The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-06-24
A VISION OF THE AIR
The Wonderful Phantom Of the Vel
IOwstone-The Ghost Of the
Eeysers.

(Under the above title a San Fran
cisco paper, a few years ago, pub
lished the following K. Beidler story
Editor COurier.)
One of the most famous charac-
tiers in Montana is x. Beidler, the
leader of the Vigilantes and the scout
of the Yellowstone. A dark, swarthy
man, short in stature, quick in move
ment, although famed by an Indian
bullet, and 1.-THE and graceful as a
panther. Bold and fearless by nature,
reckless to the verge of insanity, yet
cool and daring when occasion needs,
tx" is the product of an era which
counts its heroes by the score and
which was as prolific in valor as the
Crusades or the wild feuds of the
Scottish border-an era which res
.cued the mountain country from the
grasp Of the savage.
Seated around the campfire n
evening in the summer of 1875, on the
banks of the Yellowstone, ok" was
the delight Of a little circle Of friends,
who listened with breathless atten-
ton to his stories of early days in
the northern gold fields. Around
them the tall mountains rose pre-
.cipitous. The swarthy and gloomy
canyons which stretched in irregular
darkness through the gathering twi-
light lent a forbidding aspect to the
scene. Above the glow left on the
clouds by the descending tinged
the atmosphere with flecks Of red
and crimson patches of weird fan
tastic light. In the distance came
the deadened roar of the waterfall
and the scream Of the night hawks
floating a thousand feet in the air.
OK" cried one of the party, "yOu
never told US about that strange
woman in the air. Tell US now"
81 will do better than that" re-
Piled the scout. Il will show her tt
you. Look straight down the gulch
just above the tree tops"
The crimson patches in the sky wer,
fading into an ashen gray. Streams
Of white mist floated upward from
the geysers, leaving upon the atmOs
pheIe curious shapes, out Of which
the figure of a woman, in flOatinl
draperies, defined itself in the ali
It lowered in the clear gray of tn
closing day like an omen, changing
its position with the drifting white
ness of the clouds, and with warnin.
hands as if giving signals Of
Approaching Danger.
The group Of men were startled b
the strange appearance, it looked S
real. The ghostly figure seemed an
mated and instinct with life. N
picture ever grew upon a painter
canvas more perfect in all its detail
The hush of surprised bewildermel
which had fallen upon the group
men was broken by the voice Of Il
scout: what do you think of it,"
What could we think Of it? Not
ing like it was ever seen before. \
science or reason could account f
it. Phantom or reality, it flOated b
fore our eyes a veritable woman,
the shade Of one, so far as our b
wildered faculties could discern.
"How do you account for it?" j
quired a voice low and eager, b
with a thrill Of apprehension in it.
81 do not try to account for i
replied the scout. ct the
every evening in clear weather, il
as you see it now. The Indians hs
a legend about it. They call it
The Ghost in the Aair.
"They tell a curious tale Of
origin but 1 hardly know whether
believe it or not."'
What is the story?"
"They say that, 10 or IL years a
a party Of white people were trav
ing through here to the Powder ri
country. They were ~emigrants
search Of gold and the family Of
Of the miners was with them. J
back Of yonder hill they were attacI
by a band Of Sioux, and all "
killed, except a young girl, who m
her escape, pursued by a dozen yol
savages. The girl, it is said, \
dressed in white, and ran across