The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-10

tiers, 1t will be a glad day for me
when l set my foot down hard on a
New York steamer pier once more. i
can't but feel
"Ah, SO we are to get under way at
last! LAUNDERING old concern-eh, Pei
ters? Great contrast to the automo-
bile.
What's that ant-hill out at sea? It
isn't the sea, though, is 1t? It's land;
gray sand, VOW. And SO that is Mont
Saint-Michel? Curious Used to be
on land, eh, and then got to be on sea?
1t appears to me that we have quite
a drive before us yet Looks to me to
be three or four miles. What do you
say, Peters? OF course l don't know,
how big the mont is, so l have moth
ing to judge the distance by; but I
should say three miles at least.
Great Scott! how hot the sun Is,
and no matter how gayly we lumber
along, the mont looks to be equally
distant. What is this road we're on,
anyway? Seems to be highway in
the most literal sense of the word.
Dixie, Ell? Built on purpose for tour
lists, l suppose-the American tourists
before all, I'll bet.
We'll, so that is the mont close to.
Appears to just comfortably cover up
the whole island. Curious collection
OF houses and staircases topped off by
church. However, my main care at
this moment isn't what we've come to
see, but how in thunder we're to get
down to see it. Well. the people line
up pretty thick, and they have the ad-
ditional joy of knowing that every last
one OF us is tourist That's one
good thing about America, Peters, you
can travel there without being tour
list. You pay stiff price for very lit.
tie, but that Titles good, and the
game ends with it.
well, Yvonne. think you'd better
go down first. You go next, Lee. You
and /, Peters, will wait and take our
time. vow, I'm not very keen on
this descent. Just hold my hat, will
you? Here, you, down there, hold this
ladder steady Peters, where's the
bottom? l vow Il
Safe at last! quaint old place-old
wall with a gate in it, eh! Fishing
rods and oars all about; when does
the tide come in? Faster than horse
can gallop, eh? Well, that must be
sad for the horse. Anyhow, l didn't
ask how fast 1t came in; 1 asked
when 1t would come in next. Wen,
ask some one. An hour after we
leave, Ell? Interesting. But come on;
let's go up to Nine. Poulard Aine and
eat the omelet, and then we can climb
around some. You walk on, Yvonne,
and order the luncheon, and Mr.. Pc.
tiers and will come leisurely after.
And so this is the famous omelet.
place. Well, in we go. Quaint-very
quaint. Look at the chickens turning
on the spit and dripping in trough.
My, but they look good! Nine. Pou.
lard herself, isn't 1t? Good day,
ma'am; bon jour-bon jour. Glory,
what a smile. stereoscoped and illum.
mated! Makes me think of the china
cats head that we used to put can.
die inside Of when was kid. Do we
go upstairs? Eat up there, Ell?
Quaint-very quaint. Every fellow
did what he pleased to these walls,
evidently. Well. Peters, let's sit
down."
And so we now set out to climb
Mont-Saint-Michel Picturesque flight
Of steps. No. don't mind climbing
good exercise. Curious little wind.
ing walk; old woman with baskets to
sell. No, we don't want any; go way,
go way. Terrible nuisance such peo-
pie. Here's another with yellow flow
ers. No, no, go way, you-and an
other with matches. No, no, go way.
Well. that's pretty tall flight of
steps, isn't It, Peters? But guess
we can make It, Where's Yvonne?
Ahead, eh?t Well, presume those
two fellows can look out for her.
Let's stop and look at the view. Fine
view! As was saying, Peters. 1t
was too bad the way we broke up at.
Wire. really felt mean over leaving
rs we did. What did you say? Non.
sense; none Of that, Peters, none of
that But 1 will say one thing for her:
She certainly was woman of great
perception-always thoughtful for
others, Did you notice how she
used to push the ash-receiver toward
me? It's things like that that make a
man comfortable. Astonishing that
such woman should never marry.
Well, let's go on. Not more than 90
more steps and two flower women to
get over. Peters, have you observed
how many stairs there are in Europe?
4 It fairly bristles with them. We 60
pretty nearly stair.free with us, and
over here it's stairs from dawn till
Great Scott, will you look at themn
Oh, never can go up there, never!
We may as well go back. II you want
to, you can go up; but couldn't pos
sibly see anything that would COM
pensate me for those steps. I'll bet
there are 10000. and like as not there
are more beyond. I'm going back
and sit with Nine. Poulard Aine till
it's time to go. You go on alone.
Just tell him we won't want any of
those osyster-shell pincushions first,
will you? Then you go on by your.
aself, Peters. I've had enough"
~~~~~~e1>~~~~~~~ .~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gong. .
Oh! like queens her happy tread,
And like q queens her golden head!
m