P a g e 4 GLEANINGS FROM A SENIOR’S DIARY -This appeared in the Monmal (Dillon, MT), May 1, 1918 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r At last we’re in the Highlands. Joy! what a day this has been. We started at five o ’clock this morning with a team and light wagon loaded down with bedding and eats, plus five healthy individuals and the “Family Skeleton.’’ Yes, it was a heavy load, but we had two saddle horses to assist. We had a profound sympathy for the poor horses; consequently we spent much of our time walking up mountains. We shall never forget that wonderful spring we passed on the road. To us, overheated as we were, it seemed the most refreshing drink we ever had. This is a most beautiful place. Huge pine-clad mountains surround our camp. We can see a snow bank on the highest peak. We have made our beds of spicy pine needles under the limbs of two towering pines. A small cabin stands near by, but we have shunned its dark recesses. Our horses are hobbled and are roaming about through the darkness, nibbling grass. Skidoo, the Family Skeleton, is the limit. He rushes out and barks at the darkness, making us think there are wild animals about. Fran keeps asking Mickey, her small, twelve year old brother, why he brought that pesky dog along. We’re going to wait for the moon to come up, because we are afraid to put our fire out until we get some other kind of light. At last the moon is rising over the mountain. The darkness is disappearing rapidly; and we can go to bed, feeling safe from harm, with a trusty ax and a rusty shovel within Fran’s reach. I’ll have to write some more tonight to tell about our bed. We’ve made it over three times in order to keep from running our feet out into the pine needles. September 5: Last night was fine. After a long time we all managed to go to sleep. This morning the sun woke us up at an unearthly hour. We crawled out of our warm beds, and dashed, with quilts wrapped around us, to the creek. In we jumped, leaving our garments on the bank. Such blood curdling yells! That water almost made frozen images of us. Was ever such a breakfast! Sallie made about forty hot cakes apiece, while we cooked eggs, prepared the wild gooseberries we had gathered the night before, and made coffee. Believe me! Gooseberries and hot cakes are delicious. As we were sitting at our crooked table, balancing ourselves on tottering benches, Ann and I heard a queer buzzing sound. “A bee!” cried Ann, and we both jumped up, scattering all obstructions to the four winds, and took to the tall timber. ‘‘Oh, come on back,” Sallie called, ‘‘Bees won’t hurt you if you leave them alone ” We finally sneaked back to the table. Those bees! They just stuck around our camp all the time. Ann and I had some time trying to dodge them. We would get nicely seated when along would come those bees. Over would go our benches, taking with them Sallie, Fran, and Mickey, who shouted loud protests at such treatment. However, we did succeed in eating our share of the breakfast between
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