The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1908-08-13

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periences while acting as guide to
distinguished visitors. Here the
late Prof. Marsh of Yale made his
headquarters on his search for the
fossils and relics of ancient ami
mails, with which this country
abounds. But the science of this
region would make volume in it.
self and this story concerns only
our camping trip.
About two in the afternoon we
started on the last stage of our
journey toward our camping place.
We were accompanied from here
by John Craven, foreman of the
ranch and a young fellow who had
won honors as one of the best
"Broncho Busters" of the coun-
try. From the ranch we followed
a COW path up Buckle creek which
was the only entrance into the
interior. We rode up the creek
for eight miles and then turning
into clump of Cedar trees on the
bank of the stream, filled with
flowing but awfully muddy water,
made our camp. The water in
this country was a puzzle. 1t was
filled with the Bad Lands mud but
those who live there say it never
settled, no matter how long you
let it stand. They say the Indians
have = way of settling it by letting
a few drops of cactus juice fall in
to it, but for some reason we never
ried it. That night We sat around
roaring fire of Cedar boughs,
telling stories until far into the
evening and listening to reminesc-
ences of Rennie, our guide, of
former cowboy days in Dakota.
Then wrapping ourselves in a COM
fort apiece, for the nights are al
ways cool in Dakota, the men of
the party rolled under the shelter
ing boughs of a fragrant Cedar
and went to sleep. the ladies
sought their tent, the fire smoul-
dered down, then went out, the
moon rose over the surrounding
hills and only the bowling of a
hungry coyote, the cry of the
nighthawk or the neighing of one
of our horses picketed near broke
the stiffness of the camp.
The next morning we started
out on foot to see the sights and
here is where l must leave the
readers imagination to get the
story. Suffice to say the Gar
den of the Gods wasn't in it. 1t
was one confusion of rockery,
gorges, cliffs, precipices and Jagged
peaks, formations resembling
everything under the sun, high
ridges which could be only reached
by climbing an almost perpendicu-
lar wall, where we would find its
top covered with pines and grasses,
then q descent to the plain below
which could only be reached by
going down some narrow canyon
where the path was barely wide
enough for one, with the barren
walls on each side rising perpen-
dicularly for hundreds of feet.
And always when we had finished
our hardest climbs and were hot,
tired, and breathless and above all.
thirsty, We would come upon a
basin filled with clear, cool, spring
water and then ill would take
turns lying down and drinking
from it, thus getting new life for
the rest of the trip. We returned
to camp that night, tired and foot
sore and it was noticeable that
there was not nearly so much
lingering around the campfire as
on the night previous. The next
day at eight O'Clock in the morn
ing we left for home and drove
forty five miles that day, reaching
Philip ct nine O'Clock that night.
The Bad Lands were IN agree
able surprise to all of us. We had
been told mosquitoes were thick
in there, but We hardly noticed
any. We had been told it was hot
and dusty there Ill the time, but
only one afternoon did We feel the
hat # III And 0vArv avenine the