Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-02-20

place, q few miles west OF Park City,
is still known as Young's Point. They
came with a party Of 80, mainly trap
pers, hunters and scouts. The trip
was made with pack-horses, following
old trails. Every night a guard was
established against Indians.
Joe Cochrane and Bella BILL Brock
way, both among the first to settle in
the Clark's Fork bottom, were among
those in the party.
About the middle of August some
rumors were afioat about the Nez Perez
outbreak but nc one along the Yellow
stone expected them in that neighbor-
hood. p. w. Bud" Meadow that sum-
mer had started a saWmill at Coulson
where several houses were being built.
He had 10 or Is men numbering on
Allen creek above Young's Point, plac-
ing the logs in the Yellowstone to be
caught by a boom at COulson. Forrest
Young, then about 10, got a Job killing
meat for the Meadow men on Allen
creek.
One day in September, Young, find
ing that buffalo were getting a little
scarce around the camp, crossed over
to the south side of the river to the
White Horse bottom which lay about
five miles above where the Clark's en-
tiers the Yellowstone. A number of
short draws ran from the bottom land
into the hills to the south. Finding
traces Of antelope, Young followed
about a quarter Of a mile up one of
the draws and then leaving his horse,
he climbed up to the top of the hill.
There burst on his sight the whole
Nez Perez camp moving along the
Clark's Fork. which at that point runs
to the southeast with a long peninsula
between it and the Yellowstone, three
or four miles distant. Most of the
Indians were with the squaw camp but
there were advance guards out who
saw him almost as soon as he had seen
the camp. Hastily getting back to his
horse, Young turned and went back
to the bottom. 1t was about 400 yards,
all open land from there to the river
and not daring to risk crossing the ex-
posed stretch, Young skirted along the
hills to the west where the bottom lands
ran out.
Makes Break For River
Finally at a point where the bottom
land vas only about 100 yards wide, he
made q break for the pines neal the
river. The Nez PerceS saw him and
sent a hail of bullets from their buffalo
guns. He heard some of them whistle
about his head but he reached cover
safely, and then made his way to the
river. The stream here ran in close
to the bank with q powerful current
which was undermining trees at the
edge of the steep bank Getting his
horse back a little distance from the
bank, he made a run and jumped his
horse far into the stream away from
the lin" current. The horse responded
beautifully and swan out strongly for
the opposite island. But SO strong was
the current, that it vas just able to
make the lower end of the island.
The Indians, who were then starting
to cross at the ford some distance
down the river, then rather low, start
ed firing again, but Young made his
way up the island, which is several
miles long, and then crossed over to
the mainland on the north side of the
river.
When he reached home he found a
note from his mother saying that they
had gone up the river to the loggers'
camp. Knowing they would be fairly
safe from attack there, Young decided
to wait until dusk and then go down
the river to. warn Rouse and Stone,
Ed Forrest, Bill Brockway and others
on Canyon creek. Then from the up
per room of the story and a half house
he saw a big cloud of dust and soon
Is or 20 Indians appeared. Hastily
grabbing a needle gun, a so caliber
Springfield, and taking a Jacket with
an ammunition belt, he ran to the river
about a rod and a half from the house.
Prove to be Crows
With his head concealed by some wild
rose bushes and with his feet IN the
gravel OF a small stream Of water, he
watched the band ride into q water
hole about 100 yards above where he
was concealed. Taking careful aim on
four or five men who rode into the
stream in a row, Young was about to
fire when, waving his hand, one OF
the number turned and rode down