Year: 1875

up-springing savages, a rush by the paint
ed host, and Little Dog is victorious
q man is left to tell the tale Of the butch
cry


Doubtless IN the general sack Of the
wagons that followed, much was found
that delighted the hearts of the merciless
victors. Tradition, however, is silent
upon this point, and deigns to preserve
the recollection Of but one small box found
by Little Dog bestowed with extraordi-
mary care III one of the wagons. This


box was found to be well filled with what
Little Dog pronounced to be brass but
tons without eyes Brass buttons com
plete would have been regarded q very
desirable acquisition by Little Dog and
his savage followers; they often bought
them at the fort on the Missouri and
paid good prices for them too but without
eyes what could they do with them? They


were very heavy, and how should they
carry them to their villages since they
could not be strung on sineW like the


ordinary button? Alas handsome and
glittering as they were, they must be left
behind. But though deciding thus, Lit
tie Dog would not have them thrown
away as entirely valueless, and they were
consequently cached with much care in.
the rocks overlooking Snake River, at d


point where. rocky promontory juts in
to the valley close to the foa1ning waters.


Perhaps, in after years, Little Dogs
thoughts sometimes reverted to the hid
den buttons, but he did not esteem them
OF sufficient value to warrant the hazards
and fatigues of returning for them; and
50 there they remained for twenty years


without exciting any particular interest.
But at last population flowed by the
thousand into Montana, and gold coin,


unknown to the fur trade at its remote
posts, began to circulate in the Territory
Little Dog saw the gold, saw how the


white men priced it, how small piece


would buy pound upon pound of sugar.
coffee, or tobacco, and wonder grew
within him at the discovery that a brass
button without eyes possessed such mighty


power. Then he remembered his box Of
such buttons buried far away on the banks
Of Snake River, and bewailed his folly
Oh, that he had that box now! How


wealthy it would make him; what digni-
ty he could maintain; what treasures lie
could buy; it would lift him to height Of
grandeur such as had never been dreamed
Of. He could think Of nothing else but
those marvellous buttons, could do moth
ing but lament the fatuity that had in
duced him to let such treasure slip
through his fingers.


He told the story at Fort. Benton, and
pronounced various gold coins exhibited
to him to be exactly like the brass but
tons, and, like Captain Kidd's hidden
treasure, it caused many man to burn
with eager desire to possess himself of
the buried wealth. Little Dog believed
that he could still find the locality, and
often was he entreated to lead the way
|thither At last the urgent solicitations
Fof Mr.. DaWson-then-the American Fur
Company's agent at Fort Benton backed


by the promise Of a large reward, induced
him to engage to do so, although his
medicine had ever been adverse TO the
enterprise. lie started, but conscience
stricken at his sin, halted after proceed
ing short distance, and could never
after be persuaded to renew the attempt.


Little Dog is now dead, and still the
brass buttons without eyes repose IN con
cealment upon the banks Of Snake River.
whose waters rush with boisterous laugh
ter to the sea, bearing their story Of .
hidden treasure, to swell the mighty list
already in the records Of the Water-spirits
who keep the tally Of mans unwilling
contributions to the Golfers Of the deep.