11
erts, and to save him all trouble by guiding him into camp. The lost
pack-horse was an extraordinary animal--a beautiful, golden stallion of
vast proportions, some thought as much as thirteen hands high. Some
people would have called him of buckskin color, but we has of that intensely
brilliant hue which buckskin assumes when wet and in the shade. He
was one of the animals which, in fording the Yellowstone, managed to flounder
into deep water and saturate his pack; and whenever we waded through a
slough, he was sure to be the horse that got stalled. In such cases
he invariably waited until the packers, with their patience severely tried,
went back and lifted him out by main force. On this particular occasion,
he had proven himself the acrobat of the pack-train by turning a number
of somersaults backward, down the hill, pack and all; and when found, was
astride a log lengthwise, his feet just touching on either side, but either
unable to extricate himself, or too proud and patient to make an effort
to do so. He consequently very resignedly contemplated his position
and surroundings. He was too proud and spirited to betray any emotion,
though his situation was undoubtedly distasteful to his feelings.
In war, he might have been a lion; in peace, he was certainly a lamb.
He was just the kind of a horse that, in a race, would have driven every
thing else before him. the pedigree of the beast has not been authentically
preserved, but there is good reason to believe that his dam was Rosinante,
while he was sired by Baalbec, the horse Mark Twain rode through the Holy
Land. He was dubbed the "Yellowstone Wonder."
Toward evening Mr. Everts' disappearance excited
grave apprehensions. It would have been extremely difficult for any
one to have followed our trail through the dense forests and over the fallen
timber. Besides, Mr. Everts was quite near-sighted. Every endeavor
was made to attract his attention, by firing guns and building fires on
prominent points near the camp. Failing to find him, we changed our
camp to the lake-shore, and remained for more than a week in the immediate
vicinity, searching vigilantly for him. We expected to find him somewhere
on the south-west shore of the lake, as at the time he was lost it was
generally understood we would that evening camp on the south-western arm
of the lake.
On the afternoon of September 13th, when Mr. Everts
had been missing four days, there was slight indications of snow, which
indications continued for two days, by which time it was two feet deep.
The weather was not very cold, and by means of the tent we got along quite
comfortably; but we feared that the storm would prove fatal to our poor,
lost friend. Conjectures as to his probable fate were numberless,
but futile. Our chief hope lay in the fact of his being well mounted,
and the hope that, failing to find us on the second day, he had started
for the settlements; in which case he might possibly be beyond the region
of the snow-storm. When lost he was without provisions, but had with
him a needle-gun. We continued our efforts until nearly out of provisions;
and then, leaving three persons to still look for him, the rest of us turned
toward the settlements.
Immediately on our arrival, two old mountaineers
were furnished with six weeks' provisions, and offered a large reward if
they succeeded in finding him, or should bring back his body. They
found him, quite exhausted, and nearly famished about sixty miles from
Bozeman. He was trying to follow back on the route by which we ascended
the Yellowstone. It seems that his horse got away from the day after
he left us. His gun was made fast to the saddle, and his revolver
was in his cantinas; so Go
to next page
Go back
to Table of Contents
Go
back to Yellowstone Historical Almanac
Go back to
Yellowstone History Guide
Go back to The Magic
of Yellowstone front page