The Glasgow courier., 1916-12-22

It was in the latter part of Octo
ber, 1866, that Cornelius Hedges,
the distinguished pioneer, set out
from Helena with Acting Governor
Thomas Francis Meagher, for a con-
ference with the Blackfeet Indians
regarding cession of a part of their
reservation.
In the party, besides Mr.. Hedges
and General Meagher, were Judge
l.. E. Munson, Captain George Wood
and Malcolm Clarke, the latter act
ing as guide through what was then
an almost trackless wilderness.
The party was all heavily armed
and mounted. While there was no
special fear of Indians, they were
never trusted and it was Clarke's du-
ty to see that the governor and his
friends ran into no ambush. They
spent their first night out of Helena
at Dearborn station, well-knOWn
place kept by Paul Verrill, who was
afterwards murdered by red men.
The second day blizzard overlook
them and abandoning the Fort Ben
ton trail, they headed for the Catho-
lie mission at st. Johns. Arriving
there at sundown, after day of ter
rible hardships, they found the
priests had only few tents, not
much food and no shelter or forage
for the horses. The Meagher party
crowded into single small tent
where they sat up all night, doing in
smoke that stifled them. In the
morning, although the blizzard had
increased and the tired horses were
floundering in the deep snow, they
had no choice but to set out for an
other mission, near the month of the
Sun river, where they hoped for more
cOmmOdious accommodation. Horses
and men were half-starved and utter
ly exhausted when, after IL hours
battle with the snow, they reached
the Sun River mission, where all
their wants were amply supplied and
good shelter was afforded by the
hospitable priests.
Meet Herd of 800 Antelope.
They spent two days here, resting
and hunting, and, much refreshed,
bade the kindly priests good-by and
set forth on the last lap of their
journey. They crossed the Sun riv-
er at a ford near the mission and
following the stream downward. soon
came to the junction with the Mis-
souri,. Here, on spot now covered
by warehouses, railroads and homes,
they saw the largest herd of antelope
any of the party had ever heard of
fully 800, including a number of
deer. They also paused to admire
the falls and then, crossing the river,
camped in the river bottom below the
great falls. From there they made
Fort Benton without incident.
The Indians were slow to come in
for the treaty-making and Mr.. He'd
ges and some of the others grew
weary after waiting FOR the govern
or to conclude his business, and deg
cided, after ten days, to start home
alone. But on the first day on the
back trail, Mr.. Hedges horse gave
out. His friends rode on, leaving
him to lead his beast and agreeing
to wait for him at the government
station near the great falls. Mr..
Hedges finally let his horse lie down,
knowing it would recover and find
sufficient feed, and bought another
of rancher on the trail. On this
beast, long after dark, he galloped
on to overtake his party. 1t was
pitch dark, and he lost the road.
Finally, his horse stopped dead. The
rider spurred and spurred, but the
beast, with it's blazing eyes, began to
back. Just then a flock of geese rose
screaming, almost at Hedges feet.
He had been standing on the brink
of the river, into which, but for the
sagacity of his horse, both would
have plunged, never to rise again, in
that rapid torrent. So worn and ex-
hausted was the rider, so sleepy,
that he had not noted the roar of the
stream.
Takes Shelter in COulee.
Mr.. Hedges was now utterly lost,
as he could not find his friends with
out crossing the stream and did not
know whether he was above or be.
low the ford. Being so badly used up
he decided to wait where he was and
as a dim moon rose, about O'Clock
In the morning, he selected a coulee
near the river, for shelter from the
wind, picketed his horse and rolled
up into a blanket and dropped off
into slumber.
Again his horse saved his life. Mr.
Hedges dreamed that he heard weird
music. Finally, 1T turned into
screams and barkings. Then he
dreamed that somebody was trying
to pull him out of bed. 1t was the
horse, tugging at the lariat which
Hedges had wound about his leg.
Hedges awoke to find circle of
wolves above him. The music he had
heard was their cry.
A few shots put the beasts to flight
and giving up the rest as bad job,
the rider leaped upon his horse and
rode upstream, hoping the ford lay
that way. To his joy, he found,
when dawn came, he had chosen
aright-and at nine o'clock in the
morning came upon his friends and
found food and shelter.
The return to Helena was made
safely but Mr.. Hedges went on no
more treaty-making expeditions.
once, he was wont to say, in review
mo tho