Edgar Of Montana
Author: Ruth Hunsaker
Edgar of Montana
Ruth Hunsaker
A tale mentioning towns in Montana.
Sixteen-year-old Edgar Darby lived in MONIDA, Montana. This town is a FORSYTH (far south) as you can go and still reside in Montana.
One morning as the SUNBURST over the RIDGE of mountains nearby, EDGAR decided to ACTON his OUTLOOK of finding an OPPORTUNITY to settle in some PLEASANT VALLEY and with his WISDOM make his own life.
EDGAR called his faithful dog, Reed, bid his parents, JORDAN and LAVINA, farewell and took off down the road. As he passed his friend Clyde’s place, he called out, “CLYDE, PARK your horse and come let me put my BIG ARM around you one more time before I IMIGRANT across the great DIVIDE.” Soon he waved goodbye and HOPP(ed) on down the BIG SANDY road.
By the end of the first day, EDGAR was so tired he thought he might FALLON his face. After eating some dried BUFFALO, some cheese and SALTESE crackers, EDGAR loosened his BELT, spread out his sleeping bag under a LONEPINE tree, crawled into it and immediately fell asleep. Reed slept close by.
EDGAR rose late, made breakfast of WHITEFISH he caught in some STILLWATER, a BITTEROOT he dug out of a MARSH and drank some WHITEWATER. Then he and Reed went on to complete his PRYOR plans.
Suddenly, he came to THREE FORKS in the road. EDGAR said, “REEDPOINT the way that we will travel.”
One day EDGAR saw a HUNGRY HORSE. He fed him some SWEET GRASS, took him to drink in a MEDICINE LAKE which was full of nutrients and now EDGAR had a PONY to ride.
Each day, there were FAIRVIEWS to be seen. There was ANTELOPE, BEAVERHEADs, BLACK EAGLES, BROOKES, canyons and CANYON CREEKS, FAIRFIELDS, FLOWEREE PLAINS, GEYSERS, GRASS RANGEs, and GRAY CLIFFs. RICHLAND lay everywhere and there were lots of HOT SPRINGS.
On one occasion EDGAR met CHIEF PLENTY COUPS, who was the leader of the KIOWA tribe. He visited with the Chief in his RED LODGE, which was made of LODGE GRASS and MUSSELSHELLs. They smoked the peace pipe, which the Chief’s daughter, Princess LAME DEER, brought to them. CHIEF PLENTY COUPS offered Princess LAME DEER to EDGAR. He said, “She no good. She no make MOCCASINs for my BLACKFOOTs. She no cook a FISHTAIL or FINCH. She OTTER do this. She no good, you can HAVRE!”.
Not wanting to offend the Chief, EDGAR allowed Princess LAME DEER to CAMAS far as he needed before he could ALDER the situation. At a HOMESTEAD, EDGAR was able to trade her to TRACY TYLER, the HOMESTEADer, for some LIMA beans, MARION berries and a CHECKERBOARD.
There was always PLENTYWOOD to make a fire with. WARM SPRINGS to bathe in. At a SHEPARD's ROUNDUP in the shadow of an IRON MOUNTAIN, EDGAR entered an ARCHER contest. He really wanted to WINNETT, but a young SAVAGE was the VICTOR.
It was here he met the fair MAIDEN, WINIFRED HOBSON, who became the love of his life. On VALENTINE's day, under a CASCADE of LAUREL leaves and OLIVE branches, they exchanged vows. EDGAR gave WINIFRED a ring he made from a BIG HORN shaped like a CIRCLE, with a SILVER STAR etched in the center and TWO DOTS on each side.
Then the two traveled on till they came to a BIG FORK with a CANYON CREEK on one side and a HIGHWOOD bridge on the other side. Here they debated whether to cross the BRIDGER or travel on down the stream. Traveling downstream, they came to a place they knew would be their PARIDISE. It had a lot of WHEATLAND, with a CANYON CREEK to provide water for drinking and irrigating the land. There were BIG TIMBERs to build their home and PLENTYWOOD to sell. There was a BROADVIEW of their surroundings, and the BIG SKY at night was SUPERIOR to anything they had seen before.
Throughout their years together they had a family of five children, three boys, BOYD, CARLYLE, and CHESTER, two girls, FLORENCE and GERALDINE. BOYD became a GARDINER, CARLYLE a BARBER, and CHESTER a MINER. FLORENCE became an accountant and kept many a LEDGER, GERALDINE married a MONARCH.
Time passed fast, the LUSTER of youth faded. EDGAR and WINIFRED retired. They sat on the porch in their ROCKERs and admired the ROSEBUDs peeping through the POPLAR trees and under their SILVER GATE. They felt the POWER of the big BOULDER that sat in their GLEN. They would PRAY and give thanks for all that had been GRANTed them.
Upon their death they were buried in a small lot of their farm which had been RESERVE for their resting place. At the top of their graves, on a REDSTONE, was etched:
"Here lie the bodies of Wini and Ed
They are both Dead.
One went above to dwell,
The other went… oh well."
