CROSSING THE ROCKIES IN '61. 



Maj. W. H. Schieffelin. 



Continued from page JQQ. 



Our hunting party remained at Fort 

 Union six long weeks, while Mr. Dawson, 

 chief factor of the American Fur Co., 

 went up to Fort Benton and brought 

 down a train of wagons to carry back 

 the supplies and merchandise, for trade 

 with the Blackfeet. During this long 

 wait we had some interesting experi- 

 ences. We passed most of our time in 

 fishing and shooting in "the vicinity of 

 the fort, and in watching the Indians 

 who often visited there. At one time 

 400 lodges of the Assiniboines camped 

 near and stayed several days, so we saw 

 all the Indian dances, amusements, 

 horse racing, etc. 



Three white trappers were found one 

 day, only a few miles from the fort, al- 

 most starved. They had been wounded 

 with over twenty arrows. A party oP 

 haymakers brought them in, and by 

 careful nursing they finally recovered. 

 They were so emaciated that we had to 

 be very careful in feeding them. For 

 the first few days they were only given 

 one teaspoonful of beef soup every 

 hour. Finally, we gave them small bits 

 of bread, and later thin slices of meat, 

 increasing the quantity gradually, as 

 their stomachs became accustomed to 

 the food. 



We were told that it would be proper 

 for us to give a ball and finding, on in- 

 quiry, that there need not be much ex- 

 pense incurred, we issued our invita- 

 tions. The orchestra consisted of one 

 old fiddle and a fife, played by several 

 volunteers, including the hosts, as one 

 after another tired of playing, or wanted 

 to take a hand in the dancing. The 

 old trappers and their squaws seemed 

 to enjoy the dancing more than do the 

 people who attend the Delmonico balls, 

 in New York, though there was no 

 round dancing, or German. Indian 

 squaws are not noted for gracefulness 

 of movement. The hard work and the 

 rough life they lead makes them heavy 

 and awkward of movement ; yet they 

 did their best. The dancers all wore 

 solemn faces, and worked as if earning 



wages. They jumped, stamped, slapped 

 their thighs and clapped their hands, as 

 if trying to make as much noise and as 

 hard work as possible. In fact, the 

 dance was a sort of mixture of negro 

 breakdown and Irish jig. The ball 

 lasted about four hours and cost about 

 $10, and was voted the best one of the 

 season. In fact, it was said to be a 

 complete success, inasmuch as it ended 

 in a fight and a stabbing affray. 



* * * 



There was a pet grizzly bear at the fort. 

 She was very playful, and always seemed 

 to enjoy a wrestling match with any of 

 us. One day, however, when outside 

 the fort, her natural love of freedom 

 seemed to have taken hold of her, and 

 she went away, and was no more to be 

 found. The Indians had no love for, 

 or confidence in her, and she was useful 

 as a guard to clear the inclosure when 

 too many of them came inside. The 

 minute she was turned loose all the 

 Indians would leave. Of course, they 

 did not want us to think that the loose- 

 ness of the bear had anything to do 

 with their going, but they always seemed 

 to conclude, whenever we untied her, 

 that they had visited about long enough 

 and must be going. 



■* * * 



Early one morning some of our hunt- 

 ers crossed the Missouri and went after 

 buffalo. The others of us had slept too 

 long, and so were left behind. How- 

 ever, we three, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Cary 

 and myself, went on a hunt on our own 

 account, our colored man rowing us 

 across the river. The weather was very 

 hot, and I soon had enough of hunting, 

 so returned to camp. L. and C continued 

 to hunt, and soon saw a large buffalo 

 bull coming down a trail near them. 

 They stationed themselves, one on each 

 side of the trail. As lie came near, L. 

 set the hair trigger of his rifle, so as to 

 be all ready, but unfortunately touched 

 the trigger too soon. The buffalo 

 turned, and nearly ran over Cary, who 

 rolled out of the way, and then took a 



