Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-11-06

- Va oaAoAi XsAdiiSllduStA- Dul
to these tales the old man would only
shake his head in unbelief. "Derned
eff 1 don't think he's a. ornery liar!"
Bridger would comment. He further
added that many of his adventures
with Indians would make Just as good
reading "ef writ down in a book" and
be far more truthful
At one period of the winter a band
OF renegade Piegans swooped down
upon their stock and got away with 81
of the horses of the party. This was
bit of boldness which the noun
taineers resented. and it was deter
mined to take the trail of the marau-
der and regain the stolen horses and
punish the thieves. For 60 miles the
trail was followed, and then a heavy
snowstorm developing, the trail be-
came obliterated, and the eXasperated
men were obliged to return without
recovering a single animal.
Aside from this incident none Of
Sir Georges party had any trouble
with hostile Indians, so far as bring
ing on an engagement with them was
concerned.
The following spring Sir George pre-
pared for yet further exploration of
the country. He entered the Rosebud
region, where his party met a large
band of Crow Indians, who treated
them in a friendly manner, and from
whom they bought several horses to
take the places of those stolen by the
! Piegans. By a circuitous route, and
travelling by slow stages, the Gore
party finally drifted back to their old
post at the mouth of the Tongue.
At this point Sir George concluded
it was about time he was thinking of
getting back to civilization. According
\ ly he had some of his men build a
couple of flat boats, in which some of
the party descended the Yellowstone
to Fort Union. Sir George, however,
concluded to. make the trip overland
and hunt as he went. Many of his
men at this point were discharged
their term of service having expired
Among these were Bridger and Henry
Bostwick, a celebrated hunter. who
turned back into the wilderness while
Sir George continued on with the
balance of his party.
That Sir George had the welfare of
every member of his party at heart
is we'll illustrated from his kindness
W lllSLll VII val lopS oIStiSlOllo Willie
camped at the mouth of the Tongue,
one of his men, known as "Uno."
died. Having no lumber from which to
construct a coffin, his companions
were on the point of putting him
underground in the clothing he had
on. Sir George, however, would not
listen to such barbarous burial, and
ordered the bed of one of his best
wagons knocked to pieces and coffin
built of the material. which he lined
with some of the best cloth from his
own stores.
On another occasion he bought a
horse from one of his men, Joe Mer-
rivale, later a we'll known interpreter
and scout. He paid Merrivale the price
asked. $3.50. After trying out the ami
NAL, Sir George went to Merrival and
declared that the horse was worth
more money to him, and pressed an
other 500 upon the astonished man.
Again, in parting with one of his
men at Fort Union, the latter desired
to buy cart, harness and few other
necessary supplies. Sir George told
the man he would sell him the articles
at actual cost. He then began to lay
out various things, until the man
entered a vigorous protest, stating that
he would not be able to pay for so
many goods. Sir George merely re-
piled, "Give me S12 and We will call
it square" He had given the man
goods to the value of several hundred
dollars.
When the Gore party reached Fort
Union, Sir George determined to have
couple of flatboats built and des-
cend to Fort Berthold in this manner.
Major Culbertson, the officer in
charge of Fort Union, which was then
trading post of the American Fur
Co., agreed to build him the boats and
take in exchange such of Sir Georges
wagons and other paraphernalia at
price which had been agreed upon be-
fore the boats were built. However,
when the craft were ready, Culbert-
son, realizing that he practically had
the Irish nobleman at his mercy re-
sorted to chicanery and bulldozing-
and woe be unto the man upon whom
the American Fur Co. fastened its
fangs in those days!-and sought to
take undue advantage of Sir Georges
necessity. When the latter realized
the duplicity which was about to be
DTdCllCeu uptll lillll, LIS WI obii tH4ASN
no bounds, and he declared that
neither Culbertson nor the American
Fur Co. should realize one penny at
his expense. He first distributed
great many valuable articles to vaga-
bond hangers-on at the fort, and then,
piling the remainder-save such as he
desired to take with him-on the
wagons in front of Culbertson's quar-
tiers, he applied the torch to them
Then, waiting until the fires had
cooled, Sir George raked the ashes
for the iron-work to the wagons, such
as tires, bolts, stays, etc, and flung
them all into the river rather than
have a single article fall into the
hands of the INSCRIPTIONS Culbert-
son.
He then set his men at work to build
flatboats for the party. Culbertson's
chagrin at being thus outwitted must
have been very great. Those who were
to descend the river in the boats then
took their departure. the balance of
the party making the trip by land.
1t had been advertised ahead that