Over 150 miles northwest of Hawk’s position as he rode toward the Yellowstone River, an important meeting was taking place near the Missouri River at the farmhouse of Donald Lewis. Lewis, a quiet young man, was the pastor of a small religious community of the Society of Friends. The meeting today was not the usual weekly meeting for worship, as they called their church service. This meeting was called to discuss the final plans for the entire church to leave their farms and homes in this uncivilized territory downriver from Fort Benton. Just two nights before, Brother William Boston’s farm had been struck by the same raiders who had struck several of the other farms, running off stock and destroying gardens, even setting fires in some of the outbuildings. The little group of Friends had decided to migrate to more peaceful lands close to Helena, land enough to parcel off tracts for all of the seven families who had decided to go. A recent convert to the society, Brother David Booth had been instrumental in locating the new land near Helena and had volunteered to lead the party west along the Mullan Road. Everything the Friends owned, primarily their farms, but everything else other than their basic possessions, had been sold, the money from which would be used to buy what they needed in their new home. There had been some objections to selling their wagons, but Brother Booth had persuaded them to go by mule train and leave the cumbersome wagons behind. That way, he said, they could get to Helena much quicker with fewer stops for rest.

It had taken some time, and quite a few Indian raids, to persuade some of the Friends that this exodus was a sensible thing to do. But the promise of a nonviolent land at a very attractive price was enough to finally bring everyone around. Brother Lewis was convinced that David Booth had been sent to help them as a result of their fervent prayers. Though not a man of violence, he was obviously a strong man, and he was very familiar with the land they would buy near Helena. One of the purposes of this meeting tonight was to announce it was time to start out to their new homes. A general sum of cash had been accumulated through the sales of everyone’s property, enough to buy a tract of land large enough to accommodate every family, with enough left over to build a meetinghouse. It was time to go. As was their custom, at the end of the meeting there was a period of quiet contemplation, during which an occasional member voiced an inspirational thought that had come to him. On this night, all of those who saw fit to share their thoughts spoke in favor of going. And everyone agreed, all signs pointed toward a new beginning in the territory Brother Booth had suggested.

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