
inu' of the paiid'ul featui'cs of it. 'riicy enjoy the
ride aci'oss the i)rai]'ies and through the valleys. The
l)eautiful scenery, the f>Totes(pie "Bad Lands," the
red, scoria-capi)ed hills, the beautiful gi'een meadows,
and the fringes of green trees that mark the mean-
derings of the streams, all delight and interest
them; they enjoy the disi)lays of horsemanshi]) given
bv the valorous cowbovs as thev wheel and cavort
I at.
hither and thither in pursuit of scuri-ying bands of
cattle; they enjoy the stamjx'ding and wild llight,
the ''knotting'' and "holding" of the large herds,
all so skillfully^ and cleverly performed; they enjoy
the sight of the thousand Jind more loose horses,
grazing and scampering over the plains; they enjoy
the fresh, ]nire air, the wholesome noon repast in
the shade of the great cottonwood trees, and many
other pleasant phases of the alTair, But when the
tire is lit and the murderous irons inserted in it;
when the captive creatures are dragged forth lowing,
murmuring, and})ellowing; when the red-hot iron is
pressed into their quivering, smoking sides until the
air is laden with the odor of burning hair and roast-
ing llesh, and the poor creature writhes and strug-
AND (iiiiKK iir,\ri.\(. Ai>\ i:N'irui:s.
:{:{i)
gles ill its a,U(juy, llit- roiiudiii) is loljbrd of iis
ioniaii(;e, and the ladies arc ivady tu start iur lioiiir
at once.
t^'^Z
\:^