The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-08-01

! Cept from rest, WHICH pOSlIlOn II
always assumed, if possible i
t bringing dow nhis game. The me
/ who accompanied him probabl
f acted as gun-bearers, as it is states
: that he never reloaded a weapon
/ after discharging it, but would pas
: it back to one of the men, wht
). would hand him loaded rifle il
s return. He was successful enough
/ in his quest for game so that the
, larder was we'll supplied with meal
: throughout the long winter months
: Often Sir George would not re-
turn from these hunting trips I'm
til as late as 10 o'clock at night,
greatly to the worry of Bridger,
who feared his eccentric employer
might get lost in the wild section.
But no matter how late the hour,
he would always insist upon hav-
ling a hearty supper cooked, and
that Bridger sit down and help him
enjoy it and listen to recital of
his adventures through the day, af-
ter which pipes were brought out.
and Sir George and his chief guide
would sit in front of roaring log
fire for several hours, while the
Irishman would read aloud from
Shakespeare to his untutored and
unlearned employee, as Bridger did
not know one letter from another.
Occasionally Sir George would
pause in the midst of his reading
and endeavor to draw from Bridger
his ideas of the author.
Bridger, however, declared that
that thar stuff was too ALFRED
hifalutin. Sometimes Sir George
would get out a volume of "The
adventures of Baron Munchausen."
But to these tales the old man
would only shake his head in un-
belief. "Derned eff l don't think
he's ornery liar!' Bridger would
comment. He further added that
many of his adventures with the
Indians would make just as good
reading "ef writ down in book,
and be far more truthful.
At one period of the winter
band of renegade Piegans swoop-
ed down upon their stock and got
away with twenty-one head of the
horses of the party. This was
bit of boldness which the noun
taineers resented, and it was deter
mined to take the trail of the mar
auders and regain the stolen horses
and punish the thieves. For sixty
miles the trail was followed, and
then a heavy snowstorm develop
ing, the trail became obliterated,
and the exasperated men were
obliged to return without recov-
ering single animal.
aside from this incident none of
Sir Georges party had any trouble
With hostile Indians, SO far as
bringing on engagements with them
vas concerned.
The following spring Sir George S
for yet further explora- I
ion of the country. He entered
he Rosebud region, where his par !
y met large band of Crow In I
Iians, who treated them in t
friendly maner, and from whom Q
hey bought several horses to take .
he place of those stolen by the :
'iegans. By circuitous route, n
nd travelling by slow stages, the I
lore party finally drifted back to V
heir old post at the mouth of the
'ongue. +
AT this point Sir George CON t
Iuded it was about time he was b
citing back to civilization Ac- :
ordingly he had some of his men
ui1d a couple of flat boats, in
.hich some of the party descended .
lie Yellowstone to Fort Union. !,
ir George, however, concluded to 4
axe the trip overland and hunt as "
: went. Many of his men at this fc
pint we're discharged, their term t
service having expired. Among 81
ese were Bridger and Henry =
celebrated hunter, who
rned back into the wilderness
nile Sir George continued on with
e balance of his party.
That Sir George had the welfare
'every member of his party at
art is well Illustrated from his
ndness to them on various occas-
IS. While camped at the mouth
the Tongue, one of his men
own as "Uno," died. Having no
nber from which to construct a
fin, his companions were at the
int of putting him under the
1und in the clothing he had on.
George however, would not
en- to such a barbarous burial.
ordered the bed of one of his