Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-07-04

ABAOB4G uAEs AOA AC Was AOIAA4 III .
creek bed and it is asserted his end
followed drunken debauch. IN which
a number Of other Indians Of his tribe
figured not creditably. The old man
was born TO die nobler, for he was
staunch and true and once he gave
his promise he kept it rehgiouSly and
nothing could sway him from the
course he believed to be the right one
Although banished TO Idaho many
years ago by the Indian department,
the old chief was always contented
with his lot and he remained on
his reservation home on the Lemhi In
Idaho, while the fruitful acres he for
merly called the hunting grounds Of his
tribe In southern Montana, have be-
come prosperous valleys and are peo-
pied by hundreds of prosperous cit
liens.
Tendoy was born in the Madison at
the mouth of JackaSs creek, and there
he prayed that he be buried-that at
last his bones should rest In his old
home, but even this boon was denied
him and ne was laid to rest on lonely
Agency creek in a valley he always
despised.
There were many Montanans who
had fond regard for the old Indian
and were his friends in pioneer days
and one Of these, discussing the death
Of the old man, said:
'"Tendoy is dead and in his death I
have lost one Of the best friends I ever
had in the world and to him I owe my
life, for he rescued me when I was
only lad from death by starvation
upon the benches which swept away
from the Yellowstone valley, at a time
when I was lost from a party of inn
migrants who were coming to Montana
along the Bozeman trail in pioneer
days.
Not a White Man There
It was in the early SOS when there
was not white man in the valley of
the Yellowstone and the marauding
Crows, and Sioux held the
valley as their own hunting grounds
and fought many bloody fight as to
who should have possession Of the
immense bands of buffalo, which
made their home there until the white
hunters came In and killed the ami
mails for their hides alone and left
thousands of carcass to rot on the
plains. In the western part Of the val
ley the more timid Indians came to |
hunt. They were the ShoShones, the |
the Flatheads and the |
Occasionally these fought |
with one another, but generally these !
combined in large numbers and were
for never ceasing warfare !
against the more belligerent tribes, for |
the buffalo Of the Yellowstone were |
a necessity to them, and every fall
hundreds Of the Indians Of southern |
Montana and Idaho made the pilgrim |
age to the Yellowstone to bring back |
thousands Of pounds Of dried buffalo |
meat to be used as the winter supply,
for the SHOWS got deep where these
Indians lived in the mountains, and |
the antelope and other game were
wary and extremely difficult to hunt.
Upon one of these hunts Chief
rendoy reached point not far from
he present town Of Big Timber. Then
he place did not have a name, but the
;reek near where it stands was filled
With great boulders. Our party not
the character of Tendoy's peo-
pie, saw Indian signs when we camped
N the Boulder. And that night we
rev our wagons into corral and the
nen slept upon their arms, dreading
IN attack and praying that the Indians
should prove friendly There was an
lir of suppressed excitement and very
ew of the hundred or more people in
he train slept any, all being afraid of
stampede and massacre. But the
hight passed without incident and the
morning found every one ready to take
ID the trail for Virginia City which
vas our mecca. I was only 10 years
I'D, and as I had shared In the dread
If the night, my eyes would not stay
awake. And while the older people
we're making preparations to move
amp, cuddled up against a big
BOULDER overgrown by the tall grass
which then thrived in the valley, and
was soon asleep. In the confusion of
moving camp I was not missed, and it
vas many hours before my folks awoke
o the realization that their little boy
vas lost, and then a frantic effort was
made to find me. In the meantime
lad slept comfortably for a few hours
nd awoke to the realization that I y
vas all alone on the boundless prairie
nth not a human being in sight. I
ueSs shifted around a whole lot, but
am too old now to have much recol-
cLtAOn VI cuCn uCbaAAos Uut QQ AC~
1ember that pluckiIy hit the trail
4 the direction thought the wagons
ad gone. I could not go to the other
ray, for the creek was too deep and
7ide for me to ford, so I trotted along
he wagon tracks for while, until I
anne to gravelly place where there (
7as not sign Of wagon wheel to |
ollow However, that did not daunt 1
ne in the least, for a long way up I
head Of me I saw some specks on [
be side Of the valley which thought ]
vere the wagons and started after
hem. Somehow, although I thought ]
TalISed and ran 100 miles it seemed TO
le that I never got any nearer nor
'ere there any signs Of q wagon track '
gain.
Lost Boy
This frightened me, but after a while
finally curIed up in under a tree
thich grew up beside little creek bed
nd went to sleep again When /
woke it was dark and was all alone,
ne stars looking down at me silently
nd everyone seemed to eye me cur