Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-05-23
CHAPTER Ill.
The Story and the letters.

The Story and the Letters.
Imagine, if you please, the forest
primeEal; yes, the murmuring pines
and the hemlocks Of the poem as well,
by the side Of rapidly rushing noun
tain torrent fed by the eternal SHOWS
of the lofty peaks of the great range.
A level stretch of grassy land where
a mountain brook joined the creek
was dotted with clumps of pines and
great boulders rolled down from the
everlasting hilIs-haIf an acre of open
clearing. On the opposite side Of the
brook the canon wall rose almost
sheer for perhaps five hundred feet,
ending in jagged, needIe-edged pin
nacles of rock, sharp, picturesque and
beautiful. A thousand feet above ran
the timber line, and four thousand
feet above that the crest Of the great
est peak in the main range.
The white tents of the little encamp-
ment which had cleaned so brightly
in the clear air and radiant sunshine
of Colorado, now stood dim and ghost
like in the red reflection of huge
campfire. 1t was the evening of the
first day in the wilderness.
For two days since leaving the
wagon, the Maitland party with it's
long train of burros heavily packed
its horsemen and the steady plodders
on foot, had advanced into unexplored
and almost inaccessible retreats of
the mountains-into the primitive in
Ia
pitched their tents and the perma-
nent camp had been made Wood
was abundant, the water at hand was
as cold as ice, as clear as crystal and
as soft as milk. There was pas
turage for the horses and burros on
the other side of the mountain brook
The whole place was a little amph1-
theater which humanity occupied per
haps the first time since creation.
Unpacking the burros, setting I'D
the tents, making the camp, building
the fire, had used up the late remain
der of the day which was theirs when
they had arrived. Opportunity would
come tomorrow to explore the cour-
try, to climb the range, to try the
stream that tumbled down a success
sion of waterfalls to the right of the
camp and roared and rushed merrily
around its feet until, swelled by the
volume Of the brook, it lost ITSELF in
tree-clad depths far beneath. Tonight
rest after labor, tomorrow play after
| rest.
The evening meal was over Enid
could not help think with what
scorn and contempt her father would
have regarded the menu, how his gorge
would have risen-hers, too, for that
matter!-had it been placed before
him on the old colonial mahogany Of
the dining-TOom in Philadelphia. But
up there in the wilds she had eaten
the coarse homely fare with the zest
| and relish Of the most seasoned ranger
! of the hills. Anxious TO be of service,
| she had burned her hands and smoked
her hair and scorched her face by
usurping the functions of the young
ranchman who had been brought along
as cook, and had actually fried the
| bacon herself! Imagine a goddess
with frying pan! The black thick
| coffee and the condensed milk, drunk
from the granite ware cup, had a more
. delicious aroma and a more delight
! full taste than the finest Mocha and
| Java in the daintiest porcelain of
! France. Optimum condimentum. The
| girl was frankly ravenousIy hungry,
the air, the altitude, the exertion, the
excitement made her able to eat any
thing and enjoy it.
| She was glOriOusIy beautiful, too;
| even her brief experience in the west
! had brought back the missing roses
! to her cheek, and had banished the
/ bistre circles from beneath her eyes.
| Robert Maitland, laziIy reclining
| propped up against a boulder, his feet
| to the fire, smoking an old pipe that
! would have given his brother the hOr-
rors, looked with approving COM
! placency upon her, confident and sat
! isfed that his prescription was work
/ ing we'll. Nor was he the only one
! who looked at her that way Marion
| and Emma his two daughters, wor-
! shipped their handsome Philadelphia
! cousin and they sat one on either side
of her on the great log lying between
the tents and the fire Even Bob
! Junior condescended to give her ap-
/ proving gIances. The whole camp
was at her feet. Mrs. Maitland had
/ been greatly taken by her young
niece. Kirkby made no secret OF his
devotion, Arthur Bradshaw and Henry
Philips. each "tenderfoot" of the ex-
! tremist character, friends of business
connections in the east, who were
spending their vacation with Matt
land, shared in the general devotion;
to say nothing CT George the cook and
| Pete, the packer and horse wrangler.
! Philips, who was an old acquaint-
ance Of Ends, had tried his luck with
4 her back east and had sense enough
to accept as final his failure Brad
shaw was a solemn young nan with
out that keen sense OF humor which
was characteristic Of the west. The
others were suitably dressed for adj
venture, for BradsLaw's idea Of an sp-
propriate costume was distinguished
chiefly by long green felt puttees
which swathed his huge calves and
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