P a g e 3 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r we found the camp all astir and old man Pilkey waiting by our wagon to invite us to have breakfast with them. We accepted the invitation, taking a small box of soda crackers with us. The crackers were greatly enjoyed by the half-breeds. The morning meal was composed of pancakes, buffalo meat and pemakin. These people were a little above the common half- breeds. There were about 25 people in this camp, all relatives. This was an ideal camping place for hunters, the luxurious buffalo grass was knee high as far as the eye could reach, and its red tops would wave with the slightest breeze. These springs being the only good water for 12 miles one way and 20 the other, it was a great watering place for buffalo and antelope. Before we broke camp that morning many buffalo and antelope were gathering around the springs for water. This was truly the hunter's paradise. where they could sit and wait for the game to come to them. We pulled out late that morning for Fort Benton, which was only Fort Benton during the early days, showing the store of T.C. Power and Brother, Courtesy of The Montana State University Library. 24 miles away. We arrived at the old historic post about 5, o'clock that afternoon and sold furs, that we had traded for from different tribes of Indians, to T. C. Power & Brother. We loafed around the Fort a few days to get acquainted with the people and the resources of the territory. Father had promised Colonel Walsh, commander of the Canadian Mounted Police, to return and help get out logs to build Fort Walsh on the North fork of Milk river, so we bought a new supply of grub and returned to the police headquarters, where we got out logs to build that historic fort. Later we returned with other Americans to Fort Benton. By this time in the fall it was quiet around the post; the steamboat that had been plying the old Missouri during the high water season had tied up for the season, on account of insufficient water. One day we drove down to the Nicholson trading post, close to the mouth of the Marias river, to some buffalo meat, and to my surprise, before we left father bought the trading post and all the ponies Nicholson had. It was arranged that we were to have possession of the post in 30 days. We returned to Fort Benton, father got out logs and built a house at Fort Benton while he was waiting on the trading post and I hired out to the Tingley Brothers to punch cows, and ride the range. Here is where I learned to sit the wild mustang and here is where I got my leather on some that I didn't sit. I worked for the Tingleys for two months and then joined father at the trading post for the winter. When I arrived at the post I found a fairly strong fort; there was the George Majors' bull outfit with six nine-yoke bull teams camped in one of our cabins; and the late Coatesworth and Keyster with four nine-yoke bull teams occupying another cabin; in all of them there were about 12 bull-whackers whose job it was to ride around and see that the cattle were on good range and got water when there was no snow on the ground. As I have stated, there was plenty of good range
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