Montana oil and mining journal., 1935-06-22

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: the fan before, the kind hearted agent
2 issued them ratious. Then instead az
hunting and laying by g winter Supnsy
o. Tood Of their own they lay IN camp
and ate that provided by the govern
ment- Then winter came, there were
scarcely enough rations left for the
whites, TO say nothing Of the red men.
| and the Indians were left TO shift for
themselves. Even then they would per-
haps have not been 50 bad off had not
crossed the Missouri onto the MIassel-
shell to winter instead Of staying on
the Marias and Teton as usual.
Issuing Of rations was a blunder on
the part OF the agent. 1t showed his
/ little knowledge of Indian character
20 think they would provide food for
themselves when plenty was already
being given them. His Intended kind
ness came near finishing the tribe.
Such were conditions when our party
entered the stOckade. With q tribe of
desperately hungry Indians outside
and none too much food inside, the
agency force was uneasy. Riflemen IN
/ the new party were a welcome addition
TO the defensive force. Little less well
come were the deer, sheep, antelopes
and other food the party brought with
them
That night the wagons were unIoaded
and at daylight the next morning were
ena.
One may properly ask why the gov
ernment did not send in supplies for
the hungry Indians The answer is
simple. Ample supplies had been fur
nished the fall before had they been
Iudiciously used. No additional sup
plies could be brought by river until
early summer. The mountain road
Union Pacific railroad in Utah was well
impossible, SO additional supplies were
virtually an impOssibiIity.
How the Indians got through the
winter DO not know. Many died from
hunger and disease. Spring came, the
bu1faloes returned the Indians had
food in abundance, forgot their win
ter's suffering and were more friendly.
The whites ceased worrying. Con-
tentment reigned on the Teton.
In the spring and summer that fol-
lowed, the Siren became much OF q
ladies' man. Some Of the Indian girls
were admitted to the stockade from
tlme TO time. Frequently they came to
mother and asked:
Where papoose?"
With ''papOOse" in their possession.
they would play for hours inside the
stockade, or until he remembered his
bottle. They were never, however, el-
lowed TO take him outside the stock
ade.
On his return from these little ex-
cursions with the dusky maidens the
Sirens mother always undresSed him
and shook his clothes over q paper
spread on the floor as precautaon.
Many incidents occurred that were
Of great interest TO the Sirens brothers.
arsI In4~am -. -1-HMvx 4.
nome under q building inside and near
The stockade wall. Here she brought
forth her family and lived for months.
At last, when her six were haf-grown,
she led them proudly forth onto the
parade ground In the center of the
'tockade ia the dusk Of summer eve
ming
This was most unfortunate for the
ikunks as well as for everyone else. Two
young, inexperienced dogs saw them
Ind dashed with much barking, in great
ylee, to defeat. AS the two dogs re-
lred in disgust, rubbing and rolling on
he ground, two others from the other
ide Of the stockade rushed at the seven
'kunkS which had formed 8 circle,
leads out. The skunks had their fight
ng blood up by this time and the sec
md pair Of dogs retired in greater
hagrin than the first
Men, women and children, hearing
he melee, gathered from all parts OF
he stockade. The dogs whined and
ubbed against their masters clothing.
1t last, one Of the men, remarking, 1T
ant be any worse, got his shotgun and
illed the skunks. Then, with q pitch
ork, he carried the seven little bodies
utside the stockade. The next day
q old squaw found them, and feasting
olloWed in q tepee on the river bank.
t was many moons before the In
abttants Of the stockade forgot the
Incident.
Two Of the men were rival fishermen.
hey We'd with each other as to which
ould get the largest trout. Sometimes
ne was ahead. sometimes the other.
e last one came In carrying a five and
half pound cutthroat trout and gl0at-
over his rival numerically.
Inc unfortunate one examined this
Sh for while, admiring It's beaIta-
u rosy sides and then said, Elf you can
atch such fish as that, it must be
asy," and trudger off with his fishing
An hour later he came back with
mother fish which could not be told
] size or color from the first In those
ays there were real fish in the Mis-
)uu and its tributaries
Boy Chief ana Heavy Runner were
val chiefs, each with his group OF fol-
'Ws. Time hung heavily on their
ands, for they were no longer per-
Tilted 10 raid the Sioux or the Crows
hey could not even 60 on a horse
ealing expedition against the whites,
J 10 relieve the tedium, they staged q
ght OF their own. Heavy Runner was
llled and buried lust outside the
ockade, and his three wives m0urned
! his grave. Each tried to evince
ore grief than the other two together.
'ailing ulOuTnfully, they dug up the
eSh mound of earth ia the efforts TO
1coVer the body. Now and then, as q
ore complete expression OF sorrow.
finger was whacked off or they CASH
their bodies with knives It was q
uegone sight, and with the bows and
rls who witnessed it. 1t stin remains
q sort OF nightmare.
Stockade life was neither very pleas
It nor very profitable at best so
neT1 summer had r1esnn9 fYsssn as1saszvsTa