River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-09-15

" w III ~ L was our last
I'm GI lie Isl day in camp,
IN VII II III and while the
final prepare
tions for break
ing up We're in
progress we started out on trip To the
post Office. We had also planned lit
tie private excursion to the Indian bat
tie ground on the opposite side Of the
river. y hich. just here in front of the
tent, went rushing along over its rocky
bed with the roar of a cataract. Ford
ing was impossible. and the nearest
bridge was three miles away
II was a grand October morning The
stOrmclOuds of the night before were
settling down behind the gray peaks in
the north, while the western hills were
all ablaze with the rays of the rising
sun. Away up in the northeastern
slopes the snow that had fallen during
the night marked the courses Of the
gulches and canyons in white zigzag
lines, while above them all. with its
suggestive symbol, pure as purity,
stretched out between the heavens and
the earth. lowered the Mount of the
Holy Cross.
The past office. a small addition To a
small lOg house. stood in the center of
a corral Long before We reached il
we could see the sign. with its tall
white letters ON "a black ground reach
ing nearly tine height of the building.
We were met at the gate by couple of
ferOciOus wolf hounds. who snarled
and growled, and displayed their long
yellow teeth in a very threatening
manner. We closed the gate and wait
ed for further developments. Soon a
small tow-headcd girl came out of the
house, and with judicious application
of horse whip sent Uncle Sans
guardians flying right and left
They won't hurt We. missus," she
said. ''They's only foolin," and then
she ran around tine corner of the house
Shouting impatiently:
''Come ma. SOmeun's here"
The postmistress was up to her ell
bows in the washtub that stood in the
shade Of a cottonwood tree near the
back door She stripped the suds from
her muscular arms. and, smooth
ing her flying hair with her soapy
hands, she twisted IL into a knot and
fastened il with the knitting needle
that she held between her teeth Civ
ing her damp skirts shake. she
pulled down her wrin5led sleeves,
wiped her face and hands on her cling
ham apron. and stepped behind the
short slab counter that stood in one
corner of the room
The mail. which was brought twice a
week from the nearest town, forty
miles away, had just arrived She
spilled the contents of a small wooden
box On the counter and allowed rs to
select orr own. when we started out on
our excursion and the postmistress re-
turned tO her waShtub.
The valley widened nj the bridge,
making room for the low log school
house. where the brave little school
ma'am was drilling the half dozen Pu-
pills in the multiplication table. Their
shrill voices foated out through the
open windows and followed Us a we
crossed the bridge and started up the
Indian trail IL wound along the side
II the almost perpendicular mountain.
Al tlmes several hundred feet above the
river. Possibly Il might have been "A
safe thortughfare for the mOccasined
feet of the natives. hut we worked our
way along slowly and painfully. scarce
" daring 20 look down from the dizzy
heights. half expecting that each mo-
ment would find rs tobogganing down
one Of tine landslide tracks. Now and
then loose rock wouId slip from under
our feet and start DOWN. ard. blowing
up the earth aud rocks and trees in its
way, the whole mass gathering force
rs it rushed along. until at last. in the
midst Of a cloud of dust, it would strike
the water with a great splash
Il Is rare sport To start the rocks
rolling down the walls of deep gulch
or canyon. but fine of fifty dollars
makes 1t rather expensive.
The battle ground Is ON a mesa over
looking magnificent spread Of scenery.
The mountains rise tier on tier above
the winding valleys in every direction.
The low foothills bordering the willow
friuged banks of the river were all
abIaze with the frost-tinted foliage.
Behind them the points and peaks
arose. covered with sage brush. cedar
and piuon. with the rocks, in brown aud
gray, red and yellow. cropping out in
all SORTS of fantastic shapes Above all
these are the snow-covered Hat tops.
reaching far away many hundreds Of
miles into wyoming and Utah.
The battle ground Il covered with
huge brown, porous lava rocks. which
the Indians used for breastworlSS IL
was here that the first skirmi>h of the
I te outbreak took place four years ago.
A band Of Indians had left their new
reservation and returned To their old
camping grounds when the hunting
season arrived. The trouble BEGAN
when party Of cowboys demanded the
surrender Of one of the braves. whom
they accused of horse stealing. The
state troops were called ont: several
were killed and wounded ON both sides;
the Indians were routed and followed
for some distance, when they were re
infOrced and bloody battle took place
All around US were signs Of their
hasty flight The slender tepee poles.
stripped of their covering. We're scat
tered over the ground The charred
remnants OF their camp fires. the
bleached bones Of the game they had
killed and eaten, AMI the little patches
of yellow deer hair, where they had
tanned their buchskin. were all proofs
of their simple. industrious home life
Tatsered remnants Of blankets and
clothing and moldy gunnysacEs dec
orated the shrubs and rocks
We had become 81 interested IN our
rambles among these deserted firesides
that we forgot all about the Wild cattle
that we're feeding on the hillsides- Il
was the season of the annual round
up. The level spot around the school
house and bridge was the branding
ground and :he cowboys We're closing
IN on the herds until the mountains
were covered with a moving mass of
hoofs and horns.
We were not aware of our danger