The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-30

trade. It was Christmas before we had
these UP. In the meantime we built lit
tie shelters, four feet high, open at one
end so we could crawl in, and just big
enough for two to sleep in. They were
put up in a circle with the opening to-
ward the camp fire in the center.
Steamer Was Stranded There
1.-THE location of the post was chosen
because of the heavy and plentiful tim
Der in that locality. 1t was called Tro-
ver's point from the stranding Of the
steamer Trover there. One night few
years previously, the Trover tied up here
for the night as the boats did then when
there was no moon. During the dark
hours the treacherous current Of the
Missouri shifted, and when morning
broke the Trover was high and dry and
the cook had to walk quite distance
to get water enough for breakfast. They
stayed there three weeks trying to dig
channel across the point so as to float
| the boat into the current, but were
finally forced to give it up as impossible.
The timber in the stranded Trover was
Of great assistance to us in building our
post, and we utilized much Of the old
steamer.
After we had been in camp about
three weeks a war party of Sioux came
in as we were having supper. They ap-
| peared quite friendly and after having
| something to eat, borrowed a kettle and
some hump ribs Of buffalo, inviting us
to join them in a soldiers feast OF
course we were particularly anxious not
to offend them and a refusal would have
been taken as an insult, so we appeared
to accept cheerfully, although the buffalo
meat was as fat as soap and not very
palatable.
During the feast one Of them told us
| what a fine chance they had of killing
us all a few sleeps back. We questioned
them as to how and when and naturally
did not believe them. They appeared
angry at this and forthwith described
the place, and it was Fort Bear at the
dry creek. They Furthermore described
Just how every man was sitting and the
little excursion Ivey and took. The only
thing that saved our lives that night was
the fact that the Indians wanted trad
| ing post at Pouchette for the winter
81 Otherwise our scalps wouldn't have been
worth a moments purchase as there was
always sufficient temptation for an In
| dian to kill a white man in order to Sc
: cure his gun and scalp.
! 1--WE finally got the post fixed up In
: january, 1871. There were no Indians
around us to speak of until the middle
of January, when 5000 lodges Of Siou2
5 moved in. We had been fortunate enough
some days previously, to kill IL buffalo
and by good luck had the carcasses hang
ing in one of the buildings when the In
dians arrived. ALI of our supplies were
soon disposed of in trade so that W.
were left with absolutely nothing to ca
{ but meat; not even salt was left.
Eat Poisoned Meat
owing to the deep snow that winte
e and so many Indians in camp, we haC
D nothing else to live on. The Indian
t made a rule among themselves that III
hunting should be done except on on
= day of the week, which they namet
e hunting day. The object was to let tn
Y buffalo come close up to camp, as on &C
e count of the deep snow neither the In
e dians nor the ponies could have gone ia
i from camp, as they would have starve
= to death had indiscriminate huntin
|. been permitted. We were always aske
S to join them on hunting days, as W
T were all enthusiastic sportsmen, but tn
e fear Of a stray bullet kept us back. tn
= stay Of the Indians lasted six weeks an
t our stock of meat was reduced very Low
p but still we did not dare take part in tn
d weekly hunt.
r Finally the Indians were reduced
r. such state that they couldn't spare tn
e usual bone they had been accustomed t
bring us. BY this time we were begin
II ming to feel the pangs Of hunger and
e was a question Of hustle or starve. Final
! ly we went out about half mile fro1
d the fort and picked up bear we ha
1t poisoned in December. We had seen til
h Indians frequently cook poisoned wolve
n and we tried the same plan, that is
d long boiling which takes the poison OF