The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-01-21
MARKHEAD'S EXPLOIT,

At Bismarck (Dakota) the mountain
men often tell the story Of MarEhead's
exploit with the BlackfeCt.
1t is the same MaIkhead who, five or
six years laler, was treacherously muir
dered by the Mexicans, near Taos. At
the time OF his death he was not more
than twenty-seven years cd, and. he
could hardly have been more than
twenty-five when he had this Blackfoot
adventure.
The old pioneers of the upper Missouri
speak of Markhead as a most remark
able boy, so muscular aud of such
powers of endurance, that he would run
fifteen or twenty miles without appar-
ent fatigue. Indians he held in trihing
regard, and delighted in skirmish with
them; though he bore the scars of not
less than q dozen of their bullets and
arrows.
At the time alluded to, he had gone
on a trapping excursion for beaver, up
one of the head creeks of the Yellow.
stone; locality not much resorted to
by other trappers, on account OF the
deadly hostility OF the Blackfeet, who
were very jealous of the white hunters,
and killed every hunter they could sur
prise.
As was his custom, he had his horse
with him, for carrying traps and pro-
visions, and al this time had made his
camp in a clump of cottonwoods, on
the blank of the creek, near the foot of
range of bluffs which fronted the stream
on the east side.
That morning-it was in the month of
October-he had set of early to look to
his beaver traps, of which he had a line
both up and down the creek. He had
proceeded but short distance. when
be found one OF his steel traps missing
from under the bank where he had set
It.
There we're bear tracks in the mud
about the bank; very large ones, lead
ing back into the cedar bushes, toward
the bluff.
The trail was fresh, and Markhead
followed it cautiously through the
cedar.
Coming at length to the foot of the
bluff, he found that the animal had
turned aside, and gone further up the
bottom. But just at that moment he
thought he heard it thrashing about in
the cedar little way ahead.
So he carefully mounted the side of
the bluff, twenty or thirty feet, hoping
to catch sight of the animal over the
tops of the bushes. From this point he
saw large grizzly, sitting on broad
fiat rock, not more than forty or fifty
yards distant.
Watching the creature moment, he
found that it limped painfully, and that
II walked q short distance on three legs.
Finally, it turned about and limped back
to the stone again; and Markhead now
perceived that the grizzly had his
beaver trap hard and fast on one OF his
forepaws.
The bear was much annoyed by the
trap. It sat down on the stone again,
and from where he lay, Markhead could
see him examining it attent'yely, hold
ing II close up TO his nose and gravely
turning his paw over and over. Then
IL would tip its head to one side and
look at the trap from out the corners OF
Its eyes, in most comical manner, as II
at an entire loss TO make out what the
novel and painful appendage could be
that had got such fast hold of his toes.
Anon, the uuZzled animal would try
10 step on its foot; bat instantly took it
ND from tho stone again, with low
whimper, and would then commence
licking the trap, astonishing 70 appease
It's anger and coax il into letting go its
grip.
This pantomlmo 80 mtcrC sted the
lrapper that Ne could scarcely take aim