IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS. i 61 



up the river, where the Bozeman expedition, a party of citi- 

 zens who left Bozeman in 1874 to explore the Yellowstone val- 

 ley, were corraled by Sioux Indians and besieged for several 

 days. The party numbered one hundred and thirty men, 

 and the rifle pits which they constructed and occupied are 

 still intact. They lost a large number of horses in the fight, 

 the bones of which still lie bleaching on the field. The 

 Indians finally abandoned the siege and withdrew, after 

 sacrificing several of their number to the deadly aim of the 

 white hunters' rifles. None of the whites were injured. 



During the afternoon, we found a covey of eight sharp- 

 tail grouse in the sage brush near the road, and got seven of 

 them with our rifles before they got out of reach. Our large 

 bore rifles cut them up pretty badly, but we managed to save 

 the breasts of them all, and they made us a good supper and 

 breakfast. This was the first game we had found on the trip. 



That night we camped near the mouth of Lame Deer 

 creek, on the scene of Gen. Miles' fight with a band of 

 Minne Conjoux and Ogelalla Sioux, under chief Lame Deer, 

 in 1878. The Indians were defeated and captured. Lame 

 Deer was cornered in a coulee, and seeing there was no 

 chance of escape, came out and surrendered. He walked up 

 to Gen. Miles ostensibly to deliver his arms to him. The 

 General sat upon his horse, and, when within a few feet of 

 him, Lame Deer suddenly raised his rifle, aimed it full at the 

 General's breast, and fired. The General kicked the muzzle 

 of the gun to one side just in time to save his own life, but 

 the ball passed by him and killed his orderly, who sat on 

 another horse just behind him. The treacherous red skin 

 then started to run, but a volley from the soldiers' carbines 

 filled his worthless skin full of bullet-holes, and sent him over 

 the divide forever. 



During the forenoon of the 2d of September we passed the 



