The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-10-16
Around the C0uleeof Four Bears.

From j. II. Taylor. "1n the shadow of an Indian Agency
Here at the bench opening abont two
hundred yards up from the willows is a deep
pond of water as th-re was forty Y-ars ago
when the coulee received its name-or lis
sometime occurs, but not often among the
wild Indians--had the name changed.
On account of a cushing spring Of water
further up the ravine' where both l1crders
and their stock could qianch their thirst on
long summer days, and while: that neigh
borhood was the favorite grazing Arpunds
for some of the villagers, as per consequence
was also a lurking place for their steallhy
foes.
One summer dry in the last Of she fifth
decade of this century. Four Bears the ven
cradle chief Of the Gros Ventrs who had
succeeded to the cFieftainship Of his geople
when the cruel white killing chief Horned
Weazel had laid down and ended his misera-
HE existence. -Four Bears. in disposition,
had been the reverse of Horned Weazel.
He was kind to his wives and their families,
%tolerent with with his enimies, and faithful to
The interests OF his people, and was much
beloved by them. He had come out alone
4 iTOIl llC fllluSS w lOoN ~ q Oo1S w
ponies. and finding them feeding quietly,
stripped for a bath in the deep water pond.
This was an enemy's opportunity, and they
were on hand to take the bull by his horns.
Fight Sioux suddenly beset him, filled the
old chief with arrows; tore off his scalp as
he Law wreitbing in the water, and drove OFT
Ia bunch of Gros Ventre ponies in triumph.
Hence ever afer this watered ravine was
known 10 the villagers as the Coulee Of
-Four Bears.
S. s. 81 s. s. s. 81
In dangerous times. it was customoty for a
portion of the soldier band" 20 accompany
the horse herdcrs ont from the village for a
mile or two and form q. kind of reeerve or
base. in case of an attempt of the enemy to
steal their herds. Usually about a dozen or
more braves formed the party. Relying
upon one or two Of their number to keep
watch from a hill top the balance would
squat in a circle and 'pass the pipe" and tell
stories all day long. unless the monotony
for the time. was broken by a dash from
their enemies upon the grazing ponies, or
a Knockout at the conservatory"
One dav in the summer of 1868, a party
Of twelve Gros Ventres were seated in a cir
Gle GU the high south of the pond that had
been redeemed, once. by the blood of old
chief -Four Bears-and had became a hal
lowed spot to the Gros Ventres.
1t was about noon, the ponies had gath:
ere1 a the spring for water except an old
lame horse that had been picketrd further
up the coulee-for "bait." A pair of young
Sioux, out hunting for scalps and glory had
secreted themselves on an overlooking point
since daylight, and h2v:ng-in their minds
gotten the thing down fine, and after seeing
the horse guards join the smokers and story
circle and slipping down the coulee
unobserved by the sleepy eyed eros Ven
it's, rounded up the whole herd and started
up the coulee with them! So far so good,
but now comes a case of not leaving "well
alone" One of the young
fellows was a practical joker. so after seeing
his companion we'll up the coulee with the
captuaed stock, told him to keep agong but
himself would go back-have a little fun
with the smokers, and join him on the back
of the picketed pony. So saying he ran
back and crawled up the bluff to within fifty
yards of the drowsy warriors. when they
they were startled by a iond voice:
"Gros Ventres no good. Got no horses
And thus relieving himself Of his joke.
down to the picketed. pony, cut the lar