The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-09-02

had breakfasted. Note. CThis should
have been the manner of the killing; in
truth the bear became frightened, ran
down the mountain, when the boy fol-
lowed and killed him.
The disposition of meat was made in
this tanner. A man, standing with his
back toward it, called a number, desig-
mating one of the meSSeS into which the
company was divided, and the meat went
to it, or the name Of the bourgeois-the
leader-was called, and he became the
recipient.
Not always were the boys experiences
of an amusing nature, like the foregoing.
Sublette had chosen to trap on middle
ground, almost unknown to white men.
He had gone to the headwaters of h
Snake river where there was an abund-
ance of beaver, but also it was a favor
lite hunting ground Of the Blackfeet, the
most feared Of all the northern indian
tribes
These tolerated no invasion of their
territory by either white man or Indian.
The company, led by Sublette were
travelling in a north-easterly direction,
and were on the Gallatin, when the
Blackfeet attacked them, killing two
men, and putting the rest to flight. The
boy escaped, but only to find himself
alone, surrounded by Indians, and with
no knowledge Of the country.
1t was November, and very cold in the
AANOOAAOaAAAO uAACdAy WLllIC WIFI 6uOW.
Concealing the mule he had ridden in
the timber, the boy climbed to the top
Of the highest peak in the vicinity, and
looked about him. His company was not
in sight, but a wonderful landscape view
unrolled itself in every direction. Below
him was the Yellowstone flowing east
ward. To the north he caught glimpses
Of the Missouri OF its way to Join the
Mississippi; back of him was the Snake
| river fastening to h Columbia, and
south, mountain after mountain tower
ed, their peaks snow white against the
faultless blue Of the sky.
He pondered long what he should do,
: but no until boylike, he had wept bit
/ terly. Deciding to go southeast int the
Crow Country, "a land Of plenty-as the
mountain man regards plenty,-anc
: there he could at least live; provided the
Crows permitted him to do So"
( Retrieving his mule he set out. He
2 dared not build a fire on account of the
/ Indians, and to spend the night without
2 one meant freezing to death. The morn
= ing found MIN some thirty miles from
S his starting point. He had crossed the
2 Yellowstone, and was again among the
mountains, where he was forced to leave
t the mule and go on foot, taking only
e one blanket and his gun, and he hac
t eaten nothing for two days.
= About twenty miles south he came
= upon a band of mountain sheep, one o.
which he killed and ate; then he slept
On awakening a bitter wind was blow,
ing, and again he set out taking with
him as much Of the meat as he coulC
carry. Not a sound broke the silence
No bird could live in that frozen waste
and whatever other animals the noun
tains harbored made no sound. 1t was
solitude zimmerman might have en-
Wed.
On the fifth day of his Journey. tn,
boy ate the last Of his mutton, and thel
climbed an eminence east of his camp
when he was startled to see a vast fielC
covered at intervals by cone-shaped ele
vations, from which issued steam ant
columns of boiling water. It was
strange sight, reminding the boy Of Pitts
burgh as he had last seen it. Compli
mentary or not to that city, the boy salt
it looked like the hell described by thi
. preachers, and it might be that for all h
knew.
One thing was certain. He was cold
and below was warmth. So down h
climbed, to find the earth, when h
reached the plain, giving back a holloy
sound as he went forward. While thaw
ing out he reflected eff it war hell, i
war a more agreeable climate than h
had been in for some time"
Once more comfortable in body, bu
hungry n lonesome, the boy was sud
denly startled by hearing two shots free
followed by blood-curdling Indian wa
whoops. Grasping his gun in prepare
ton for defense, a voice spoke in goo
English. We'll, I swami If it isn't tn
boy" The latter had passed his initia
ton, and was now recognized as a mem
Der of the honorable fraternity Of Noun
tain men.
These two stories from THE River (
3 the West" are enough for evening
the campfire is burning low, and daw
comes early IN summer, yet as a kind {
verbal nightcap to induce pleasaT
dreams, is added this of a hunting expo
dition undertaken by the hoy and Milto
Sublette. When they were entirely III
prepared, a large grizzly charged out
a thicket, and took after Sublette, WI
promptly sought the tallest tree. II
boy, seeing his companion was likely
5 be o~vertaken, fired, and killed the bea
Approaching the tree, he found Sublet