It was a fairly common custom for trappers to take Native wives while out in the country. These were known as "country wives" and ranged from summer trysts to lifelong commitments.
Here, Washington Irving paints a picture of the wife of a free trapper.

“The free trapper, while a bachelor, has no greater pet than his horse; but the moment he takes a
wife (a sort of brevet rank in matrimony occasionally bestowed upon some Indian fair one, like
the heroes of ancient chivalry in the open field), he discovers that he has a still more fanciful and
capricious animal on which to lavish his expenses.
“As to her own person, she is even still more extravagant. Her hair, esteemed beautiful in proportion
to its length, is carefully plaited, and made to fall with seeming negligence over either breast.
Her riding hat is stuck full of parti-colored feathers; her robe, fashioned somewhat after that of
the whites, is of red, green, and sometimes gray cloth, but always of the finest texture that can be
procured. Her leggings and moccasins are of the most beautiful and expensive workman-ship,
and fitted neatly to the foot and ankle, which with the Indian woman are generally well formed
and delicate. Then as to jewelry: in the way of finger-rings, ear-rings, necklaces, and other female
glories, nothing within reach of the trapper’s means is omitted that can tend to impress the beholder
with an idea of the lady’s high estate. To finish the whole, she selects from among her blankets
of various dyes one of some glowing color, and throwing it over her shoulders with a native
grace, vaults into the saddle of her gay, prancing steed, and is ready to follow her mountaineer ‘to
the last gasp with love and loyalty.’ “

Trapper's Bride by Alfred Jacob Miller

Long legged drink of water..

"I packed a squaw along before.
Six year.
Damnedest slut as ever cried for foofaraw.
Always wanting vermilion...
...and blue beads and mirrors and such.
Bedding down with every buck
that come her way.
She was pretty, though."

From The Mountain Men, Henry Frapp played by Brian Keith.

These country marriages weren't just a convenience for the mountain men. It produced relationships with the tribes they married into that were invaluable in gaining access to trade and territory to trap. Indian women liked becoming mountain men's wives as they were generally better treated than by Indian husbands. As Washington Irving alluded to, the mountain men vied to have the best looking gal on the best looking bejeweled horse in camp.

And for their part Indian women were very skilled at making camp, sewing, stretching pelts and all the other mundane tasks out there.

Joe Meek was given an Indian wife by his Booshway Milton Sublette when Milton had to return to the settlements with health issues. The beautiful Shoshone "Mountain Lamb" was killed by the Blackfeet in a raid and eventually at the end of the rockies fur trade era Meek married a Nez Perce chief's daughter who was 15 at the time. Named Virginia by Meek, she ended up outliving Meek after they settled in Oregon. They had about 11 kids. Our late OTA president Bob Gilman has a son that married a gal that is a descendant of Meek and his wife Virginia.

Here's a little tale from River of the West (Meek's biography, about Meek defending his beautiful Snake girl, Umentucken Tukutsey Undewatsey

but one of the braves who was promenading
about camp inspecting whatever came in his way, chanced to strike Umentucken with a whip he
carried in his hand, by way of displaying his superiority to squaws in general, and trappers’ wives
in particular. It was an unlucky blow for the brave, for in another instant he rolled on the ground,
shot dead by a bullet from Meek’s gun.
At this rash act the camp was in confusion. Yells from the Crows, who took the act as a signal for
war; hasty questions, and cries of command; arming and shooting. It was some time before the
case could be explained or understood. The Crows had two or three of their party shot; the whites
also lost a man. After the unpremeditated fight was over, and the Crows departed not thoroughly
satisfied with the explanation, Bridger went round to Meek’s lodge.
“Well, you raised a (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) of a row in camp; “ said the commander, rolling out his deep bass voice in
the slow monotonous tones which mountain men very quickly acquire from the Indians.
“Very sorry, Bridger; but couldn’t help it. No devil of an Indian shall strike Meek’s wife.”
“But you got a man killed.”
“Sorry for the man; couldn’t help it, though, Bridger.”

Good one k snow.

This is also lifted from Vestal's book on Meek: "The Merry mountain Man". Advice "Blackfoot" Smith once gave to Kit Carson:

" 'Válgame Dios! Your shanty is a pore make-out compared tho this hyar Injun lodge. Leaky and cold and open to the weather, and whar's the fire when you come in at night half froze for a hot kettle of soup? And your fingers too cold to strike a light. Why should you freeze all winter like a starvin' coyote? Your rifle shoots plumb-center; she makes 'em come; you kin throw plenty of fat cow, and you know where to lay hands on a pack of beaver when you want it. It's time you womaned, Kit, and that's a fact. ' "

" 'Maybe you're thinkin' of some sickly gal from the settlements, thin as a rail and pale as a ghost, pretty as a pitcher and so fofurraw she's good for nothin'. Maybeso you've sot yore eyes on some wench to Taos or Santy Fee. Do you hear now? Leave the Spanish slut to her greasers and the pale-face gal to them that knows no better. Put out and trap a squaw, and the sooner the better.

" ' What a mountain man wants is an Injun woman--one who can pack a mule, make meat, dress robes, make moccasins, cook, pitch a lodge, ride all day and then give birth to a likely young 'un after sundown. Look at me, Kit. I'm warm, I'm comfortable, I'm happy as a bear in winter quarters, with the old gal setting' hyar beside me. When I come home at night, froze stiff with cold and starvin', I kin see the big taller lodge all lit up like a lantern among the pines, and I know when I go in, thar the old gal will be, with a good fire burnin' and the kettle steamin'. And before I kin get out of my wet moccasins and peel off my coat, my woman will have the warm water ready for my feet and a bowl of coffee under my nose. Then I kin set and smoke my pipe and listen to the lonesome wolf a-howlin' on the hills and wind roarin' through the pine-trees. Do you hear now? My old gal is some, she is. I wouldn't swap her for all the beaver in Bent's big lodge. She kin make a home for me whatever grass grows. And you kin lay to that!' "

....Savell may recall that I posted this story on his thread announcing he was going to get married many many years ago. I guess the pale-face gal worked out just fine for him though!