WILD PARKS OF THE WEST 17 



storing them with food ; bears are studying 

 winter quarters as they stand thoughtful in open 

 spaces, while the gentle breeze ruffles the long 

 hair on their backs ; elk and deer, assembling 

 on the heights, are considering cold pastures 

 where they will be farthest away from the 

 wolves ; squirrels and marmots are busily laying 

 up provisions and lining their nests against com- 

 ing frost and snow foreseen ; and countless 

 thousands of birds are forming parties and gath- 

 ering their young about them for flight to the 

 southlands ; while butterflies and bees, appar- 

 ently with no thought of hard times to come, 

 are hovering above the late-blooming goldenrods, 

 and, with countless other insect folk, are danc- 

 ing and humming right merrily in the sunbeams 

 and shaking all the air into music. 



Wander here a whole summer, if you can. 

 Thousands of God's wild blessings will search 

 you and soak you as if you were a sponge, and 

 the big days will go by uncounted. If you 

 are business-tangled, and so burdened with duty 

 that only weeks can be got out of the heavy- 

 laden year, then go to the Flathead Reserve ; 

 for it is easily and quickly reached by the Great 

 Northern Railroad. Get off the track at Belton 

 Station, and in a few minutes you will find your- 

 self in the midst of what you are sure to say is 

 the best care-killing scenery on the continent, — 

 beautiful lakes derived straight from glaciers, 



