The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-04-08

charges on his cargo of gold. But
he found an intelligent passenger, by
name MacNeil, who agreed to look
after this for him. Among the miners
were many rough characters who
tried to escape paying the fare ask
ed and who we're looking for trouble.
All charges were payable in gold
dust, and it was a favorite trick to
mix black sand with the dust, a prof
liable form of cheating if undetect-
ed. But black sand never passed the
eye of MacNeil, and he made the pas
sengers pan their dust in his pres
ence and wash out the sand.
At the mouth of Milk river the
Luella ran aground on a sandbar,
and while the crew worked to dis
lodge her the passengers, most of
whom carried their gold dust in lea
Their belts about their waists, stood
along the side of the ship to watch.
One of them, a man named McClel-
Ian, fell overheard. The water was
barely two feet deep, but the current
was swift. He was carried off his
feet, and so great was the weight of
his treasure belt that he was dragged
down and drowned before help could
reach him. Even his body was never
recovered.
Building Fort BufOrd
A few days later the boat passed
below the mouth of the Yellowstone
a small camp of soldiers. 1t proved
to be Company G, 18th (later 22nd)
infantry, under Captain w. G. Ran
kin, engaged in starting to build Fort
Buford, a new military post. This
handful of troops were being con-
stantly attacked by the Sioux, and as
the Luella pulled up to the bank, a
lurking party of Indians almost cap
.tured the young and beautiful wife
of Captain Rankin. The piucky young
woman won a desperate race with the
reds by a narrow margin, her horse
being shot in the flank by a rifle
ball. Later Fort Buford was attack
ed again and again by Red Clouds
band, and Sitting Bull, with a hand
full Of picked warriors, even succeed
ed in capturing a sawmill just out
side the walls of the post, and he
used the big circular saw for a war
drum. 1t was reported time after
time that the garrison had been mas
sacred, but they managed to survive
the winter and the following spring
were reinforced by enough troops to
hold the post safely.
Steamer Attacked by Sioux
Eleven miles below Captain Ran
kin's camp, the Luella went ashore
again at the mouth of White Earth
river and was holly attacked by the
Sioux. The passengers were pressed
into service for fighting the Indians
o1l f.oo1Ir, lraua fhana aff
Some days after the fight at White
Earth river a bad man on board,
whose name was Gilmore, started
trouble among the passengers. Cap
tain Marsh threatened to put him
ashore, and Gilmore swore to kill
him. He had not the nerve to act
openly against the captain, however,
until the boat had passed through
the perilous Indian country. Then,
one day when the Luella had been
forced to the bank by strong winds,
Gilmore insulted Captain Marsh
ashore. Marsh walked up to the des-
perado and challenged him to fight a
pistol duel, but the suggestion cool
ed Gilmore's fighting blood, for he
was a rank coward. He refused to
fight, whereupon Captain Marsh
struck him in the face and threaten
ed to kill him unless ne would fight.
Passengers prevailed on the captain
to press the matter no further, and
at Sioux City Gilmore left the boat.
The remainder of the trip was
without incident, and the Luella ar
rived safely at st. Louis October s,
clearing on her trip a profit for Cap
tain Marsh of $4,000.