Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1934-11-03

days trip instead Of journey * 81 q
seven weeks.
A young man named Belcher whom I
was acquainted with had left Denver
few days ahead Of us. He waa eraw-
cling with q mule train outfit After
one day we overlook his party. and
were going 50 much faster than they
were Belcher thought he would get 70
Alder 0uloh sooner BY going with us.
There was lots Of travel on the road
for the new diggin's, and we overlook
and passed most Of them. we were Ia
such a hurry. This meant that most
Of the time we were travelling alone
and IN more danger from Indians, who
were troublesome on some parts Of the
road.
we we're without firearms except for
an old style Colts revolver had
brought along, and q rusty little six
inch one Sullivan had with him.
we made good Roadway until we
came to Fort Bridger. We got there
Just after the soldiers pay day, and cur
horses were getting very leg weary. It
looked like every soldier in camp was
crowded around our outfit except the
boys on duty. They all brought cam
teens, and we Just had to sell them the
whisky They stayed around our camp
fire all night, and what whisky they
didn't drink there they carried away III
canteens. We managed to save about
four gallons for our own use, which We
put In q demijohn and cached In the
brush. All the soldiers had plenty Of
vFofH q errrtd qfYstnn fftV
the whisky.
That night soldier by the name OF
Shea deserted from the fort and start |
ed for Alder giilch by way Of Lander's
cutoff. The next morning we thought |
delays might be dangerous, so we hitch |
ed up early and broke camp We cross
ed Big Muddy creek and got down on
the Bear river where we found a good
road, very little travelled.
There was quite 8 valley between the
road and the river, and the river was
literally covered with Wild ducks and
geese. It had been raining, and though
there were no wagon tracks on the
road we saw some fresh moccasin tracks
that set us to thinking. We travelled
until late In the afternoon, and made
up our mind we would get as far away
from those moccasin tracks as pos
sible. We went down toward the river
to find q good camping place. We
found the ducks and geese quite tame,
as they evidently hadn't been hunted
any, and we're quite plentiful.
While Sullivan was looking for q
camping place he ran on TO q small
spring where the ducks were as thick
as they could sit on the water. he
got close 70 them, got down ON his
knee and fired at them with his little
Did rusty revolver. The gun flew
apart, and the barrel in the course Of
is flight happened to light among the
iuckS and killed three, so Sullivan came
back to the wagon with three ducks in
1ne hand and the stock OF his re- |
1olver in the other He seemed great
v to mourn the loss Of his revolver for
ear he might need It to kill Indians
With; but since the ducks we're the only 1
hing It had ever killed we concluded
le should be satisfied with its loss.
We travelled farther to bend In the !
liver. where point Of the hill came
lown TO the road. There was large I
pring Of cold, clear water here, and Z
cross the point Of the hill was bride :
,ath. a cutoff for horsemen. A mile
arther on we came to q horseshoe
END in the river, and there made q (
amp. took the horses a short ways
rom camp and hobbled them. Sulli- I
an went a short distance from the !
wagon and lit fire to cook supper.
seicher was In the wagon loading our
ne revolver.
AS I looked toward the hin I saw nine
r 10 horsemen coming over the bride n
ath. They were coming single file in Z
indian fashion, and as we had seen
igns of Indians earlier in the day we
ould think of nothing else. We had q
assed fresh graves Of Indian victims, I,
illed q few days before, 50 the soldiers