The Young Forester | Page 6

sick boy got off at the first station, and I waved
good-bye to him as the train pulled out. Then the mountains and the
funny little adobe huts and the Pueblo Indians along the line made me
forget everything else.
The big man with the heavy watch-chain was still on the train, and after
he had read his newspaper he began to talk to me.
"This road follows the old trail that the goldseekers took in forty-nine,"
he said. "We're comin' soon to a place, Apache Pass, where the
Apaches used to ambush the wagon-trains, It's somewheres along
here."
Presently the train wound into a narrow yellow ravine, the walls of
which grew higher and higher.
"Them Apaches was the worst redskins ever in the West. They used to
hide on top of this pass an' shoot down on the wagon-trains."
Later in the day he drew my attention to a mountain standing all by
itself. It was shaped like a cone, green with trees almost to the summit,

and ending in a bare stone peak that had a flat top.
"Starvation Peak," he said. "That name's three hundred years old, dates
back to the time the Spaniards owned this land. There's a story about it
that's likely true enough. Some Spaniards were attacked by Indians an'
climbed to the peak, expectin' to be better able to defend themselves up
there. The Indians camped below the peak an' starved the Spaniards.
Stuck there till they starved to death! That's where it got its name."
"Those times you tell of must have been great," I said, regretfully. "I'd
like to have been here then. But isn't the country all settled now? Aren't
the Indians dead? There's no more fighting?"
"It's not like it used to be, but there's still warm places in the West. Not
that the Indians break out often any more. But bad men are almost as
bad, if not so plentiful, as when Billy the Kid run these parts. I saw two
men shot an' another knifed jest before I went East to St. Louis."
"Where?"
"In Arizona. Holston is the station where I get off, an' it happened near
there."
"Holston is where I'm going."
"You don't say. Well, I'm glad to meet you, young man. My name's
Buell, an' I'm some known in Holston. What's your name?"
He eyed me in a sharp but not unfriendly manner, and seemed pleased
to learn of my destination.
"Ward. Kenneth Ward. I'm from Pennsylvania."
"You haven't got the bugs. Any one can see that," he said, and as I
looked puzzled he went on with a smile, and a sounding rap on his
chest: "Most young fellers as come out here have consumption. They
call it bugs. I reckon you're seekin' your fortune."'
"Yes, in a way."

"There's opportunities for husky youngsters out here. What're you goin'
to rustle for, if I may ask?"
"I'm going in for forestry."
"Forestry? Do you mean lumberin'?"
"No. Forestry is rather the opposite of lumbering. I'm going in for
Government forestry--to save the timber, not cut it."
It seemed to me he gave a little start of surprise; he certainly
straightened up and looked at me hard.
"What's Government forestry?"
I told him to the best of my ability. He listened attentively enough, but
thereafter he had not another word for me, and presently he went into
the next car. I took his manner to be the Western abruptness that I had
heard of, and presently forgot him in the scenery along the line. At
Albuquerque I got off for a trip to a lunch-counter, and happened to
take a seat next to him.
"Know anybody in Holston?" he asked.
As I could not speak because of a mouthful of sandwich I shook my
head. For the moment I had forgotten about Dick Leslie, and when it
did occur to me some Indians offering to sell me beads straightway
drove it out of my mind again.
When I awoke the next day, it was to see the sage ridges and red buttes
of Arizona. We were due at Holston at eight o'clock, but owing to a
crippled engine the train was hours late. At last I fell asleep to be
awakened by a vigorous shake.
"Holston. Your stop. Holston," the conductor was saying.
"All right," I said, sitting up and then making a grab for my grip.
"We're pretty late, aren't we?"

"Six hours. It's two o'clock."
"Hope I can get a room," I said, as I followed him out on the platform.
He held up his lantern so that the light would shine in my face. "There's
a hotel down the street a block or so. Better hurry and look sharp.
Holston's not a safe place for a stranger at night."
I stepped off