NOTES ON TRAVEL 275 



Albany, and the landing-place associated with the 

 tragic figure of Major Andre. The Congress ended on 

 the 13th, and large excursion parties started in various 

 directions. 



The Ramsays' plans had been already made indepen- 

 dently. They were due at Houston, Texas, on the 10th 

 October, and had arranged to spend the intervening 

 time at the Ranche * in Montana, so on the 14th Septem- 

 ber they started for the West by Chicago, but not stopping 

 anywhere on the route. This was the second visit to 

 the Ranche. The elder of Lady Ramsay's brothers, 

 the first owner, was dead, and the younger one and his 

 wife and children, and the widow of the brother Patrick, 

 were now the ranche party. The house was much 

 enlarged, and the surrounding country greatly altered 

 by the construction of roads and the spread of cultiva- 

 tion. The use of motor cars also had changed con- 

 ditions, and the feeling of isolation was gone. In the 

 old days friends came generally with their bedding, so 

 that when the house was full they overflowed into tents 

 in the garden. Now they came by car, and could spend 

 a day and go back in the evening, and the old Wild 

 West rough and ready hospitality had been replaced 

 by the hospitality of civilisation. There were other 

 differences, however, that shed a new light on ranche 

 life. In 1897 they had been out in the height of summer 

 and for so short a time that holiday making was the rule, 

 and it was the picturesque side of ranche life they saw ; 



1 See page 202. 



