NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON

1882-1912

Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web, Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web

of the hill by which the trail dips sharply to its winding mile long way down to the valley. From the distance to the right, the high banks of the far side of the river appeared, coming up from the south-west, bold and precipitous, sweeping forward in the great semi-circle of the Elbow-bend round to the north-west, far to the extreme right and so behind me. From the left, the spacious valley of the Arm river spread between more gentle banks, coming in from the eastward to join the river, Serpentining through its wide meadow bottom I could trace from the far distance the course of its tiny stream Until, curving toward me, it was lost to sight below the hill. Where its course ran then I could not follow, for the valley here, widening out its arms to meet the river a mile or two away, is abruptly hidden with a close dark mantle of brushwood which covers its whole expanse and seems to sweep right to the foot of the distant ramparts across the river. The waters, running half a mile wide at their foot, are almost wholly obscured by it. On the crest of the opposite bank of the valley, low tumbling seas of sand hills rolled away to the blue horizon. The thread of the trail, lost for a while in the valley bottom, could he traced windings its way up the slope toward them. Hundreds of feet below me the spaces near the fringe of brushwood showed pitted, over a wide area, with small black circles. Historic camp- ing ground is here, where all trails must gather to round the bend of the river, from north or south. Could it but speak, what wonderful story would this very hill on which I stand tell of the thousands who have slept down there since the Red Man first built there his evening fire! But the thirsty ponies have long since caught the scent of water on but the air and were restless to go down; I may indulge my imagination and star people again this wonderful place with ghosts of past generations while we make our way down the long, steep hill. Right at the foot of it a little bridge crossed the few feet between the banks of the little stream, leading us to the open camping space in the middle of the now darkening valley. The heights of the far bank of the river shot toward me, over the dark expanse of tangled brushwood a last reflection of the sunset-as if some departing spirit of the place, hastening away, were casting a last backward look at these disturbers of its solitudes. The hills seemed to close in about us as the stillness of the night fell. Abundant fuel was here, and by my camp fire I had brought a plenti ful store to keep it alive well into the night. Its glow shone out upon the tethered ponies standing out against the background of the distant thicket. They were surfeited with water and feeding contentedly in the richer grass of the valley. I, well fed and refreshed also, could now for hours enjoy the companionship of the welcome blaze and watch them. The last sticks of firewood were at last reached, and I went to cut them up for a final blaze, by which to make the bed, but as I went the uproar of pounding hoofs suddenly broke the stillness and the ponies were racing toward me. Before I could as much as call, their tethers checked them and threw them about and they stood stiffened at their ropes' full stretch, heads high and ears cocked toward the brushwood. As I ran toward them, calling, Billy spared me but a quick turn of the head and was again intent upon the darkness beyond, snorted and pawed the ground. As I led him over toward Alice, the mare came quickly over to meet us. They were soothed after a while sufficiently to snatch again a bite of grass, but there was a quick suspicious lifting of the heads and a peering into the darkness be- tween every few nibbles. When their heads came to be lifted at longer intervals, having the axe with me, I went over to see how Billy's tether pin had withstood the heavy strain. Finding it partly loosened, I struck it downward. The ring of the second blow seemed to blend with some curious sound which I could not distinguish; my feet were snatched away by the rope and I was sprawling on the grass. Billy, racing again, had thrown his weight against the pin and I felt sure that it would not stand much further strain. The alarming danger of the situation was obvious and terrifying. I had Billy's rope at once in my hand and could ease strain on the pin, but should Alice break away into the darkness, I could Page 22

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