Other than the love from his grandmother, nothing good happened to give the man from Ridgeway, Pennsylvania any real hope. He had to get free of the Great War and somehow get rid of his pain. Being convinced that humanity was his problem and that disappearing somewhere off in the vast western wilderness would help with his sanity, he set out. In the early days of his journey, when he was feeling the most alone, he befriended a dog, a giant of a dog. From the beginning this relationship seemed to be destined to become a matter of life and death. They crossed the country and stumbled into one terrible situation after the other with no-accounts and highwaymen bent on doing them harm. As the man and his dog fought their way through each terrible encounter, their notoriety grew and soon the newspapers gave them the headlines that had belonged to the war for so many years. All that folks could talk about was the man with a Henry rifle and his dog. This unlikely pair brought a lot of peace to a population that was basically in hiding. Most of the law and any normalcy was off fighting and the thieving scoundrels knew this all too well. People were busy guarding their property and most couldn't feel comfortable enough to even go to church on Sunday. Their story grew and along with it, a legend in the making. This adventure seemed to be without an end until that fateful day up near the continental divide in what is now the state of Montana. If you ever have the occasion to visit Fort Benton, just north east of the Great Falls of the Missouri River, be sure to see the bronze statue of the Allegheny Man and his wonder dog. It is prominently displayed in the town square.