ows before they were entirely plucked.

Falling down the river a little further, they came in sight of the
second band, and sheered to the opposite side, with the intention of
passing them. The Crows were not to be evaded. Some pointed their guns
at the boat, and threatened to fire; others stripped, plunged into the
stream, and came swimming across. Making a virtue of necessity, Wyeth
threw a cord to the first that came within reach, as if he wished to be
drawn to the shore.

In this way he was overhauled by every band, and by the time he and his
people came out of the busy hands of the last, they were eased of most
of their superfluities. Nothing, in all probability, but the proximity
of the American trading post, kept these land pirates from making a good
prize of the bull boat and all its contents.

These bands were in full march, equipped for war, and evidently full of
mischief. They were, in fact, the very bands that overran the land in
the autumn of 1833; partly robbed Fitzpatrick of his horses and effects;
hunted and harassed Captain Bonneville and his people; broke up their
trapping campaigns, and, in a word, drove them all out of the Crow
country. It has been suspected that they were set on to these pranks by
some of the American Fur Company, anxious to defeat the plans of
their rivals of the Rocky Mountain Company; for at this time, their
competition was at its height, and the trade of the Crow country was a
great object of rivalry. What makes this the more probable, is, that the
Crows in their depredation seemed by no means bloodthirsty, but intent
chiefly on robbing the parties of their traps and horses, thereby
disabling them from prosecuting their hunting.

We should observe that this year, the Rocky Mountain Company were
pushing their way up the rivers, and establishing rival posts near those
of the American Company; and that, at the very time of which we are
speaking, Captain Sublette was ascending the Yellowstone with a keel
boat, laden with supplies; so that there was every prospect of this
eager rivalship being carried to extremes.

The last band of Crow warriors had scarcely disappeared in the clouds
of dust they had raised, when our voyagers arrived at the mouth of the
river and glided into the current of the Yellowstone. Turning down this
stream, they made for Fort Cass, which is situated on the right bank,
about three miles below the Bighorn. On the opposite side they beheld
a party of thirty