Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-11-28
A RAMBLE.
THE TRIBUNE.

The day was Dealt11ui. ine flcl
glow Of a September sun crowned the
vine-clad hills and dimpled the val
leys. It was one those clear, still
days when Nature united all her har-
monies in one grand hymn of thanks
giving unto Him who gave birth to
nations, and whose eye is over all.
This day of all others is the M me-
mortal day in which I was ushered
into this beautiful world, and as it
annually rolls around [ often seek a
secluded spot and give myself entire
ly over to meditation.
Our camp was situated on q small
tributary of the Big Horn river. Sep
tember 2, 1877, I shouldered my Win
chester and stole quietly away from
camp. I had travelled far up the
mountain and over many beautiful
parks matted with thick tufts Of bunch
grass, among which grew thousands
of fragrant flowers. The cactus was
in full bloom and the roses Of purple
and pink out shown their neighbor in
brightness; the service berries were
hanging in purple clusters and clus-
tiers of wild plums We're to be seen at
short intervals. [ had wandered o.
some distance when I suddenly found
myself face to face with an almost
impenetrable forest of evergreen and
mountain spruce. [ went on, push
ing my way my way into its foliage
passed on [ was amazed at the soft
carpet which yielded under my feet
like down. The growth Of pine cones
and bows of a dozen years lay in one
brown mass beneath me. How chang
ed in there! The rays Of the sun had
not penetrated the foliage for years
gone by. Those tall, stately trees
stood like a mighty army awaiting
some dreaded foe; not a leaf stirred;
not a chirp of the Mountain thrush;
even the little red squirrel was no
where to be seen. The situation be
came painful, and [ could hear my
own breathing. | moved slowly on;
the tall trees, like sentinels, stirred
not, but seemed to grow taller. Their
trunks were limbless full eighty feet
high and their tops we're entwlned and
woven together like network. | stood
before a large fallen tree, where a
bear had furrowed out a large hole
underneath. to shelter himself from
the winters blasts, What a cave!
Large stones we're unearthed and
many were still within. Bones and
skeletons Of animals lay scattered
around, showing this to be their home.
I was meditating on Robinson Cru
soe's lonely life and felt SUI [ was
alone in the dense wilderness, when a
shrill cry above me, which made the
cold chills run over me, told me [ was
an intruder. Far Q me, pefched
on a dead limb, sat a bald eagle with
his head dropped below his shoulders,
his head turned to one side a large,
bright eye scanning me from head to
foot. I could see his large claws
grasping the limb, as he bent over to
e me. He gave another series of
screams and moved farther out on his
perch to get a better view of me. His
last call brought another to his side,
much darker in color and larger, and
when he perched himself on the limb
it almost broke under the weight.
Then they both began to abuse me.
They would scream, flop their wings,
run up and down the limb as though
meditating an attack. Il g a NOR
tai felt out Of place / surely did and
T turned and started along the base
Of the mountain, when they shouted
all kinds Of slang at me, such as:
"Sneak off" ssshoot the hat" take a
tumble and many other things they
don't say in church. I felt relieved
when once out of their sight and
hearing. [ soonleft the dense timber