Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-19
CHAPTER I.
THE FOOTHILLS COUNTRY.

40 EYoND the great pralries and
in the shadow of the Rookie:
S-s He the foothills For 900 miles
elss.sssSW the prairies spread themSelve.
out In vast level reaches, and then be
| gin to climb over softly rounded
mounds that ever grow higher ant
| sharper till, here and there. they break
into jagged points and at last :uEt upon
| the great bases of the mighty noun
! tains. These rounded hills that .ioir
the prairies TO the mountains form tb.
foothill country They extend fol-
about hundred miles only. but nc
other hundred miles of the great west
are so full of interest and romance
The natural features of the country
combine the beauties of prairie and OF
mountain scenery. There are valleys
so wide that the farther side melts into
the horizon. and uplands so vast rs
to suggest the unbroken prairie. Nearer
the mountains the valleys dip deep and
ever deeper till they narrow into can
yons through which mountain torrents
pour their blue gray waters from
glaciers that lie glistening between the
white peaks far away.
Here are the great ranges on which
feed herds of cattle and horses. Here
are the homes Of the ranchmen. in
whose wild, free, lonely existence there
mingles much Of the tragedy and
comedy, the humor and pathos. that so
to make up the romance of life. Among
them are to be found the most enter
prising. the most daring. of the peoples
of the old lands. The broken, the out
cast, the disappointed-these too have
found their way to the ranches among
the foothills. A country it is whose
suniit hills and shaded valleys reflect
themselves in the lives of its people,
for nowhere are the contrasts of light
and shade more wildly seen than in
the homes of the raRchmen Of the AL
bertas.
The experiences Of my life have con-
firmed in me the orthodox conviction
that Providence sends his rain upon
the evil as upon the good; else l should
never have set my eyes upon the foot
hill country. nor touched its fascinating
life, nor come to know and love the
most Striking man of all that group Of
striking men of the foothill country
the dear old Pilot. as we came to call
him long afterward My first year in
college closed in gloom. My guardian
was In despair. From this distance
Of years pity him. Then considered
him unnecessarily concerned about me
"a fussy old hen" as one Of the boys
Dale, distant cousin. to spend sum-
mer with him on his ranch in south
Alberta came in the nick of time.
was wild to go. My guardian hesitated
long, but no other solution of the prob
lem Of my disposal offering, he finally
agreed that could not we'll get into
more trouble by going than by staying.
Hence it was that, in the early sum
mer of one Of the eighties, found my
self attached to Hudson Bay com
Dany freight train, making our way
from a little railway town in Montana
toward the Canadian boundary.
Our train consisted of six wagons
and fourteen yoke Of oxen, with three
,ayuses, in charge OF French half
breed and his son, n lad of about six
cen We made slow enough progress,
out every hour OF the long day, from
he dim, gray, misty light Of dawn to
he soft glow of sladowy evening, was
'ull Of new delights to me. On the
Of the third day we reached
he line Stopping Place, where Jack
Dale met us. remember well how my
leart beat with admiration OF the
Easy grace with which he sailed down
lpon us in the loose jOinted cowboy
style, swinging his own bronco and
he little cayuse he was leading for me
nto the circle Of the wagons, careless
# ropes and freight and other i'm
,edimenta He flung himself off before
lis bronco had come to stop and gave
ne grip that made me sure OF my
Welcome 1t was years since he had
cen man from home, and the eager
oy in his eyes told of long days and
lights of lonely yearning for the old
lays and the old faces.
| came to understand this better aft
r nay two years stay among these
ILLS that have q strange power on |
ONE days to waken in q man longings |
hat make his heart grow sick. When
upper was over we gathered about the |
title fire while Jack and the half |
freed smoked and talked. l lay on my |
Jack looking up at the pale, steady |
tars in the deep blue of the cloudless
ky and listened in fullneSs of con-
cntcd delight to the chat between Jack
nd the driver. Now and then asked
question. but not too often. 1t is
stening silence that draws tales from
western man, not vexing questions.
his much | had learned already from
~ three days travel. So l lay and
stoned, and the tales Of that night are
Mingled with the warm evening lights
nd the pale stars and the thoughts of
ONE that Jacks coming seemed to
ring.
Next morning before sunup we had
roken camp and were ready for our
fly mile ride. There was slight driz-
lie OF rain and, though rain and shine
,ere alike to him. Jack insisted that L
hould wear my macintosh. This gar