Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-05-30

tana, where the great plains of the
Missouri end Mt the foot of the Rttk-
+. Ses, are to be found nearly III of the
Sew surviving trappAre, traders and
hunters OF the old frontier days. They
are married 10 Indian womsn OF the
Blacklist tribe, aud own ranches on
the psStous streams running through
the reservation, where wood and hay
are abundant and the range for their
Iocks unezcelled. Whenever a few OF
these old-timers meet, story telling is
in order, and often the sessions are
aiept up for several daya, so great q
delight do they take in recalling the
scenes and adventures of their early
,slfe. It is privilege to listen to
these tales. In imagination tue relent-
Cess years are rolled back; once more
tho plains TEEN with buffalo aad other
game and are peopled With rowing
tribes whose only labor is the chase
and whose pastime is war.
e s'Those wera exciting times" said
Louis Cobell the other evening
<tEach day was full of surprises and
adveatures, and no one could say what
the morrow had in store, for the nn-
expected was always happening: I
believe had one experience e1ch as
has fallen to the lot of FEW of us-I
was a spectator of a beautiful fight be-
tween some Biackfeet and Crees.
tsTo tell the story rightly, TIL begin
with the Cree side of it, as told me
some months later by one of the STIR
vivers. was with tue Blackfeet at
the time it happened, but T traded with
both tribes, so it wasn't long before
I had chance TO hear the Crecs' ac-
count of it. In the fall of 1877 the
Crees were camping and hunting in
the vicinityof the Cypress Hills, about
200 miles east of the Rockies, aad just
north of the international line, and one
day q party of the young men started
te'make raid on the Blackfeeh whom
they supposed they would ind some
where along the MsEias, or, as all
tribes called it, tie Bear river, about
150 miles to the southwest. There
were % men in the party, including
their leader, Little Bow, minor chic.
of the trine and somewhat motel
ene6icine man and magician. It was
said that he could foretcll the future
and circumveat the Vaccinations OF
the evil spirits,
''The party started out in great
style, heavy work dogs arrying their
little store of provisions and robe or
two, while their owners strobe lightly
aloog beside them, all deckad out in
their war clothes of feathers, fringes
and ermine skins, their faces literally
streaked and crossed with bright-hued
paints. Everything was propitious;
the medicine men in secret council had
found the signs right and predicted
that they would return sufely with
barge numbers of the enemy's horses.
A hundred miles west of Cypress Hills
are the three buttes of Sweetgrass, set
in O vast extent of grassy plain. They
were far to the rigl of direct line
to the Marias, but the war party
headed for them ia order to obtain a
good view of the surrounding country
from their SUBMITS. When on such
dangerous expeditions the Indians al
ways went from hill to hill, no matter
how far they were led out of their
course, for tiey tried at all times to
see ahead and about them, and thus
avoid m encounter with the enemy.
Their object was to sneak into the
hostile camp under cover of night, and
got away safely with many horses.
stFrom the southern face of the
mountain fair-sized stream comes
out of a rocky canyon, and, flowing
through the plain for several miles,
finally sinks into the thirsty soil. The
party was crossing wide meadow of
tall grass bordering this stream when
they sawfFtwo hoysemen ride up on n
ridge several miles to the south of
them. Quick as fash they dropped
into the tall grass, SO quickly that
they were not discovered, and present
ly the horsemen rode away out of
sight.
8. s' s.Now, then, quick. said Little
Bow. sThose riders are surely the
scouts of Blackfoot camp coming this
way. We have no time to retreat 10
the butte, and must conceal ourselves
here. Go to work with your knives
= and dig holes; dig, them close together
and do not pile up the dirt. Scatter
it far out in the grass, and perhaps we
will not be discovered.
sThe knives carried by the Crees in
those days were traded to them by the
Hudsoa Bay company, and were locally
known as beaver tails, for they were
wide, fiat, long, sharp on each edge,
and altogether massive piece of steel.
The soil was soft, and, spurred on by
the imminent danger OF their position,
the warriors made the dirt fairly fly
as they slashod and chopped and
gouged it and threw it far out as
sower scatters grain. Down, down
they went, until each one had exca-
yated hole large enough to conceal
himself and his dog.
'Tt was about this time that we
hove in sight. I was with about 30
lodges of the Blackfeet who bad LETT
the main camp on the Marias for n
short hunt, and thinking that there
would be a big killing of beaver and
other fur, I had brought along a
wagon-load of trade goods. We came
leisurely up toward the butte, and AZ
irving at the high-grass meadow de.
termined to camp. The place selected
was midway between the stream and q
large spring, and as soon as the horses
were unpacked a couple of old squaws
started for the latter to get some
water, instead of drawing it from the
creek, which was nearest. Buckets in
hand, they were chattering along when
their dogs began to showsigns of fear;
they shifted the air uneasily, bristled
up their hair, aud finally skunk growl-
ing behind their owne"s. Keenly
alive to the dangers which constantly
beset their wandering life, these old