The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-01
RooseveIt's Night Ride
From Roosevelt in the BAD Lands" by
Hermann Hagedorn


The boss Of Elkhom ranch. meanwhile y y =
was taking his slow course northeastward
across Wyoming to the Bad Lands. It WAS
long and weary travelling across the desolata
REACHES Of burnt prairie Night was coming
on fast as they crossed the final ridge and came
II sight of as singular bit of country as any
CT them had ever seen. Scattered over q space
not more than three-uuarters Of mile square
were countless isolated buttes Of sandstone,
varying IN height from fifteen to fifty feet.
Some of them rose as sharp peaks and ridges
or as connected chains, but the greater num-
Der by far were topped with dlminutive table
lands, some thirty feet across, some seventy,
some 200. The sides were perpendicular and
were cut and channeled BY the weather into
many curious caves and columns and battle
ments and spires. Here and there lodges ran
along the faces Of the cliffs and eerie protru-
sions iutted out from the corners. Grave pine
trees rose loftily y y set in desert Of snow
white sand. It was a beautiful and fantastic
place and they made their camp there.
The moon was full and the night clear n
an angle Of cliff they built roaring pine-log
fire whose flames, leaping up the gray wall,
made wild sport of the bold corners and
Strengthening escarpments of the rock. Be
yond the circle that the freight brought lur-
idly to life the buttes in the moonlight had
their own still magic. Against the shining
somber, and when the branches stirred the
bright light danced on the ground, making it
appear like a sheet Of molten metal It was
like country seen in dream.
The next morning all was changed. A wild
gale was blowing and rain beat about them in
level sheets. A wet fog came and went and
gave place at last to steady rain, as the gale
gave place to hurricane. u The third day
dawned crisp and clear, and once more the
wagon numbered on. They made camp that
night some forty miles southwest of Lang's. . = .
Il think I'd like to ride in and wake the boys
up for breakfast" remarked Merrfield.
"Good!' exclaimed Roosevelt. 'Pll do it with
you" At o'clock they saddled their tough
little ponies, and rode out of the circle of fire
light. The October air was cool in their faces
as they loped steadily mile after mile over the
moonlit prairie. Roosevelt later described this
memorable ride: !.
sThe hoof-beats of our horses rang out in
steady rhythm through the silence of the night,
otherwise unbroken save now and then by the
wailing cry of a coyote. The rolling plains
stretched out on all sides of u.s. shimmering in
the clear moonlight; and occasionally band
of spectral-looking antelope went silently away
from before our path. Once we went by a
drove of Texan cattle, who stared wildly at the
intruders; as we passed they charged down by
use, the ground rumbling beneath their tread,
while their long horns knocked against each
other with a sound of multitude of castanets.
We could see clearly enough to keep our gen.
eral course over the trackless plain, steering
by the stars where the prairie was perfectly
level and without landmarks and our ride was
timed well, for as we galloped down the valley
Of the Little Missouri, the sky above the line
of the level bluffs in our front was crimson
with the glow Of the unseen SUM-"