The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-05-19

leader, displaying in the field the
same fearless and dashing qualities
that distinguished Custer. Several
times the fortunes of a caused the
two friends to be pitted against each
other in battle, but ever the passion
of conflict never chilled the warm
friendship which they held for each
other. They had not met since the
close of the rebellion, and their
meeting was a happy n for both.
Custer Meets Grant.
Norris had in mind applying for
a place of some sort with the ex-
petition, and chance helped him ac-
complish this. 1t happened n day
about the middle of June that he
decided to ride to Fort Rice, 80 miles
below Bismark, where the main part
of the expedition was being made
ready. Soon he overlook some army
wagons, the front one containing Of
ficers and the others private soldiers,
who likewise were moving from
Fort Lincoln to Fort Rice. One of
the officers was Lieutenant-Colonel
Fred D. Grant, son of U. S. Grant.
Norris became engaged in
tion with him and the other officers,
who were interested in hearing of
the country higher up the Missouri.
There was much drinking among
officers and men in the western army
of that day, and it seemed that the
officers were out of whisky and were
cursing their luck in having a long,
dusty trip ahead without a drink.
Norris had noticed that the soldiers
in the wagons behind we're we'll sup
piled, SO he dropped back, rode along
side one of the wagons and sur
reptitiously unlocked a canteen of
whisky that was hanging owe the
side. Without being noticed by the
soldiers in the wagon, he placed it
on the off side of his horse and lop-
ed along to the officers wagon.
When he handed it to Colonel Grant,
the officers were delighted.
Gets a Job as Scout.
Chance further favored him, for
presently the mules that were pull
ing the officers wagon a away and
upset the cumbersome vehicle on q
cutbank, pinning some of the officers
beneath. Colonel Grant shouted at
Norris to ride at top speed to Fort
Rice, some eight miles away, and
get a surgeon. Norris did So, but
when the medical officer arrived,
he found that no one was injured, but
all we're the worse for the contents
of the canteen and what they had
been drinking before. Nevertheless,
Colonel Grant proved his apprecia-
ton of Norris services by securing
a position with the expedition as
scout at a wage of SIS a day.
There was only one other white
man carried as a scout on the rolls
of the Stanley expedition, and that
was the noted Charlie Reynolds,
who had been a scout for Custer in
the southern Indian campaigns, and
who three years later was killed in
the fight on the Little Big Horn that
wiped out Custer and so many of his
Norris and Reynolds,
while carried on the rolls as scouts,
were really employed as hunters to
provide game for General SANKEY'S
mess, which duty they performed
the progress of the expedi-
Norris and Reynolds rode, ate
and slept together and became fast
friends.
Norris and Reynolds were sent
back to Fort Lincoln with orders to
there with the smaller expedi-
ton which was to join Stanley's main
expedition on Heart river, on the
Dakota side. The outfit that left
lincoln had some 40 wagons, while
The main expedition had more than
300. When they Joined forces there
we're upward of $50 wagons, and the
personnel consisted of 80 officers
1,451 enlisted men.
Indian Fight Outside of Fort.
Some excitement was oc%casioned
Iust as the wagons were pulling out
Fort Lincoln, when the Mandan
Arickaree scouts sighted a band
If Sioux hostiles and attacked them.
\ running fight followed a few
hundred yards from the line of
march, and three Sioux we're killed. {
Just before the two wagon trains
oined on Heart river, the smaller {
from Fort Rice encountered t
he worst hail storm that Colonel t
Norris ever saw. Beginning with s
mall hailstones, the storm increased {
n fury and for several minutes
he icy missiles that bombarded the ,
larth became as big as hens eggs. {
n an area 10 miles mide and several t
long practically all the AMI
elope were killed. Norris, who was G
iding a fine horse with a rawhide
ope hitched around it's jaw in the c
indian fashion, quickly ~dismounted, t
erked his saddle off and lay down {
the prairie with the saddle over {
is head. His horse became mad I
ened and ran around in circles, but
Jorris had let out the full length
# his lariat-some 40 feet-and