The Marshall republican., 1906-04-06
CHAPTER T.
THE FOOTHILLS COUNTRY.

- lie the foothills. For 900 miles
C3 the prairies spread themselves
nut In vast level reaches. and then be-
gin 10 climb over softly rounded
. ounds that ever grow higher and
sharper ill. here and there. they break
into jagged points and at last rest upon
the great bases OF the mighty noun.
t1ins. These rounded hills that join
the prniries TO the mountains form the
about n hundred miles only. but no
other hundred miles Of the great west
are 80 full Of interest and romance.
The natural features Of the country
combine the beauties Of prairie and Of
mountain scenery. There are valleys
80 wide that the farther side melts into
the horizon. and uplands NO vast as
10 suggest the unbrokcn prairie. Nearer
the mountains the valleys dip deep and
ever deeper I'LL they narrow into can.
yons through which mountain torrents
pour their blue gray waters from
glaciers that lie gllstening between the
white peaks far away.
Here nre 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
mlnglcs much Of the tragedy and
comedy. the humor aud pathos. that go
10 make M the romance OF life. Among
them are 10 he found the most enter
prlslng. the most daring. Of the peoples
OF the old lands. The broken. the out.
cast. the Observation-Disclosures too have
found their way 90 the ranches among
the foothills. a country II ls whose
sunlit hills aud shaded valleys reflect
themselves In the lives Of It's people.
for nowhere nrc the contrasts OF light
and shade more wildly seen than In
the homes OF the rnnchmcn Of the Al.
bcrtaH.
The experiences OF my life have con.
firmcd In me the orthodox conviction
TINT Providence sends his rain upon
the evil IN upon the good: else | should
ncvcr have set my eyes upon the foot.
hill country. o touched lts fascinating
life. nor come 20 know and love the
most striking man OF all that group OF
striking men OF the foothiil country
the dear old Pilot, nv We came 10 call
him long afterward. My first year Ia
college closed In gloom. My guardian
was In despair. From this distance
OF years ! pity him. Then ! considered
him unnecessarily concerned about me
IA fussy old hen" M one OF the boys
suggested. The invitation from Jack
Dale. a distant cousin. to spend n sum.
mer with him on his ranch IN south
Alberta came In the nick OF time. I
was wild 10 go. My guardian hesltntcd
long. hut no other solution OF the prob
lem OF my disposal Offering. lie finally
agreed that I could not well get into
more trouble by going thnn by staying.
Hence Il was that. In the early sum.
OF u OF the eighties. I found my
self attached to n Hudson Ray com
Iany freight train, making u way
from n little railway town In Montana
toward the Canadian boundary.
Our train consisted OF six wngons
nnd fourteen yoke of oxen. with three
cnyuses, In charge OF n French half
breed ana his son. n lad OF about six
teen. We made slow enough progress,
but every hour OF the long day, from
the dim. gray, misty light OF dawn to
the soft glow OF shadowy evening. was
full OF new delights TO me. ON the
evening OF the third day we reached
the line Stopping Place. where Jack
Dale met us. | remember well how my
heart beat with admiration OF tile
easy grace with which he sailed down
upon us In the loose jointed cowboy
swinging his own bronco and
the little cayuse he was leading for me
into the circle OF the wagons. careless
Of ropes and freight and other I'm
He iung himself or before
bronco had come TO IA stop aud gave
d grip that made me sure OF my
welcome, II was years since he had
u man from home, and the eager
Joy In his eyes told OF long days aud
OF lonely ~yearnlng for the old
lays and the old faces.
came 90 understand this better aft.
my two years stay among these
hills that have a strange power on
days TO waken In a man longlngs
hat make his heart grow sick. When
supper was over we gathered about the
little ire while Jack and the half
breed smoked and talked. lay on my
looking up at the pale. steady
stars In the deep blue Of the cloudless
ky and listened In fullness OF con.
.epted delight to the chat between Jack
md b driver. Now and then I asked
! question. but not too often. II is a
listening silence that draws tales from
western man. not vexing questions.
This much ! had learned already from
ny three days travel. So | lay and
istened. and the tales Of that night are
mingled with the warm evening lights
md the pale stars and the thoughts Of
'ome that Jacks coming seemed to
ring.
Next morning before sunup we had