He Now Turned His Course Southward, Under Cover Of The Mountains,
And On The 25th Of October Reached Liberge's Ford,
A tributary of
the Colorado, where he came suddenly upon the trail of this same
war party, which had crossed
The stream so recently that the
banks were yet wet with the water that had been splashed upon
them. To judge from their tracks, they could not be less than
three hundred warriors, and apparently of the Crow nation.
Captain Bonneville was extremely uneasy lest this overpowering
force should come upon him in some place where he would not have
the means of fortifying himself promptly. He now moved toward
Hane's Fork, another tributary of the Colorado, where he
encamped, and remained during the 26th of October. Seeing a large
cloud of smoke to the south, he supposed it to arise from some
encampment of Shoshonies, and sent scouts to procure information,
and to purchase a lodge. It was, in fact, a band of Shoshonies,
but with them were encamped Fitzpatrick and his party of
trappers. That active leader had an eventful story to relate of
his fortunes in the country of the Crows. After parting with
Captain Bonneville on the banks of the Bighorn, he made for the
west, to trap upon Powder and Tongue Rivers. He had between
twenty and thirty men with him, and about one hundred horses. So
large a cavalcade could not pass through the Crow country without
attracting the attention of its freebooting hordes.
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