The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-04-08
(FrOm the Avant-C Courier, April 9,
1922 :

1t is not an ~infrequent occurrence
when two or more old-timers meet
upon the streets Of Bczeman to hear
some little story or incident told
which is quite interesting and often
times very amusing. Few persons
are blessed with a better memory
than our Old-time friend Jack Bean,
and he relates many interesting an
ecdotes of his early life in Montana,
when his principal business was hunt
ing and trapping.
: For several years the Buchanan
brothers, George Huston and Jack
Bean traversed the mountains, pros
pecting in summer and hunting and
trapping in winter. On one occasion,
as related by Bean, the party left
Bozeman in the fall of the year for
the purpose of making a hunt, for by
marketing the meat they could obtain
sufficient money to obtain their win
ter's grub.
lamp IN BrlQger canyon
Their first camp was made in
Bridger canyon, about seven miles
from Bozeman, where elk and deer
were at that early day plentiful. AS
there wa no fresh meat in camp, and
it was still early in the evening,
George Huston said he would go out
and kill some scamp meat" while
the other boys pitched tents and did
the other camp chores.
There was only one br~eech-loading
rifle in the outfit, which was a needle,
Tor what was known as a Claggett
gun, for which they had but a limited
amount of ammunition, which cost, at
that time, 10 cents per cartridge. The
party, knowing the reckless manner
in which Huston would use his am
.mUnition when he came upon a large
band Of elk, limited his allowance fOl
the evening hunt to five rounds.
He started out and had not gone
far when he came upon a large banC
of elk feeding on a hillside. He ap.
preached them cautiously and wheT
within shooting distance he fired anC
a spike bull fell to the ground wound
ed. He then followed the band anC
had a good opportunity to DISPOSE
Of his remaining four cartridges
with which he wounded three COWS
but had as yet obtained no meat
About 80 yards from him stood
large fat cow elk with her bacl
bumped up, badly wounded and sick.
George Got Mad
George was Disguised and mad
His ammunition was gone and ell
stood within a stones throw of hin
Setting his gun down by a tree, h
rolled up his sleeves and, taking hi
trusty butcher knife from his belt
started madly for the elk, determine
TO hamstring her and then cut he
throat.
When within about six feet of tn
wounded animal, the long hair bega
to rise upon her neck and, turnin
suddenly upon her enemy, she ejacr
lated a few words in the elk Language
which sound is quite familiar to Of
hunters. Huston was not long in d.
Gliding he would not kill that elk wit
his butcher knife.
George Left Hurriedly
To say that he went down Il
m~ountainside 10 feet at a jump wOu
only be putting it mildly. HOweve
he succeeded in grabbing his gun
he went past the tree, but no mo.
attention was paid to the wounds
elk than to be sure he was "a sa
distance from her, when he beg'
looking for the first one he had sh
and which he had seen fall. The
was no snow On the ground and
was difficult to track even a wound,
animal. He searched in vain for
hour or two, when it became da
and he started for camp, without a.
meat and thoroughly Disguised.
Storm Comes Up
Large black clouds began to gath
the lightning played and thund
rolled and rain soon began falling
torrents. No landmarks were visiE
and to find camp in that stOl
was next to an impossibility, so HI
ton sought shelter under a large
tree to. await the abatement Of
storm.
Tired and hungry, he sat hump
up under the sturdy pine whC
friendly branches, thickly matt
with foliage, protected him from I
drenching rain. There was suffici'
dr,y mood ,,rIaruoofh Aha troo W