In the travel and research to collect the information that led to these articles and paintings we met good people of all sizes, shapes, and backgrounds, but only once were we greeted by a rancher with a firearm in hand.

This was in 2006, northwest of Helena along Lincoln Road, and, indeed, he was admittedly suspicious of strangers, who, he said, were stealing things from him. We did our best to explain that theft was not our trade, but that we hoped to learn about the history of his ranch and to snap a few photos of it.

After a little negotiation he agreed to these incursions and allowed Ja...