Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-06-13

and in a twinkling. had hobbled the
horses and mules, struck fire and ig-
nited some chips. leaving the others
I to pack in the wood. Then he lighted
/ his pipe and enjoyed himself.
While with this party Of eight trap
perS on the Yellowstone, q fine band
OF buffalo was encountered one day
and plenty Of fat, tender meat was
secured. One Of the party was a green
horn on his first hunt. Bill, lazily
smoking his pipe, called TO the green
horn, whose name was Markhead, and
told him TO butcher off a piece OF
meat and put It In Bills pot. Mark
head seized a large piece Of meat and
began carving off huge ration when
gasping roar from the old trapper
caused him to drop his knife. "Ti-ya, Z"
growled Bill, do ZEE hear now. you
damned greenhorn, do ZEE spile fat COW
like that. Whar you was raised? Them
doin's don't shine In this crowd. Boy.
DO ZEE hear. damn you'll What Butcher
the meat across the grainl Why,
wheren the blood be goin' to, you
damned Spaniard2 Down the grain,
say, and let your flaps be long or the
Juceu run out slick and clean-do ZEE
hear now2"
This fearful mistake nearly cost the
old trapper his appetite, and all night
long he grlnnbled his horror at seeing
fat COW" spoiled IN that fashion.
1t was up in the region Of Yellow
stone park that the party finally en-
countered a band Of Blackfeet, and
after desperate fight in which two
Of the trappers we're killed and several
OF the remaining six badly injured,
the party was split up. old Bill Will
iams escaping by himself. as usual
His companions believed him to have
been killed. 1t was In this manner,
Ruxton says. that one OF the most
daring and successful bands that ever
trapped in the mountains was broken
up.
Williams Turns Up Again
It was nearly two years later that
two Of the trappers fell In with Bill
Williams again. Killbuck and La
Bonte, in the meanwhile had trapped /
together for more than half a year, /
escaping death by starvation /
and from Indians a scoFe Of times, and /
finally had Joined II trappers on an
expedition to California where it was
planned to steal horses from the Span
Sh settlements. After many exciting
adventures they had returned with
hose Of their companions who had
the trip, and were on their
way to Bent's fort on the Arkansas
dyer in Colorado. They were riding
ahead Of band OF horses, when they
Iscerned the outline Of a solitary
followed by two loose ami
nails and descending a bluff into the
imbered bottom OF a stream They
oliowed the tracks In the sand when
Killbuck, examining the
rack Of a horse closely, shouted:
This signs as plain as q beaver to
ne. Look at that boss track, boy; did
e ever see that afore7"
Well, havel" answered La Bonte.
'eering down at 1t. 1.-THE man that
sed TO ride that boss Is gone under
1ng ago, but the hoss-darn the old /,
old Bill Williams, III swar." ,
We'll, 1t amt nothin' else" he con- .
lnued, after another inspection tits j
he old boys boss as sure as shootin, !
the InjIms has rubbed him out, at .
lst. Ho boyl let's lift the hair Of this !
ne ahead"
I'm with you" shouted Killbuck,
nd away they went in pursuit, deter
lined to avenge the death Of their old {
1mrade. I
They followed the track through the
ottom and into the stream, where
icy lost IL. Puzzled at this, they S
'ught on each side Of the river, but b
vain. Finally they decided to give c