and somewhat feared both by whites and Indians. On one occasion he went to war upon the Crows with nineteen young men, most of whom were boys of fifteen to eighteen years. They met the Crow; camp traveling, and hiding themselves, killed and scalped two Crow Indians. The rest of the camp coming up and perceiving the dead bodies of their people made search and found the whole party of their enemies concealed in an island of timber and brush on the prairie which extended to the waters of the Yellowstone River.
The Assiniboins had made a small barricade of logs and branches and awaited the attack of the Crows, determined to make a desperate resistance. The whole Crow nation surrounded the place and made repeated charges against the barricade, firing in upon the Assiniboins, who returned their fire at close quarters and drove them back many times with loss, though at each discharge from the Crows some of the others were killed. Those remaining, nothing daunted, seized the guns of their dead comrades and con tinted the conflict. In this way they kept about 6oo Crows at bay the greater part of the day, killing ten and wounding twenty or thirty others. To get them out of this shelter the Crows set fire to the timber and underbrush, which, though sometimes a good plan, at this time enabled La Main and three others to escape through the smoke to the timbers of the Yellowstone, whence they found their way to Fort Union. These four and one woman were all that were saved from- the battle. The rest had fallen. La Main had his powder-horn shot off, two guns shot out of his hands, his cap and coat riddled with balls, but not a scratch on his skin.
Shortly after this affair another company of traders [Sublette & Campbell] in opposition to the American Fur Company, came on the Missouri and establishing themselves at the mouth of the Yellowstone, commenced their traffic. During the first winter of their trade La Main came alone to Fort Union and in the night, understanding that a party