286 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 3, 1888. 



THE ROCK CLIMBERS. 



XVIII. — IN THE HANDS OP THE POLICE. 



TT\AY after day the men sat about the fire listening to 

 the howling of the gale, or tried to ascend the 

 mountains, wading through knee-deep snow. The weather 

 was bad. The frozen particles of sleet, driven horizon- 

 tally by the keen wind, struck the face with stinging 

 blows which felt like the lashings of a thousand tiny 

 whips. The roar of the blast was ceaseless during the 

 day, though often the wind fell at night, and it was calm 

 until a little after sunrise in the morning. Sometimes 

 the morning and evening would be fair, but for the 

 greater part of each day it snowed or rained, and always 

 the west wind roared among the mountain-tops. Once 

 or twice they were treated to sunrises that were surpass- 

 ingly lovely. To the west of camp, and not very far off, 

 were the snow-covered mountains whose vertical walls 

 were pierced by narrow valleys which ran far back into 

 them. Some mornings the rising sun tinged the clouds 

 in the east with pink and gold, and as the light grew 

 stronger this color grew deeper, until it became almost 

 blood red. This was reflected on the snow -clad moun- 

 tains that bounded the western horizon, and gave them, 

 from summit to base, a most brilliant rosy hue. This 

 display lasted until the sun rose, when it gradually faded. 



The trip planned by the Rock Climbers had not been 

 completed. They had intended to go further south, to 

 Two Medicine Creek, but the weather made them feel 

 doubtful about the wisdom of such a move. A few days 

 before reaching Cut Bank, they had come across two 

 woodchoppers from a ranch down on Milk River, and by 

 one of them had sent a note into the Agency, asking Joe 

 Kipp to send them some provisions, for in some particu- 

 lars their stock was low. They still had plenty of flour 

 and fresh meat, but the coffee sack was growing light. 

 The Indian by whom the provisions were to be sent did 

 not come and the weather showed no sign of improving. 

 At last one day came a very heavy fall of snow and it 

 turned bitter cold. It was time to start. 



Early next morning the wagon was packed, and by 10 

 o'clock on the 16th of November, a start was made for the 

 railroad. After going perhaps ten miles down the creek, 

 they came to the level prairie where there was but little 

 snow, but over which the cold wind blew with terrific 

 violence. All day long they traveled, and just about 

 sunset, came to the South Fork of Milk River, two or 

 three miles above Sam Bird's ranch, which they 

 reached after dark. The river was still open, but 

 slush ice was running in it, and a few days more would 

 freeze it up. 



Bird's cabin was 16ft. square and was pretty well occu- 

 pied that night, there being already three men, a woman 

 and a baby in it, besides uncounted dogs, cats and chick- 

 ens. Myron made the travelers welcome, and they slept 

 there that night. The dogs having been turned out 

 there was just room for the eight human beings, the 

 chickens and the cats. If there had been one more per- 

 son the cabin would have overflowed. The Rock Climbers 

 spread their beds on the floor, the cats crept in with them 

 and the hens cached themselves under the table. It was 

 all as comfortable as you please. About midnight, how- 

 ever, the rooster under the table woke up, and from that 

 time, until day, it seemed that he crowed every five min- 

 utes, and as the men were not used to this kind of music, 

 it made their sleep a little broken. It would have been a 

 base return for the hospitality extended to have got up 

 and captured the noisy fowl and then wrung his neck, 

 but the impulse to do so was strong and hard to be re- 

 sisted. The occasional weeping of the baby completed 

 this nocturnal concert. 



It had been cold enough before, but during the night 

 the temperature bad fallen still further, and in the morn 

 ing when the men were out gathering the horses it was 

 found that the river had frozen so hard that the horses 

 could walk across it without breaking through. 



This was the end of the Rock Climbers' trip. Jack had 

 his reasons for going no further, and left them here 

 while Yo and Appekunny, with little besides the former's 

 personal belongings in the wagon, started back to Leth 

 bridge to get to the Canadian Pacific Railroad. It was 

 full thirty miles to the crossing of the St. Mary's, where 

 there is a station of the Mounted Police and a road house 

 for the accommodation of travelers, and the ride was 

 long and cold. On the way they met a Piegan Indian, 

 who had been visiting at the Blood Agency, and toward 

 night, after crossing the Boundary line between the 

 United States and Canada, two of the three Mounted 

 Police stationed at the crossing. They seemed very nice, 

 gentlemanly fellows, and chatted pleasantly, giving and 

 taking the news from either side of the line. As the 

 wagon was being unhitched at Kent's, one of them called 

 Yo aside and inquired his name and business, asking also 

 whether he had any whisky with him. 



One of the principal duties of the Mounted Police is to 

 look out for whisky traders. The sale or having in 

 possession of whisky in the Northwest Territories is pro- 

 hibited by law, the penalty for its infraction being from 

 three to six months imprisonment and a heavy fine. As 

 is usually the case where the sale of intoxicants is abso- 

 lutely prohibited, men are wild to obtain them, and as 

 this is not always possible, they make use of all sorts of 



curious substitutes. Two years ago whisky in these Ter- 

 ritories brought $20 a gallon or $5 a bottle, and as this 

 same liquor in Montana Territory only cost $2 per gallon, 

 it will readily be seen that there was a good profit in the 

 business of smuggling liquor across the line. The only 

 men who can engage in this trafic are those who 

 thoroughly know the country and who are willing to 

 take desperate chances, for capture by the police means 

 confiscation of the cargo, wagons and horses, a term of 

 imprisonment and a fine. The prospective profits of the 

 business have induced many men to go into it, and so 

 successful have they been that at present the price of 

 whisky in the Territories has fallen from $20 to $6 or $7 

 per gallon. 



The Mounted Police are ever on the watch for these 

 illicit traders. They scour the country looking for men 

 or trails, and make frequent captures. Sometimes the 

 traders make a hard fight for freedom, but usually, if the 

 police appear, the men interested take to their heels, let- 

 ting their property be captured. When Yo was asked if 

 he had any whiskey with him, he laughingly replied that 

 he hoped to get that on the Canadian side of the line, and 

 the officer, apparently satisfied with the reply, rode off. 



The next morning, long before light, the animals had 

 been brought in and hitched up, and Appekunny and Yo 

 drove away. The distance from the crossing to Leth- 

 bridge by way of Fred Pace's was not far from seventy 

 miles, but they had learned by inquiry that, by going by 

 way of Brown's and George Houk's, this could be 

 shortened to less than fifty. Neither of the men had ever 

 been over this road, but after much questioning they had 

 determined to try it, notwithstanding the fact that the 

 high plateau over which the trail led was cut up by many 

 wagon roads which might mislead them. 



They traveled on without misadventure, reached 

 Brown's, thirteen miles, before the morning was half over, 

 and then turned down the river to the crossing. The 

 stream here is wide and looked deep, flowing with a sullen 

 treacherous oily current that seemed rather threatening. 

 To Yo, who was on horseback, it fell to try the ford, but 

 before doing so, he stripped off all the extra coats which 

 he had been wearing as protection against the cold, so 

 that in the event of a slip or a stumble which should 

 throw him out of the saddle, he would be in a position to 

 reach the shore on his own account. The river was bank 

 full, frozen hard for some little distance out from either 

 shore, and the slush ice was running fast, a fact which 

 caused Caribou, the horse, some uneasiness. When they 

 got out toward the channel where the water was halfway 

 up the animal's sides he would prick up his ears and try to 

 prance sideways to avoid the masses of ice which came 

 bearing down upon him. They looked alarming enough 

 and would have made trouble had they been solid, but as 

 soon as they crushed against the horse, they divided and 

 passed on either side of him. A good ford was found, 

 the river safely crossed and the wagon climbed the long 

 hill and kept on its monotonous way over the level pla- 

 teau. 



Meanwhile there had been hurrying to and fro at the 

 Police Station on the St. Mary's. About nine o'clock 

 that morning, a mounted man had ridden up to the sta- 

 tion, and after some little conversation had said to the 

 Corporal in command : " Well, those fellows rather played 

 it on you, Corporal, didn't they ?" " How do you mean ?" 

 said the Corporal, pricking up his ears. " Why," said the 

 man, " that team that came in last night driving four — 

 two little mules in the lead. They had made a cache of 

 whisky back in the hills, and came in here with the story 

 that they were a hunting party. Then, after dark, they 

 went back and raised the cache— one barrel of fifty gal- 

 lons and one of seventy-five — and started out for Leth- 

 bridge. They must be well on their way now; too far 

 for you to catch 'em. I tell ye they're shrewd ones, you 

 bet." And the honest granger threw back his head and 

 laughed heartily. 



The Corporal said nothing, but glared for an instant at 

 his interlocutor, and then with a call to one of his men 

 rushed away to the stables. Horses were backed out of 

 their stalls, saddles and bridles jerked down frooi their 

 pegs, and in less than five minutes the Corporal and his 

 man were in the saddle, riding like mad across the river 

 to take the trail of the " shrewd ones," and, if possible, 

 catch them before they had disposed of their liquor. The 

 honest granger sat on his horse and watched them with a 

 twinkle in his keen gray eye as they flew across the level 

 bottom and disappeared up the ravine which the road 

 followed, and then turning to the remaining policeman he 

 said, " Well, I hope they'll catch the cusses," and lifting 

 the reins on his horse's neck, rode away over the bluffs. 



Yo and Appekunny continued their slow march over 

 the yellow prairie, where there was nothing to look at save 

 the old buffalo trails, worn deep in the ground, but now 

 grass-grown and slowly disappearing. Where it was 

 possible they trotted, but the mules were lazy, and when 

 Yo would ride upon one side of them to brush them 

 gently with the pole which he carried for that purpose, 

 they would turn away from him and get out of the road. 

 Still, their progress was fairly good. It was some time 

 after noon when Yo noticed far behind them on the road 

 two dark specks which could only be mounted men, and 

 gradually as they drew nearer it was seen that one of 



them had a red coat on. He said to Appekunny, "They're 

 police, and after us: drive on as fast as you can," and he 

 dropped behind the wagon so as to see what the officers 

 had to say. Before very long the sharp pounding of 

 hoofs behind him gave an excuse for looking back, which 

 he did with a smile on his face, and saw the two officers 

 just behind him, their horses covered with foam and pre- 

 senting every evidence of having been ridden very hard. 

 Yo nodded, and his salutation was answered by the 

 command "Stop that wagon, I want to search it." The 

 order was peremptory, and for a moment Yo felt 

 rather provoked, not being very much accustomed 

 to being ordered about. Then the absurdity of it 

 all came over him and he whooped to Appekunny, and 

 raised his hand and the wagon stopped. "After whisky, 

 I suppose, Corporal," he said, laughingly. "Yes, unload, 

 please," was the reply, but the officer looked a little 

 troubled. "Cast off the lashings, Appekunny," said Yo„ 

 "we may as well give up," and presently the ropes were: 

 loosened, the tent which covered the load pulled off, &nd\ 

 the contents of the wagon exposed to the view of the ' 

 Police. As the Corporal saw the skins, the sheet h*on" 

 stove, a trunk, some bags and two or three boxes, he saw 

 also that he had been imposed upon. As a matter of 

 form he looked into one box and the trunk, and then sig- 

 nified that the lashings might be fastened again. Then 

 he sat for a while on his horse with his face turned away, 

 looking over the limitless prairie, and presently he told 

 the story of his ride and what led to it. It was apparent 

 now that the honest granger was himself a whisky trader, 

 and wanted to get the Police out of the way so that he 

 might run his cargo by the station, and that the Rock 

 Climbers' outfit had given him just the opportunity that 

 he wanted. 



Notwithstanding his disappointment, the Corporal! 

 throughout was as civil and pleasant as possible, and the ■ 

 men, appreciating his feelings, concealed as far as possible : 

 the amusement which they felt. This officer by hit- 

 courage and alertness has made himself a terror to the ! 

 whisky traders and other evil doers who come into his ■ 

 territory, and has the reputation of being one of the very 

 best men on the force. 



After a little talk and a smoke, the Police turned about 

 to ride over again more slowly the ground which they 

 had covered in such hot haste in the morning. Yo and 

 Appekunny went on their way toward Houk's, and at 

 dusk crossed the river and drove up to the house. The 

 next day they reached Lethbridge, and parted. The Rock 

 Climbers would climb no more. Yo. 



REMOVAL. 



Tlie offices of Forest and Stream are now at No. 318 Broadwai 



Every person who is sufficiently interested in the Mitional 

 Park to do his share toward securing protection for ifr, is in- 

 vited to send for one of the Forest and Stream's pitdtiom 

 blanks. They are sent free. 



PETE, THE DOG WITHOUT A PEDIGREE. 



X 



MANY years ago, along in the forties, there was an 

 immense tract of wild land between Lycoming coun- 

 ty and the State line to the northward, and this land was so 

 rocky, sterile and broken that it seemed unlikely ever to 

 be settled on as farming land. As to any value fox lum- 

 bermen, why there was practically little timber save 

 hemlock on the tract, and at that time hemlock was 

 worthless. Wherefore the entire tract was left in the 

 hands of nature and the tax collector, who usually sold a 

 few thousand acres every year for taxes, the same being 

 sold and resold again as the would-be speculators grew 

 sick of their non-productive possessions. But it was 

 very fair deer pasture and bear range, though the best 

 hunters seldom went there, because it was so remote and 

 inaccessible for teams that all packing in and out must 

 be done on foot, and it was more than deer was worth to 

 pack it out. That was the verdict of the average Penn- 

 sylvania still-hunter, who was wont to consider himself 

 disgraced if he spent time on a huut that didn't pay. 



I taking a very different view of the matter, it is no 

 marvel that the "Block House Woods" became my favo- 

 rite stamping ground. It was here that I could bury my- 

 self in the forest for weeks at a time without seeing a, 

 human face or hearing the crack of a rifle, save my own. 

 True, it was a tough all day job getting there and mak- 

 ing camp for the night; but once there, I was free as the 

 bluejays that pecked about the camp and talked to each 

 other in the most musical jargon of the stranger who 

 came there to feed them crumbs and meat. There was lit- 

 tle small game in this region, and the sombre hemlock 

 forest seemed to repel all song birds. I never saw nor 

 heard a bluebird, thrush nor robin in those gloomy 

 reaches. Jays, wood wrens, pileated woodpeckers and 

 red squirrels, with an occasional pine marten or a stray 

 hare comprised all the minor animals to be found there. 

 The large mountain cat, a species of lynx sometimes at- 

 taining a weight of GOlbs. , was more "plentiful than de- 

 sirable. He was bold and impudent to a degree, and 

 would climb small trees and steal venison within ten feet 

 of my sleepy head. Sometimes a solitary raven came 

 flopping over the tops of the hemlocks, croaking dismally. 

 But he always had his knapsack packed for a more gen- 

 ial region, and did not stop. 



My objective point was in the wildest part of this ! 

 forest at the "Chestnut Shanty," a very comfortable 

 cabin, built years before by an old trapper who nosed 

 out this location as a promising ground for bear and 



