The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-06-27

tains, living on rabbits, the young OF elk
and deer, and occasionally surprising
and killing full grown one. When the
snow came in the fall they would gather
in large bands and go down to the prairie
where they hunted up and followed the
buffalo till spring; then break up in pairs
and 90 to the mountains again. When
hunting the buffalo they went in small
bands, which would be divided into
several parties Of two. These would
sneak around band of buffalo till they
found straggler behind, or on one side,
and then the nearest pair would make
dash and jump and catch with their fore
paws around each hind leg of the buffalo
and bite fiercely, trying to cut the ham
strings. The buffalo would run below
ing to the herd, perhaps getting away
with slight wound and perhaps Grip
pied. If the latter, it would surely fall a
victim to its enemies, with whom eternal
vigilance is the price of their dinner.
The pelts Of these animals were not con-
sidered of much value till 1868, and not
till 1870 did the trappers make business
of killing them. From this date to 1876
the winters of these men were spent in
poisoning wolves. Their bats were
strung from the British Possessions on
the north, to as far south as Colorado.
Fort Benton, on the Missouri, Camp
Brown on Little Wind river, Bozeman
and the Crow Agency, were the outfitting
points and markets for the wolfers. The
gray wolves would bite readily at the
strychnined carcasses of the buffalo, but
the prairie wolf or cayote was more eau
tions, and when seeing some Of its neigh
bors, the gray wolves, lying dead at a
bait would stink away, and as conse-
quence many Of them are ranging the
prairie to-day, while the mountain
wolves are nearly extinct.
In the fall of 1871 Jack German, Buck
skin Williams, Bill Marsh and three
others went to Flat Willow creek IA fork
of the MuscleshelD for the winters wolf
ing. They put out a long string of bats
and must have killed 1000 or 5000
wolves. The custom is to kill the wolves
in the early winter, and as they freeze
solid in two nights, to skin them in the
first spring thaw. This party had their
bats extended over SO much country that
they secured but about 1000 pelts, the
rest spelling. The Blackfeet bothered
them during the winter and cut up some
skins that were cached, and once made
dash for the horses, but two of their num-
ber being wounded and one killed in this
charge, they became more cautious and
would sneak around the camp at night.
They met with but small success, getting
away with only one horse during the
month that they were around. The
party hauled their furs to Fort Benton
in the spring and netted about $1,000
each for their winters work.
Early in the spring of 1882 two Ban
mack Indians stole small band of horses
from some Crows, who were camped near
the agency. The Bannacks were friendly
with the whites and took their horses
through the settlements on their way to
Idaho. The Crow agent empowered Gus
Callahan and scotty Donnelly. to 60
after and arrest them. The Bannacks
were overtaken and captured near Vir-
ginia City. AS the boys were bringing
them back, Callahan wished to kill both
to which Donnelly would not agree.
When near the Madison river crossing
Callahan gave one of the captives a
chance to run, and shot and killed him
as he was leaving, Soon afterward they
allowed the other to escape and brought
the horses to the agency.
In the religion of the western tribes
there is no tenet stronger than blood
for blood. 1t would be just if they would
but punish the person who commits the
deed, but to assuage their vengeance, it
only requires person from the same
tribe or nation, so the innocent often
suffer. The victim in this case was
Banks, an old trapper, who about two
months after the killing of the Bannack,
was following his vocation on Mission
creek and was camped about five miles
from the Yellowstone. One day while
lighting his after dinner pipe, six Ban
nacks came into camp and sitting down
commenced smoking with him. As he
was taking the pipe from one, another
sitting on the other side shot him in the
back of the head, killing him instantly.
This was seen by Crow who was going
to the camp, who without being himself
seen, turned and went away and did not
tell the story till long afterward The
main Bannack camp was on Saltwater,
and trader who was there short time
afterward saw and recognized Banks'
horses in the herd.
(ro BE CoNTINUED.)
FASHION NOTES.