We Started In Fine Spirits, And All Went Well For Ten Or
Twelve Miles, When We Got To The Head Waters Of The Missouri, Where
The Three Small Rivers, Gallatin, Jefferson, And Madison Join And Make
The One Big River.
The drive through the forest right there is usually
delightful, and although we knew that the water was high in the
Gallatin by Fort Ellis, we were wholly unprepared for the scene that
confronted us when we reached the valley.
Not one inch of ground could
be seen - nothing but the trees surrounded; by yellow, muddy water that
showed quite a current.
The regular stage road has been made higher than the ground because of
these July freshets, when the snow is melting on the mountains, but it
was impossible to keep on it, as its many turns could not be seen, and
it would not have helped much either, as the water was deep. The
ambulance was in the lead, of course, so we were in all the excitement
of exploring unseen ground. The driver would urge the mules, and if
the leaders did not go down, very good - we would go on, perhaps a few
yards. If they did go down enough to show that it was dangerous that
way, he would turn them in another direction and try there. Sometimes
it was necessary almost to turn around in order to keep upon the
higher ground. In this way mules and drivers worked until four o'clock
in the afternoon, the dirty water often coming up over the floor of
the ambulance, and many times it looked as if we could not go on one
step farther without being upset in the mud and water.
But at four we reached an island, where there was a small house and a
stable for the stage relay horses, and not far beyond was another
island where Faye decided to camp for the night. It was the only thing
he could have done. He insisted upon my staying at the house, but I
finally convinced him that the proper place for me was in camp, and I
went on with him. The island was very small, and the highest point
above water could not have been over two feet. Of course everything
had to be upon it - horses, mules, wagons, drivers, Faye and I, and the
two small squirrels, and the chickens also. In addition to our own
traveling menagerie there were native inhabitants of that
island - millions and millions of mosquitoes, each one with a sharp
appetite and sharp sting. We thought that we had learned all about
vicious mosquitoes while in the South, but the Southern mosquitoes are
slow and caressing in comparison to those Montana things.
It was very warm, and the Chinaman felt sorry for the chickens shut up
in the boxes, where fierce quarrels seemed to be going on all the
time. So after he had fed them we talked it over, and decided to let
them out, as they could not possibly get away from us across the big
body of water. There were twenty large chickens in one big box, and
twenty-seven small ones that had been brought in a long box by
themselves. Well, Charlie and one of the men got the boxes down and
opened them. At once the four or five mother hens clucked and
scratched and kept on clucking until the little chicks were let out,
when every one of them ran to its own mother, and each hen strutted
off with her own brood. That is the absolute truth, but is not all.
When night came the chickens went back to their boxes to roost - all
but the small ones. Those were left outside with their mothers, and
just before daylight Charlie raised a great commotion when he put them
up for the day's trip.
When we were about ready to start in the morning, a man came over from
the house and told Faye that he would pilot us through the rest of the
water, that it was very dangerous in places, where the road had been
built up, and if a narrow route was not carefully followed, a team
would go down a bank of four or five feet. He had with him just the
skeleton of a wagon - the four wheels with two or three long boards on
top, drawn by two horses. So we went down in the dirty water again,
that seemed to get deeper and deeper as we splashed on.
Now and then I could catch a glimpse of our pilot standing up on the
boards very much like a circus rider, for the wagon wheels were
twisting around over the roots of trees and stones, in a way that
required careful balancing on his part. We got along very well until
about noon, when a soldier came splashing up on a mule and told Faye
that one of the wagons had turned over! That was dreadful news and
made me most anxious about the trunks and chests, and the poor
chickens, too, all of which might be down under the water.
They got the ambulance under some trees, unfastened the mules and led
them away, leaving me alone, without even the driver. The soldier had
thoughtfully led up Pete for Faye to ride back, and the mules were
needed to assist in pulling the wagon up. Fortunately the wagon was
caught by a tree and did not go entirely over, and it so happened,
too, that it was the one loaded more with furniture than anything
else, so not much damage was done.
Our pilot had left us some time before, to hurry on and get any
passengers that might come in the stage that runs daily between Helena
and Bozeman. As soon as I began to look around a little after I was
left alone in the ambulance, I discovered that not so very far ahead
was an opening in the trees and bushes, and that a bit of beautiful
dry land could be seen.
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