Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-06-20

bered hill, a sort of amphitheater, with
a heavy growth of young frs on the
encircling slopes down to the level
ground. At n point an almost per-
p~endicular ledge rose 10 or IL feet
from the flat and then dipped back
under the hill. Camp was pitched in
front of this ledge.
Making camp for the night was no
small task. Every one except the Siren
and his mother tumbled out in the snow
and worked. First a roaring fire was
started Is or 20 feet from the per-
pendicular ledge. The boys, with
shovels, cleared most of the snow away
between the fire and the cliff. In a
little while heat reflected by the rocks
melted the remaining snow and dried
away the moisture SO the area between
the fire and the hedge was compar-
atively comfortable. In it the women
and children gathered and we're join
ed there by the Siren and his mother,
The Siren blinked his eyes, and took
a big Whit of campfire smoke. 1t was
his first outing.
While the transfers cared for the
horses, the other men dragged in wood
set up tents and laid bough beds. The
snow was first swept off where the
tents we're set and the boughs laid on
frozen ground. While this work was
going on, the women prepared supper
Hot biscuits had been called for
so the big Dutch oven was brought
out. 1t was a round, flat-bottOmed,
kettle-like affair, perhaps ID inches In
diameter, and six inches deep, of heavy
cast iron, with a cast iron top, and
stood on three legs about five inches
long. A Dutch oven was always part
of the equipment Of any up to date
freight outfit and, though crude, was
a highly efficient baking arrangement
A pile of glowing Goals was raked to
one side Of the fire and the oven set
over them. Then several ShOvelsful
Of Goals vas piled on the i've and
around the sides Of the oven. After
giving time for heating, the cover was
removed, the wen creased and the
biscuits put In. The cover was then re-
placed and more embers piled on tor
and around the sides. When uncovered
some Is minutes later the contents were
Just that shade of brown a housewife
loves to see on biscuits.
A tired group gathered in the fire.
light for supper. There was little talk
to drown the rattle of wood handled
knives and forks on tin plates. Bis
cults, fried grouse, boiled beans ano
dried apple sauce, with tea and cof-
fee, made the bill of fare. Lack Of
variety was more than offset by keen
ness of appetites. When the meal was
over the cooks had no complaint OF
their cooking not being appreciated
Everyone was in bed early. A full
noon o. 8 above the eastern mountains
and, shining on the snow, flooded the
canyon with light almost equal tt
that Of day. The campfire of big logs
sent a drifting column of blue smoke
toward the stars. Though the vino
was scarcely felt in the sheltered camp
it could be easily heard sweeping the
mountain tops and was manifest in
the fleecy Scurrying clouds that hur-
ried overhead from west to east.
The Siren was quiet part OF the
night. He was a bottle baby. AS LONG
as there was plenty of warm milk In
his bottle when he wanted it and every
thing else was to his liking he was fair
ly quiet. But everything else was not
to his liking all of the night, if later
reports are to be credited. Toward
morning, when the whole camp was
the sleepiest, the Siren started. Nothing
his father and mother did suited him
iOA AlOulo liz CAClSloSQ ITO iuiiSo WIN
lusty squalling. Not until too late
for the grownups to sleep any more
II they were to travel that morning
did he subside, apparently satisfied in
his mothers arms, and sleep sweetly.
Long before daylight the men turn
ed out. The moon had set. The dark
blue vault of night was ablaze with
myriads Of twinkling stars toward
which shot streams of sparks as logs
were throw on the bed of Goals
left from the fire of the previous
night. In the blazing freight the
horses were watered and fed, break
fast prepared and eaten, tents taken
down and bedding packed. At daylight
the days travel began.
At the time of which I write the
canyon, or the Little canyon, as ii
was called, was comparatively new. II
had been built In 1872 by Nicholas Hill
ger and William Johns. Its purpose was
10 avoid long, steep hills Of the original
Mullan survey, which extended from
near Silver city northeast up a long
gulch past Diamond springs, over the
crest OF a range Of high hills, and
then down another gulch to the NAL
colin Clarke ranch on the Prickly Pear
The new road "a probably nc short
er than the old, but it followed the
water grade and, ave for a few steep
narrow grades where the mountains
came down to the creek. was an ex-
cellent mountain road for that period