Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-10-02

necessary to go around by way of thu
old agency at Absarokee in order tt
get their bearings. At that point aftel
gazing into the mountains in Indiar
fashion, they declared they could make
out the landmarks by which they coule
retrace their path. The way led by
circuitous route into one of the can
yons of the Beartooth. Leaving theil
wagon when the way became too rough
they pushed on by horseback and with
pack animals.
The way led through stretches Of
fallen timber and along half obliterateC
trails. Then they began to climb over
rocky slides and around difficult points
where it vas often hard to find a route
the horses could safely take. Finally
after going through several side can
yons, they got to the plateau at the
top of the mountain masses. The route
from these led still deeper into the
mountains. From point they could
look down and see the distant smoke
from the city Of Red Lodge and they
judged they were some 10 or Is miles
from that place, but any more par
ticular location of their route Major
Reynolds was unable to make.
Finally, the Indians came to a place
surrounded by steep cliffs and preci-
pieces. From one point a long slide of
rock came down the side of the rocky
ampitheater out onto the stony floor at
their foot. This, the Indians pointed
out, was the place where the rocks
had been found. Leaving their horses
in a sheltered spot, the party began
picking their way over the gravelly
slides and across jumbled heaps of
rocks and granite blocks until they
came to the foot of the slide. Picking
their way to where a solid mass Of
rock jutted out from the slide rock
debris, the Indians announced they had
at last reached the spot where the ore
had been found.
Search Is Futile
All hands joined eagerly in the
search for the coveted mineral. A
close survey, however, revealed no COM
panion pieces. OF the ore the Indians
had found. Thinking that landslides
might have covered up the rock, the
white men began digging down and
throwing to one side the surface rocks,
but without results. The Indians who
had throughout proceeded as if they
were absolutely certain of their way,
appeared c~onfounded. They we're ques-
toned closely through the interpreter
and they described exactly how the
rock had lain.
Although the Indians were certain
they had reached the right spot, the
~prospectors examined a number Of
points Of similar formation in the vi
cinity and assembled further along the
slide hoping to discover some trace
of the mineral but they met with no
better success. Smaller slides in the
same ampitheater were examined but
there was no rock that resembled in
any way those which the Indians had
brought back from their first trip. The
Indians were certain they had come
to the right place and told of various
landmarks by which they had picked
out the way.
However, after q long search, the
prOSpectorS were obliged to conclude
that either the Indians we're mistaken
In the place or something had hap
pened In the years that interviewed to
cover up all trace of the ore. There
was a third possibility which suggested
itself, that Clauson may have gotten
the rocks which the Indians gave him
mixed up with pieces OF ore that he
q obtained In some other way and
that he had forgotten which had been
given him by the Indians.
At all events, the search for the
minerals was frudtless and the members
Of n expedition returned no richer
and not much wiser than when they
had started out.