Notes on Memories of a Bear Hunter 



implying light-headedness, lack of balance, likelihood 

 to do foolish things. It is not nearly so strong as the 

 word mas san r e, meaning crazy or foolish. The Sioux 

 are said to have given this name to this stream, and 

 it was adopted by other tribes. [See American An- 

 thropologist (N. S.), Vol. 8 No. i, p. 15, J<wuary- 

 March, 1906.] 



48. This freight outfit which belonged to Benjamin 

 Fridley, of Bozeman, was camped, as said, at the 

 spring, less than half a mile from the Gap. The 

 horses had been turned loose and the night-herder 

 was rolling himself a cigarette at the camp-fire, when 

 they all heard the stampede of the horses away from 

 the Gap, the bell constantly sounding fainter. Frid- 

 ley, who was familiar with Indian ways, seized his 

 Winchester and ran in the opposite direction, in order 

 to reach the Gap as soon as possible. By the time he 

 had reached there and gotten his breath, he heard 

 the horses coming. The Indians had made a long 

 circle around the camp, expecting to be followed, but 

 not to be headed off. As soon as the horses got close, 

 Fridley began to fire his rifle and to yell. He put in 

 the shots so rapidly that he turned the horses back 

 to camp, and the thieves left them, and of course were 

 never seen. By that time the horses were somewhat 

 willing to be caught, and a careful guard was kept 

 over them until they reached the Yellowstone ; in fact, 

 until Bozeman was reached. Had the Indians known 

 the valuable freight of these wagons, they would per- 

 haps have tried to come in force strong enough to 

 have killed the men and captured the whole outfit. 



287 



