I Married a Ranger

ace of a forest ranger who had died during the flu epidemic. At that time no body could be shipped except in a metal casket, and since it had been impossible to secure one he was buried

hird grave, which still held the weat

ere," he said. "He was

e Canyon for several years invariably inquired for "Cap" as soon as they arrived. I always felt a sense of personal shame when I heard a ranger directing them to his grave. He had begged with his last breat

nd asbestos mines. Many notables of the early days first saw the Canyon from his home, staging in there from Flagstaff, seventy miles away. He had an inexhaustible fund of stories, mostly made up out of whole cloth. These improbable

. W. Bass, who is still alive, was Cap's best friend. Cap Hance was often heard to de

ed him for a story of his early fights with

I saw that I was outnumbered, so I spurred old Roaney down into a draw at the left, hoping that I hadn't been seen. I got down the draw a little piece and thought I had given them the slip, but the yelling told me that they were still after me. I thought I cou

cigarette. The ladies were invariably goggle-

ed then, Cap

lled me," he

r his shoulder at them, not realizing that he was so near the Rim of th

He fell something like five thousand feet.) "So when my horse got within about fifteen feet from the ground

while he stood on the Rim ga

y water in the Canyon. Is this the dry sea

through his squinty, w

time I have rode my horse up here and

her he would look mournful and tell a sad tale of her falling over a ledge down in the Canyon when they were on their honeymoon. He sai

vigilance of his friends and with an old burro that had shared his happier days he started down the trail. Ranger West got wind of it and followed him. He found him where he had fallen from the trail into a cactus patch and had lain all night exposed to the raw wind. He was br

Years ago, while working a mine at the bottom of the Canyon, he was caught by a cave-in and when his friends reached him he was dead. They lashed his body on an animal and brought him up the steep trail to be buried. While

. His hirelings were numerous, and each and every one was primed to worry Uncle Sam's rangers. As dogs were prohibited in the Park, every employee of the Senator's was amply provided with canines. Did the tourists particularly enjoy dismounting for shade a

pery morning the horses which had been pressed into service lost their footing, slid over the edge of the trail, and hit Bright Angel again a thousand feet below. The packers held their breath expecting to be blown away, as two of the horses that fell were loaded with the high explosive. It was several minutes before they dared believe themselves safe. They sent for White Mountain, and when he reached t

builder, wished to remove, and the result was awaited anxiously. About four in the afternoon Rees called Headq

w

d by the blast came tumbling down, carrying Rees to the rocks below. He was terribly crushed and broken, but made a gallant fight to liv

left Headquarters about 6:30 P.M. bound for Camp Roosevelt, to be of such ass

packers' camp at Pipe Creek at nine o'clock and found hot coffee prepared for us. Miss Catti borrowed a pair of chaps there from one of the boys, as the wind had come up and it was much colder. We were warned to proceed slowly over the remainder of the trail on account of packed ice in the trail. We covered Tonto

take our mules. We walked across the bridge and found other mule

ad been carried. Examination showed that he had been dead probably fifteen minutes. He had be

, we all felt that it would be much better to bury him in the Canyon near the place where he lost his life. After conferring with the Superintendent by telephone, Miss Catti, Landscape Engineer Ferris, Rangers West, Peck, and myself selected a spot con

ed the personal effects of Rees over to me. They consisted of a gold watch and two hundred and ninety dollars in a money belt. I hold these subject to instructions from the widow. The body was prepared for burial by wrapping it in white according to Mormon custom. The coffin was carried to the grave, and, while our small company stood uncovered, I said a few words t

ore they could get there. He told me to wire the doctor at Williams and tell him he was not needed; also to see that a message was sent to the wife and children of the dead man telling them he would have to be buried in the Canyon where he was killed.

fell over buried logs before I reached the building. The long hall was in darkness. I knew that most of the boys were out on duty. What i

ped against the inside of the door and went into a frenzy of howling and barking. I was panic-stricken, and my nerve broke. I began to scream. Ranger Winess had slept all through my knocking, but with the first scream he developed a nightmare. He was ba

d and attend to everything.

I had company back through the darkness. He th

es howled. Rees' dog barked faintly; a screech owl in a tree near by moaned and complained, and

elf, I opened the rear door and crept around the house. And there was a poor hungry pony that had wandered away from an Indian camp, and found the straw packed aroun