Ghosts of the High Rockies, Part Ii

* * * The trapper looked for the oddly-dressed man, but could no longer see him, or his tent. He glanced around, so supremely confused, now where the devil had that darned fool went? He searched along the whole of the lake shore, but of the strange man he found no sign, scratched his head and wondered if the thin air was somehow playing tricks on his mind? Though a bit unnerved, he just gave a shrug, gathered up his gear and headed back down to where he and Postlewaite had made their camp in a ravine on a patch of good ground. Ol’ Post already had a small fire going, he was preparing the stew for that night, the trapper walked up, said,”Post, I just had myself one hell or a troublin’ sight. “I saw up on that pond I found yesterday a man in the most peculiar clothes, his pants made of fabric they use on wagons, they were slung down on his hips real low. “He had no hat perched high up on his head, and spectacles made out of some dark glass, his coat looked like fleece, but also like cloth, with fancy leather boots, laces and brass. “His tent was some cloth that I’ve never seen, but that wasn’t the strangest of it, he kept saying that to trap in these peaks I would have to get myself a permit!?” Ol’ Post looked at him, said,”Gilborne, my boy, did you get into the corn whiskey?” The trapper shook his head,”Nary a drop, I swear to your, this is what I did see!” Post looked the young man over once more, then gave a shrug and let out a big yarn, “Don’t know what to tell you, since we’re alone, no good way to explain what you saw. “Maybe it is like the Injins tell it, ’cause I’ve heard it’s said by the Blackfeet, that ghosts live up here in crannies and cracks, haunt the high places of these cold Rockies. “But we’ll keep an eye out, in case I’m wrong, being careful out here is always good, but this here fire just ain’t hot enough, see if you can go scrounge up some more wood.” Gil went about searching for dry branches, wondering what he’d really seen on the strand, yet neither trapper nor, nor Eamon, would ever again see the other man.