Burning Ground

by D. A. Galloway

  The Hayden group caught up with the Barlow team late in the day. Barlow had started from the lake an hour after Hayden and had followed the route originally proposed by Graham and Makawee. It was confirmation the better choice was the longer route. Graham did not fault Hayden, but he was gratified by the day’s events, which proved his worth as someone who could be trusted to work diligently and provide sound advice.

  * * *

  The sun had nearly disappeared behind the mountains when the two groups stopped and set up camp along the Nez Perce. As the cook prepared elk stew for dinner, Graham consulted his topo map and determined they were about six miles east of the Firehole River. Goodfellow checked the gears on the odometer and reported they had traveled nearly thirty miles, but Graham wondered about the accuracy of this distance considering their zigzag path through the dense lodgepole pines and how often the cart had to be lifted over fallen trees.

  After dinner Graham searched for a place to sleep. Aurelio had their fly, but he was traveling with other members of the Hayden Survey team who were scheduled to arrive in the geyser basin in three days. When he inquired about sharing a tent or fly with someone, he discovered most planned to sleep outside because it was a clear night. Although Graham was uncertain this was a good idea, his concern was assuaged when he noticed Makawee and Rides Alone had not constructed a wickiup. They would also be sleeping under the stars.

  Graham and Goodfellow picketed their mules and built a fire on a wide, mossy ledge overlooking the creek. They cleared the area of small rocks so they could spread their blankets and use their saddles as pillows.

  “Appreciate gettin’ us outta those damn woods,” Goodfellow remarked as they lay by the fire.

  “Sure. It was a lot of work for everybody, including me,” Graham replied.

  “Yup. Hope we don’t gotta go through stuff like that agin,” Goodfellow commented. He was snoring loudly a few minutes later.

  Graham knew there would be more hard travel days. The area south of the lake had long stretches with trees blown down on top of one another. He had seen miles of dense lodgepole forest when Kevin gave him a ride across the lake for his solo hike. There was no need to inform Goodfellow in advance about his challenging travel days ahead pulling the odometer wagon. His camping partner would find out when the survey team reached that part of the wilderness.

  He was exhausted from the trip but could not fall asleep right away. He lay on the blanket and listened to the gurgling water as it cascaded over the smooth rocks of the creek bed. The sound of rushing water seemed amplified in the clear night air.

  His brain had become accustomed to processing monophonic sounds since he became one-sided deaf as a young boy. He described what he heard to those with normal hearing as listening to an AM radio broadcast while everyone else heard the same sounds in FM. But tonight, in a world where he had perfect hearing in both ears, the soothing tones emanating from the creek were played in stereo. It was a delightful sensation! He closed his eyes to savor the natural sounds around him: pine boughs creaking with the gentle evening breeze, a soft sigh from a picketed horse, and the crackling and popping of the fire.

  When he heard a distant whistling noise, he opened his eyes, sat up, and listened more intently. After thirty seconds, the time traveler heard a wave of five low warbling sounds and concluded it was an owl. It would be an ideal hunting night for these nocturnal birds because the wide creek bed was illuminated by a full moon. It seemed as bright as the evening he stood at the Dragon’s Mouth.

  Graham reached under his sweat-stained shirt and felt the eagle–bear claw necklace. The full moon and the sacred necklace were tangible reminders of his vision quest. He had been portrayed in Redfield’s vision as a wounded eagle. His hearing had been restored, and his wound had been healed. Did this mean his vision quest had been fulfilled? Surely his life would be different when he returned to his own time without a hearing handicap. It would open more possibilities for his future. He would not be limited on what he wanted to do because of his deafness. He vowed to fully use this gift of hearing when he returned.

  If his vision quest had been completed, how could he travel back to his time? He was sitting under a full moon and wearing the sacred necklace tonight. But he was not at a sacred place. Graham realized his next opportunity for time travel would be at the end of the current lunar cycle.

  He needed to know two things. First, where would the survey team be exploring, and when were they expecting to exit the Yellowstone region? He planned to ask Dr. Hayden about the expedition’s itinerary tomorrow. Second, what day would the next full moon appear? As a meteorologist, John Beaman would know this date. However, Graham would not see Beaman until Hayden’s group returned to Yellowstone Lake.

  Winter would arrive in a few months. After the Hayden Expedition group departed Yellowstone, he would have to surrender the mule and his carbine to the army. He was ill prepared to survive in this wilderness alone.

  The time traveler had less than thirty days to find his way back to the Mud Volcano parking area, where he was dropped off one hundred years in the future. Graham needed to figure out a way to be at the Dragon’s Mouth during the next full moon at the end of August. It was his time portal home.

  Chapter 14

  August 1, 1871

  Waning gibbous moon: 29 nights until the next full moon

  Frost blanketed the canary grass growing in dense clusters along Nez Perce Creek. Graham felt the chilly air through his blanket as he rolled over on his side and squinted into the early-morning sun. Long shadows were cast by the lodgepole pines onto the moss-covered ledge, and misty patches of fog rose lazily from the river before dissipating. He sat up and glanced over at Goodfellow, who was still breathing deeply. When he stood, Graham could feel the aches in his shoulders and thighs from yesterday’s efforts with the odometer wagon.

  There were no dense forests to navigate in the geyser basins. It would be much easier to pull the odometer while the survey team explored this area. For both Graham and his camping partner, this would be a welcome change. However, the team would be exposed to the dangers associated with extensive hot springs, mud pots, and geysers, most of which were uncharted.

  Graham ambled to the area where Hayden was camped to get his orders for the day and see what they would have for breakfast. The survey manager was pulling on his boots as Graham arrived.

  “Morning, Davidson,” Hayden greeted. “It’s a bit chilly, but I think it will warm up nicely today.”

  “I agree,” Graham responded. “Are we on our own for breakfast?”

  “No. Dan Gibson, one of the assistant cooks, traveled with us. He’s going to fix something shortly.”

  “I don’t believe Goodfellow will need my assistance, since we will soon be in the geyser basins. How else can I help?”

  Graham could tell Hayden was pleased he had proactively asked for work. “I’m glad you inquired. I’m going to introduce you to another scientist, and you can serve as his assistant whenever . . .”

  As Hayden was speaking, a dark-haired young man with long, bushy sideburns and a mustache approached.

  Albert C. Peale was born in 1849 in Hecksherville, Pennsylvania. He studied geology under Ferdinand Hayden at the University of Pennsylvania. Peale had earned a medical degree from that institution, but developed a keen interest for the natural sciences, especially mineralogy. Albert Peale was introspective, unassuming, and took his work seriously. He held Hayden in high regard as his mentor and deferentially referred to him as “Doctor.”

  “Hello, Albert,” the survey manager continued. “I was just talking about you with Graham Davidson. He’s the young man who joined us a few days ago and helped Goodfellow with the odometer wagon yesterday. Graham is going to serve as your assistant while we probe the geyser basins.”

  “I’m happy to have some assistance, Graham,” Peale said.

  The two men shook hands. Unlike James Stevenson and Ferdinand Hayden, Peale had addressed Graham by his first name.
Out of respect, the time traveler determined to formally address anyone on the survey team who was a leader or had academic credentials unless advised differently.

  Albert Peale and Graham were about the same age, even though the Penn grad had completed studies to be a physician, while the future Penn State grad had another year to earn his baccalaureate degree. As Graham would learn later, the standards for receiving a medical degree in the mid-1800s were not as rigorous as the requirements of a modern medical school program.

  “I’d like to explore the area farther down the creek for any thermal pools after breakfast. Let’s meet here at nine o’clock,” Peale suggested.

  Graham lifted his left arm and looked at his Timex wristwatch. “Sure, that’s a little more than an hour from now. It will give me time to get something to eat and pack my mule.”

  “Are you wearing a clock on your wrist?” Hayden asked incredulously.

  Oh my, Graham thought. He had been careful to keep his topographical map hidden from view, but it never occurred to him a wristwatch would be a novelty in 1871. He had to quickly think of an explanation. He knew many men carried pocket watches, so he decided to account for the timepiece strapped to his wrist by telling (another) lie.

  “Yes. My uncle was in Europe recently, and he discovered a few watchmakers had attached a small watch to a bracelet. He brought one back and gave it to me. My uncle claims women in France are wearing these watches on their wrists as jewelry, but I find the design to be very practical. You can quickly check the time without having to pull a watch out of your pocket.”

  Graham was certain these two men could not imagine their pocket watches would fade in popularity in the next fifty years and be replaced by inexpensive and ubiquitous wristwatches.

  Hayden and Peale leaned in for a closer look at the fashionable timepiece. Graham obliged and held up his arm so both men could get a better look at the watch attached with an adjustable leather band.

  “Look how small and thin it is,” Peale said, marveling at the timepiece on Graham’s wrist.

  “Hmmm. I don’t know. It looks fragile. I’ll bet if you bump it against something, it will stop working. At least the watch in my pocket is protected,” Hayden opined.

  A classic advertising campaign in the 1960s popped into Graham’s mind. Timex had extolled the toughness of its brand by using the slogan It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. In a series of television commercials, the Timex was placed in a paint mixer, frozen in an ice tray, tossed over a dam, attached to the blade of an outboard motor, and strapped to the leg of a racehorse. The watch was removed after each torturous experiment, and the second hand was shown to still be moving.

  As quickly as the expedition leader had become fascinated with Graham’s wristwatch, Hayden’s attention shifted to the tasks of the day.

  “I’m going to scout for our next potential campsite. I also need to talk with our hunters and confirm they are active. We’re nearly out of elk meat and bacon. Albert, make sure you take a soldier escort with you,” Hayden said abruptly.

  “Doctor Hayden, I have a question before you go,” Graham said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I was wondering about the schedule for the expedition. I would like to write my family to let them know I’m safe and when we plan to return to Fort Ellis.”

  This was crucial information. Graham needed to know where the pack train planned to be in the park in late August. Once he confirmed the day of the next full moon from John Beaman, he could devise a plan for getting back to Dragon’s Mouth by that date.

  “I can’t say exactly, but I hope to be back at Fort Ellis by the first of September.”

  “Thank you,” Graham nodded. “Will we travel around the southern and eastern shorelines of the lake?”

  “That’s right. Why do you ask?”

  “I’m familiar with some of those wilderness areas. I hope to be of some use to the group as we travel through those parts.”

  “That’s why we have Makawee as a guide. I am also expecting an experienced cavalry officer to lead our military escort once we rejoin the rest of our survey team at the lake in four or five days. He will serve as a guide because he was part of last year’s Washburn expedition. But I appreciate your offer and will call upon your advice if needed. You certainly provided good advice yesterday.”

  Graham nodded appreciatively and walked over to the cooking fire, where Gibson was frying bacon.

  “Enjoy this. It’s the last sowbelly,” the cook said as he pointed to the cured meat sizzling in the pan. “Joe or the Indian fella better soon kill somethin’, or we might be livin’ on biscuits and coffee.”

  Graham went back to the mossy ledge where he had camped, retrieved his mess pan, and returned to the fire, where Gibson forked three thick slices of greasy bacon and a biscuit onto his plate. When he returned, Goodfellow was sitting on a log sipping a cup of coffee.

  “I’m going to be assisting Albert Peale for the next few days. You shouldn’t have any problems pulling the wagon because the geyser basins are open,” Graham informed his camping partner.

  “Thank ya’,” Goodfellow replied.

  After using the chewing stick to brush his teeth, Graham packed his belongings and walked over to Lindy. He placed the Spencer carbine in the scabbard, untied his mule, and led her to the place along the river where he first met Peale.

  A few minutes later, the mineralogist appeared on his horse. He was accompanied by a soldier.

  “This is Private John Foley. He’s going to be our escort while we travel through the geyser basins,” Peale explained. “John, this is Graham Davidson.”

  Foley was a short, thin man in his mid-twenties. He was clean-shaven with light-brown curly hair sticking out from his kepi.

  “Hallo,” Foley said, nodding.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Graham replied as he mounted Lindy.

  The three men started down the creek, which meandered westward toward the Firehole River. Within a mile, the creek banks transitioned from lodgepole pines and spruce trees to marshy grasses. Tent-winged caddis flies buzzed in circles above the water, occasionally dipping into the surface before ascending and hovering over the creek. The trio continued to follow the creek until it flowed into a boggy plain several hundred yards wide blanketed with dark-green sedge.

  “Let’s head toward the base of those hills,” Peale suggested as he pointed toward an area of translucent vapors rising into the cool morning air.

  The two horses and the mule carried their riders across the shallow creek, sinking slightly into the wet earth as they plodded toward the base of the pine-covered hill. They arrived at a cluster of four thermal pools ranging from two to four feet in diameter. Peale dismounted and began looking for materials in his saddle pack.

  “I need to collect samples from all these springs,” Peale commented. “Graham, you can help me. John, you will hold the horses.”

  Foley dismounted and took the reins of the two horses and Lindy. Peale handed several small glass bottles to Graham, who followed the scientist to the first spring, where the mineralogist carefully squatted and leaned over the hot water to collect a sample. After using a thermometer to record the temperature, he surprised Graham by taking a sip of the water before spitting it out. Peale placed a cork in the labeled bottle and recorded the thermal spring’s date, location, and other notes in a book. He moved to the next spring and repeated the process.

  “Why are you tasting the water?” Graham asked.

  “It gives me an initial indication of the minerals in the water. The terraced springs south of Bottler’s Ranch had a lime taste. These springs taste more like sulfur and iron,” Peale said matter-of-factly. “My plan is to sample as many of these thermal features as possible and analyze them when we return.”

  Graham thought it was crazy to take a sip of water from any hot spring or geyser, but he kept this opinion to himself. Instead, he quizzed the mineralogist on some of the geological features. “What causes the white deposi
ts surrounding the edges of the springs?”

  “Those are sinters. They form around hot springs as the heated waters under the crust carry silica to the surface and cool. A geyserite is a similar type of siliceous deposit found around geysers. I expect to see a lot more of these when we enter the geyser basins,” Peale said as he squatted to scoop another sample from the hot spring.

  Foley, who was standing about twenty feet away, walked up to the edge of the spring while holding the reins of the three equines. “How thick is the crust?” he asked while leaning over the thermal pool.

  “Hey! Back up!” Peale suddenly yelled as he stood and used both hands to wave the soldier away from the hot spring.

  Foley recoiled and stepped back, nudging the horses and mule away from the spring. He turned and led them back to the area where he had been waiting.

  When Peale had collected the final sample, he and Graham walked over to the young soldier

  “Private Foley, I asked you to stand back because we don’t know the crust thickness at the edge of any thermal spring. We need to be careful. I was concerned the weight of the horses could collapse the surface. These springs are one hundred seventy degrees! I’m sure some springs in the geyser basin are even hotter. Anything or anyone who fell into these waters would suffer a nasty burn,” the scientist explained.

  Peale had addressed Foley using his military rank as he lectured him on this potential danger. Graham thought about the geyser basins and realized there would be risk for everyone on the survey team and their military escorts because most of the thermal features were uncharted. Unlike the future national park, there were no boardwalks or paths to guide people on a safe route through this active geothermal area.