▁seeking ▁higher ▁pay ments ▁for ▁their ▁f urs ▁and ▁lower ▁prices ▁for ▁supplies . ▁Several ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁desert ed ▁H BC ▁encourag ed ▁others ▁to ▁come ▁along . ▁In ▁the ▁end ▁ 2 3 ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company ▁tra ppers ▁desert ed , ▁taking ▁some ▁ 7 0 0 ▁pel ts ▁with ▁them . ▁Og den ▁and ▁his ▁remaining ▁men ▁left ▁the ▁area ▁the ▁next ▁day . ▁ ▁This ▁encounter ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁territorial ▁dispute . ▁Gard ner ▁and ▁his ▁men ▁claimed ▁the ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company ▁tra ppers ▁were ▁viol ating ▁United ▁States ▁soil , ▁while ▁Og den ▁ins isted ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁joint ly ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁Prov ost , ▁who ▁remained ▁neutral ▁in ▁the ▁argument , ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁the ▁only ▁one ▁with ▁a ▁valid ▁claim . ▁The ▁Adams – O ní s ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 9 ▁had ▁recognized ▁Spain ' s ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁territory ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 2 nd ▁parallel . ▁Control ▁had ▁then ▁passed ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 2 ▁to ▁newly ▁independent ▁Mexico , ▁whose ▁government ▁had ▁granted ▁Prov ost ▁a ▁license ▁for ▁his ▁activities ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁The ▁desert ing ▁H BC ▁fre emen ▁joined ▁the ▁American ▁tra ppers ▁on ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁Henry s ▁F ork ▁( Green ▁River ) ▁about ▁ 1 2 0 ▁miles ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁six teen ▁Rock y ▁Mountain ▁R