Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-01-08

space on the river bottom, as did most
of the old trading posts, but directly
under an extremely steep bank that
had been cut by the river. 1t was con-
stantly besieged by the Sioux, who
tried to pick off men around the post
from the top of the bank, but the
Indians who did this took desperate
risks, as it was impossible for a MARKS
man to shoot down into the fort with
out exposing himself, and the sharp
shooters in the post were constantly
on the watch for head on the bank
to shoot at.
Stranded at Fort Peck
Dickinson, who made his first trip
to Montana in 1865, went down the
river in the fall of 1868 and started
back up again from Sioux City, Ia,
on the steamboat Sully, on May 81,
1869. The river was low that season,
and when they reached Fort Peck the
boat could go no further. Some of the
passengers proceeded on foot up the
river while others in the party re-
NAMED at the fort until teams could
be procured from there to transport
them. Fort Benton was 500 miles fur
ther up by river. Among those who
stayed at the fort was Dickinson.
Several weeks passed and time hung
heavy on his hands, and despite re-
peated warnings Of the danger Of leav-
ing the post alone, Dickinson decided
to do some hunting. With his rifle
he wandered three miles down the
river to Gilpin flat on the morning
of Sept. 10. a day Of good luck for
him, as it proved. He shot at some
buffalo. but being then an inexper-
fenced hunter, he did not succeed in
killing any, and so he only wasted
most of his ammunition. When he was
I down to one bullet, he put that In
his gun and started back for the fort.
Attacked by Sioux
He had walked only short distance
when he heard beating Of hoofs on
the prairie, and glancing around was
| mortified by the sight of four Sioux
warriors charging down on him on
their ponies. They were then almost
upon him and each had his rifle ready
to shoot. Before he could throw his
gun to his shoulder the four rifles
cracked and Dickinson felt the sting
of bullet in his cheek. Being Civil
war veteran and crack shot, when
he pulled the trigger in snap shot
the satisfaction of seeing the Indian
fall from his pony and roll dead on
the ground with a bullet hole through
| his heart that man could stick his
fist through.
their horses few hundred yards away
and held consultation. They had
seen an example of Dickinson's shoot
sx,r~ Ir,Bf 70 rriu hi n
chance at them. Neither did they want
to let him escape and leave their
comrade unavenged.
Dickinson, with not shot left, stood
coolly for few minutes with his rifle
over his arm, as though ready for
another attack and perfectly conf
dent. For minute he couldn't under
stand why the dead Indians pony did
not run off, and then in flash he
saw the reason. The Indians, in war
fare, used to wrap the end of the
rawhide rope that served as q bride
around the girdle at their belts. The
other end was half-hitched around the
pony's jaw. When an Indian was shot
off his horse, or, if the animal Stun
bled and threw him, he was not left
afoot, provided he was not too badly
hurt to crawl back onto his steed. The
Indian he had killed had followed the
usual custom, so his dead body now
acted as hitching weight to the
horse.
Rides Back in Triumph
This gave the boy a chance for his
life, so he ran to the horse and un-
fastened the rope from the body Of
the Sioux, climbed awkwardly into the
high Indian saddle and start
ed the pony toward the fort at a
gallop. The three Sioux started to try
to head him off, but when he threw
up his gun as though to Shoot they
veered off and finally rode out Of
sight. Dickinson rode triumphantly
into the post, his face and shirt red
with blood from the flesh wound in
his cheek, which was soon healed,
however.
The next morning Dickinson rode
out with party to the scene Of the
fight and found the body of the Sioux
He scalped his slain enemy and took
his gun and clothing. Dickinson also
kept the pony and took it to the
Bitter Root with him.
Dickinson opened the first photo
graph gallery in western Montana at
Missoula in 1870, and in 1872 was ap-
pointed postmaster, his salary being
S24O year. He held the office for IA
years, after which he went into the
real estate business and was also in
terested in mining operations.
,, The marriage of Dickinson to Miss
Emma G. Slack, Missoula's first school
teacher, in 1871, was performed by
Bishop Tiff of the Methodist Episcopal
church, who was then a missionary
: preacher and built the first Methodist
church in Montana at Missoula. This
wedding was the first performed in
the Bitter Root.