Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-04-10
WILSON'S LETTERS.
Up the YeII0AstOme.-A Frosty Morn.
ing.--kOughing IL ON u stage
COach.-A .slshautOm''
Drfver.-POmPey's
Pillar.

Ia Driver.-Pompey's
he Pillar.
IA. A bright morning in the latter part {
IT. November. while the band is playing ft
ne guard mount. we bid adieu to Fort KeOg
ig and start on our journey to Boze,nan. Th
s level stretch Ofprarie and the camp OF II
ar dian scouts are soon passed and mOmen
m iater we are crossing the clear waters G
y the Yellowstone. Now, the reader VIII
s has once Travelled this read With us slowl
re shall not find the return trip 50 tedious, 70
2 in almost no time, he will have crosse,
, hills and villeys, fought a snow storm al
is day and arrived safely at Porcupine ST 'tion
> The morning following we are treateI It
j. one of those magnificent displays which al
j. this season are not unusual. The sun has
e just risen and the valley is Respondent.
e During the hours of the night Jack Frost
e has been at work and his work has been
0 well done. The cottonwoods which line the
a river are ablaze with light. Each limb
ard twig and stem is richly studded Will,
git'cring crystals, the whole completing a
vast bouquet Of frosty beauty. The long
yellow grass of the prairie is bent to earth
and tied with silver strands. The long.
slender stems of the sand grass bend in
graceful curves beneath their weight Of
: brilliants. The clots of bunch grass have
become clusters of deiicate. sparkling featli-
ers. The messy buffalo grass is vast
cushion. scanned with cleaning gems.
The telegraph line. which but the day be-
fore was swung from pole to pole by the
boys in blue. hangs in air a slender thread
of light. flashing back the glory of the
morning. Blu, fairer than them all are the
sturdy stalks of the sun-ilower. whose
long yellow arms are clothed in sheeny err
mine. fit each to be the wand of an en-
chaniress. Thus does nature to-day atone
for her sully humor of yesterday. And.
now. booted, spurred and mounted. we
are off and IL moment later arrive at S!er-
man.
AT this point we are to take tn,
coach and stage it over to Bakers Battle
Ground. The distance is eighty miles and
the trip is supposed to be made in twelve
hours. James McPartlain. our driver, is
familarIy known as the "Phantom."
Two years ago il was impossible to trav-
ell in this section of the valley except in
large parties or by those o. great expert
ence in the habits OF Indians and in ood-
craft. For his wonderful dexterity in ap-
proaching party unseen and rs suddenly
disappearing among canyons and r.vines
t.af trix e =,
said that Oh one occasion the "Plantom''
gave chase to buffalo with the stage
coach. much to the detrinent of the coach:
but on genera! principles he is known to ,
be a properly behaved and we'll regulated
spirit. S
Our team consisted of couple of small
bronclios. poor and thin. that had been I
at work and for three weeks had (
had no grain. AS Il consequence we did
not make very rapid progress. The road
lay over rough country, cut up by num-
berless ravines and in many places sprink- r
led with pine timber. Hour after hour we b
toiled along. When going down hill the C
horses were able to trot Il little. when on a d
level they walked. when going up hill we Il
all walked. BY sunset we had reached Il
Buffalo Station, having accomplished dis h
lance of serenteea miles. \ change of il
horses was made at this place and. strange
is it may seem. the change was for the
worse. The first team conld trot down
ill, but these could not even do that A l;
low walk was all that could he hoped for, t.
md frequently it became necessary to stop eI
md let them rest. 81
We walked slowly over the prairie m
i'll midnight when it became evident HI
hat the. poor brutes could go no Of
urther, and the only alternative was to II
top and go into camp. After much STUN
ling about in the dark niche was found
n a towering ledge of rock. protected in
ront by large boulders which broke the p;
rind and in case of necessity would be of OF
reat service as means of defence. Here be
re could lie protected from the rain should bt
he threatened storm burst upon us. The til
Orses were turned loose upon the prairie "
nd We prepared to make ourselves as COM &c
,rtable as circumstances would permit. ia
A small fire was built which, as we were
thoroughly chilled. was very grateful. As ~
n appetizer fifteen hours ride over the
rs'irie is perhaps without an equal, and to ~,
~ that We were hungry would hardly de- :"
:ribe it. To a remark that 4 lunch would ~,
e most an excellent thing our comrade "
piled that there was ''plenty tor supper"
Ie were d'lie'hted and our hungry imagi- -;
alton Immediately saw couple OF biscuit -. ,.:
hiclI the fOrethought OF the driver had =.
applied. Momentarily we expected to ~
,e him make move for tile pocket of his :"
reat coat, but he sat quietly before the
re, pulling away at his pipe and comfort
bly, chatting his hands. Haven't got 49,,
uch!' We finally inquired. 20, yes. ~ ~;
enty." he replied. The morrow was y
No school boy. we are W.
rtan. in all our land anticipated roast =,
rkey with more enthusiasm than We did = -.
e prospective biscuit. But still the sup -, no
y was not forthcoming. We tried to APP NV, -.
ar Indifferent. but it was future. FL :"
lily. we could stand it no longer. "Well,
hat have you got. anyhow.' The Spirit
lzed serenely into the fire, as he remarked.
,now-balls - -"
The fire was now put out. as we did not cor
re to take the small chance of attracting
pheasant visitors. In this same ledge of ,,.s
cks. eighteen months ago, a herler stood a.;
thirteen Indians halt a day and in the ,.,s
gilt escaped to the Battle Ground.
Fortunately. we have. besides our great
ats. two robes with which to make bed. stF
Ir rifles are loaded and placed within r
sy reach and we soon "turn in" At first III,
feels a little chilly. bu. the Phantom . -
dates heat like a furnace. and in his ia
eltering presence we are soon comfort ,,,r
lie and obliviOus to all things. With the M,
st sign Of day our camp is in motion. m.
The spectral horses are attached to the Ind
arh. the Phantom mounts the seat and on
e ghOstly ''Outfit'' moves slowly away rio,
e thoroughly discouraged funeral pro str,