Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-05-25

j I explained that We would have 80
swing to the northwest ia order to get
tc the ford on Two Medicine river. The
lights. marking the end Of our journey
lay IN the southwest Although
could not see her face in the stariit
darkness, could hear the sob as she
started 70 cry from the strain Of the
day and night. Most Of my life had
been spent Ia company with men on
mountain trails, and found myself
In what seemed to me, a worse pre-
dicament than I had ever been In be-
fore. had left the wagon with all the
bedding two hours walking distance
behind. and had five miles distance
to travel ahead.
When we started on again, the girl
seemed to have lost her confidence in
me as guide, and she started IN the
direction Of the lights, IN spite Of my
explanations. dropped my lines on
the horses and started after her before
she should become lost IN the darkness.
She refused to listen to reason, SO I
had TO use strength. found it took
all had for she was almost as strong
as I. She screamed and pulled while
I gathered up the lines on my horses,
and tried to drive them on, but the
lead team refused to move.
I talked some more to the girl, and
should she try to run away again. I
took the harness off the lead team and
turned them loose. The rest, while
waiting for me, seemed TO bring back
her reason, and when started on she
was willing to follow.
Another hour brought us down the
steep east bank of the Two Medicine
river. Here was confronted with an
other problem, for did not know II
nf4Izosa - Ill
den before, and the ony way to cross |
the deep cold ford was to ride a horse. |
/ got on the big mare and turned her /
around several times to make sure she I
was not going to buck helped the |
girl onto the mares back, and Chamber i
ed on the back Of the big brown stall |
lion, my other team horse Leading !
the mare, I headed down into the dark |
swift ford.
AS we came out of the opposite side Of
the ford. We could hear the welcome /
sound of mems voices, and soon two
lanterns were seen swinging down the
trail from the west bank It was q |
party of searchers the old plainsman.
had gathered and led cut to
look for us. He had begun TO worry for
our safety as the night turned into the
and we did not arrive at his
home. The girl mounted good saddle
LfCISts dS MI. OdWSUn Stlu LIE uldIE
had, at one time, been locally famous
bucking horse. found that the stall
lon had never been ridden before, but
since they we're both played out, they
had carried us through the ford
The next morning Gray and I start
ed riding the range. looking for the
TWO horses / had turned loose the night
before. We hauled the wagon with it's
valuable load Of bedding to the end Of
5he trip.
While was out doing this work, the
girl and her parents had bathed and
dressed in their store Clothes and
mad taken the only train that stopped
1t our ''boxcar1 station. They Travelled
70 their home In the east where they
would enjoy the comforts and safety OF
,ity life. Probably never again would
hey find themselves sleeping under a
reight wagon, being sung TO sleep by
he distant cry of a coyote, the BOOM
ng boot OF the owls or the bullying bull
TX calling to its mate.
To me, it meant that had finished :
ny job and collected my $50 In wages. I
Vow was to 60 to work as a guide I
or an engineer who was blazing the /
way through the forest Of the east s
lope Of the Hudson Bay divide. This {
vas the first move to start the con- g
truetion Of the 1O-foot stage road that {
gas built IN 1912. 1t was the fore-run- G