The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-02-24

times, he dwelt mostly in the
past with the ghosts Of the old river
men.
My father is know best to. those
who have read Montana history a. |
the builder Of Fort Benton, that old |
fur-trading outpost that later became
notable as the commercial head of |
ON the Missouri during
the gold mining days, but he should
be better known AZ the man who for
nearly q decade, from 1888 to 1912,
had maintained trading post in the
heart Of the dangerous Blackfeet
country, on the Marias river, known
as Fort Mckenzie, and thus had made
possible the profitable Blackfeet
trade. It was the combination Of his
courage and diplomacy there that
won for him the respect of the treach-
erous and hostile Blackfeet and a
place in the Northwest fur trade that
later gained for him q partnership in
the great American Fur Company.
That day as we stood at Poplar and
said farewell to one another we had
Just returned from the last trip that
my father ever took through the In
dian country. We had started In the
spring Of that year, 1879. from Pop
lar. with q Sioux Indian, White
Feather, up the Milk river to find
the camp of the Yanktonais Sioux,
who then were under the leadership
Of Black Catfish, Black Horn and
several other chiefs. My father, who
was well up in the 70's, drove team
of horses attached to a light spring
wagon, while White Feather and I
rode horseback. We travelled on the
north bank of the river until we came
to q point where the town of Hins-
dale now stands, where we forded.
My father got too far down stream
with his team and had to swim the
whole distance across, but fortunate.
~ landed safely.
. Here we thought of camping for
, the night, but as the country was full
of war parties, we decided to pull
out for a safer place on Beaver creek
where we made camp. Leaving my
father, White Feather and rode tt
the top of peak, where we could
look up Larb creek for long dis
lance. We as first saw nothing bu
buffalo in small bands, quietly feed
ing, but suddenly discovered an In
dian on horseback coming along Larl
creek from the direction of the Mis-
souri, river. AS the rider was headet
directly for us, suggested to Whit
Feather that we wait quietly and sur
prise him, as he might be dangerou
foe. To our surprise, the supposed
warrior turned out to be woman,
half sister of Sitting Bull. She ha
travelled all the way alone from tn
Yellowstone, hunting the Sioux camI
She was dressed in buckskin, rode
lsQuaw saddle and had buckski
saddle-bag, used for carrying he
food and extra moccasins. She wa
4 riding a fine buckskin horse, carrie
flintlock gun and had two knive
in her belt. She was fifty yards frol
turning her horse quickly, was abo,
Is to dash off when White Feathe
shouted to her in the Sioux tOngu
She swung her horse around aga1
ID and was soon sitting beside us on tt
Y, ground. She told us about her jou
ID ney and we took her to our cam
1t White Feather told her that her re
Of atives, whom she was seeking. wei
l at Poplar Creek agency, SO the ne
ID morning she left for there.
n We took up the trail again al
is that day found the Yanktonais can
or where the town of Malta stands t
g. day. When we arrived we found tt
le camp in a turmoil, for the warrio
lie of the band were fresh from fig
n with the Upper Assinniboines al
9, eros Ventres, in which there hi
i'd been heavy slaughter on both side
~ AS we rode into the camp the sea
er dance was in full swing, and it W
nd a stirring sight. While the dance
n were performing their grotesq
Id steps with frantic abandon. outsi
az the circle of the dance the mourne
re for those killed in the fight We
IL wailing, the women with their nj
es cut off and their arms and lie
,st hacked with knives. A great warri
Oh named Bull Eagle had been slain.