The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-02-16

THE UPPER MISSOURI.

The Siux City Journal, of January 18th,
gives grahpic account Of the suferings and
experience ofla lonely traveller on the Upper
| Missouri: ALI has t3,f.;4.
i On Sunday last there arrived in in our city the
worst used-up specimen Of a Texan cattle Adri-
yer we ever saw. His name is' Thomas Dor
mitt. He had come from Fort Buford. twelve
hundred apd twenty-five miles, on foot, The
following is the story Of his awful tramp
through a wild indian country, in the dead of
winter :ni Il Z 9Iaas sd; Ia ~ IA $40 E79..,.
He left Buford in the latter part of October,
without dollar in money. !. His desire was to
reach Texas. When he started out on his long
journey, the weather was very pleasant and
the weather prophets at that place predicted q
very mild and open writer He eaccepted their
predictions and beganhis journey for The States
After travelling about two hundred miles a
fearful snow storm overlook him, and he be.
came .bewildered and nearly persisted in the
storm, which continued for two days. When
the storm ceased he came from his shelter-a
hole in an embankment--and started back for
Buford i'..@ 'tAa 1ha'1ass1%
But after going about one mile he stopped
and argued the question with himself whether
it was best to die like coward on his retreat,
or 60 on and die like hero. This question, he
says, was difficult one to decide He knew
the route back to Buford, and also knew that
he was midway between 3uford and Rice, but
he was uncertain of the route to the latter
place, and yet the Inducements to keep on
were strong, for at Rice he had friend and at
Buford he had none On the whole, he consid-
cred the question evenly balanced, and to de-
eide his course he resorted to the cbild's meth
cd of setting up stick to fall as it would, de-
termined to pursue the direction IL should
point. He set up the stick and balanced it on
its end as well as he could It stood stii for
a few seconds, as if partaking of the mans
doubt, and then fell toward the States. .Ac-
cepting the decision. he started on for Fort
Rice The undertaking was an awful one,
and he had little hopes of ever making that
place alive, and he had not had mouthfui to
eat for forty-eight hours Together with his
fasting and the effects of his exposure to the
storm, he found himself weak, and not as
braye.as he won't to be. To die he consider
ed would be privilege, and he, was several
Times tempted to shoot himself. But when
it came to the point his courage wouldn't
stick, and hope would again assume control
plodding. f. .sa4i tatoer ...f, l..,...F..t e.s5
On the second day after the storm, as night
was approaching, he sought some place of
shelter to remain until morning, and thus dis
covered hole in an embankment, a short dis.
tance from the road upon which he was travel.
ng He determined to rest there for the
hight. AS he was crawling into the aperture,
On his hands and knees, he put his hands upon
the cold face of dead Indian who lay near
he mouth of the hole. At first he was star
led, aud thought to leave; but on second
thought he concluded that, as he was not
afraid of a live Indian, he surely wasn't afraid
VI dead Indian. Accordingly he began 10
irag the defunct brave from the hole to make
,oom for himself On reaching the outside of
he cave with the dead Indian he discovered
leep wound on the left side of the body below
he ribs, which he concluded was caused by the
norm of n buffalo. and from the effects Of which
he big brave must have died. This opinion was
by the fact that he found alarge
,iece of frozen buffalo meat in the hole, which
is unnecessary to say, was deyoafed without
much ceremony. His sleep upon this night
vas very much disturbed. Either the pres
nee of the dead red or the amount of buffalo
neat he put into bis stomach, caused terrible
Ittacks OF nightmare He was several times
calped and tied to the stake, and nafeb than
nee trampled nearly to death by herds of buf-
alo. r ..sss.s ,.s4.sa sss.... .44 a.. a.,,f
The morning came at last, and he crawled
ut, scarcely believing in his own identity af.
er such torturing dreams. He took last look
t the dead Indian and went on his way,q not
moving how soon he should sleep again, not to
vaken. About noon of this days tramp. he
hot an antelope, and then he believed the
ood Lord was indeed on his side. Cutting out
THAT meat he could comfortably carry, he took
p his line of march with stronger faith in
be accomplishment of his undertaking. .n,s.g
The balance of this day passed witoout any
hing of note transpiring, as did the succeed
lg day, untllate i'm the afternoon, when he met
party Of four Indians who took what little
heat he had left, and sent him on his way far
'om rejoicing. About an hour before dark,
nd but few miles from Fort 'Berthold, q
lrge black bear was discovered sitting right
! the path which he was travelling. Bruin
,oked at the Texan and the Texan looked at
rum, both standing like, posts. The Texan
id not want to shoot unless he was certain of
Ding good execution, for shot would only
revoke an attack, which he was in poor con-
ition to withstand. He preferred toaawait
10 action of his bearshipadAs few minutes
lore and the bear left, and our hero went ON,
eaching Fort Berthold a short time after
ark, when he rested and recuperatedA couple
days.
During his journey. from Berthold to Rice
le weather was fine and game plenty, conse-
1ently he enjoyed comparative comf6rt. blsa
At Rice no found his friend had left for the
tates.J He remained there, however, until he
'newhat recovered from the effects of his
amp, when he stole q government mule and
1t out for Fort Sully.il 4oi aaas9saia IsJaa.s