Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-09-16

| " in safe corner, small box. Even
with the Indians, sometimes, things
of great value came In small packages.
It can be imagined with what trem-
bling eagerness he tore away the COW
ering to discover its contents.
Imagine, then, his disappointment TO
discover that the box, heavy as 1t was,
contained only brass buttons pecullIatt-
w engraved, but without eyes. Complete
brass buttons, with the usual eyes,
would have been wealth indeed, for
thev were highly valued by the In
dams throughout the west. The IN
dams often bought them at the fur
company forts-and paid mighty high
prices, too.
But of what worth were brass but
tons without eyes? These were very
heavy. but they could serve no prac-
tical purpose, either for service or 1or
mere personal adornment. How could
they be carried home? Boxes, like the
one In which they were found, were
not practical for the nomadlc red: ana
they had no eyes so they could De
strung upon sinew thread IKE orqlnary
buttons. Alas, handsome and glltterng
as they were, they must be left behind.
But Little Dog would not destroy
them by throwing them in the sand or
into the waters of the river. He. was
rather in awe of this new trtnket
which he could not understand-Which
was so much like the brass trade but-
tons at the fur fort, still not completed
so they would be useful or Ornamental.
He would hide them In a place ne
could remember.
Caches Them in Rocks
Along the Snake river was a spot
where a huge promon alSsy,,, OF r,o r0SHS
waters. Here the brass buttons with
out eyes" were cached with much
while Little Dogs memory was long,
It was not constant. One battle was
over, a victory won; it was time TO go
home and boast TO ms people. ana
aver enemy he might encounter. And
the hunting season was coming on,
with the necessity to get In the VIM
.er,s food.
Resting in camp, receiving the honors
If his people for a brave chief with
strong medicine, and reflectlng upon
his Warlike achievements, Little Dog
sometimes recalled the brass nuIgonS
ne had cached down on the SNAKE
liver. Perhaps it occurred to him TO
wonder about them sometimes. But
,ot for long. There were other things
q do. other battles to fight, and other {
hunting seasons to follow.
And then a score Of years later, Wnen ]
little Dog was becoming elderly, F..
of white men were passing
hrouph Fort Benton to and from the
lewly found gold fields at Bannack
nd Virginia City and Last Chance
He saw the counterparts Of his
brass buttons without eyes saw now
zhite men who came not 70 trade Tor
urs valued then as a medium OF eA-
IN. eouv 14Oxu thew U0fIlH hlYV
quantities of sugar, cof-
ee. tobacco. One of those buttons was
Torth a winters catch OF fIrS when
raded for supplies at the fort.
NOW he recalled vivtdly-and regret
uIIy-the little box he had cached ON
ne promontory ON the Snake river;
II he only had that box! how
realthv he could be. Dignity, greatly
laQnified, among his people. A gran
eur beyond the dreams OF the tribe.
treat was his lamentatiOn now that
3 had placed so little value on that
OK Of abrass buttons without eyes.
Els Medicfne Wrong
he caught the ear OF wnte men ~
ort Benton and told the story OF his
gnbush of the Oregon emigrant train,
al Of the little box Of heavy brass
uttons without eyes" he had held OF
! little worth. he was permitted to
famine the gold pieces carried by the
hite men. He identified those which
ere comterparts Of the ones In the
eavy little box.
His story aroused new desires in the
reasts OF the white men. Could he
nd the spot again2 Little Dog be-
wed he could. He was begged by
hite men to lead the way, and was
'ontsed great reward Little Dog
,uId not make up his mind, however,
ne dav he was ready to go, the next
s medicine was wrong.
AZ last. at the urgent tnsistence Of
GENT Dawson Of the American Fur