The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-26
A11ard's Famous T erd ofBuffa1os
Snapped by Standards Camera.

"Dere's tree BULL" said the guide We
looked in the direction that he indi-
Gated, and there, on the north slope of
the Big Butte, were three magnificent
buffalo bulls. They were half a mile
distant and had not noticed our ap
proach. Two of them were lying down
and the third was standing with his
head toward US, sleepy and Indifferent.
None of the rest of the herd were in
sight. de breeding time she's over
and desc bull, he run alone" explained
Joe when we asked where the rest of
the animals were. But dass all right"
he continued, "de herd she's not far
We had driven 80 miles since break
fast from the hosptable home of Alex
DeMers at st. Ignatus mission to the
Allard ranch on Mud creek. The drive
had been a pleasant one, though more
than half of it was through morning
fog that was so dense that it was at
times impossible to see beyond the
heads of the horses. The road was
along the foot of the splendid Mission
range of mountains, crossing at fire.
quent intervals the beautiful streams
that make the Mission valley a para
disc. We had passed Indian farms that
doomed suddenly out of the fog and as
suddenly disappeared. the stolid half
breed on the front seat of our wagon
pounding the cayuse team along at a
rate that would have alarmed man
unaccustomed to the capacity Of these
in,
their collars all the way and the 80
mile drive was made in three hours.
Now and then we would meet an In
dian rider who grunted a salutaton to
US as we emerged from the haze of fog
and would look at US wonderingly as
we swung along past him. From the
yards and corrals of the Indian farms
the cur dogs of the reserve would rush
out at US, snarling and yeping. There
was always something to break the
monotony of the drive through the fog
and it was not irksome.
AS we neared Mud creek the fog lifted
and the sun came out clear and bright.
1t was a good day for pictures and if
we could find the buffalo the trip would
The cayuses made a final squirt and we
swung up in front of the old Allard
ranch, familiar to all who crossed the
reservation in the old staging days.
This was the feeding station in those
days and here the Allard stages
changed horses. There has been many
sharp race across the Mud creek fiat
the excitement was always high when
the passengers were eating at Allard's
The opposition stage would probably
pass them there and that meant hard
chase up the hill to the divide that over
looks the Flathead lake. We changed
horses here, too. and we also got din
ner. With fresh team and Joe Houlle
at the lines we started, Immediately
after eating, to look for the herd. Joe
knew where they were, he said, and we
set out across the valley to the Big
Butte, where we expected to find the
buffalo
The natural habitat of the buffalo
more properly, the bison-was between
the Allegheny mountains on the east
and the foot of the Rockies on the west
1t was not often that any of the big
animals were found on the west side
Of the main range of the Rockies, and
each year the Indians of the valleys
that are now in Western Montana,
Idaho and Washington made Pilgrim
age to the Buffalo Country" for hides
and meat This annual buffalo hunt
was one of the great occasions in the
calendar of the Western Indian. 1t was
attended with much pomp and cere-
mony and occupied often nearly a
quarter of the year. 1t furnished the
Indians with much of their winter meat