The indicator., 1904-09-03
CHAPTER I.
rHr FOOTHILLS COUNTRY,

ES 1EYOND the great prairies and
|Ih in the shadow Of the Rockies
|@ lie the foothills. For 300 miles
the prniries spread themselves
ri In vast level reaches. and then be-
IN to climb over softly rounded
bounds TINT ever grow higher and
harper till, here and there. they break
INTO Jagged points md at last rest upon
he great bases Of the mighty noun
hins. These rounded hills that Join
ne pralries TO the mountains form the
bothill country. They extend for
about hundred miles only. but no
sther hundred miles Of the great west
arr so fulI OF interest and romance.
The natural features OF the country
nmbInc the beauties of prairie and of
nouutaln scenery. There are valleys
n wide that the farther side melts Into
the horizon. and uplands 80 vast rs
N suggest the unbroken prairie. Nearer
tbe mountains the valleys dip deep and
ever deeper till they narrow into can
yons through which mountain torrents
pour their blue gray waters from
rlaciers that lie glistening between the
white peaks far away.
Here are the great ranges on which
Ted herds of cattle and horses. Here
! are the homes of the ranchmen, in
whose wild, free, lonely existence there
pIngles much OF the tragedy and
comedy. the humor and pathos, that go
10 make up the romance of life. Among
them are TO be found the most enter
prisng. the most daring. OF the peoples
M the old lands. The broken, the out
east. the lsappointed-thcse too have
found their way to the ranches among
the foothills. A country 1t Is whose
unlit hills and shaded valleys reflect
tbemselvcs In the lives of its people,
for nowhere are the contrasts of light
and shade more wildly seen than In
he homes Of the ranchmen of the Al
bertas.
The experiences OF my life have con-
trmed In me the orthodox conviction
hat Providence sends his rain upon
the evil as upon the good; else should
never have set my eyes upon the foot
hill country. nor touched It's fascinating
HE, nor come to know and love the
most striking man of all that group Of
sinking men of the foothill country
The dear old Pilot, as we came to call
Inn long afterward. My first year In
college closed in gloom. My guardian
vas 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
suggested. The invitation from Jack
Dale a distant cousin. to spend sum
ner with him on his ranch in south
Alberta came In the nick of time. l
vas wild to go. My guardian hesitated
long, but no other solution of the prob
km Of my disposal Offering, he finally
agreed that l could not well 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
elf attached to a Hudson Bay com
pany freight train, making our way
from a little railway town In Montana
tuward the Canadian boundary.
Our train consisted OF six wagons
md fourteen yoke Of oxen. with three
eyuses. in charge of a French half
beeed and his son. lad of about six
tssn. We made slow enough progress,
hst every hour Of the long day, from
ne dim, gray, misty light of dawn to
ths soft glow Of shadowy evening, was
full Of new delights to me. On the
sveuing Of the third day we reached
me line Stopping Place. where Jack
Dale met US. remember well how my
Heart beat with admiration Of the
sasy grace with which he sailed down
upon us in the loose jointed cowboy
sQle, swinging his own bronco and
the little cayuse he was leading for me
INTO the circle Of the wagons, careless
q ropes and freight and other I'm
pedimenta. He flung himself OF before
nls bronco had come to n stop and gave
me grip that made me sure of my
Welcome. II was years since he had
eeen man from home. and the eager
10y in his eyes told of long days and
nights Of lonely yearning for the Old
days md the old faces.
came to understand this better aft
e my two years' stay among thses
nlls that have strange power on
some days to waken In man longings
that make his heart grow sick. When
supper was over we gathered about the
little fire while Jack and the half
breed smoked and talked. l lay on my
pack looking up at the pale, steady
stars in the deep blue Of the cloudless
sky and listened in fullness Of con-
tented delight to the chat between JACK
aud the driver. Now and then asked
question, but not too often. 1t is .
listening silence that draws tales from
western man, not vexing question:
ihis much had learned already from
my three days travel. 30 lay and
listened, and the tales Of that night are
mingled with the warm evening lights
and the pale stars and the thoughts OF
nome that Jacks coming seemed -
bring.
Next morning before sunup we had
osoken camp and were ready for our
ulV mile ride. There was slight drts-
Ae Of rain and, though rain and shine
we're alike to him, Jack insisted that
mould wear my macintosh. This gar
ment was quite new and had loose
ope which rustied as l moved toward
" cayuse. He was an ugly looking