LETTER VII.—On board the "Cunardia"—Small troubles—The Romance 57
of a rickety old chair—Arrival at New York—First
acquaintance with katydids
LETTER VIII.—Up the Hudson River—The Catskills—My first 63
chipmunk—"The Rip Van Winkle"—"Sleepy Hollow"—The
Mountain-House Hotel—Old Indian squaw-spirit—A snake in the
grass—A painting by Holbein
LETTER IX.—Arrival at Saratoga—Season over—Hotel crowded with 73
Deputies for nomination of a State Governor—Mugwump—Arrival
at Niagara—The Falls at midnight and by moonlight—No letter
from Frank
LETTER X.—Start for Chicago—"The Michigan Central"—Arrival at 82
Chicago—Still no letter from Frank—Start for St. Paul—St.
Paul and Minneapolis—Commodore Kitson's stables—Falls of St.
Anthony—"The Granary of the World"—Falls of
Minnehaha—Telegram to Frank to meet me at Livingston
LETTER XI.—The North Pacific Railway—Brainerd—Detroit—Massacre 93
by Sioux—Indian Reservation—Fargo—Wheat-fields of
Dakota—Bismarck—"Bad Lands"—The Rockies—Arrival at
Livingston—No news of Frank—My great disappointment
LETTER XII.—The Yellowstone National Park—"The New 106
Wonderland"—"The Devil's Slide"—The stage driver—Story of a
corpse—Driving a circus coach—Circus Bill "appropriates" a
coat—Stealing their own blankets—Start for the Park—Mammoth
Springs—Forest of dead pines—The Lake of the Woods—Norris
Hot Springs and Geysers—"Hell's Half-acre"—A perilous
drive—Fire Hole River—Lower Geyser Springs—"Old
Faithful"—"The Bee Hive"—The Grand Cañon—Rough
roads—Return—"The Golden Gate"—A strange pedestrian—"By
Jove! it's Frank!"
LETTER XIII.—Livingston to Bozeman—Bozeman City—Arrival at 129
Frank's ranche—Frank's progress—The shanty—Kitten and
mice—Aroused by a ground squirrel—Variation of climate—A
snowstorm—Our beds drenched—"Baching" it—Shaving under
difficulties—Situation—Fertility of the soil—Cultivation of
strawberries—Fine grazing district—Climate—Story of our
holiday on the ranche—Fishing in West Gallatin river—New
bridge and old canoe—"The coloured aristocracy"—Three bear
stories
LETTER XIV.—Saying "Goodbye"—Departure in a heavy 160
snowstorm—Gallatin Valley—Helena—Garrison—Butte City—Salt
Lake City—Polygamy—Articles of faith—Trial of a
murderer—Trial of polygamists
LETTER XV.—Leave for Cheyenne—"Rock Springs"—Murder of 186
Chinese—Mr. Black's "Green Pastures" and bottle of
champagne—"Hell upon Wheels"—Big Horn Cowboy and Milord
LETTER XVI.—We leave Cheyenne—Arrival at Omaha—The barber's 197
shop—Narrow escape from having my head shaved—Arrival at
Chicago—Niagara Falls
CONCLUSION 202
APPENDIX 205
How to obtain Government Land 205
Pre-Emptions 206
Homesteads 207
Timber Culture Claims 209
Desert Land 211
Government Land Offices 213
Diagram of Time across the American Continent 214
[Illustration: THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA]
[Illustration]
FRANK'S RANCHE;
OR,
MY HOLIDAY IN THE ROCKIES.