The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1959-12-24
2nemot;es Of q Gi*s Camp
BY Tom fontains

Fifty years ago. spring of 1905
it was. l put in a summer on the
old Aubrey COW camp on Milk
River. In those days the Aubreys
wintered their cattle on the home
ranch near Blackfoot. then h, the
spring they moved them up on
Milk River. 1t was a good range
up there under the high bluffs
of Landslide Butte. and in a
hundred coulees. up and down
the river. there was water. room
and fattening grass aplenty for
five thousand cows.
There was a good cabin. living
quarters for the riders. built on
the bank Of the river. small
barn and corrals. This was the
line camp where l stayed. My job
was to keep the stock from drift
ing over the Canada line - just
three miles away.
This little corner of a cattle
range was still primarily remote
from civilization and it was sci.
dom that even a lone rider came
along. But. then. it was seldom
| got lonesome - | had plenty to
do. Besides the cattle. there we're
the Aubrey horses. about a hun.
bred head. and alone. when
had time. broke out all the
young broncs and would make
SaddlerS.
And . Dog
One day. Tom Aubrey brought
a dog to camp. He was the most
canine SPECIMEN l had
ever seen. He was big spotted
fellow. wire.haired. half Russian
wolf hound and St. Bernard. Wolf
followed me on my rides: he was
ong-legged and powered to keep
pace with a saddle horse all day.
One day Wolf threw up his head.
shifted the air. then led me
straight two hundred yards up a
small coulee to a coyote den. He
found two more dens that sum.
mer. and each time l dug out
the coyote pups. At that time
three dollars was the bounty paid
on coyotes.
Thinking l might later on run
coyotes for bounty and pelts. I
four greyhound pups.
had to shoot rabbits to feed them.
and they ate a lot In the eve
nings. after supper. I played
with the pups. l shared gophers
for them to play with. and some.
times a gopher would fasten to
a pups nose or lip - then there
vas some pitiful yelping. But
that was it - they had to learn.
1t SO happened that there was
an old black tom cat at the camp.
lie had been perennial resident
a, the camp for ten years - so
! was told. For q cat he was a
When everyone left In
the fall. he was left behind to
fend his own existence agains,
the long winters: and every
spring when the riders returned.
old Tom was there to NEE; his
human friends with all the feline
JOY that he was capable Of SHOW.
ing.
TssininS for Pups
To make good dogs | figured
my pups should have an early
Why not use old Tom
could take him out a little dis
lance away from the cabin and
let the pups chase him back. Tina,
would stir their Unborn instincts
bred In their ancestors to run
down varmints.
So carried Tom abou; fifty
yards out and turned him loose
The pups chased him back to
the cabin with his tail all pushed
out, but he won the race by q
wide margin. II worked out all
right. but the next time | took
him out he clawed me and he
got on the fight. lie proved
harder to subdue each time
ran him. But I did give him ad.
vantages. and took precautions
that the pups would not overtake
him. One was to erect Q post q,
the half way course that he could
climb up In case the pups came
too close.
II was only the third time,
though. that ran Tom when
disaster occurred. BY this time
the pups were bigger and could
run faster. Tom had o good star,
but he got panicky. lie Numbered
by hesitating at the post instead
Of climbing: then he made up
his mind to make II to the cabin.
The big feet Of the pups thunder.
Ing In his ears behind him got
him ratified. but he still had time
to get to the door.
There was an old we'll In front
Of the cabin. The pump had been
taken up and this left . square
hole In the platform where the
plungcr once reached down 70
the water. Into this hole Tom
dived out Of sight.
Peer Tenn
The well was cribbed with stone
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