Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-05-15

march, arriving ait a point opposite our per-
manent camp on the Yellowstone. The
steamer was waiting to put us across the
river. This was completed before shutdown.
Distance marched since yesterday morning,
a. miles, over a very broken, billy country.
with cactus so plentiful that a place to sit
down during the hourly ten minutes halt
was hard to find.
On the Sd of July the steamer Gar West)
left for Fort Lincoln, taking the wounded
and a mail.
We expect to remain here until reinforced
or something is heard from the east. We
are camped three miles above the site Of our
old ground at Fort Pease, and the country
really looks home-like, lonesome as it is.
This 4th of July has not been a remarka-
bly, gay one, though the dependency that
has been our invisible companion for a few
days past has in a great degree been thrown
Oft.
Late in the evening | learned that an old
trapper who is known by the sobriquet Of
"Sandy," had crossed the river to carry dis
patches to Gen. Crook. supposed to be in
the vicinity of Cloud Peak. Sandy is to
receive a reward of $500 if he gets through.
It is a very perilous journy, and I do not
think Sandy is the man to make it. The
one man on whom I would most fully rely
in such an undertaking-George Herendeen
says that he would not go for less than
$1,000, and most of the old mountaineers
declare that they would not make the at
tempt at any price, as all the country
through which the messenger must pass
swarms with hostiles from whom no mercy
need be expected. @
On the 9Th, Gen. Gibbon sent for and d.
rected me to cross the river with as many
| picked men as I chose to take, and drive
over from there, a lumber of horses and
mules that had been abandoned on the re-
turn from the Little Big Horn, and which
were now reported in the bottom on the
other side. Crossing with ten good men,
they were deployed on the river bank. Pass
ing through the timber, we reached the
plain under the bluffs. A covey of young
sage hens were flushed and a number of
shots fired at them. Starting for Tullock's
Fork, distant four miles, we saw a man
emerge from the brush on our right. 1t
proved to be Sandy who, aroused by the
noise Of firing, came out of his hiding place.
He stated that he had started the night be-
fore on his journey, but after riding about
fifteen miles he had been fired at, by whom
he could not see. Putting spurs to his horse,
he dashed into a rayine, thence into 4 body
sc 4. IL. FL o,rl So ~, 1o>,~> ..- - ~
feared pursuit if he went further that night,
and so returned to this point and hid him
self in the brush, intending to resume his
journey tonight. Knowing that if his story
vas true we would find no horses, we yet
went up to Tullock's Fork, but saw no
signs save one track, that of Sandy's horse.
He did not appear to be disheartened or
| afraid.
On the 9th, a vidette ON the bluffs over
looking our camp reported d white horse on
the opposite side Of the river. Lieut.. Booth,
7th infantry, crossed with a number of men
and secured the animal. It was the one
Sandy had ridden, but the rider was miss
ing, and the supposition is that he has been
either killed or drowned.
A party of Crows came in on the 7th from
their agency, and say that some thirty miles
above here, and near the river, they heard
a number Of shots on the opposite side.
Presently they saw a horseman pursued by
another. Tie fleeing party was making for
thetimber near the river. just as he was
about to reach it and a place of safety, they
heard quite a number of7shots, almost a
volley, still lower down. The fugitive
turned and sped away, disappearing over