Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-09-13
CROWS, LEMHIS
ALMOST AT WAR
OVER BUFFALO
By WTLCHEY

annual buftal0 hunt, IN what IS nos
the state of Montana, then known q
''The Buffalo Country"
The traders reached the camp 10
Gated on the Musselshell river, an
were greeted by the entire tribe. A
the chief expressed himself, MY hear
has known you for a long time ans
we have exchanged presents, but nov
we meet for the first time in the lane
of the Grow Indians and the buffalo.
The white men soon pitched theil
tepee and became a part Of the camp
trading with the Indians and joining
in with their hunts and other amuse-
ments
Soon after their arrival the Grow
Indians commenced sending out run
nerS in the night to drive the buffalo
! to new location and when the Iemhi
Indians would go to the place where
the objects Of the chase had been seen
the evening before the buffalo would
be gone. As a result much of the
day would be lost in finding another
herd or trailing that one.
Crows Feared Sioux
This put Chief Tendoy in a very
ugly mood and he decided to take his
band and leave the Crow camp, which
they objected to, because the Grows
feared the Sioux and relied upon all
Of the other tribes in camp for aid
in case of battle.
One cold morning, Chief Tendoy de-
cided to announce his intentions OF
leaving and did so In very loud voice,
telling the Crows what he thought of
them and accusing them Of trying to
starve his people to death.
His talk was about as follows:
you Crows pretend to be our friends.
You sent runners TO my country and
asked us to join you here to hunt
buffalo. At the first chance you stole
our best horses. CReferring to two very
good horses that had been stolen pre-
viously). Now you are trying to starve
us and our children. You get I'D in
the night and without washing your
dirty hands, sneak out like a hungry
wolf after buffalo. When my people |
get up, they first wash themselves |
clean, then they eat their breakfast
or did when they had meat and If
necessary waited for the light Of day
before starting out to hunt. Then
when we get to where the buffalo
should be, we find that you Crow dogs
have run them during the night to
some other place. Now my belly is
full of your meanness and I am going
to move my camp to some other place
a long way from you thieves"
Threats Are Made
He delivered his speech in Shoshoni,
by the sign language, in
which Chief Tendoy was an expert,
translated into Crow and passed down
the entire length Of the camp.
In reply young Grow chief said:
"You are in our country, hunting
and killing our buffalo It is true that
we invited your people to come here
but 1t was more for your help In fight
ing the Sioux in case of an attack
than for killing the buffalo"-here
Tendoy interrupted him, saying, Eyes,
you would have us live on grass and
brush like horses and help you fight
the Sioux. You brave Crows as you
call yourselves. have heard some
Of you say you can whip the whites.
can't, my skin is thin (warriors few
in number) but can whip the Crows
here and now. am done"
well" said the Crow chief, you
shall not leave our camp, If you try
10 do so we viii whip your horses on
their heads and drive you back"
Turning his back upon the Crows,
rendoy told his men to have the wom-
en- take down the lodges and get ready
TO move camp, that If any Of them
Dr. the Fort Hall people were afraid
to fight the Crows, they could stay
where they were While the lodges ,
were being hauled down and were be- !
Ing put upon the horses, the Crows
were rushing around DOMINIC their
war bonnets, collecting their war :
horses guns and spears. Shedding
their robes and blankets, stripped to
heir breech clout, head dress and moe
casins, Notwithstanding it had in the ,
meantime commenced showing, it
ooked as though there would be some
thing happening in a very short time.
While all this was going on the three
white traders opened their stock of !
goods and selecting a dozen "A Smith
& Wesson revolvers that they had :
brought along as stock for trade, is
sued them to those who were armed
The poorest.
Inc pack animals and women were
'ent ahead and we're not molested as
t was not the custom of Indians to
bother women and pack horses in
lime such as this one.
Chief Leads Band
AS soon as the pack outfit had
1aSsed over a low divide and out of
light, Tendoy said to the Crows, Nov
am going first. Whip my horses
lead," at the same time raising his
at full cock With eyes
flashing, Jaw set and riding erect
I'LL horses length ahead Of the rest
# the band who had followed the
xample of their leader, the Lemhi
indians and their friends started for
yard. Tendoy had ordered the others
o stay back the length Of a horse
nd it was granted.
All this time the Crows were riding
Iround the little band brandishing
heir arms and yelling like so many
lends. Occasionally q young Grow
would dash in with his club whip
afead IN ctrfxa rTapdovsc y,orea t,,,f