The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-07

the river Tor about seven miles, concluded
to return as it was not possible to make
that trip. Henderson knew that the falls
were not great way from where we
camped. From there we took the ridge
between the Lamar river and the Yellow
stone river to the divide at the head of
the north fork Of the Shoshone and
Crandau creek where we had our horses
taken, not stolen, by band Of Indians
They were part of the Indians that had
killed lieutenant and some soldiers near
the South Pass country.
Attacked by Indians.
They had two of the Springfield car
bines with them of the first issue to the
army. Adam Miller and were III camp;
Henderson and Hubbard were out look
ing over the country when the Indians
drove off the horses. I was 80 yards out
from the camp and Indians all around
me. I got to camp as the outfit passed
and called to Miller not to unload his
rifle except to kill for sure, and fired as
the leader turned towards camp. I do
not know that I hit him, but he flat
tened down on his horses neck. I had
been in a number Of Indian fights be-
fore with men who knew that an Indian
will not attack where they are sure Of
losing man for man; and also they had
to smoke before they attacked again.
Our camp was made at a group of nut
pine with some old heavy dead logs in
4J 4 Jug q DICdbbWOIh W4l1Cl1 All14CI 4dJGE
said was foot in bad rock before I knew
it. said would bet he could not then
lift one end Of a log which at the time
he picked up like q stick of cordwood
Just when we got through with our
plans of defense, I received one certain
| good hunch and went to the rim Of a
narrow, deep cOulee formed by the snow
waters floding over a rock dyke (per-
pendicular) 25 or 80 feet deep, and
called as though had seen our two
partners coming in. Four Indians got
up from behind a low ridge not over
40 feet from where I stood, each with g
| long gun. They evidently thought wher
they would force us out Of camp We
| would make for the coulee, and the foul
/ Indians behind the ridge would shoot u'
down like cattle. 1t seemed a long time
waiting-Lord, how longl before they
came. After we got together we were nC
! longer afraid. All we had to do wal
| protect ourselves from ambush. We spen-
the next day destroying everything thai
4 might be OF value to an Indian anC
poisoning any article they would like
to use.
About the worst that could happel
was the fact that we had to face goinl
back 200 miles to the settlements. Elk
cepttng the first day that we travelled
through dead timber that horses coulC
not get through and as nearly withou
leaving trail as we could, we slept II
a place where the Indians were no
likely to find us, then took the opel
country for our route, avoiding trail
until we reached the head of the Boul
der river. Here we made mistake. w
threw away our meat, believing that il
l an hour we could get game. 1t was fl
time and the game was high on tn
mountains. Here we were, one nigh
and two days without anything to ca
. or drink except a little tea. Near tn
J Natural Bridge we stopped and gorge
! ! on fish with serious results to some c
us. The next day we reached the Cro'
> agency.
! "On arriving at Bozeman, we at ono
, got ready to return, and finding oU
the value of Springfield rifles, &C
: qutred seven and about ] 900 pounds {
ammunition. The means Of doing S
. would have been criminal under an
r other circumstances. In a few days
r party Of eight started back to Cooke b
s way Of Boulder. Going up stream "
. found the trail Of the Indians whel
( they had followed us down. knew thi
q as one of my horses that was taken ha
t shoes only in front because it was give
: to kicking other horses. On this trip v
: sunk shaft 80 feet deep in a soft cemeI
that probably might have been Vel
T deep and older than any gold channe
b Here we had another snowstorm, Whe
v we had to shovel snow for our hors,
r for four or five days about the middle
n September"