Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-10-03
Written for the AyANT COURIER
The Yellowstone, as Seen,
BY j. Y. BOGERT.

The writer had never before Travelled
alone over a wild country; and being
shOrtsighted. had often wondered, in the
want of selfcontidence usual with :. glass.
eyed people," how he would s. get along y
should be ever attempt such trip. Con-
sequcptly, he st:rted from Fort Custer
early one morning fill Of apprehens' on
and as ignorant regarding the compass as
any other halfpilgrim, half-pioneer. Al
though on the way down he had attempt
ed to photograph the scattered land marks
upon his mind, that he might not 60
astray upon his return; and. notwitl-
standing dozen friends pointed out the
way before he left Custer and crossed the
Big Horn-the very first thing he did was
to lose the road. His land marks al. looked
alike, and to save his soul not tree or a
rock or a bush or a creek could he recog-
nize as one he had ever seen before. But
soon, necessity sharpening his sight and
time and distance bringing confidence, the
road was regained, and all went Alright
until the Sweetgrass Canyon was reached.
This beautiful defle - narrow. quiet,
closed in BY trees, a deep fern and pine
Hinged gulch running beside the trail and
gioomily lighted through the arc!ing
brancles-is suggestive Of Indians, am
bushes, scalps and tomahawks. True, we
had pistol; but of What use is pistol
to shOrt-sighted man who never even
shot cat, and upon whom the sight of an
Indian would precipitate a severe attack
of ''buck'' fever? Another thing. the pis-
tol belt had cliafed our unaccustomed hips.
and the troublesome thing had been un-
buckled and strapped upon the oyercoat
carried behind the saddle. OF course. no
one but tool or green-horn would do
such thing as that, and had we been
''jumped'' we might not now be recording
our folly. Still, as no mishap occurred,
we yet live.
Reaching fine cold spring that drips
its delicious water over a rocky shelf at
the bottom of a grade, where clustering
trees and matted vines shield out the sun |
and produce an almost eventide gloom at
MONDAY, we picketed our horse and stop
ped for lunch. The tin cup was scarcely
filled and but one bite of cracker munched
when suddenly, with tremendous slap
upon the lack, some one startlinyly cried.
" How" Wejumped eight (S) feet! Nor
have we ever seen that tin cup since. And
as we ''riz-up" from the tree we had fallen
against, we beheld three grinning Indians
standing by the pool. eating our crackers
and yelling with laughter between the biz
gest bites we ever saw.
1t seemed no pleasant dilemma. hut a
frightened man, we presume, rapidly re-
gains presence of mind in such a case.
and as with the boy who whistles to keen
his courage up, we began to talk.
"Bannack p we whispered.
NO" A roar OF laughter here.
'.Siouxy'
NO" Two roars here.
"Crow?''
"fes." A perfect hurricane of roars
here.
That restored us. We swore to ourself
we hadn't been frightened at all. and adj
vancing and shaking hands and producing
our bottle (which was drained of the last
irop before the third Indian could get
aste), we all sat down and had a talk.
they were going to hunt somewhere,
we're good Indians-knew Father Pe.,se. -
If course. end supplemented the confer
nee by producing lunch OF jerked meat
md that horrible stuff called penlmican.
This over, they departed. but We were
for the day, and s.1w savages in
very bush until we reached the cation. II
The route from Sweetgrass to Stille aterl
les over an extremely diversified region .
he country is rolling and well-grassed
he bottoms along the Yellowstone and I
Inc White Beavers are lined with cotton
wood, and in all directions the stock
ange merits the verdict Of Doane and
dcClelnand: unsurpassed" Here and
here streams come gurgling from the
DOT hills, and wild and interesting coun-
~ engages attention until saltwater is
eared. Beyond it some twelve miles is
he new Crow Reserve. which time did not
low US to visit, while the beautiful bot
ON composed of magnificent grass and
gricultural land suddenly springs upon
he view as the road. skirting the here
road and deep yellow stone, suddenly
urns into the valley. This important To-
ation nestles beside the river st tie foot
I h:gh-grassed and rocky hills; It win
6pport many ranches, and y already par