Browning chief., 1942-08-07

the life, and had conceived a great
admiration for Malcolm Clark, with
whom he came up the Missouri from
Fort Union. Clark, who afterwards had
. ranch near the entrance 70 the
Prickly Pear canyon, and was killed
there, attained the reputation of be-
Ing exceedingly entertaining as host.
The father of Malcolm Clark was
an army officer, and superintended
the building of Fort Smelling. Malcolm
entered West Point, but left it before
graduating, because of duel with
fellow cadet. He entered the Ameri-
can Fur Co., at an early age, and was
soon filling important posts in Its en-
ploy. He married the daughter of
Piegan chief, and later a half-breed
Spanish-Indian woman. BY these he
had several children.
Clark educated his children in the
east, where they had the best of social
advantages in the homes of their rela-
tives in st. Paul, Mimi, and in Gin
cinnati, o.
This brief sketch Is given of NAL
colin Clark to prove that it was not
the waits, and offscourings of hu-
manity, or mere adventures who en-
tered the service of the fur companies.
for many were men of education, and
came Of the best families both here
and abroad. Andrew Dawson, for ex-
ample, was allied to the Erskines, of
whom Lord Erskine was a distin-
guished representative.
1t is not strange that Letellier ad-
mired Malcolm Clark, and that while
the latter was at Fort Benton, he was
quite willing to remain there, where
so much good meat could be obtained.
In the spring of 1853 occurred an in
cident which made him long for more
civilized surroundings. Perhaps the
fact that Malcolm Clark was then 60
ing down to Fort Union determined
Letellier to leave at the same time,
for he went with Clark.
Gruesomc Event
The incident is not pleasant reading,
and is best recounted by Letellier, who
witnessed 1t.
During the spring season of 1858,
a band of Piegan and of the Gems du
Sang (Bloods) of the Blackfeet nation
were camped short distance from
our fort. They had a large quantity of
horses grazing on the prairie. One
morning they discovered that about
100 of their horses had been driven off
by an enemy. Then the alarm was
given. They started in pursuit follow
ing the trail. Very soon they discov-
cred it was party of Grow Indians
who were getting away at full speed
with their horses, entering the noun
tains, and were out of sight. The
Blackfeet made stop to consult to-
gether what was best to do-to con-
tinue the chase or let go their horses.
They were acquainted with the Crow
nation, they knew them to be brave
and better warriors than themselves.
and concluded to return to their camp,
preferably to go near the timber ana
be shot before discovering the enemy
who hid behind the trees. On return
ing with a sad heart, sorry for their
loss, they perceived at long distance
in the prairie, two living objects, who
disappeared in low place. They all
started at full speed to discover what
it was and found an Indian on horse
back who was flying away. Another
Indian was there alone, seated on
knoll with his gun, awaiting to de-
fend himself until he was killed. They
surrounded him and in a short time
the poor devil was crippled with bull
lets. They reported to the fort tnat
the Crow Indians kept singing while
they were boring his body with bullets.
"They loaded the fellow on horse
and brought him to camp, where tne
suuaws and Banarais (boyS) pierced
the body with arrows and knives.
Finally the squaws cut him up IN
small pieces when other squaws pro-
yided a number of light poles, on
which they stuck a piece OF the dead
Indian, to the end of each pole, and
came in procession singing and dane
ing at the gate Of the fort. It was
an ugly looking set of squaws, very
likely their mind was different from
mine. I was disgusted and I made up
my mind to try another quarter OF
the country" Att.
There are several things about this
story which deserve comment. Inc
indian. when taken, had his gun, and
the satisfaction of killing few OF
the Blackfeet could not have compen-
sated for the manner of his death at
their hand, for should he be taken
it meant death by the worst con-
ceiyable torture savageS could invent.
WHY did he not forestall this by COM
mitting suicide? You never read OF an
Indian suiciding. 1t was sometimes re-
sorted to by the squaWS.
But He Wed Squaw
Ietellier gives us to understand that
the squaws being ugly looking, was
what led him to leave the upper Mis-
souri,. This may have contributed to
his going but nevertheless he married,
Indian fashion, Blackfeet woman,
and had a daughter by her. He TOOK
his wife and daughter with him to
Fort Union, where he first went from
Fort Benton.
There we're three mackinaw boats
for the down trip, each carrying
load of buffalo robes and other furs
-Four oarsmen and a pilot were as.
signed to a boat. The cordelle was not
needed as it was in ascending the
river. They experienced the greatest
difficulty from the prevailing high
winds which compelled them to tie
up frequently. Buffalo were plentiful,
but the weather being warm, meat
soon spoiled, and the travellers would
then subsist on pemmican.