July 17, 2025 • 18 mins
Experience the Old American West through the captivating letters of Frances Roe, a dynamic and tenacious woman who accompanied her West Point Army officer husband to frontier garrisons across Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. From 1871 to 1888, Frances detailed her thrilling adventures and unique experiences in letters home to her family in upstate New York. These letters, later published in 1909, offer a riveting glimpse into frontier and army life. Despite the challenging living conditions, Frances embraced Western life, learning to fish, hunt, ride, and even shoot. Her letters illuminate various aspects of life in the West, from army protocol to interaction with Indian tribes, black cavalry troops, and diverse cooks. Francess letters document a time of rapid transformation in the West, touching on the disappearance of buffalo herds, the decline of Indian tribes, and the advent of railroads. Even after her husbands promotion took them away from the plains she loved, Francess vivid and enthusiastic writing continued to evoke the spirit of the West, making her letters a must-read for anyone fascinated by the Old American West.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section twenty one of Army Letters from an Officer's Wife
eighteen seventy one, eighteen eighty eight. This is the LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or a volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
by Sue Anderson. Army Letters from an Officer's Wife eighteen
(00:24):
seventy one, eighteen eighty eight by Francis Rowe, Section twenty one,
Letters from eighteen eighty eight, Part two. Camp near Uinta Mountains,
Wyoming Territory, August eighteen eighty eight. To be back in
the mountains and in camp is simply glorious, And to
(00:46):
see soldiers walking around wearing the dear old uniform, just
as we used to see them, makes one feel as
though old days had returned. The two colored men, Chef
and Butler, rather destroy the technique of a military camp,
but they seem to be necessary adjuncts. And besides, we
(01:06):
are not striving for harmony and effect, but for a
fine outing each day to be complete with its own pleasures.
It was a novel experience to come to the mountains
in a private car. The camp is very complete, as
the camp of a department commander should be, and we
have everything for our comfort. We are fourteen miles from
(01:28):
the Union Pacific Railroad and six from Fort Bridger, from
which post our tents and supplies came. Our ice is
sent from there also, and of course the enlisted men
are from that garrison. The party consists of General and
Missus Bork, Missus Hall, Missus Burke's sister, Missus Ord of Omaha,
(01:50):
General Stanley, Paymaster, Captain Reeves, Judge Advocate, both of the
Department staff, Lieutenant Travis Junior, Aide de camp, and myself.
Missus Ord is a pretty woman, always wears dainty gowns
and is a favorite with Omaha society people. I know
her very well. Still I hesitated about wearing my short
(02:13):
skirted outing suit, fearing it would shock her. But a
day or two after we got here, she said to me,
what are we to do about those fish? Missus Ray,
I always catch the most fish wherever I go, but
I hear that you are successful also, so with high spirits,
we started out by ourselves that very morning, everyone laughing
(02:36):
and betting on our number of fish. As we left camp,
I wore the short skirt, but Missus Ord had her
skirts pins so high. I felt that a tuck or
two should be taken in mine to save her from embarrassment.
The fishing is excellent here, and each one had every
confidence in her own good luck, for the morning was
(02:57):
perfect for trout fishing. Once I missed missus Ord, and
pushing some bushes back where I thought she might be,
I saw a most comical sight. Lying flat on the ground,
hat pushed back and eyes peering over the bank of
the stream. Was missus Ord, the society woman. I could
not help laughing. She was so ridiculous in that position,
(03:20):
which the pinned up dress made even more funny. But
she did not like it, and, looking at me most
reproachfully said, you have frightened him away, And I almost
had him. She had been in that position a long time,
she said, waiting for a large trout to take her hook.
The race for honors was about even that day, and
(03:41):
there was no cause for envy on either side, for
neither missus Ord nor I caught one fish. Our camp
is near Smith's Fork of Snake River, and not far
from the camp is another fork that never has fish
in it. So everyone tells us that's scene. So strange,
(04:01):
for both streams have the same water from the stream
above and the same rocky beds. One day I thought
I would try the stream, as Smith's Fork was so
muddy we could not fish in that there had been
a storm up in the mountains that had caused both
streams to rise. So I caught some grasshoppers to bait with,
as it would be useless, of course, to try flies.
(04:24):
I walked along the banks of the swollen stream until
I saw a place where I thought there should be
a trout. And to that little place the grasshopper was cast.
When snap went my leader. I put on another hook
and another grasshopper, but the result was precisely the same,
So I concluded there must be a snag there, although
(04:46):
I had supposed that I knew a fish from a snag.
I tried one or two other places, but there was
no variation, and each time I lost a leader and hook.
In the meantime, a party had come over from Camp
Faye among them, and there had been much good advice
given me, and each one had told me that there
(05:07):
were no fish ever in that stream. Then they went
on up and sat down on the bank under some trees.
I was very cross, for it was not pleasant to
be laughed at, particularly by women who had probably never
had a rod in their hands. And I felt positive
that it had been fish that had carried off my hooks,
(05:27):
and I was determined to ascertain what was the matter.
So I went back to our tent and got a
very long leader, which I doubled a number of times.
I knew that the thickness would not frighten the fish,
as the water was so cloudy. I fixed a strong
hook to that, upon which was a fine grasshopper, and
(05:49):
going to one of the places where my friends said
that I had been snagged, I cast it over and
away it all went, which proved that I had caught
something that could at least act like a fish. I
reeled it in and in time landed the thing a
splendid large trout. My very first thought was of those
(06:11):
disagreeable people who had laughed at me, Faye first of all,
So after them I went carrying the fish, which gained
in weight with every step. Their surprise was great, and
I could see that Fay was delighted. He carried the
trout to camp for me, and I went with him,
for I was very tired. The next morning, I went
(06:34):
to that stream again, taking with me a book of
all sorts of flies and some grasshoppers. The department commander
went over also. He asked me to show him where
I had lost the hooks, but I said, if you
fish in those places, you will be laughed at more
than I was yesterday. He understood and went further down.
(06:56):
The water was much more clear, but still flies could
not be seen, so I used the scorned grasshopper. In
about two hours I caught sixteen beautiful trout, which weighed
in mass a little over twenty five pounds. I cast
in the very places where I had lost hooks, and
almost every time caught a fish, I left them in
(07:19):
the shade in various places along the stream, and Faye
and the soldier brought them to camp. A fine display
they made spread out on the grass, for they seemed
precisely the same size. The General caught two large and
several small trout. Those were all that day. It was
most remarkable that I should have found the only good
(07:42):
places in the stream at a time when the water
was not clear. Not only the right places, but the
one right day, for not one trout has been caught
there since, perhaps with the high water. The fish came
up from Snake River, although trout are supposed to live
in clear water. We can dispose of any number of
(08:02):
birds and fish here, for those that are not needed
for our own large mess can be given to the soldiers,
and we often send chicken and trout to our friends
at Fort Bridger. The further one goes up the stream,
the better the fishing is. That is, the fish are
more plentiful, but not as large as they are here.
(08:23):
About sixteen miles up almost in the mountains was General
Cook's favorite fishing ground, and when he was in command
of the department, he and General Stanley, who is also
an expert fisherman, came here many times. Consequently, General Stanley
is familiar with the country about here. The evening after
(08:44):
my splendid catch, General Stanley said that he would like
to have missus Ord and me go with him up
the stream several miles and asked if I would be
willing to give missus Ord the stream, as she had
never used to fly, adding that she seemed little piquet
because I had caught such fine fish. I said at
once that I would be delighted to give her the lead,
(09:06):
although I knew, of course, that whoever goes second in
a trout stream has very poor sport, but the request
was a compliment, and besides I had caught enough fish
for a while. The next day we made preparations, and
early on the morning of the second we started. The
Department commander had gone to Omaha on official business, so
(09:29):
he was not with us, and Faye did not go,
but the rest of the party went twelve miles and
then established a little camp for the day, and there
we left them. Missus ord and I and General Stanley
with a driver, got on a buckboard drawn by two mules,
and went five miles further up the stream, until in
(09:49):
fact it was impossible for even a buckboard to go
along the rocky trail. There we were expected to take
the stream, and as soon as we left the wagon,
missus Ord an I retired to some bushes to prepare
for the water. I had taken the tuck in my
outing skirt, so there was not much for me to do,
but missus ord pulled up and pinned up her serge
(10:13):
skirt in a way that would have made a small
fortune to a cartoonist. When we came from the bushes,
rods in hand. The soldier driver gave one bewildered stare,
and then almost fell from his seat. He was too
respectful to laugh outright and thus relieve his spasms, but
(10:33):
he would look at us from the slide of his eye,
turn his face from us, and fairly double over. Then
another quick look, and another double down again. Missus ord laughed,
and so did I. She is quite stout, and I
am very thin. And I suppose the soldier did see
funny things about us. We saw them ourselves. I shall
(10:55):
never forget my first step in that water. It was
as chilling as if it had been running over miles
of ice, and by comparison, the august sun seemed fiery.
But these things were soon forgotten, for at once the
excitement of casting a fly began. It is almost as
much pleasure to put a little fly just where you
(11:18):
want it as it is to catch the fish. My
rod and reel were in perfect condition. They had seen
to that, and my book of flies was complete. And
with charming companions and a stream full of trout, a
day of unusual pleasure was assured. We were obliged to
wagh every step, as the banks of the stream had walls,
(11:39):
of bowlders and thick bushes. Most of the stream was
not very deep, but was a foamy, roaring torrent, rushing
over the small rocks and around the large ones, with
little still dark places along the banks ideal homes for
the mountain trout. We found a few deep pools that
looked most harmless, but the current in them was swift
(12:02):
and dangerous to those who could not always keep their balance.
It was most difficult for me to walk on the
slippery stones at first, and I had many a fall,
but missus Ord, being heavy, avoided upsets very nicely. At
times we would be in water above our waists, and
then missus Ord and I would fall back with General
(12:22):
Stanley for protection, who alternately praised and laughed at us
during the whole day. Missus Ord was very quick to
learn where and how to cast a fly, and I
was delighted to let General Stanley see that grasshoppers were
not at all necessary to my success in fishing. We
sat upon a big flat rock at luncheon and were
(12:44):
thankful that General Stanley was a tall man and could
keep the box of sandwiches from getting wet when we
toppled over. He always came to our assistance, so at
times his waiting boots were not of much use to him.
Missus Ord was far ahead of me in numbers fish,
and General Stanley said that I had better keep up
with her if I wished. The stream had broadened out some.
(13:07):
So finally missus Ord whipped the left side, which is
easier casting, and I whipped the right. We waded down
the entire five miles, and missus Ord, who had the
stream most of the time, caught sixty four trout, and
I caught fifty six, and General Stanley picked up fourteen.
After our splashing and frightening away the fish we did
(13:29):
not catch. The trout were small, but wonderfully full of
fight in that cold water. Of course, General Stanley carried
them for us. The driver had been ordered to keep
within call on the trail, as General Stanley thought it
would be impossible for missus Ord and me to wade
the five miles, but the distance seemed short to us.
(13:49):
We never once thought of being tired, and it was
with great regret we reeled in our lines. There was
a beaver dam above the picnic camp, and before we
came to it, I happened to get near the bank
where I saw in the mud the impression of a
huge paw. It was larger than a teaplate, and was
(14:11):
so fresh one could easily see where the nails had been.
I asked General Stanley to look at it, but he
said that, oh, that is only the paw of a cub.
He has been down after fish. At once I discovered
that the middle of the stream was most attractive, and
there I went and carefully remained there the rest of
(14:32):
the way down. If the paw of a mere cub
could be that enormous size, what might not be the
size of an ordinary grown up? Bare paws included. Missus
Ore declared that she rather liked little bears, they were
so cunning and playful, but I noticed she avoided the banks. Also.
(14:53):
We had left dry clothing at the small camp, and
when we returned we found nice little retreats all ready
for us, made of cloaks and things in among the
bowlers and bushes. There were cups of delicious hot tea too.
But we were not cold. And the most astonishing thing
about that whole grand day is we did not feel
(15:14):
stiff or the slightest discomfort in any form. After it,
the tramp was long, and the water cold, and my
own baths many. I might have saved myself sometimes from
going all the way down, had I not been afraid
of breaking my rod, which I always held high. When
I fell. The day was one to be remembered by
missus Ord and me. We had thought all the time
(15:38):
that General Stanley was making a great sacrifice by giving
up a day's sport for our amusement, and that it
was so kind of him, for of course he could
not be enjoying the day. But it seems that he
had sport of which we knew nothing until the following day.
In fact, we know nothing about it yet. But he
(15:58):
began to tell the most absurd stories of what we did,
and we must have done many unusual things, for he
is still entertaining the camp with them. He was very
proud of us, nevertheless, and says so often. The right
of twelve miles back to camp seemed endless, for as
soon as the excitement of the stream was over, we
(16:20):
found that we were tired, awfully tired. We have only
a few weeks more of this delightful life. The hunting
is excellent too, and Faye and Captain Reeves often bring
in large bags of mountain grouse and young sage hens.
The sage chicken are as tender and delicious as partridge
(16:40):
before they begin to feed upon wild sage in the fall,
but one short day in the brush makes them different
birds and wholly unpalatable. We often send birds and fish
also to friends at Fort Bridger, who were most hospitable
the day we arrived, and before coming to camp, I
had quite forgot in the wedding yesterday. It was at
(17:02):
Fort Bridger, and the bride, a daughter of the post trader,
is related to several families of social position at Omaha.
We put on the very prettiest gowns we had with us,
but the effect was disappointing, for our red faces looked
redder than ever above delicate laces and silks. The ceremony
was at noon, was very pretty and everything passed off beautifully.
(17:26):
The breakfast was delicious, and we wondered at the dainty
dishes served so far from a caterer. The house was
not large, and every bit of air had been shut
out by darkening the windows, but we were spared the
heat and smell of lamps on the hot day by
the rooms being lighted by hundreds of candles, each one
with a pretty white shade. But some of us felt smothered,
(17:49):
and as soon as the affair was over, started immediately
for the camp, where we could have exhilarating mountain air
once more. It was really one whole day stolen from
our outing. We can always have crowded rooms, receptions and
breakfasts whenever we happen to be in the east, but
when again will we be in a glorious camp like this?
(18:12):
And our days here are to be so few. From
here we are to go to Salt Lake City for
a week or two. End of letter, end of section
twenty one
Section twenty one of Army Letters from an Officer's Wife
eighteen seventy one, eighteen eighty eight. This is the LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or a volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
by Sue Anderson. Army Letters from an Officer's Wife eighteen
(00:24):
seventy one, eighteen eighty eight by Francis Rowe, Section twenty one,
Letters from eighteen eighty eight, Part two. Camp near Uinta Mountains,
Wyoming Territory, August eighteen eighty eight. To be back in
the mountains and in camp is simply glorious, And to
(00:46):
see soldiers walking around wearing the dear old uniform, just
as we used to see them, makes one feel as
though old days had returned. The two colored men, Chef
and Butler, rather destroy the technique of a military camp,
but they seem to be necessary adjuncts. And besides, we
(01:06):
are not striving for harmony and effect, but for a
fine outing each day to be complete with its own pleasures.
It was a novel experience to come to the mountains
in a private car. The camp is very complete, as
the camp of a department commander should be, and we
have everything for our comfort. We are fourteen miles from
(01:28):
the Union Pacific Railroad and six from Fort Bridger, from
which post our tents and supplies came. Our ice is
sent from there also, and of course the enlisted men
are from that garrison. The party consists of General and
Missus Bork, Missus Hall, Missus Burke's sister, Missus Ord of Omaha,
(01:50):
General Stanley, Paymaster, Captain Reeves, Judge Advocate, both of the
Department staff, Lieutenant Travis Junior, Aide de camp, and myself.
Missus Ord is a pretty woman, always wears dainty gowns
and is a favorite with Omaha society people. I know
her very well. Still I hesitated about wearing my short
(02:13):
skirted outing suit, fearing it would shock her. But a
day or two after we got here, she said to me,
what are we to do about those fish? Missus Ray,
I always catch the most fish wherever I go, but
I hear that you are successful also, so with high spirits,
we started out by ourselves that very morning, everyone laughing
(02:36):
and betting on our number of fish. As we left camp,
I wore the short skirt, but Missus Ord had her
skirts pins so high. I felt that a tuck or
two should be taken in mine to save her from embarrassment.
The fishing is excellent here, and each one had every
confidence in her own good luck, for the morning was
(02:57):
perfect for trout fishing. Once I missed missus Ord, and
pushing some bushes back where I thought she might be,
I saw a most comical sight. Lying flat on the ground,
hat pushed back and eyes peering over the bank of
the stream. Was missus Ord, the society woman. I could
not help laughing. She was so ridiculous in that position,
(03:20):
which the pinned up dress made even more funny. But
she did not like it, and, looking at me most
reproachfully said, you have frightened him away, And I almost
had him. She had been in that position a long time,
she said, waiting for a large trout to take her hook.
The race for honors was about even that day, and
(03:41):
there was no cause for envy on either side, for
neither missus Ord nor I caught one fish. Our camp
is near Smith's Fork of Snake River, and not far
from the camp is another fork that never has fish
in it. So everyone tells us that's scene. So strange,
(04:01):
for both streams have the same water from the stream
above and the same rocky beds. One day I thought
I would try the stream, as Smith's Fork was so
muddy we could not fish in that there had been
a storm up in the mountains that had caused both
streams to rise. So I caught some grasshoppers to bait with,
as it would be useless, of course, to try flies.
(04:24):
I walked along the banks of the swollen stream until
I saw a place where I thought there should be
a trout. And to that little place the grasshopper was cast.
When snap went my leader. I put on another hook
and another grasshopper, but the result was precisely the same,
So I concluded there must be a snag there, although
(04:46):
I had supposed that I knew a fish from a snag.
I tried one or two other places, but there was
no variation, and each time I lost a leader and hook.
In the meantime, a party had come over from Camp
Faye among them, and there had been much good advice
given me, and each one had told me that there
(05:07):
were no fish ever in that stream. Then they went
on up and sat down on the bank under some trees.
I was very cross, for it was not pleasant to
be laughed at, particularly by women who had probably never
had a rod in their hands. And I felt positive
that it had been fish that had carried off my hooks,
(05:27):
and I was determined to ascertain what was the matter.
So I went back to our tent and got a
very long leader, which I doubled a number of times.
I knew that the thickness would not frighten the fish,
as the water was so cloudy. I fixed a strong
hook to that, upon which was a fine grasshopper, and
(05:49):
going to one of the places where my friends said
that I had been snagged, I cast it over and
away it all went, which proved that I had caught
something that could at least act like a fish. I
reeled it in and in time landed the thing a
splendid large trout. My very first thought was of those
(06:11):
disagreeable people who had laughed at me, Faye first of all,
So after them I went carrying the fish, which gained
in weight with every step. Their surprise was great, and
I could see that Fay was delighted. He carried the
trout to camp for me, and I went with him,
for I was very tired. The next morning, I went
(06:34):
to that stream again, taking with me a book of
all sorts of flies and some grasshoppers. The department commander
went over also. He asked me to show him where
I had lost the hooks, but I said, if you
fish in those places, you will be laughed at more
than I was yesterday. He understood and went further down.
(06:56):
The water was much more clear, but still flies could
not be seen, so I used the scorned grasshopper. In
about two hours I caught sixteen beautiful trout, which weighed
in mass a little over twenty five pounds. I cast
in the very places where I had lost hooks, and
almost every time caught a fish, I left them in
(07:19):
the shade in various places along the stream, and Faye
and the soldier brought them to camp. A fine display
they made spread out on the grass, for they seemed
precisely the same size. The General caught two large and
several small trout. Those were all that day. It was
most remarkable that I should have found the only good
(07:42):
places in the stream at a time when the water
was not clear. Not only the right places, but the
one right day, for not one trout has been caught
there since, perhaps with the high water. The fish came
up from Snake River, although trout are supposed to live
in clear water. We can dispose of any number of
(08:02):
birds and fish here, for those that are not needed
for our own large mess can be given to the soldiers,
and we often send chicken and trout to our friends
at Fort Bridger. The further one goes up the stream,
the better the fishing is. That is, the fish are
more plentiful, but not as large as they are here.
(08:23):
About sixteen miles up almost in the mountains was General
Cook's favorite fishing ground, and when he was in command
of the department, he and General Stanley, who is also
an expert fisherman, came here many times. Consequently, General Stanley
is familiar with the country about here. The evening after
(08:44):
my splendid catch, General Stanley said that he would like
to have missus Ord and me go with him up
the stream several miles and asked if I would be
willing to give missus Ord the stream, as she had
never used to fly, adding that she seemed little piquet
because I had caught such fine fish. I said at
once that I would be delighted to give her the lead,
(09:06):
although I knew, of course, that whoever goes second in
a trout stream has very poor sport, but the request
was a compliment, and besides I had caught enough fish
for a while. The next day we made preparations, and
early on the morning of the second we started. The
Department commander had gone to Omaha on official business, so
(09:29):
he was not with us, and Faye did not go,
but the rest of the party went twelve miles and
then established a little camp for the day, and there
we left them. Missus ord and I and General Stanley
with a driver, got on a buckboard drawn by two mules,
and went five miles further up the stream, until in
(09:49):
fact it was impossible for even a buckboard to go
along the rocky trail. There we were expected to take
the stream, and as soon as we left the wagon,
missus Ord an I retired to some bushes to prepare
for the water. I had taken the tuck in my
outing skirt, so there was not much for me to do,
but missus ord pulled up and pinned up her serge
(10:13):
skirt in a way that would have made a small
fortune to a cartoonist. When we came from the bushes,
rods in hand. The soldier driver gave one bewildered stare,
and then almost fell from his seat. He was too
respectful to laugh outright and thus relieve his spasms, but
(10:33):
he would look at us from the slide of his eye,
turn his face from us, and fairly double over. Then
another quick look, and another double down again. Missus ord laughed,
and so did I. She is quite stout, and I
am very thin. And I suppose the soldier did see
funny things about us. We saw them ourselves. I shall
(10:55):
never forget my first step in that water. It was
as chilling as if it had been running over miles
of ice, and by comparison, the august sun seemed fiery.
But these things were soon forgotten, for at once the
excitement of casting a fly began. It is almost as
much pleasure to put a little fly just where you
(11:18):
want it as it is to catch the fish. My
rod and reel were in perfect condition. They had seen
to that, and my book of flies was complete. And
with charming companions and a stream full of trout, a
day of unusual pleasure was assured. We were obliged to
wagh every step, as the banks of the stream had walls,
(11:39):
of bowlders and thick bushes. Most of the stream was
not very deep, but was a foamy, roaring torrent, rushing
over the small rocks and around the large ones, with
little still dark places along the banks ideal homes for
the mountain trout. We found a few deep pools that
looked most harmless, but the current in them was swift
(12:02):
and dangerous to those who could not always keep their balance.
It was most difficult for me to walk on the
slippery stones at first, and I had many a fall,
but missus Ord, being heavy, avoided upsets very nicely. At
times we would be in water above our waists, and
then missus Ord and I would fall back with General
(12:22):
Stanley for protection, who alternately praised and laughed at us
during the whole day. Missus Ord was very quick to
learn where and how to cast a fly, and I
was delighted to let General Stanley see that grasshoppers were
not at all necessary to my success in fishing. We
sat upon a big flat rock at luncheon and were
(12:44):
thankful that General Stanley was a tall man and could
keep the box of sandwiches from getting wet when we
toppled over. He always came to our assistance, so at
times his waiting boots were not of much use to him.
Missus Ord was far ahead of me in numbers fish,
and General Stanley said that I had better keep up
with her if I wished. The stream had broadened out some.
(13:07):
So finally missus Ord whipped the left side, which is
easier casting, and I whipped the right. We waded down
the entire five miles, and missus Ord, who had the
stream most of the time, caught sixty four trout, and
I caught fifty six, and General Stanley picked up fourteen.
After our splashing and frightening away the fish we did
(13:29):
not catch. The trout were small, but wonderfully full of
fight in that cold water. Of course, General Stanley carried
them for us. The driver had been ordered to keep
within call on the trail, as General Stanley thought it
would be impossible for missus Ord and me to wade
the five miles, but the distance seemed short to us.
(13:49):
We never once thought of being tired, and it was
with great regret we reeled in our lines. There was
a beaver dam above the picnic camp, and before we
came to it, I happened to get near the bank
where I saw in the mud the impression of a
huge paw. It was larger than a teaplate, and was
(14:11):
so fresh one could easily see where the nails had been.
I asked General Stanley to look at it, but he
said that, oh, that is only the paw of a cub.
He has been down after fish. At once I discovered
that the middle of the stream was most attractive, and
there I went and carefully remained there the rest of
(14:32):
the way down. If the paw of a mere cub
could be that enormous size, what might not be the
size of an ordinary grown up? Bare paws included. Missus
Ore declared that she rather liked little bears, they were
so cunning and playful, but I noticed she avoided the banks. Also.
(14:53):
We had left dry clothing at the small camp, and
when we returned we found nice little retreats all ready
for us, made of cloaks and things in among the
bowlers and bushes. There were cups of delicious hot tea too.
But we were not cold. And the most astonishing thing
about that whole grand day is we did not feel
(15:14):
stiff or the slightest discomfort in any form. After it,
the tramp was long, and the water cold, and my
own baths many. I might have saved myself sometimes from
going all the way down, had I not been afraid
of breaking my rod, which I always held high. When
I fell. The day was one to be remembered by
missus Ord and me. We had thought all the time
(15:38):
that General Stanley was making a great sacrifice by giving
up a day's sport for our amusement, and that it
was so kind of him, for of course he could
not be enjoying the day. But it seems that he
had sport of which we knew nothing until the following day.
In fact, we know nothing about it yet. But he
(15:58):
began to tell the most absurd stories of what we did,
and we must have done many unusual things, for he
is still entertaining the camp with them. He was very
proud of us, nevertheless, and says so often. The right
of twelve miles back to camp seemed endless, for as
soon as the excitement of the stream was over, we
(16:20):
found that we were tired, awfully tired. We have only
a few weeks more of this delightful life. The hunting
is excellent too, and Faye and Captain Reeves often bring
in large bags of mountain grouse and young sage hens.
The sage chicken are as tender and delicious as partridge
(16:40):
before they begin to feed upon wild sage in the fall,
but one short day in the brush makes them different
birds and wholly unpalatable. We often send birds and fish
also to friends at Fort Bridger, who were most hospitable
the day we arrived, and before coming to camp, I
had quite forgot in the wedding yesterday. It was at
(17:02):
Fort Bridger, and the bride, a daughter of the post trader,
is related to several families of social position at Omaha.
We put on the very prettiest gowns we had with us,
but the effect was disappointing, for our red faces looked
redder than ever above delicate laces and silks. The ceremony
was at noon, was very pretty and everything passed off beautifully.
(17:26):
The breakfast was delicious, and we wondered at the dainty
dishes served so far from a caterer. The house was
not large, and every bit of air had been shut
out by darkening the windows, but we were spared the
heat and smell of lamps on the hot day by
the rooms being lighted by hundreds of candles, each one
with a pretty white shade. But some of us felt smothered,
(17:49):
and as soon as the affair was over, started immediately
for the camp, where we could have exhilarating mountain air
once more. It was really one whole day stolen from
our outing. We can always have crowded rooms, receptions and
breakfasts whenever we happen to be in the east, but
when again will we be in a glorious camp like this?
(18:12):
And our days here are to be so few. From
here we are to go to Salt Lake City for
a week or two. End of letter, end of section
twenty one
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