Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-15
R0MANCEO OF INDIAN PASS

|
Were Won never IN Indian Pass? Then
let me tell You oft:
! Seventy miles west by south from Dem
yer, the trail from Fairplay Road crosses
a great spur of the great Rocky range,
a. it runs toward Sunrise Valley, and it's
highest point, whore it runs along the
face Of q stupendons precipice, path
way FIVE feet wide, with thousand
wards of sheer descent to the valleys
bottom, upon the one hand and q half
q thousand upward to the beetling, dizzy
mountain summit upon the other, is In
dian Pass. .... ...-
From it one may view the whole wild
country; Logg's Peak to the north,
Pixies Peak to the south, the Giants
Castle, the DEVILS Ledge, the long line
of Bloody Rocks and the PARKWAY sea-
ike level of the plains to the east; at
your feet Sunrise Valley, with cluster
Of settlers cabins, but all else nature,
rugged and unbroken-the heart of the
Rocky Mountains.
| Mountaineers and Indians ride through
the pass; tourists and strangers walk,
and shudder as they gaze.
! In Sunrise Valley lived three families
the Donaldsons, Jeromes and Turner's
| all Americans. They had found home
there years before, and were engaged in
embarrassing and hunting. Their mar
ket was by the south road to Pueblo.
Seldom it happened that they crossed
Indian Pass, and yet in case Of necessity
i it was available rs the nearest route to
the world without. 8E#
| Among this little colony and members
of it were Jennie Donaldson, girl of
eighteen, and Ralph Jerome, a man of
twenty-five and her lover.
! That this should be so seemed right.
! They were the only Young people in the
valley; they had known each other for
years. Ralph was a brave hunter, q
thorough hunter, a tender and true
man; Jennie was II beautiful mountain
girl. Their love was as natural as the
world about; and as pure and sweet.
Yet, simple children that they were, no
word of this had ever passed between
them. They rode together, walked TO-
gether, sometimes worked together, and
Jerome always galloped across the three
miles that separated their homes to see
old Sim Donaldson on Sunday eve, and
sit with him in the cleaning, talking
of cattle, and peltries, and wood life,
while Jennie fitted about near them, or
sat ut her fathers feet; but no promise
had been sought nor given-their love
satisfied them,
Matters stood thus when, on Septem-
Der day, stranger rode into the little
park and offered Ralph Jerome the
chance of his life, to act as guide for a
United States survey party about to
start through the mountains for the
South.
81 learn that you are thoroughly ac-
quainted with this REGION" said Capt.
Judson, "and want you. The work
will occupy you fully two years, with
both field and office duties, and if you
prove yourself capable, will be but a
stepping-stone to something better.
Will you gow
And Ralph, his face suddenly bright
ening with the realization Of his dream
of years, said:
eyes"
He babe old Sim Donaldson goodbye
that highland Jennie. And after the
father had disappeared within the cabin
door, leaving the two young people
alone without, almost unconsciously
Ralph drew the girl to his heart and
held her there one blissful moment;
then, as if shocked at his own audacity,
he kissed her and put her away.