Hunting in Many Lands 



mountain range behind it, stretching north 

 and south. Then we picked our way toward 

 it, through the loose boulders and broken 

 rock; saw the summit hang further and fur- 

 ther over us as we advanced into the gloom at 

 its foot, and after finally reaching it and press- 

 ing ourselves against it where it rose sheer 

 from its pedestal, we hurried back to camp 

 through the twilight, thoroughly awed by the 

 solemnity of the place. 



The storm of the morning had cleared into 

 a most perfect night ; and, as we lay about the 

 fire, Billy told us all that the old men had told 

 him of the Chief. A full-blooded Piegan, in 

 his new life as a ranchman he had not lost 

 touch with the traditions of his tribe. Only 

 one Piegan, he said, had ever attempted to 

 climb the mountain. Years ago a hunting 

 party of their young men had been encamped 

 on the opposite side, where the cliffs do not 

 overhang so much, and ledges run temptingly 

 up for a distance ; and one of them, the 

 youngest and most ambitious of the band, de- 

 clared that he would go to the summit. He 

 started, and his companions watched him from 

 below until he passed along one of the very 

 highest ledges, out of sight. Then the spirit 



226 



