Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-02-06

however, had just begun. We had to
start in to cut timber for a stockade
20 feet high with blockhouses on the
corners, and within this to erect build
ings in which to live and trade. 1t was
Christmas before we had these up
IN the meantime we built little shell
tiers, four feet high. open at one end
so we could crawl in. and just big
enough for two to sleep in. They were
put up in circle with the opening
toward the campfire in the center
THE location of the post was chosen
because Of the heavy and plentiful
timber in that locality. 1t was called
Trover's Point from the stranding OF
the steamer Trover there. One night
a few years previously, the Trover tied
up there for the night as the boats
did then when there was no moon.
During the dark hours the treacherous
current of the Missouri shifted, and
when morning broke the Trover was
high and dry and the cook had to
walk quite distance to get water
enough for breakfast They stayed
there three weeks trying to dig a
channel across the point so as to float
the boat into the current, but were
finally forced to give it up as impoS-
sible. The timber in the stranded
Trover was of great assistance to us
in building our post. and we utilized
much of the old steamer
after we had been in camp about
three weeks a war party of Sioux
came in as we were having supper
They appeared quite friendly and after
having had something to eat. borrowed
kettle and cooked some hump ribs
Of buffalo, inviting us to join them in
a soldiers feast OF course we were
particularly anxious not to offend
them and a refusal would have beer
taken as an insult, so we appeared
to accept cheerfully. although the buff
falo meat was as fat as soap and not
very palatable.
Fears Were Well Founded
During the feast one of them told
us what a fine chance they had Of
killing us all few sleeps back. We
questioned them as to how and when
and naturally did not believe them
They appeared angry at this anG
forthwith described the place, and ii
was Fort Bear at the dry creek. They
furthermore described just how every
man was sitting and the little excur.
sion Ivey and took. The only thing
that saved our lives that night was
the fact that the Indians wanted a
trading post at Pouchette for the win
ter. Otherwise our scalps wouldn't
have been worth moments purchase
as there was always sufficient tempta-
ton for an Indian to kill white mar
in order to secure his gun and scalp
I'VE finally got tha post fixed ur
in January, 1871. There were no In
dams around us to speak of until the
middle of January when 5000 lodges
of Sioux moved in. We had been for
tunate enough. some days previously
to kill II buffalo, and by good luck
had the carcasses hanging in one OF
the buildings when the Indians ar
rived. All of our supplies were soor
disposed of in trade, so that we were
left with absolutely nothing to eat
but meat, not even salt was left.
owing to the deep snow that win
ter and so many indians in camp, We
had nothing else to live on. The In
dams made a rule among themselves
that no hunting should be done ex-
cept on one day of the week, which
they named hunting day. The object
was to let the buffalo come close
up to camp, as on account of the deep
snow neither the Indians nor the
ponies could have gone far from camp
as they would have starved to death
had indiscriminate hunting been per-
mitted We were always asked to join
them on hunting days, as We were all
enthusiastic sportsmen, but the feal
of stray bullet kept us back. The
stay of the Indians lasted six weeks
and our stock of meat was reduced
very low, but still we did not dare
take part in the weekly hunt.
1t Was Hustle or Starve"
Finally the Indians were reduced
to such state that they couldn't
even spare the usual bone they had
been accustomed to bring us. BY this
time we were beginning to feel the