Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-05-13

be surrounded by a band OF Sioux war
riors; and on the morrow a party OF
Crows would succeed them. These woulc
perhaps be followed by Piegans, Bioods
Gros Ventures, Assiniboines or Crees. each
party at war with the other and ell ever
In quest Of the white mani scalp.
Three Woodlands
In spite of this knowledge, In the fall
OF 1871 n 1879, three adventurous
frontiersmen determined to locate here
and become "woodhawks' and to hunt
and trap n poison wolves.
One of these men, according to the
old-timer who told the story Of their adj
ventures, was 'Batter-Cake' jim; another
was VIII Long; the third was me and
they used to call me Slim"
Slim, h refused to have his name
disclosed in connection with the story,
in an interview given several years ago
said of the adventures OF the trio:
I'VE built a log shack down In the
edge of the first cottonwood grove Just
below the butte and on the south side.
At the back end OF it a fireplace OF rocks
and mud afforded light, heat and ample
room Tor cooking. Windows? There were
none. The door was a light frame affair
covered with semi-transparent creased
rawhide. Batter-Cake Jim was the handi-
est man with an axe / ever saw. He
heWed out some boards II made a bunk,
a table and some shelves and chairs.
1T must have been early in November
when we finished this shack; for / re-
member that the river froZe over about
that time. We began cutting cottonwood
there. working pretty hard for a few days.
We then put in q like amount of time
hunting, trapping beaver and tending our
wolf bats. At this time of the year the
buffalo cows were rolling fat and we
Killed, quartered and hung up near our
cabin a number OF them for u winters
supply OF meat.
Whether hunting or working, we al
ways kept close watch for signs of In
dians; for we were fully aware of the fact
that they were likely to discover us at
any time. On the other hand, we ar
gued among ourselves that wal parties
were seldom around during the winter,
and that they would probably not APP
pear until spring. 1t is not exactly pleas
ant nor easy to work while you are on
tinually on the lookout for an enemy
when you live in constant dread of the
sound of a rife or the whizz of an ar
row. But. time and persistence will in
ure one to almost anything; SO, after q
few weeks, we became accustomed to
these conditions.
A Skirmish
One day we had a little excitement.
We were cutting wood and l started
for the shack to prepare our midday
meal. On the way, l thought | would
go out in the edge of the timber and
look around. AS soon as 7 cleared the
brush, I saw a band of buffalo rushing
up into the brakes from the upper end
OF the fiat between us and the butte.
This was a bad sign and / called to my
companions to join me.
will had a long, old-fashioned tele-
scope OF great power and he hurriedly
brought 1t from the shack. Taking 1t from
him. l carefully searched the brakes n
nat for the cause of the buffalo herds
stampede. / soon detected the flash OF
a gun or other metal in the tall sage
brush or crossword; and then ! saw
some moving bits of color-red and
white. Presently, one by one, or in little
groups some nifty or sixty Indians stray
gled out OF the fiat m began TO climb
the bare slopes OF the ridge toward the
butte. Occasionally they would stop 70
rest and o about them. then they
YOU'D proceed again. After this ashton.
they finally reached the summit where
was the stone wall circlet IA surround
ing brush.