first across the continent-第12章

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appeared　from　the　face　of　the　earth。　Just　after　the　opening　of　the　Northern　Pacific　Railway；　in　1883；　a　band　of　sixty　buffaloes　were　heard　of；　far　to　the　southward　of　Bismarck；　and　a　party　was　organized　to　hunt　them。　The　BOLD　hunters　afterwards　boasted　that　they　killed　every　one　of　this　little　band　of　survivors　of　their　race。

The　men　were　now　（in　the　middle　of　May）　greatly　troubled　with　boils；　abscesses；　and　inflamed　eyes；　caused　by　the　poison　of　the　alkali　that　covered　much　of　the　ground　and　corrupted　the　water。　Here　is　an　entry　in　the　journal　of　May　11：

〃About　five　in　the　afternoon　one　of　our　men　＇Bratton＇；　who　had　been　afflicted　with　boils　and　suffered　to　walk　on　shore；　came　running　to　the　boats　with　loud　cries；　and　every　symptom　of　terror　and　distress。　For　some　time　after　we　had　taken　him　on　board　he　was　so　much　out　of　breath　as　to　be　unable　to　describe　the　cause　of　his　anxiety；　but　he　at　length　told　us　that　about　a　mile　and　a　half　below　he　had　shot　a　brown　bear；　which　immediately　turned　and　was　in　close　pursuit　of　him；　but　the　bear　being　badly　wounded　could　not　overtake　him。　Captain　Lewis；　with　seven　men；　immediately　went　in　search　of　him；　having　found　his　track　they　followed　him　by　the　blood　for　a　mile；　found　him　concealed　in　some　thick　brushwood；　and　shot　him　with　two　balls　through　the　skull。　　Though　somewhat　smaller　than　that　killed　a　few　days　ago；　he　was　a　monstrous　animal；　and　a　most　terrible　enemy。　Our　man　had　shot　him　through　the　centre　of　the　lungs；　yet　he　had　pursued　him　furiously　for　half　a　mile；　then　returned　more　than　twice　that　distance；　and　with　his　talons　prepared　himself　a　bed　in　the　earth　two　feet　deep　and　five　feet　long；　he　was　perfectly　alive　when　they　found　him；　which　was　at　least　two　hours　after　he　had　received　the　wound。　The　wonderful　power　of　life　which　these　animals　possess　renders　them　dreadful；　their　very　track　in　the　mud　or　sand；　which　we　have　sometimes　found　eleven　inches　long　and　seven　and　one…fourth　wide；　exclusive　of　the　talons；　is　alarming；　and　we　had　rather　encounter　two　Indians　than　meet　a　single　brown　bear。　　There　is　no　chance　of　killing　them　by　a　single　shot　unless　the　ball　goes　through　the　brain；　and　this　is　very　difficult　on　account　of　two　large　muscles　which　cover　the　side　of　the　forehead　and　the　sharp　projection　of　the　centre　of　the　frontal　bone；　which　is　also　thick。

〃Our　camp　was　on　the　south；　at　the　distance　of　sixteen　miles　from　that　of　last　night。　　The　fleece　and　skin　of　the　bear　were　a　heavy　burden　for　two　men；　and　the　oil　amounted　to　eight　gallons。〃

The　name　of　the　badly…scared　Bratton　was　bestowed　upon　a　creek　which　discharges　into　the　Missouri　near　the　scene　of　this　encounter。　Game　continued　to　be　very　abundant。　　On　the　fourteenth；　according　to　the　journal；　the　hunters　were　hunted；　to　their　great　discomfiture。　The　account　says：

〃Toward　evening　the　men　in　the　hindmost　canoes　discovered　a　large　brown　＇grizzly＇　bear　lying　in　the　open　grounds；　about　three　hundred　paces　from　the　river。　　Six　of　them；　all　good　hunters；　immediately　went　to　attack　him；　and　concealing　themselves　by　a　small　eminence　came　unperceived　within　forty　paces　of　him。　Four　of　the　hunters　now　fired；　and　each　lodged　a　ball　in　his　body；　two　of　them　directly　through　the　lungs。　The　furious　animal　sprang　up　and　ran　open…mouthed　upon　them。

〃As　he　came　near；　the　two　hunters　who　had　reserved　their　fire　gave　him　two　wounds；　one　of　which；　breaking　his　shoulder；　retarded　his　motion　for　a　moment；　but　before　they　could　reload　he　was　so　near　that　they　were　obliged　to　run　to　the　river；　and　before　they　had　reached　it　he　had　almost　overtaken　them。　Two　jumped　into　the　canoe；　the　other　four　separated；　and；　concealing　themselves　in　the　willows；　fired　as　fast　as　they　could　reload。　They　struck　him　several　times；　but；　instead　of　weakening　the　monster；　each　shot　seemed　only　to　direct　him　towards　the　hunters；　till　at　last　he　pursued　two　of　them　so　closely　that　they　threw　aside　their　guns　and　pouches；　and　jumped　down　a　perpendicular　bank　of　twenty　feet　into　the　river：　　the　bear　sprang　after　them；　and　was　within　a　few　feet　of　the　hindmost；　when　one　of　the　hunters　on　shore　shot　him　in　the　head；　and　finally　killed　him。　They　dragged　him　to　the　shore；　and　found　that　eight　balls　had　passed　through　him　in　different　directions。　　The　bear　was　old；　and　the　meat　tough；　so　that　they　took　the　skin　only；　and　rejoined　us　at　camp；　where　we　had　been　as　much　terrified　by　an　accident　of　a　different　kind。

〃This　was　the　narrow　escape　of　one　of　our　canoes；　containing　all　our　papers；　instruments；　medicine；　and　almost　every　article　indispensable　for　the　success　of　our　enterprise。　　The　canoe　being　under　sail；　a　sudden　squall　of　wind　struck　her　obliquely　and　turned　her　considerably。　The　man　at　the　helm；　who　was　unluckily　the　worst　steersman　of　the　party；　became　alarmed；　and；　instead　of　putting　her　before　the　wind；　luffed　her　up　into　it。　　The　wind　was　so　high　that　it　forced　the　brace　of　the　square…sail　out　of　the　hand　of　the　man　who　was　attending　it；　and　instantly　upset　the　canoe；　which　would　have　been　turned　bottom　upward　but　for　the　resistance　made　by　the　awning。　　Such　was　the　confusion　on　board；　and　the　waves　ran　so　high；　that　it　was　half　a　minute　before　she　righted；　and　then　nearly　full　of　water；　but　by　bailing　her　out　she　was　kept　from　sinking　until　they　rowed　ashore。　Besides　the　loss　of　the　lives　of　three　men；　who；　not　being　able　to　swim；　would　probably　have　perished；　we　should　have　been　deprived　of　nearly　everything　necessary　for　our　purposes；　at　a　distance　of　between　two　and　three　thousand　miles　from　any　place　where　we　could　supply　the　deficiency。〃

Fortunately；　there　was　no　great　loss　from　this　accident；　which　was　caused　by　the　clumsiness　and　timidity　of　the　steersman；　Chaboneau。　　Captain　Lewis's　account　of　the　incident　records　that　the　conduct　of　Chaboneau's　wife；　Sacajawea；　was　better　than　that　of　her　cowardly　husband。　　He　says：

〃The　Indian　woman；　to　whom　I　ascribe　equal　fortitude　and　resolution　with　any　person　on　board　at　the　time　of　the　accident；　caught　and　preserved　most　of　the　light　articles　which　were　washed　overboard。〃



Chapter　IX

In　the　Solitudes　of　the　Upper　Missouri

Under　date　of　May　17；　the　journal　of　the　party　has　the　following　interesting　entries：

〃We　set　out　early　and　proceeded　on　very　well；　the　banks　being　firm　and　the　shore　bold；　we　were　enabled　to　use　the　towline；　which；　whenever　the　banks　will　permit　it；　is　the　safest　and　most　expeditious　mode　of　ascending　the　river；　except　under　sail　with　a　steady　breeze。　　At　the　distance　of　ten　and　one…half　miles　we　came　to　the　mouth　of　a　small　creek　on　the　south；　below　which　the　hills　approach　the　river；　and　continue　near　it　during　the　day。　Three　miles　further　is　a　large　creek　on　the　north；　and　again；　six　and　three…quarters　miles　beyond　this；　is　another　large　creek；　to　the　south；　both　containing　a　small　quantity　of　running　water；　of　a　brackish　taste。　The　last　we　called　Rattlesnake　Creek；　from　our　seeing　that　animal　near　it。　Although　no　timber　can　be　observed　on　it　from　the　Missouri；　it　throws　out　large　quantities　of　driftwood；　among　which　were　some　pieces　of　coal　brought　down　by　the　stream。　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

The　game　is　in　great　quantities；　but　the　buffalo　are　not　so　numerous　as　they　were　some　days　ago；　two　rattlesnakes　were　seen　to…day；　and　one　of　them　was　killed。　　It　resembles　those　of　the　Middle　Atlantic　States；　being　about　thirty　inches　long；　of　a　yellowish　brown　on　the　back　and　sides；　variegated　with　a　row　of　oval　dark　brown　spots　lying　transversely　on　the　back　from　the　neck　to　the　tail；　and　two　other　rows　of　circular　spots　of　the　same　color　on　the　sides　along　the　edge　of　the　scuta；　there　are　one　hundred　and　seventy…six　scuta　on　the　belly；　and　seventeen　on　the　tail。〃

Two　days　later；　the　journal　records　that　one　of　the　party　killed　a　grizzly　bear；　〃which；　though　shot　through　the　heart；　ran　at　his　usual　pace　nearly　a　quarter　of　a　mile　before　he　fell。〃

The　mouth　of　the　Musselshell　River；　which　was　one　of　the　notable　points　that　marked　another　stage　in　the　journey；　was　reached　on　the　twentieth　of　May。　　This　stream　empties　into　the　Missouri　two　thousand　two　hundred　and　seventy　miles　above　its　mouth；　and　is　still　known　by　the　name　given　it　by　its　discoverers。　The　journal　says：

〃It　is　one　hundred　and　ten　yards　wide；　and　contains　more　water　than　streams　of　that　size　usually　do　in　this　country；　its　current　is　by　no　means　rapid；　and　there　is　every　appearance　of　its　being　susceptible　of　navigation　by　canoes　for　a　considerable　distance。　Its　bed　is　chiefly　formed　of　coarse　sand　and　gravel；　with　an　occasional　mixture　of　black　mud；　the　banks　are　abrupt　and　nearly　twelve　feet　high；　so　that　they　are　secure　from　being　overflowed；　the　water　is　of　a　greenish…yellow　cast；　and　much　more　transparent　than　that　of　the　Missouri；　which　itself；　though　clearer　than　below；　still　retains　its　whitish　hue　and　a　portion　of　its　sediment。　Opposite　the　point　of　junction　the　current　of　the　Missouri　is　gentle；　and　two　hundred　and　twenty…two　yards　in　width；　the　bed　is　principally　of　mud；　the　little　sand　remaining　being　wholly　confined　to　the　points；　and　the　water　is　still　too　deep　to　use　the　setting…pole。

〃If　this　be；　as　we　suppose；　the　Musselshell；　our　Indian　information　is　that　it　rises　in　the　first　chain　of　the　Rocky　mountains　not　far　from　the　sources　of　the　Yellowstone；　whence　in　its　course　to　this　place　it　waters　a　high　broken　country；　well　timbered；　particularly　on　its　borders；　and　interspersed　with　handsome　fertile　plains　and　meadows。　We　have　reason；　however；　to　believe；　from　their　giving　a　similar　account　of　the　timber　where　we　now　are；　that　the　timber　of　which　they　speak　is　similar　to　that　which　we　have　seen　for　a　few　days　past；　which　consists　of　nothing　more　than　a　few　straggling　small　pines　and　dwarf　cedars　on　the　summits　of　the　hills；　nine…tenths　of　the　ground　being　totally　destitute　of　wood；　and　covered　with　short　grass；　aromatic　herbs；　and　an　immense　quantity　of　prickly…pear；　though　the　party　who　explored　it　for　eight　miles　represented　the　low　grounds　on　the　river　to　be　well　supplied　with　cottonwood　of　a　tolerable　size；　and　of　an　excellent　soil。　They　also　report　that　the　country　is　broken　and　irregular；　like　that　near　our　camp；　and　that　about　five　miles　up；　a　handsome　river；　about　fifty　yards　wide；　which　we　named　after　Chaboneau's　wife；　Sacajawea's　or　the　Bird…woman's　River；　discharges　into　the　Musselshell　on　the　north　or　upper　side。〃

Later　explorations　have　shown　that　the　Musselshell　rises　in　the　Little　Belt　Mountains；　considerably　to　the　north　of　the　sources　of　the　Yellowstone。　　Modern　geography　has　also　taken　from　the　good　Sacajawea　the　honor　of　having　her　name　bestowed　on　one　of　the　branches　of　the　Musselshell。　　The　stream　once　named　for　her　is　now　known　as　Crooked　Creek：　　it　joins　the　river　near　its　mouth；　in　the　central　portion　of　Montana。　　The　journal；　under　date　of　May　22；　has　this　entry：

〃The　river　＇the　Missouri＇　continues　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　yards　wide；　with　fewer　sand…bars；　and　the　current　more　gentle　and　regular。　　Game　is　no　longer　in　such　abundance　since　leaving　the　Musselshell。　　We　have　caught　very　few　fish　on　this　side　of　the　Mandans；　and　these　were　the　white　catfish；　of　two　to　five　pounds。　We　killed　a　deer　and　a　bear。　　We　have　not　seen　in　this　quarter　the