Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far WestDrannan, William F.
History
Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West
Drannan, William F.
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America -- Wars
About sundown, while traveling down a little narrow valley, all of
a sudden about fifteen Indians, all well mounted, made a charge on
us. We corralled at once. By this time our horses had learned to
corral pretty quick, and when they were in gunshot we opened fire
on them. I fired at one with my rifle and got him, for I saw him
fall to the ground, and I got another with my pistol. I do not
know how many were killed, but they went away a much less number
than they came. We all escaped unhurt, but Uncle Kit lost another
horse, making in all four horses that day.
We moved on again and traveled about five miles and made another
camp, but did not build a fire. Our horses were picketed near
camp, and that night we stood guard the same as the night before,
but I did not see any Indians crawling up on all fours. The
morning following we were off very early, and traveled some four
miles before we came to water. Coming to a nice little brook, we
stopped and took our breakfast. Here we had a chance to have
killed an antelope, but did not dare shoot.
After taking something for the inner man, we proceeded on our way.
We did not have any more trouble with Indians, not even seeing any
until we got to what is known as Stinking Water or Alder creek,
near where Virginia City, Mont., now stands. In traveling down
this stream, which is quite crooked, and just as we were rounding
one of those points of the hill running down to the creek, riding
in the lead I saw two Indian wick-i-ups about half a mile ahead,
just in the edge of the brush. I at once gave the signal to turn
back, and we got out of sight without being discovered by the
Indians.
We turned our course, somewhat, making a circuitous route, and
when we were just opposite the wick-i-ups, Jim Bridger and Uncle
Kit climbed to the top of the hill, taking my glasses with them,
and took in the situation. When they returned to where we were
they were feeling much more encouraged, saying: "Thank God we are
rid of the Blackfoots and Crows; those are the Bannocks. We are
now in their country, and they are not so numerous nor so hostile
as the Crows and Blackfoots." That night we camped on Stinking
Water, near Lone Butte, picketed our horses close around camp and
stood guard the same as the two nights previous.
The next morning we were up early and off again, aiming to cross
the main divide and go over to Fort Hall, expecting to find there
a great many trappers and raise a crowd sufficient to come back
and trap on the Gallatin river this winter.
At that time Fort Hall was a great rendezvous for trappers.
Now we were beginning to feel more encouraged and to think our
chances were pretty good, but that evening, while traveling up
Beaver Canyon, which, I think the railroad runs up now, from
Pocatello, Idaho, to Butte City, Mont., the Bannocks attacked us
about fifty strong.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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