Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-07-10

this party found the bones of Scott
on the bluff that is now his monu-
ment He had crawled IS miles from
where they left him.
Somewhere in this region Bonneville
saw the first bighorn sheep. A little
later he encountered the Crows. They
lived up to their reputation of being
friends of the white man, and they
also were not untrue to their record
for thievery. OF this popularity Of
theirs. Irving states, During the day
and night they were encamped with
the travellers, their conduct was
friendly in the extreme. They were, in
fact, quite irksome in their attentions,
and had a caressing manner at times
quite importunate. It was not until
after separation on the following morn
ing, that the captain and the men as
certained the secret of all this loving
kindness. In the course of their fra
ternal caresses, the Crows had con-
trived to empty the pockets of their
white brothers; to abstract the very
buttons from their coats, and above
all. to make free with their hunting
knives"
These were warriors who committed
the thefts, but we must not forget that
an agent assured Captain Williams
that it was only the women and chill
dren who were given to thievery. Pos
sibly Captain Bonneville neglected to
put them on their honor; for another
authority says if the Crows were
placed on their honor, the traveller
was safe; otherwise they would steal
the hair off your head" Right here
Bonneville had an opportunity to OBJ
serve how this tribe could "subsist in
times of peace"
Pierre's Hole Rendezvous
Ashley, it will be remembered. had
done away with the time-honored Gus
tom of having the annual trading done
at company posts, and established the
rendezvous instead. This was held at
some designated point toward which
all the trappers set out early in the
spring. This year the place of meeting
was to be at Pierre's Hole, named for
an Iroquois chief who was killed
ville's objective
ellie, who was carrying supplies to the
American Fur Co., and was much be-
hind time, as he did not arrive until
after the Battle of Pierre's Hole had
been fought, between the eros Ven
tres of the Prairie and the trappers
Bonneville was delighted to meet
Fontenelle and his party, but he was
soon to be invited into the amenities
of the fur trade, as the latter sue
ceeded in persuading the Delaware In
dams Bonneville had enlisted, to de-
sert.
After the Battle of Pierre's Hole, the
dispersion of the trappers, Fitzpatrick
and Bridger enticed Vanderburgh, of
the American Fur Co. into a region
they knew to be infested with hostile
Indians, and there Vanderburgh was
slain, while Fitzpatrick and Bridger
narrowly escaped the same fate.
Fortunately. Bonneville was not at
tackled by the Indians at that time,
although both Crows and eros Ven
tres visited his camp. At this meeting
place, the captain made the acquaint-
ance of the free trappers. who charged
into his camp in their wonted spec
tacular manner. He has given us fine
description of their dress, first say
ing that nothing pleases them more
than to be mistaken for Indians.
His" the trappers) hair is SUI
fered to attain to q great length, Is
carefully combed out, and either left
to fall carelessly over his shoulders. or
tied up in otter skins, or parti-eol-
ored ribbons. A hunting shirt ol cal
leo Of bright dyes, or Of otnamented