The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-07-06
THE Ss0UN A
Experiences OF IL wolrer in Eastern Mon
aaNa.
Written for the MINER.1
Bl SLIDE NALVE.''

VOTERS, heavily armed with breeChlOaders
and Colts S. N-shootels, amply provisioned for
seven months, with an abundance of amnu
milton and poison, left Bozeman city for a
winters hunt in that portion of Montana
lying southeast of the Judith Basin, and be-
tween the MussplsheIl and Yellowstone rIv-
ers. The great buffalo range of the lower
country was their objective point.
A wolter must not be clniounded with the
ordinary trapper. His business is to hang
around the immense herds of b son, Staying
just enough TO poison the hungry gray wolf
which, with flaming eager eyes, steatu lily
cIeepS upon the carcass, before it is cold, and
willie the currents of warm blood are yet
disseminating the strychnine through every
vein and artery.
The wolfer's home, il not on an island, is
generally in some secluded ravine. For a
heuse he has the thick willows that densely
line every little brook and stream. At night
he lies on his back and looks up at the blue
empyrean. The planets and stars are a
source of profound mystery :" him. He
congratulates himself if they shine brilliant
", and maybe observes that, My roof won't
leak tonight" The air gets cooler towards
midnight, and he draws his bed around him
closely and the buffalo robes lend grateful
warmth and comfort to the wearied form of
the brave and gallant man, who, sleeping
peacefully, has for the nonce placed his safety
III JLt udluS Ol CIOu. Olltf temporarily IS
he thus mdiscreet, for OH the morrow all of
his reliance for present and future safety is
implicitly bestowed upon the improved long
range weapon so carefully held in the hollow
of his arm.
Withthissligh depression, ignoring entirely
the readers pertinent query of, how the
aboye named lives; what he does with wolf
hides,' etc, | will at once proceed to the
narration Of the trip and various incidents
a-,, NJ Il yl,, go, .,r.] ,.+ - a"l .,r,;nl
through to IA successful ending by the atore-
said .small band Of wolters who left Boze-
man city, late iii the fall Of o."
Starting from & little stream below the city
Oh the morning of the 18th of October, 1867,
the four men comprising the party, mounted
on Oregon horses of excellent breed and
metal, driving eight loaded and nine loose
pack animals before them, moved out Of
camp into and down the road leading central
ly through the fertile and beautiful valley of
the Gallalin.
Avoiding unnecessary incidental detail,
suffice it to say that, crossing the Missouri
below its confluence with the Madison, Jetter-
son and Gallalin, moving swiftly over the
country TO SiXteen-Nilc creek, turning to the
right they go up this rapid mountain stream.
through the magnificent canon that envlrons
it, over the great divide, and then down the
left hand fork Of the Musselslrell, to its june
ton with the parent stream. Here the broad
Indian trail leading down the arabic and
plclurcsuuc valley of the Mussrlshpll replaces
the tiresome roughCr paths of the highland.
The frontier line is reached TOR here the
great hunting grounds commences, and the
Sioux, Assinabuines, GrOs NentreS aud Black
feet are now running buffalo.
The wOlferS cross to the right hand bank
of the river and ~leisurely proceed down the
stream. They finally 60 into camp W miles
helow that GREAT river curvature known As
the Big Bend, at three o'clock D. NJ. the even
ING of The 18th Of October.
They are we'll into lie hostile country. and
must travel by night from now ON.
lmust here beg leave to Introduce the
duni1ti% ptr~ORue Of my story. 4 truthful!
and correct exposition Of il may please YOU,
reader. as an event that actually occurred, in
the wear 81, on the night Of the 18th of Octo-
Der. between the hours of & p. III, on the
18th and ending at 10 a, IN, the morning fol
lowing,
The wolfers are in camp. \ little grassy
mark, enclosed on all sides by tall, graceful
aspens. is the uuiet retreat selected by the
lr0n,iersmen for their evenings rest. Hid
from the outer world. the tired, ~tootsorc
horses eagerly grazn the rich, nutritious
Lerlagc of the meadow. Piled here and
there uudrr the trees ar, the toraciuc sacks,
filed with provisions, robes, saddles ana
conEinr utensils.
Leaning against a p~rostrate cotlouwo od, in
c,sy rejc6in5 distance, are four Sharp's i'm
proved NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. most accurate
shooting lone-ranre Gun ever made. -Four
belts, filed with cartridges, each with two
navy sjx-sbooters in holsters attached, ale
buck,rd around the waists of the four men.
clustered about a fire of dried limbs, which
has been built close to the root Of Il gnarlcu
and twisted asne,.
nan}inr over .in neshlv killed carcase of
\ deer is the lithr. active form of the leader.