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7 it could scarcely have been anything else for the brush where we were concealed was dry and as easily burned as that which had been consumed. The Indians finding that they could not drive us from our concealment and noticing from the unclear aim of the rifles that every moment they were loosing men, concluded to abandon the struggle and to depart. As soon as they left us we started for our main camp which was some six miles distant. I presume the Indians discovered the approach of the main party and fearing? that the firing would be heard and that they would be surrounded by a considerable force and that there would be but a poor prospect of any of them getting away if they remained any longer. They decided to retreat Eude? seeing that he could not travel with his party in safety on account of his weakness joined us and arrived on ? to ? ?, the day we reached this place we lost one man who was killed by the Blackfeet. Later ? day as I was reconoitering about eight miles in advance of our main party I saw a number of ravens in the distance hovering over a particular spot I concluded to go and find out the cause and came upon the carcass of a bear that had been lately killed by Indians the trail being fresh and following the course I wished to pursue I therefore decided to return to my party every day for eight or less? ? were fired upon by Blackfeet. If a trapper wandered two miles away he would be shot at and had to return to camp. We were surrounded by the Indians and finding it impossible to hunt to any advantage we set out for the North fork of the Missouri. After travelling? up the stream for four days we ran across a large village of Flathead and