The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-11-20
POWERFUL BLACKFEET CONFEDERACY THAT DOMINATED
MONTANA THE VESTS MOST INTELLIGENT RACE OF REDMEN

Approaching the Cheyenne camp
that night, they were successful in
stealing some of the Cheyenne horses
without arOusing the suspicious Of
the owners, VINO no doubt were out
on the INT sort of an expedition.
After securing the horses they want
ed, and after all of the party had
returned to their appointed meeting
place, the start for home on Two Me
dicine was made. All were in a Joy
full mood and rode hard, as they
realized that as soon as the horses
were missed the Cheyennes would at
once take up the trail and start in
pursuit. And, that is just what did
happen.
Fight with the Cheyennes
About noon a party of mounted
warriors were plainly visible on the
trail. The country was somewhat
open at the point where the pursuers
were first detected, and the chase
soon resolved itself into a run for the
brush along a creek a few miles dis
tant. The Piegans were soon over
taken, and in the excitement, Many
Tail Feathers brother, Coat, had
trouble with the stolen horse which
he was riding. The horse began to
buck and plunge, throwing the rider.
In relating this incident, Many Tail
Feathers stated, Il would not leave
my brother but remained with him,
and had a hard time getting him on
my horse behind me, the Cheyennes
shooting at us all the time with
guns and arrows. No sooner had
he got on my horse than the Chey-
ennes surrounded us. We expected
to be killed at any minute, and start
ed to sing our war songs and pre-
pare to die as warriors like us should
die. Just as 1 got my brother across
my horse with me and we were pre-
pairing for another run to the brush.
we. heard a shot, and looking back,
saw Little Dog get off his horse, he
later being killed. In the meantime,
my brother fell from behind me, and
leaving Il horses, all ran for the
brush. Reaching this ambush, we
found two of OUr party, and the
C~heyennes coming along began chas-
ing the four of us, and we began to
give fight. There being but two guns
in entire party, and only about a
dozen rounds of ammunition, we
soon ran out of cartridges. AS the
brush was very thick, it was impOs-
F sible to use our bows and arrows, so
the fight developed into a rock
throwing contest.
We tried to save our arrows, and
soon stopped even throwing rocks
at our enemies, for we had had all
] the fight we wanted. Our purpose
and desire was to escape, if possible.
We lost two men in the running
fight, Little Dog and Takes Gun on
Top. One Of our number managed
to escape and, travelling alone, reach
ed the Piegan camp about the same
1 time we did. We wounded some OF
y the Cheyennes, and just before 1 got
chased into the brush, I got in a
Z lucky shot and killed their chief, but
as the fight was hot, 1 had no OppOr-
? tunity to get his scalp. OF the seven
= men who were in this party, 1 an
u now the only living member.
I Many Tail Feathers, who is one oil
the very few surviving BIackfeet
warriors who actually took part il
the fights of the early days, has
u many an exciting story to unfold oil
Z adventure on the plains and in the
5 mountains of Montana. He is now
5 more than IS years old. During the
0 winter months he makes his home
3 with his daughter IN Browning, and
for pastime smokes the white mans
& tobacco and tells stories of the past
d In the summer, he is quite apt to b.
= at Glacier Park, extending the HAND
/ of welcome to the eastern tourists.