The Ascent of Chief Mountain 



After we had picked out our various land- 

 marks in the wonderful outlook about us, and 

 I had made my record from compass and ba- 

 rometer, we pushed our way carefully along 

 to the highest point of the narrow ridge, in 

 order to mark it with a cairn of rocks. Just as 

 we reached it, the Indian, who was still in the 

 lead, suddenly stopped and pointed to the 

 ground. There, on the very summit of Chief 

 Mountain, safely anchored by rocks from the 

 effect of wind or tempest, lay a small, weather- 

 beaten bison skull. It was certainly one of 

 the very oldest I have ever seen. Even in the 

 pure air of that mountain top it had rotted 

 away until there was little else than the frontal 

 bone and the stubs on which had been the 

 horns. Billy picked it up and handed it to us 

 quietly, saying with perfect conviction, "The 

 old Flathead's pillow!" 



We left the skull where it had been found. 

 Much as we should have treasured it as a 

 token of that day, the devotion of the old 

 warrior who had brought it was an influence 

 quite sufificient to protect this memorial of his 

 visit. We shared his reverence far too much 

 to allow us to remove its offering. And then, 

 too, as Billy suggested, we were still on top of 



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