The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-08-02

This is the story of a poem that
in itself is a story. From the pen
of John G. Neihardt, well known
American writer of western stories
and poems, The Song of
Three Friends" the first in a cycle
of epic poems of the fur traders of
the Trans-Mississippi region in the
earliest days Of the western migra-
ton. 1t is above all an American
poem, a story that grips and thrills
like a tale Of fiction. But it is not
fiction.
The story of Mike Fink, Will
Carpenter and the little TaIbeau
is found in the files of The West
ern Souvenir, the Western Monthly
Review and the Missouri Intelli-
gencer. 1t is a tale Of the traders
who crossed the Missouri and
struck west in 1922 and 1928 un-
der the leadership of Ashley and
Henry of st. Louis. 1t has to do
with our Own country, the north
west country in the days when the
white man was the explorer, the
searcher and the incipient con-
queror. And it is a story, a saga
of strong men, bold adventurous
spirits and a great friendship
which was broken by jealousy over
a woman, and brought murder.
Death, a death of vengeance and
punishment, prevented its healing.
In 1922, Mike Fink, Will Carpen-
ter and Frank Talbeau set out from
st. Louis wit hthe Ashley and Henry
of fur traders to cross the
There was a friendship
between the trio like that Of the
Musketeers or a Damon and
Pythias with a third added. Fink,
the 1rishman, was a man of might
and power, stocky, wonderfully built.
gay Celt he was who would fight
whoever failed to laugh at his jokes.
the Yankee, was a tall
and rangy chap, a lovable character
IN the trio. Talbeau, the little
Frenchman, was slight, wiry and a
wonder of fighting speed. Wherever
ad%venturers gathered were these
,hree and their prowess with fist and
,ifle known. Their sacred friend
rite was the shooting of the
in which Carpenter would shoot
1t a trimming cup of liquor on
head, lifting the hair without
the liquor. Fink would then
urn about and repeat the trick. Hard
listed youths, joyous, full of life and
he call of the new lands, hard drink
ng, hard riding, living only for the
owe of life.
Reach the Musselshell
Toiling and suffering, making
heir way onward across the Mis-
ouri, the party reached the Mussel-
hell in the northern Dakotas and
here camped for the winter in the
ountry of the Bloods.
Carpenter went back with a party
o where some goods had been each
d. He had been gone five days
7hen Fink saw an Indian maid, the
dopted daughter of a chief, whose
ather was said to have been a white
ian of an earlier expedition. For
be first time in his adventurous ca
eer, Fink fell in love. He wooed
ne girl in the Indian fashion, taking
fits to her father. If he was ac-
the girl would bring food
} his lodge.
AS she came down between the te-
ees with a pot of stewed meat, Car
and his band returned. She
aw him for the first time. She loved
le blond giant at sight. Hesitating
afore the tent of Fink, she turned
nd ran for Carpenters tent and
lere placed her pot of stew.
They were married according to
10 rites of the Bloods and the seed
hate and tragedy had been sown
the friendship of the two. !
The pair saw little of each other. Y
hen they did, they did not speak. g
albeau, Borrowing, could not under t
and. His life from then on was t
7ed in an effort to bring back the e
d friendship. e
Fink, dour and silent, mooded the +
inter through. From the gay and '
'ppy-go-lucky Irishman, he became t
at sinister figure, the Celt nursing Q
grudge. Z