show that it was dangerous that way, he
would turn them in another direction and try there. Sometimes it was
necessary almost to turn around in order to keep upon the higher
ground. In this way mules and drivers worked until four o'clock in
the afternoon, the dirty water often coming up over the floor of the
ambulance, and many times it looked as if we could not go on one step
farther without being upset in the mud and water.

But at four we reached an island, where there was a small house and a
stable for the stage relay horses, and not far beyond was another island
where Faye decided to camp for the night. It was the only thing he
could have done. He insisted upon my staying at the house, but I finally
convinced him that the proper place for me was in camp, and I went on
with him. The island was very small, and the highest point above water
could not have been over two feet. Of course everything had to be
upon it--horses, mules, wagons, drivers, Faye and I, and the two small
squirrels, and the chickens also. In addition to our own traveling
menagerie there were native inhabitants of that island--millions and
millions of mosquitoes, each one with a sharp appetite and sharp sting.
We thought that we had learned all about vicious mosquitoes while in the
South, but the Southern mosquitoes are slow and caressing in comparison
to those Montana things.

It was very warm, and the Chinaman felt sorry for the chickens shut up
in the boxes, where fierce quarrels seemed to be going on all the time.
So after he had fed them we talked it over, and decided to let them
out, as they could not possibly get away from us across the big body of
water. There were twenty large chickens in one big box, and twenty-seven
small ones that had been brought in a long box by themselves. Well,
Charlie and one of the men got the boxes down and opened them. At once
the four or five mother hens clucked and scratched and kept on clucking
until the little chicks were let out, when every one of them ran to its
own mother, and each hen strutted off with her own brood. That is the
absolute truth, but is not all. When night came the chickens went back
to their boxes to roost--all but the small ones. Those were left outside
with their mothers, and just before daylight Charlie raised a great
commotion when he put them up for the day's trip.

When we were about ready to start in the morning, a man came over from
the house and told Faye that he would pilot us