The daily sentinel., 1912-09-07
A GOOD CROSSING
BY Doctor ELDRIDGE.

Breaking camp on the Little Snake
river early one morning, we were
soon in the saddle, dashing away
across the desert toward the high
peaks which formed the sky line to-
ward the south, while clouds of fine
dust assailed our nostrils and nearly
blinded our eyes as 1t arose from the
impact of our horses feet as they
scampered over its dry alkali bed I;
but, as we were aware that it would
be very much worse during the latter
part of the day when IL had become
superheated, we were anxious to push
on and reach the foot hills as soon
as possible, hoping to be fortunate
enough to find water in some OF the
pot holes worn in the rocks by the
elements, although 1t was midsum-
mer and the plains were parched to
a crisp, while the air as we rushed
through IL seemed to come from a
furnace OF quivering heat below.
My companion, Col c. H. Ketch-
um, who had ridden and hunted the
country over during the building of
the Union Pacific railroad, in search
of meat for the workmen, and who
was fully informed of all of the
water holes. feeding grounds and
camping sites, remarked that it was
fortunate that il was cooling off a
little, and | observed that the sun
was beginning to lose its burning
heat, and that its glow was some
what modified.
/ CHANGING toward the distant peaks,
mad vanished in dense bank of
clouds, and soon felt the cool breeze
drifting down from the nigh country,
Ismeilng like rain and bearing to our
ears the low grumble of distant
thunder.
Under the influence of these well
come changes our horses seemed TO
revivo and needed no urging to
quicken their pace as we mounted
ever higher among the foothills.
winding along a well worn trail that
began to show signs of having been
moistened by recent rains.
Still pushing our way through
timber ard fallen logs, we crossed
small divide and found ourselves ap-
preaching a stream which, though
generally fordabie, was now a raging
torrent, due to cloudburst which
had fallen farther up along its steep
watershed. On its seething surface
We're great quantities of debris, while
beneath might be heard the grinding
OF rocks as they were forced along
its rugged bed, sending out roar
of warning to all who might attempt
TO cross its turbulent waters
| Following along its bank for n
mile or more, we came to n swell in
the stream which probably had been
a meadow but which now had the
appearance of a lake, through which
the stream was flowing, but with less
haste than farther down, although it
was even yet unsafe il not impossible
to ford.
On the opposite bank stood log
cabin with a thin column of blue
smoke arising from its stone Chin
ney, while saddled horse nibbled
at the stunted grass which cropped
from the otherwise barren ground.
Several nodescript dogs shifted the
air in impatience while their atten-
tion was fixed on point just below
us where we observed their master
pulling a cumbersome boat from the
water, after which he ascended the
bank immediately in front of us, and,
without salutation or comment, was
about to pass us by when | inquired
IL he would be kind enough to set us
across the stream. adding that we
were willing to pay him literally for
whatever trouble we might put him
to; that we We're in need of food both
for ourselves and horses.
/ To my Surprise, he informed us
that he was not running a ferry boat
nor was he keeping boarding house
for tramps and hoboes, but that he
was attending to his own business
and would advise us to follow our
own, adding that there was hell
of good crossing about 20 miles
up the creek" He ambled on toward
log pen about "A hundred yards
away, where he seized couple OF