known as Soda Butte Creek, which enters into the Yellowstone in the National Park near the Mammoth Hot Springs.

The scenery along this route was grand in the highest degree. Passing through cedar and pine forests, occasionally coming to an opening or a small, beautiful, natural park with little lakes of crystal water; passing cold springs fed from the perpetual snow on the mountains, thence along up beside the rapid mountain torrents and beautiful cascades and waterfalls, we gradually descended to what is the park proper or great basin. In fact the Yellowstone Park is merely a great basin of the Rocky mountains, sixty miles square, and containing groups of natural wonders.

In six days we had passed over the high divide. One day's march was

"OLD FAITHFUL" GEYSER IN WINTER, YELLOWSTONE PARK.

made on the snow, although it was then only September, and then we descended to the valley of the Yellowstone Park, joining the rest of the party and command near what is known as Barrett's Bridge, twelve miles above the Mammoth Hot Springs, and where of necessity our wagons were parked to remain. Hereafter for twelve days we moved with only saddlehorses and pack-mules.

During these twelve days we visited all the natural features of this wonderland. On the second day we ascended Mount Washburn, which stands near the center of the National Park. From the top of this mountain there is a splendid view of the great panorama of natural wonders.

You see encircling this enormous basin a great range of snow-capped mountains, two hundred miles in extent, with some of its highest peaks ten thousand feet above the level of the sea. Yonder, far in the distance to the southwest, is the great Yellowstone Lake, twenty-six miles in extent, and believed to be the largest body of water of its altitude on the face of the globe. To the right, but far away, you occasionally see the geysers in action, but need to be in closer proximity to appreciate their grandeur and beauty. From the lake you see the Yellowstone River winding its way along through forest and park to the great Yellowstone Falls, where it plunges to the cañon below, not so large a volume of water as, but nearly two hundred feet higher than, the Falls of Niagara. From there it has cut its course down through the Great Cañon

of the Yellowstone a distance of twenty miles, past the Mammoth Springs, until it finally disappears through the main entrance to the park.

As you descend Mount Washburn and go on past these falls of the Yellowstone, thence across the course of the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Lake, and then on to the geyser basin, you have an opportunity to get a better view of these especial wonders. It was the opinion of the best judges in our party, and has been the opinion of many who have visited the geysers in different parts of the world, that all others are insignificant compared with those in the Yellowstone Park.

The character and variety of these geysers is most remarkable. For instance Old Faithful, as it is called, is in action with as much regularity as a chronometer once every fifty-eight minutes or, as it is called "once an hour." This geyser, when not in action, appears like a deep pool of clear boiling water about four feet in diameter, and almost

YELLOWSTONE PARK.

circular. As the action commences there will be a burst of water boiling up in the center, followed by another similar action throwing the water a few feet higher, and then another and another, each time reaching a greater elevation, soon rising to twenty or thirty feet, and then continuing gradually to rise until it bursts forth with terrific power, standing a solid body of boiling water one hundred and fifty feet in height, and continuing in this volume and force for twelve or fifteen minutes. Then gradually it dies down until it resumes its former condition of absolute calm.

The other geysers are each of a different character. For example, the Bee Hive is a large, solid body of carbonate of lime and geyserite that has been thrown out and become crystallized in the form of a beehive. Another of a beautiful, ragged form is named the Grotto, and is one of the most interesting of all, and the Castle is one of the most beautiful.

Some are in action every twenty-four hours with reasonable regularity; others once only in six or seven days. There are still others that are as yet undefined as to their action. At the time we were there, there had

been no precise record made to determine whether they were in action. once a year or whether they had any system of regular action. The Giant geyser and the Giantess are not far apart, and the former appears to be the grandest of all, throwing a volume of water two hundred feet in height.

These groups of geysers and boiling springs of enormous magnitude are close by other springs where the water is as cold as ice. The "paint," "mud," and "ink" geysers are seen in close proximity. These geysers, with the falls, cañon and snow-capped mountains, form a group of wonders that, taken altogether, excel in beauty and grandeur anything else of the kind on this continent, and perhaps in any part of the world, though entirely different from the glacier regions of Alaska, the Grand Cañon of the Colorado or the Yosemite, to all of which I shall have occasion to refer later. That journey was one of continuous interest, amusement and delight; and we were fortunate in seeing it just as the hand of nature's architect left it, unmarred by the hand of man, for though it is impossible for him to improve it, he might easily injure its beauty and sublimity. The smoke of the cabin or the palace, the rush of the locomotive, or the rumble of the stagecoach could not fail to mar the lofty grandeur and the silent grace and beauty of one of the most fascinating natural scenes on earth.

Our marches were usually made in the forenoons, while the afternoons were devoted to enjoying the wonders and places of interest. In the evenings we gathered around our large camp fires to enjoy the harvest moon and listen to the vocal and instrumental music which alone broke the silence of the September nights. The rivers of the valley were alive with speckled trout, the lakes were dotted with beautiful water fowls, and in the park was found an abundance of mountain grouse and pheasants, together with deer and other large game, but for the time being we suspended hunting. After enjoying the beauties of nature for twelve days we returned to the Mammoth Hot Springs, where we found our wagons parked and in good condition for our return journey. We then resumed our homeward march down the Yellowstone by easy stages, selecting beautiful camps and enjoying the journey exceedingly, though it was not as eventful as when we were moving out, and we finally returned to Fort Keogh at the mouth of the Tongue River after an absence of two months.

Visiting the park again fourteen years later I found a railroad, hotels, stagecoaches and other evidences of civilization, but less of the ideal picture of nature, and what was remarkable, I met more foreign than American tourists. The former appeared to appreciate and enjoy it in the highest degree.

CHAPTER XXIV.

SITTING BULL.

HIS CAMP IN CANADA-CAMPAIGN OF LIEUTENANT CLARK-THE RED RIVER HALF-BREEDS - CAMPAIGN OF CAPTAIN HUGGINS-STEALING AS A FINE ART-CUSTOMS IN RESPECT TO STEALING EXPEDITIONS

- HOW THE THEFT IS ACCOMPLISHED-NAMES OF PLACES AND WHY THEY
WERE GIVEN THE "COUNTING Coos"- EXPLOIT OF SERGEANT GLOVER-A
CONFERENCE WITH THE INDIANS-THE TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE AS AR-
GUMENTS-THE SURRENDER OF THE CHIEFS - THE UTE OUTBREAK.

HE winter of 1878-79 was uneventful, and the garrison en-
joyed the usual winter festivities such as hunting, sleighing
and skating on the crystal ice of the Yellowstone and Tongue
Rivers. During the two years of comparative peace the
country had been rapidly settled, claims being taken up,
homes made, ranches stocked, and towns and villages, with
the appliances of civilized communities, laid out and occupied.

Yet the country was not entirely safe from the incursions of raiding and stealing parties coming from Sitting Bull's camp, north of the Canadian boundary.

Sitting Bull had refused all overtures made to him by the peace commissioners to come in and surrender, although General Terry, commanding the department, together with the commander of the Canadian forces, had met him with friendly overtures. Many disaffected Indians from differerent agencies had gradually stolen away and joined his camp across the Canadian boundary, where there was an abundance of buffaloes and where they could live on the proceeds of the chase. From a small camp of a few hundred lodges, his following had increased to something like two thousand Indians. Yet nearly every raiding party that was sent out from this camp to steal horses belonging to the friendly Crow Indians or the white settlements, was met by the troops, and either captured or pursued back to the northern line. Whenever his camp moved across the line for the purpose of hunting or trading, it was immediately pursued by troops and forced back again to foreign territory.

This was especially the case in the summer of 1879, when his camp was reported to be south of the boundary. A command from the