Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-14
HOUGH HIM CRAZY.
A FREIGHTER'S ADVENTURE WITH
INDIANS.

Nearly every old timer in northern
Montana knew Tom Ticknor. who used to
freight in and out of Fort Benton, Bar
ker and other places. Tom was a good
fellow and had met with many adven-
lures which he took great relish in relat-
ing. the humor Of his stories being en-
HANGED by the fact that he had a percepti-
BILE stutter. avs the Great Falls Leader.
Fol instance, he had a zeal story which
he was wont to relate, ending up with
telling how the b-b-bear f-f-fanned his
coattails for f-f-forty yards.
But there was one adventure in Toms
life that he never related himself, which
showed his herOism and carelessness of
danger, but which was vouched for by
others who were eyewitnesses.
1t seems that Tom at this time was
freighting out of Billings and the Crow
Indians had been very saucy of late. Tom
and his party We're camped outside of the
town. ready to pull out in the morning,
and were eating supper when q party Of
Indians came in and after looking around
for a while one big buck approached to
where the %freighters were consuming
their evening meal and deliberately
plunged both his dirty hands into a pot
of stew and commenced to deVour it's
contents. keeping his mouth filled all the
time. This was too much for Tom, who
grabbed the pot, threw the balance OF the
contents into the Indians face and then
promptly knocked him down.. This ended
the incident for the time, and the Indians
after considerable powwowing withdrew.
Everyone in camp, however, except
Tom, was apprehensive of trouble, and a
close guard was kept all night, and In the
morning, when they pulled out, Tom was
induced. much against his will, to hide
himself in the bottom of one of the wa
CONS. The wagon train pulled out, n
Cow C0N1on two tao<I;,~ ,-- ~
Indians, but about five miles out a large
body of them was seen, decked out in
war paint and feathers, riding along al
most parallel with the wagons, but at an
angle to intercept them. AS they got
nearer and nearer it looked more and
more as if there would be trouble. The
Indians We're yelling all the time, and
the handful of white men would have no
chance with them, but just as it seemed
that a climax must be reached, Tom
jumped out of the wagon. unable to stand
any more of it, leaped upon a horse and
started unarmed towards the redskins.
waving his rams and calling to them to
"C-c-come on, you r-r-red ~d-d-devils and
I'll w-w-whip all of you s-s-single
h~-h-handed." He was mad clear through.
1t was a rash thing to do, perhaps, and
all the lookers-on expected to see him
killed, but instead of attacking him, the
Indians TODD still for a as if
stupefied and then, turning their horses,
rode rapidly out of sight.
Tom went back to the wagon and the
freighters continued their journey with
out further molestation. Some time af-
forwards it was explained by a. friendly
Indian that it was the intention of the
band to secure Tom and kill him, but
when they saw him ride out in that crazy
fashion alone and unarmed they took him
for an insane man and woI10 mot modest
him. In their estimation he had been
touched by the ..Great Spirit"