. The story of Montana . tradersmake a specialty of beaver skins and they offeredgreat inducements to the Flatheads and the Piegansto come north to trade. The American traders were rather fearful at start-ing a post in the Blackfoot country. They hadheard so many stories from the Indians of the hos-tility of this tribe, and so many individual tradershad come to grief in their country, that it seemed aperilous undertaking. Then, too, the Assiniboines andthe Crows did not want their enemies to have a postin their own country, for they would then be strongerstill if more of them would have guns.
. The story of Montana . tradersmake a specialty of beaver skins and they offeredgreat inducements to the Flatheads and the Piegansto come north to trade. The American traders were rather fearful at start-ing a post in the Blackfoot country. They hadheard so many stories from the Indians of the hos-tility of this tribe, and so many individual tradershad come to grief in their country, that it seemed aperilous undertaking. Then, too, the Assiniboines andthe Crows did not want their enemies to have a postin their own country, for they would then be strongerstill if more of them would have guns. But the trad- FUR TRADERS AMONG THE INDIANS 49 ers thought only of the beaver skins, and they decidedto take the consequences. Fort Piegan. — The first Blackfoot post was namedFort Piegan. During the years that followed it haddifferent names until at last it came to be known asFort Benton. After this a new hfe opened up tothe Blackfeet. Before, they had had only hostilefeehngs for the white men; their only thought upon. Kindness of Montana Historical Society Library Old Fort Owen meeting one was to kill him. But now they had adifferent feeling, for while before, the whites had beenintruders, now they were clearly there for the In-dians advantage. They supplied a market for theirfurs and brought to the Indians many comforts andluxuries. The visit to the post became one of theevents of the year, and the arrival of the companysboat with the supplies and provisions from St. Louiswas a sight not to be missed. The Crows attack the post. — The Crows were sodissatisfied with the establishment of the new post 50 THE INDIANS that they planned to attack and destroy it. MajorAlexander Culbertson, who was in charge of the post,was warned by a squaw, who had been captured bythe Crows but had escaped. She took the news toMajor Culbertson that the Crows were preparing tomake an attack on the fort at an early date. The fort was put in readiness for the attack, andsoon the Crows came in larg
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