Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1872-02-08

4 vi Iue uiouutdlu plntS, WHOSE DOugnS We're
waved by the gentle winds of Spring, which
had just come to touch with their warm breath
I these icy regions, and then fly away to leave
them in solitude to the resuming sway of win
ter Spring flowers, whose bloom had long
! since disappeared in the lower regions, here
| were beginning to unfold their tiny blossoms,
| and gave to the scene touch of fairy land.
| We cast q glance over the outlines of this
! bed of mountains, whose peaks on peaks
faded away in the distant perspective, and
then rushed into the pine regions, to cut down
to our basin, or the next canyon-we did not
know which. We climbed the tallest pines
we could find to prospect the country in ad-
vance, but pines and other pines loomed up
equally tall to intercept our view, and blind
us as to the future, concerning which we were
so solicitous.
| Giving up the idea of erial exploration, we
pushed our way to another canyon. Sliding
our horses down precipitous declivites, leap
ing fallen trees of gigantic proportions, we
made the final descent by sheer slide of
about seventy feet to the bottom. 1t was
amusing to see the horses laden with our traps
get their four feet together and glide down a
smooth rock, just as though 1t were an every
day performance. r. a. IF :. ST. n il
Here we tied up our horses, as nograss was
at hand to pasture them, and fed them, bread
to stay their stomachs for more abundant
supply. That night mule got loose and ate
up seven loaves of bread to atone for its scanty
supper. .,. .ri ,,,,t.. , : .
| Again we mounted a ridge, and again made
similar descent to creek, whose banks
were lined with alders and the surface of the
ground was covered with what we called
"devils clubs" in ignorance of the proper
botanical name. This plant, with stem of
about an inch in diameter, grows to height
of from 10 to 80 inches, and its broad coarse
leaves and stems are covered from the ground
up with needle-like spines, which say all the
| time, "Touch me not" We were all stung
by this villainous contrivance of the vegetable
kingdom, and set about their destruction un-
spairingly. We cut them down, cleared them
away, and by night we had our camp made.
The bright fires danced among the trees,
Illuminated their trunks and boughs in red re-
lief against the background of the night !;
songs and stories of the field, or of adventure
were told, as is usual when old prospectors
travel together; and the tinkling bells of the
horses searching for grass on the sides of the
precipitous canyons added sort of music to
the tout ensemble. e..
The following day reconnaissance was
made to determine our future course, and as
our guide was in favor of continuing our north
course, the party rather reluctantly began to
cut through dense forest of small pines, so
thickly set that one could only pass between
the trees by squeezing through sideways; and
the dead dry twigs, almost like thorns, threat
ened to tear our clothing into shreds. To cut
through this was slow and laborious Two
of us, tired of the job struggled of, and TAX
ing the ravine in which we had camped,
struck down it, and in three miles reached its
mouth. hoa,l s. = ''H..;'to - .'j9t 9lli 81
[ A swiftly flowing river, about seventy yards
wide, unexpectedly appeared. It. ran about
south by west over bottom of gravel and
boulders, each individual stone clearly seen
through its crystal waters. On its farther
bank q precipitous bluff, about q hundred
feetihigh. extended up and down as far as we
could see; and over the top of this, cleaning
through the. trees, we could see the ragged
summit of peak, not far distant, but of great
elevation We were sure that from that peak
all the mysteries of this region would be un-
veiied, but it being too late in the day to
attempt its assent we gazed for awhile up and
down and into the rippling waters filled with
the beautiful wildness of this sunknown region,
and then returned to inform our companions
of our discovery. Discomfort was manifest,
caused, no doubt, by the wearing labors of
the day, and some vowed they would not
chop another lick. We told them of the
river and the bald peak beyond, and our pro-
position to go there the next day and view
the country around, was unanimously adopted,
and all hands would await our report. Pack
ing up days rations and blankets to help
our sleep, we started at early dawn, went to
the crystal river, and then ours were the first
feet of white men that ever troubled its
waters or climbed its mountain bordered
shores; and this thoughtitself, in its delicious
Reorganization, is worth the enduring of
many hardships to thoroughly enjoy. We
did not sit down to muse upon the scene, but
slowly toiled up the steep elevation; slowly
rose to the limits of vegetation, and finally
reached up to its tip-top, and stood there
above with nature In all its majesty. Il H..
r.