the head factor at Astoria to sell out everything to the Northwest Company at any time if the situation became desperate and that company could be induced to buy.
On August 15, 1913, the brigades reached Fort Okanogan. Here Ross was left in charge again for the winter. Clarke and his men proceeded with their goods to Spokane and David Stuart took the now well known pack train route up this river to winter again at Kamloops, among the Shu-swaps.
We have now reached the beginning of the end of the Astor Company. Events were fast culminating that operated to change the course of things for many years to come, for the Northwesters were quick to see the opportunity offered them by the war and the defenseless condition of the Astor establishments on the Columbia, and they took advantage of the situation with great vigor. Without going into details, Duncan McDougal, the partner in charge at Astoria, sold out the whole Astorian enterprise on the Pacific to the Northwest Company in November, of the same year (1813). The American flag was hauled down and the British Jack was run up in its stead. The name of the place was changed from Astoria to Fort George.
All of the inland posts including Fort Okanogan, of course, now passed to the Northwest Company. Fort Okanogan was turned over December 15th, 1813. Ross entered the service of the Northwest Company and was placed in charge for the new management. His second book starts with his service under the new regime, and as before stated, it is entitled "Fur Hunters of the Far West." It opens with an account of a trip from Fort Okanogan overland to the Yakima country for the purpose of acquiring horses. Many horses were maintained at Fort Okanogan as long as the fur from the north continued to come down the trail along this river. They grazed these extensive horse bands on what is now the southwestern portion of the South Half. There were many wolves in this country in the early days and both Ross and Cox in their books made frequent mention of the depredations of these fierce animals upon the horse bands grazing in the vicinity of the fort. They
