The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-30
~ ~ - 4 Was Constant Routine Of N
HARDSHIP Trading t Wa
Esobhhed edOn NEsUniR w
j % Were the WrpnhM the Time Il

ed man to the block house and supposed
he would never leave it alive. I volun--
teered to attend him. Medical assistance
was out of the question, as none was
nearer than Helena, and it was impos--
Stble to go one-quarter Of the distance.
on account of Indians. My patient grew.
rapidly weaker and could hardly speak.
A few days after the shooting a party Of
Sioux arrived and brought me some roots,
telling me how to use them.
''I washed the wound in the decoctiom.
Colonel Clendenning, who was then run
ming the post at NIusselshell, sent word
to bathe the wound with ice water to
reduce the Inflammation, and also sent a
syringe, with which I washed out the
wound every day. 1t was frightful agony
but it saved the poor fellows life and in
80 days he was able to work around.
"One morning in April we discovered
our cord wood had been set afire. At that
time there were only three or four of us
at the fort, so we decided that the three
OF us should go down and try to save
the wood. 1 remained at the fort and a
signal was agreed upon in case OF dan
ger-two shots in quick succession.
"As soon as the men were out Of sight
the Indians came in large numbers. They
found the big gate locked. It was made
Of dry timbers from the Trover and was,
20 feet high I expected they would try
| to set it afire. denied them admission
got into the blOckhouse, from which
had command Of the gate and its ap-
proaches.
THE Indians began to examine the
gate closely, and I gave the prearrange0
signal and prepared to sell my life as
dearly as possible. The three men came
to the edge Of the timber and seeing the
Indians in such overwhelming numbers
/ two of them hesitated but Shelton in
sisted that was still alive and was de-
termined to come to my aid. The others
followed. They crept along the bank
until close to the fort and then made q
rush for the gate while the Indians were,
some distance from it, Seeing the re-
inforcements had received the Indians
gave up their hostile intentions and went
away.
Indians Steal Horses
"a few days afterward, while at din
ner, we heard a whoop, and looking out
saw a party of Indians had jumped out
of the timber and had stampeded our
horses and mules and were driving them
off toward the hills. Three Of us start
ed to follow; one, Ivey, remained behind
to guard the fort. We had gone but 8
short distance when We heard the signal,
and looking around saw a big party Of
warpainted Sioux coming out Of the tim
ber to cut us of from the fort.
I'VE made a run for the fort which
we reached just in time and going to the
roof watched our animals disappear to-
wards the hills. The Indians were in plain
sight and we could see them mOcking US.
The distance was too far for a Winches-
ter, so one of the boys got Hawkins
Spencer rifle and put number of leaden
messengers into the group. The only
fatality, however, was one Of our own
mules.
1.-The following summer Mr.. Higbee was
succeeded by A. Juneau who later lived
at Fort Benton. He was soon after sent
to open trading post at Frenchmen's
and I was asked to take his place, a
proposition to which I at first agreed,
But upon the return of Mr.. Peck and Mr..
Juneau from Fort Benton reconsidered
the proposition and concluded that did
not care to spend another such winter
and so I took the next steamboat for Bu-
ford, and that finished my hardships at
Fort Pouchette.'