278 THE CAROLINA MOUNTAINS 
point, riseb to an elevation a little over six thousand 
feet. The two Forks of the Pigeon almost surround 
Cold Mountain, receiving the waters that rush down 
its steep sides as well as those from the western 
slopes of PIsgah and the eastern slope of the line of 
balds. The two Forks come together at the north 
end of Cold Mountain just above the settlement of 
Garden Greek, forming the Big Pigeon, one of the 
wildest streams of the mountains, and that speeds 
along in a general northwesterly direction, finally to 
break through a gorge of the Great Smoky Moun- 
tains some miles south of where the French Broad 
makes its exit in gentler fashion, the Pigeon entering 
the French Broad when both rivers are well out of 
the mountains. 
Garden Creek, with its restful levels, its grain- 
fields and apple-orchards, and its fine outlooks to 
the western mountains, is a good place from which 
to explore the interesting country of the Forks. It 
is reached by driving up the valley of the Pigeon 
from Canton on the Murphy Branch. If Mr. Osborne 
is still at Garden Creek, he will tell you of the In- 
dian mounds he helped to open, as well as of many 
interesting things of the surrounding country. There 
is one mound at Garden Creek with an apple tree 
growing out of the top, but the greater number have 
been found, and opened, in the present Cherokee 
boundary, and in those larger valleys like that of the 
Valley River, where the more important Indian vil- 
lages stood. 
The contents of these mounds, principally bones, 
