64 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



tary enemies, the Crows. A member of either tribe 

 might kill us, and lay our death to the other tribe. 



Cope, however, reasoned that now was our time 

 to go into this region, since every able-bodied Sioux 

 would be with the braves under Sitting Bull, while 

 the squaws and children would be hidden away in 

 some fastness of the mountains. There would be no 

 danger for us, he argued, until the Sioux were 

 driven north by the soldiers who were gathering 

 under Terry and Crook for the final struggle. 



Judging from past experience, he concluded 

 that we should have nearly three months in which to 

 make our collections in peace. We would leave the 

 field, he said, when we learned that the great chief 

 was being so closely pressed as to be forced to seek 

 safety in flight to the soil of Great Britain, across 

 the Sweet Grass Mountains into Assiniboia. 



His judgment proved good. It was not until 

 November, when a heavy snowstorm had covered 

 both the fossil fields and grass for the ponies, that 

 Sitting Bull gave up the unequal struggle against 

 cold and the Boys in Blue, and retreated to a more 

 friendly soil. 



At Fort Benton we found a typical frontier town 

 of that day, streets paved with playing-cards, and 

 whisky for sale in open saloons and groceries. Our 

 presence had been heralded abroad during our stay 

 in Helena, and the Professor had difficulty in secur- 





