The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-11-05

| streaked with crimson, yellow and
black, and when all were ready they
started out ON foot. 1t was long past
midnight when they neared the hos
tile camp and saw the dull, faint
glow of the dying fire. One or two
warriors we're still by 1t roasting
meat; the others were sleeping,
some near 1t, others in the darkness
beyond. The Crees wanted to make
a big killing; if they attacked then
they reasoned most of the enemy
would escape, SO they quietly sur
rounded the camp and waited for
daylight.
At last it began to grow light in
the east, until one could see the sight
on his gun. One of the sleepers
arose, stirred up the fire and threw
on some fresh fuel. Bang! went the
Cree chiefs gun and the man keeled
over into the. Goals. The surprise Of
the Nez Perces was complete. Many
were killed; the rest fled, panic
stricken, and were pursued by the
Crees, who soon brought the last
one to earth. Not one escaped and
not Cree was killed. The half
breed Mexican killed a man the first
shot he fired, and while taking his
scalp noticed large flat ring on his
finger. 1t wouldn't slip off, so he
cut the finger off, put the ring in his
pocket and hurried on after the flee
ing enemy.
Several weeks after this fight the
Mexican arrived in Fort Benton with
a lot of robes and started in to have
a spree. In few days the last robe
was drunk up and there was a very
dry Mexican wandering about the
streets. At last he thought of the
ring he had taken from the Nez
Perces; it might be worth something. |
& Company's store, and offered it to
Mr.. Todd, the manager, who recog-
nized it as the one Captain Logan
had worn. He at first thought the
Mexican had been with the Nez
Perces and that he might have killed
the captain and thus obtained the
ring. But when the half-breed ex-
planned, Mr.. Todd made him a pres
snt and sent the ring to Mrs. Logan,
who presented it to her son, w. r.
Logan.
Years passed and the incident of
he missing rings was nearly forgot
EN-. Late in the 90's Mr.. Logan re-
,eived the appointment of agent for +,
he Blackfeet Indians; another pc
,uliar instance of a man who had i
at the hands of the Indians
coming in time to guard their in ID
erests and help them in their strug-
lie toward civilization. c
Mr.. Logan was sitting in his Of =
ice, one day, listening to the COM i
laints and wants of his wards, when {
half-breed woman came in to beg +
or something. While she talked, Y
Ir. Logan was not listening, for he y
Tas looking at ring she wore which 8
omehow or other seemed familiar to
i'm. At last he asked her to allow C
i'm to examine 1t. 1t was a broad, g
eavy band of soft gold, well worn. +,
nd in faint enamel it bore the Ma Z.
)nic insignia. 1t was his fathers e
ng. o
When questioned the woman said "
Blackfeet Indian had given it to q,
or Is years before. He, in turn,
i'd taken it from Sioux whom he
i'd killed in battle, and it had fitted :.
} tightly that he was obliged to cut u
f the warriors finger in order to &C
Ike it. Further questioning elected =,
e fact that the Blackfeet, while ~
owing around the country in the ~
inter of 1877-78, in search of the ~
lemy, had run across a war party p'
what they thought were Sioux, in '"
e Cypress hills, and killed a num- "a
It of them, and that was when the e'
ng was taken. 1t may be that some III III
ez Perez gave the ring to a Sioux 10 -.
ID it may have been Nez Perces "a
at the Blackfeet thought was a al al
oux. III
But Sioux or Nez Perez, the fact w
mains that each of the wearers of W.
ose plundered rings lost his life =
d his hand was mutilated as that
the original owner of them had
en-. Thus, after lapse of %
ars, the two rings were returned
,-sr y, 81 Il.