God we broke halter
from Hell for holier trail--"

"Better loosen up and berth here for to-night," suggested the Ranger.
"The Ridge trail is steep going, down grade, after dark for a
stranger--"

"Stranger?" The old man trumpeted a laugh that would have done credit
to a megaphone. "Stranger, my kiddie boy? A've known these Rocky
Mountain States when, if ye owned these pairts an' had a homestead in
Hell, y'd rent y'r residence here and take up quiet life the other
place! A knew these trails before y' were born, from Mexico to
MacKenzie River, wherever men had a thirst. A've travelled these
trails wi' cook stoves packed full o' Scotch dew, an' the Mounted
Police hangin' t' m' tail till A scuttled the Boundary. Good days--rip
roaring days for the makin' of strong men! We were none o' y'r cold
blooded reptile calculatin' kind! May we fight valiant for God now as
we wrestled for the Devil then! Oh, to be young again an' not spill
life in wassail! to give the blows for right instead of wrong! Man,
what a view y' have here--what a view! Minds me of the days A was
bridge building in the Rockies--"

"Then you've been in these mountains before?" asked Brydges; but the
old frontiersman refused to take the bait and rambled on in his reverie.

"What a view! Th' vera kingdom of earth at y'r feet! The river
wimplin'--wimplin'--wimplin' wi' a silver laugh over the stones, an'
the light violet as a Scotch lass's eye! An' the green fields of
alfalfa--Have y' ever noticed how th' light above the alfalfa turns
purple? An' y'r Rim Rocks roasted fire red by the heat. 'Tis the same
view A've gazed on many a time when A was young." He drew a deep sigh
of the longing that only the passing frontiersman knows. "'Tis like if
the Devil came tempting to-day, 't would be such a place as this!
Many's the time He came to us in them old days, lawless days! 'Tis
different to-day. He'd not bait men savage naked now. The kingdoms of
the earth, he'd offer--wealth an' success--wealth an' success--the
fetish o' sons o' men to-day. 'Twould not be simple cards for drink
y'd play! Bigger stakes--bigger stakes, boys! He'd bait men's souls
wi' bigger stakes! If I were young I'd take his bet an' play for the
biggest stakes outside o' Hell--"

"Hey? What is that?" queried Brydges; and he winked at Wayland. "We'd
been talking of a bunco game when you came up."

"Y' had, had you?" The old frontiersman measured Brydges through and
t