It was February 11, 1824, when Ross struck east from Cœur d’Alene Lake--the Lake of the Pointed Heart, so called from the sharp trading, like “an awl” of the Indians--to cross the mountains of Idaho and Montana for the buffalo plains. Between Okanogan and Spokane House, he had succeeded in mustering twelve Hudson’s Bay trappers, Iroquois most of them, with a few Canadians like Pierre and Goddin and Sylvaille. Of the freeman who roved the mountains, forty-three joined Ross’ brigade. In all, there were forty-five men, two hundred and six traps, sixty-two guns, including a large brass cannon, and two hundred and thirty horses. In a few days they were on Horse Prairie, where roved herds of wild, Spanish ponies, claimed by the Flatheads and valued at four beaver skins each. Passing travelers might seize these horses, but woe betide them if full value were not left in beaver skins. Without warning, the Flatheads would pursue and exact a scalp for each horse stolen. From the outset Ross had trouble with his men. They had first served under Astor, then under the Nor’Westers, and now were unsettled by the recent change of allegiance to Hudson’s Bay. Besides, General Ashley’s mountaineers, Pierre Chouteau’s trappers, had begun coming across the plains from St. Louis. For each beaver the American trader paid $5.00, where the Hudson’s Bay paid only $1.00 and $2.00. Ross’ trappers were dissatisfied. For the first month--the mid-winter month when all game is quiet--no beaver were seen. Snow storms met the marchers as they neared the mountains, and on the 13th of February Ross awakened to find that the Iroquois hunters under old Pierre had deserted. Mounting post haste, Ross pursued, overtook the seceders, and demanded the cause of their complaint. They complained that the price allowed for their furs was so small in proportion to the exorbitant advance on goods, that they were never able to pay debts, much less make money, and declared they would not risk their lives any more. Ross, himself, acknowledges that goods worth six pence were traded for beaver worth $5.00 in China. “The Iroquois declared Mr. Ogden last fall had promised they should be paid half in currency. I told them that promise would be performed. They grumbled and talked, and talked and grumbled, and at last consented to proceed. Thinks I to myself--is _this_ the beginning?” Four days later, the first beaver was caught, but only the toes were left in the trap. Wolves had howled all night round the camp. To avoid future mutiny, Ross appointed three leaders, old Pierre at the head of the Iroquois; Montour of the Half-breeds and himself for the Company’s trappers, the three to meet each night and exchange the views of the camp. On February 23rd, the brigade struck into that defile of the mountains between the Rockies east and the Bitter Root west, along the trail from what is now from Butte and Missoula to De Smet and Kootenay. They had left Clarke’s Fork and were