WHILE danger of the Indian attacks was still hanging over Bannack and the other settlements, new orders came to William Van Orsdel. A Conference in session at St. Louis had heard an account of the young missionary’s work; and these wise men seeing how rapidly Montana was developing made plans for the extension of the work of the church in new fields. Their maps showed them a great unsettled section beyond the mountains known as the Bitter Root Valley. It would be a hard piece of work and no tenderfoot could be sent to open up that section. There was but one man for the new frontier, and obediently, Brother Van took a last look at the tiny church just dedicated and bade farewell to the people of Bannack. The ride before the missionary covered a distance of about one hundred and fifty miles through the country where the Indians were carrying on their warfare with the soldiers. The trail which he followed was the very one taken by Lewis and Clark in September, 1805, on their way to the Pacific Coast. The explorers had been most hospitably received by the Indians, whom they found encamped at Ross Hole. They greeted the “white gods” with all the awe of their simple natures and a feast and formal council was held in their honor. They called the newcomers “So-Yap-Po,” meaning “the crowned ones,” because they wore round hats or caps. As Brother Van and his pony traveled through the historic country, sometimes the long grass would reach to the horse’s head on each side of the trail; then stretches of barren and rocky ground with patches of sage brush would be reached, and again they would come suddenly to steep-banked creeks hidden in the tall grass. The road led up through the pass, now called Gibbon Pass, but the tragic encounter which gave it that name had but recently taken place. When Chief Joseph, the leader of the Nez Percés Indians, fully realized that the United States troops had been sent to drive him and his band from their valley, he determined to migrate to Canada. The troops were in hot pursuit, and finding all direct routes cut off, the Indians came east through Lo Lo Pass into Montana. At Stevensville they paid for all supplies purchased and gave notice that all that they wanted was to go on their journey unmolested. When the soldiers in search of assembled Indians heard at Stevensville about Chief Joseph’s party, they gave chase and a number of residents of the place joined them. The Indians camped at Big Hole and the soldiers, under command of General Gibbon, suddenly found themselves close to the camp one night. They could hear the sound of Indian voices; so one of the soldiers climbed a tree and was horrified to see a great many camp-fires burning. Precautions were taken at once and no camp-fires were kindled by the white troops. Hard bread had to be their only fare, a not very substantial food for their need in the fighting on the following eventful day, August 9, 1877.