The courier., 1899-08-12

cloud will pass of to the other eide, you
can go through a country where hail
has ruined the crops and return home
to find that II has rained half the time
while you were gone and to enjoy very
soon another terrific storm-you can do
all this If luck is with you. A big stove
and good frewood is something OF a
convenience, too. on the last night Of
July, II 1t is frosty, and clothes hung up
to dry freeze stiff as boards. This the
good people OF the ranch furnished US,
as well as sugar for our coffee, which
was one OF the ct ceteras we left out.
A log house sci down at the foot OF hig b
green hills and shut il with just a
square OF sky above is the picture we
have Of our first camping place. The
good mother told ue, among other
things, that in September. perhaps,
there would be school opened ia new
house we had passed up the canyon, and
that the children, nearly all OF them
big boys and girls. would at last have q
chance to learn something. They raise
hay and bale it to sell at Lead, which
they call seventeen miles away.
The way to compute distance in the
Hills, however, is to multiply the figures
given by two, and allow also, in quee-
tions of time, for the bad roads. Lead
City is long, long way from the Mer.
out hay ranch. 1t is the most atrocious
road, just now at least, though I hope it
is not always go full OF ruts and
mud holes. And yet this ia one OF the
places you should not miss il you 90
overland through these Hills. For all
the way down this wild canyon, among
the great tall epruces, a lovely splashipg
stream keeps you cheerful company,
fighting it's way down, down to the
crossing where you ford it and leave it
to go on it's way as the Spearfish river.
For the little rill We quenched our
thirst at is only the beginning OF the
most considerable stream OF the Hills,
and this canyon of the execrable wagon
road is called the Big Spearfieh canyon.
We travelled less than mile in the
dewy GOODNESS Of the morning before
the little brook, which. after the custom
OF mountain streams, sinks under
ground for some distance, came up
again much reinforced and spread out
in the valley very beautifully. inviting
kodak pictures. suppose few Of the
sight seers who have exploited the
wonders Of what they call the Spearflsh
canyon have ever visited this end OF the
canyon. 1t is perhaps just as we'll that
the place is not made boulevard, for
there are few places 10 pass teams in
the awful roads. Yet this valley is
really prettier than the world famous
one, whore no wagon road at all
leads; there are good camping places.
plenty Of fish. ] suppose, and they say
that il you are very quiet you eau often
catch glimpse Of the red deer. Even
here, though, the everlasting attempt
to utilize the water is in evidence.
Away up on steep cliffs above you will
see, il you look closely, sections Of old
wooden fluming. How it ever was
placed there you can hardly imagine,
and 1t seems that soms lives must have
been lost in the attempt. but there it is
old and unused, suggestive OF other
wrecks and monuments OF foolishly ex.
pended capital seen near or in every
city OF the land, suppose. Perhaps
the river objected to changing its voca-
tion OF simply being beautiful and
snarklinn for fha sordid nna Of fnrninn