Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-06-29
THE SNAKE BUFFALO HORSE.
Boyhood Exploit of Montana Pioneer.

In the spring of 1864 some Indians
from the great camp of the Blackfeet
came to Fort Benton, Montana, for
the purpose of renewing their supply
of powder and ball. They reported
the camp as situated on the Judith
river, where game was unusually
plenty, and said that the chiefs had
decided to move in to the fort as soon
as the women could finish tanning the
winters take of buffalo hides. The
greatest piece of news they had to tell
was about buffalo horse they had
captured during battle with the
Snake Indians. Never before had
any of the people seen an animal SO
beautiful, swift and we'll trained. So
great were its powers of endurance
that it's owner, Owls Head, had killed
% buffalo in single run. Without
the guidance of a bride it would
swerve to the right or left, go here or
there according to the swaying of the
riders body or the pressure of his
knee.
In those days, when the only COM
merce of the country was the fur
trade, good buffalo runner was the
most desirable and useful piece of
property a man could own. The voy.
ageurs and other employees OF the
great trading company, therefore, lis
tened with great interest to the stories
these Indians had to tell about the
horse, and each one determined to try
to buy it. But had they only known
it, they would not have wasted their
time figuring on their chances. Major
STEEL, one of the partners of the firm,
had himself determined to buy the
animal. Not that he had any special
need for it, but he loved to ride out
on the plains with his men whenever
his duties would permit short alb
sence from the fort, and when he did
go he rode the best horse to be found
in the land. He said nothing of his
intentions, however, and bided his
time.
One morning the people of the fort
saw long co 'umn of horsemen string
ing down fl pm the prairie into the
wide fiat across the river. 1t was the
advance guard, the chiefs, head war;
riors and medicine men of the Black
feet, and hurried preparations were
made to receive them with the pomp
and show so dear to the Indians
heart. AS the head of the column
rode slowly down to the river and
across the ford the cannon and how
itzers in the bastion began to thunder
a welcome, to which the Indians re-
piled by firing their guns and singing
song of war and triumph. Every
one of them was decked out in all his
war fnery of embroidered buckskin,
ermine fringe and futtering plumes,
and they presented an imposing sight
as they rode their prancing horses up
to the fort and dismounted at the
gates. The heavy portals swung
open, and the agent, Major Steel,
himself, wearing blue uniform and
sword, steppe forth to greet them.
After shaking hands with the whole
party he invited them to the council
room, where the great stone pipe was
filed, lighted and passed from hand
to hand around the circle, each in turn
taking few whiffs of the smoke. The
agent and the chiefs meanwhile ex-
changed the news of the day. The
Indians told of the prominent mem
bers.of their tribe who had died of i'll
ness or who had fallen in battle during
the winter; of the successes of their
people against the enemy; of the large
number of buffalo robes and pelts of
beaver and wolf they had brought to
trade for the white mans goods.
An hour elapsed, and the big pipe
had been refilled many times. At last
the women of the fort appeared, bring
ing in huge kettles of boiled meat and
sugared tea, pans of stewed dried APP
Piles and hard bread. Here was lux
ury indeed! Meat was almost the sole
food of the Indians-an the whites,
too--in those times; feast comprising
sugered tea, hard bread and dried
apples was something to be talked
about and remembered for many a day
to come. The kettles and pans were
soon emptied, and then the pipe was
again lighted, and during the general
talk which followed the agent asked
Owls Head for his buffalo horse. The
Indian fatty refused to part with it for
any consideration whatever, saying
bAdb hC Auo IiohCu LIS lllO Ill OWUtlo "
capture it and that he loved the AMI
NAL rs he did his children. Major
STEEL, therefore, said no more on the
subject, and presently the Indians,
having each received present of to-
bacco, went out and remounting their
horses rode back across the river,
where during their visit at the fort the
great camp had moved in. -Four hun
dred lodges now dotted the plain
which had been desolate few hours
before. Thousands of horses were
being driven to water or out on the
hills to Craze. From each lodge arose
the smoke of the newly lighted fires.
Hundreds of children played and
yelled along the shore of the river;
women gossiped and laughed with one
another; dogs barked, horses neighed.
Early the next morning the great
trade began and lasted for number
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