In the Rocky Mountains

In the Rocky Mountains, by W.
H. G. Kingston

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Title: In the Rocky Mountains
Author: W. H. G. Kingston
Illustrator: J.F.
Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21466]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE
ROCKY MOUNTAINS ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

In the Rocky Mountains, by W H G Kingston.
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This is a very nicely written little book. It is easy to read or listen to, yet
is full of real-sounding dangerous situations from which the young
heroes escape with difficulty.
The hero and his sister, Ralph and Clarice, are from a farming family
in the middle states of America. The father, unwillingly followed by the
mother, decide to move to the west, but unfortunately first the mother,
and then the father, dies, and the two young people are left without an
adult to guide and lead them. Luckily, at that moment, a wagon train
comes by, and the children hail it. The man in charge of the wagon
train realises he is actually the uncle of these children, and agrees to
take them with him, becoming their greatly beloved Uncle Jeff.
Much of the rest of the book is taken up with various confrontations
with Indians, with wolves and a bear or two thrown in for good
measure.
You will enjoy reading this book, and it certainly converts well to an
audiobook so that you can listen to it.
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IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, BY W H G KINGSTON.
CHAPTER ONE.
HOW UNCLE JEFF CAME TO "ROARING WATER"--THE
SITUATION OF THE FARM--THE INMATES OF THE
HOUSE--MY SISTER CLARICE AND BLACK RACHEL--UNCLE
JEFF-- BARTLE WON AND GIDEON TUTTLE--ARRIVAL OF
LIEUTENANT BROADSTREET AND HIS MEN--THE TROOPERS
QUARTERED IN THE HUT--OUR FARM-LABOURERS--SUDDEN
APPEARANCE OF THE REDSKIN WINNEMAK--HIS FORMER
VISIT TO THE FARM-- CLARICE ENCOUNTERS HIM AT THE
SPRING--BADLY WOUNDED--KINDLY TREATED BY CLARICE

AND RACHEL--HIS GRATITUDE.
We were most of us seated round a blazing fire of pine logs, which
crackled away merrily, sending the sparks about in all directions, at the
no small risk of setting fire to garments of a lighter texture than ours.
Although the flowers were blooming on the hill-sides, in the woods and
valleys, and by the margins of the streams; humming-birds were flitting
about gathering their dainty food; and the bears, having finished the
operation of licking their paws, had come out in search of more
substantial fare; and the buffalo had been seen migrating to the
north,--the wind at night blew keenly from off the snow-capped
mountain-tops which, at no great distance, rose above us, and rendered
a fire acceptable even to us hardy backwoodsmen.
Our location was far in advance of any settlement in that latitude of
North America, for Uncle Jeff Crockett "could never abide," he averred,
"being in the rear of his fellow-creatures." Whenever he had before
found people gathering around him at the spot where he had pitched his
tent, or rather, put up his log-hut, he had sold his property (always to
advantage, however), and yoking his team, had pushed on westward,
with a few sturdy followers.
On and on he had come, until he had reached the base of the Rocky
Mountains. He would have gone over them, but, having an eye to
business, and knowing that it was necessary to secure a market for his
produce, he calculated that he had come far enough for the present. He
therefore climbed the sides of the mountain for a short distance, until
he entered a sort of canon, which, penetrating westward, greatly
narrowed, until it had the appearance of a cleft with lofty crags on
either side,--while it opened out eastward, overlooking the broad valley
and the plain beyond.
He chose the spot as one capable of being defended against the
Redskins, never in those parts very friendly to white men,--especially
towards those whom they found settling themselves on lands which
they looked upon as their own hunting-grounds, although they could
use them for no other purpose.

Another reason which had induced Uncle Jeff to select this spot was,
that not far off was one of the only practicable passes through the
mountains either to the north or south, and that the trail to it led close
below us at the foot of the hills, so that every emigrant train or party of
travellers going to or from the Great Salt Lake or California must pass
in sight of