AT THE FOOT OF THE ROCKIES
"THE time is coming, and very soon at that, I guess, Dick, when we must
expect a great change in our going."
Roger made this remark some two weeks after their adventure with the
rascally Dacotahs, who had been misled by the false words of Andrew
Waller. All this while the whites had been steadfastly pushing farther
and farther up the narrowing Missouri, until navigation had become very
difficult.
"Yes, I know what you mean by that," remarked Dick. "Every day now we
are having more and more trouble with the batteaux. They get aground so
often that much valuable time is wasted in freeing them."
"It looks as if we might be nearly at the headwaters of the Missouri,
the river is getting so shallow," Roger observed.
"That is probably partly due to the time of year," explained Dick. "We
are well along in August, you must remember, and the snow doesn't melt
as easily up in the mountain canyons now as it did earlier in the
season. Besides, we have had little heavy rain, if you stop to think."
"What do you expect Captain Lewis will do, Dick?"
"I heard him saying only to-day, when they were working at the boat
which stuck on the shoal, that it looked as though the limit had been
reached. You understand what that means, of course, Roger?"
"I believe I do," was the reply. "From what I've picked up here and
there it appears to be the plan to leave part of the expedition in camp
somewhere along the upper reaches of the Missouri until next year,
while the rest make a dash for the Coast on the horses."
"It was fixed," continued Dick, "that Captain Clark should lead the
party headed for the sea; but I have heard since that Captain Lewis
has changed his mind. He doesn't feel like being cheated out of that
glorious sight after all he has passed through."
"And who can blame him?" burst out the impetuous Roger. "I only hope
they let us keep along with them. We have a horse apiece, you know, and
could easily hold our own when it came to hunting for game."
"Captain Lewis promised that we should set eyes on the sea if any one
in the party did, and he is a man of his word, you know."
"I should never get over the disappointment," declared Roger, "if
anything prevented us from keeping on to the end. We have made great
sacrifices in order to be in the company. Besides, I am fairly burning
to set eyes on some of the many wonders we expect to meet with in
crossing the big mountains of rock. The Indians have kept telling us
about strange animals to be encountered there."
"Those mountains," Dick went on to say, "are the home of the terrible
brown bear which Captain Lewis has called the grizzly. We know how they
can fight, because we had an experience in a cave with one that we're
not likely ever to forget."[5]
"Yes," added Roger, "and according to the Indians' way of doing, we're
entitled to wear those dreadful claws around our necks, after slaying
the monster at close quarters. Whenever you run across an Indian with
the claws of a grizzly bear worn as a necklace you can count on it that
he's proved his right to the name of warrior.
"Then we've also heard of a beast living among the crags of these
mountains that has immense curved horns, upon which he alights after
throwing himself from some lofty height. That may be only a fairy
story, but I'd like to see for myself if there's any truth in it.
"As for me, Dick, I've already made up my mind that I'll shoot one of
those queer beasts, and get a sample of the curved horns, if ever the
chance comes my way. Just yesterday I was thinking of the wonderful
tracks we saw when we were having that adventure with the Dacotahs, and
hoping that some of these fine days we might come upon the animal that
made them."
"I have tried my best, Roger, to learn what the beast looks like, and
the nearest any Indian has been able to tell is that once in a while
a monster of the deer tribe is seen in these regions. None of the
trappers in our party have an idea what it can be, save Batiste, who
declares he has shot just such a great beast up in Canada."
"Then he must mean a moose!" exclaimed Roger, looking intensely
interested. "Come to think of it now, I don't see why a moose might not
wander over here. They live only in cold countries, I am told, but in
the winter it must be bitter enough up here to please any one."
Just as the boys had said, when talking matters over between
themselves, the river had become so shallow that it was folly to try to
push the heavy batteaux any further up the current.
Accordingly, a permanent camp was to be established on the river bank,
where a part of the men would be left in as comfortable circumstances
as the conditions permitted. Here they were to stay until they were
rejoined the following summer by the returning explorers, after they
had been to the Coast.
Those who were to be left behind were to establish relations and make
friends with the neighboring Indian tribes, serve them as physicians,
and do what hunting was necessary.
Of course the scene in the camp that night was an unusual one. The men
who were to accompany the two captains had been advised of their good
fortune, and, while they showed signs of pleasure, at the same time
they knew that the final stages of the big journey would be filled with
peril, so, in one way, they really envied those who could stay behind
in comfort and peace.
There was an air of half-suppressed excitement throughout the camp as
the men conferred together, exchanged some of their possessions, and in
numerous ways made ready for the parting that was coming so soon.
Captain Lewis did not have many preparations to make, for all along
he and his able ally had seen that everything was kept at the highest
notch of efficiency.
"I really do believe," said Roger, as he and his chum sat watching the
many sights of the camp that evening, "that Captain Lewis has planned
for every little thing that could happen; and whoever is left in charge
here will know what he is to do from day to day, just as if he got his
orders fresh from headquarters."
"That is partly the result of having a man like Captain Clark along,"
explained Dick. "He believes in method, and carries his ideas out as
a military man should. Captain Lewis could not have found a better
companion for his venture than he did."
"It is settled that we are to go along with them, of course?" fretted
Roger, who knew perfectly well that this matter had been arranged, but
wanted to hear his comrade say so.
"We have the word of the commander for it, and that ought to be enough,
Roger."
One whole day they spent in the camp by the river so that nothing
should be neglected. Then, on the following morning, bright and early
the good-bys were said, and the little party, mounted on the horses,
set out to plunge still deeper into the unknown wilderness toward the
glittering prize that tempted them--the sun-kissed sea that lay far
away over mountains and across burning deserts.
It was only natural that every one should be more or less affected over
the parting. None of them could tell what the future held. Surrounded
by a trackless wilderness, many hundreds of miles from a single white
man's village, and with treacherous savages to deal with, the chances
of their ever coming together again seemed very remote.
During that day both the boys were inclined to be unusually quiet and
thoughtful. Indeed, for that matter, every one of the riders seemed to
have lost his ordinary spirits, although, of course, this feeling of
depression would soon wear away, and by degrees the men would learn to
face the situation bravely.
It was evident to every one that the party was now approaching the
foothills of those great mountains of which so much had been heard.
Captain Lewis knew that, in order to cross them with as little hard
work as possible, they must head for a pass of which they had been told
by some of the Indians. Unless they could find this, their efforts
would be in vain, and they must turn back, defeated in their daring
plans.
Three days after leaving their comrades the advancing party came to a
good camping ground early in the afternoon, and, as the horses were
really in need of a rest, it was concluded to stop here for the night.
This was an opportunity the two boys had been waiting for, and they had
little difficulty in getting permission from the commander to indulge
themselves in a short hunt.
The camp was in need of fresh meat, though not desperately so; and
if only a deer could be taken it would afford them a few good meals.
Captain Lewis, knowing Roger's headstrong ways, took particular pains
to caution them before they set out.
"See that you take no unnecessary chances, my boys," was what he had
said. "We would be very sorry, indeed, to have to bear your parents
bad news when next we see St. Louis. But I feel that, so long as Dick
is along, you will be careful. And, if you can bring the carcass of a
young deer back with you, so much the better."
It was a fine afternoon in late summer. There did not seem to be any
sign of stormy weather in prospect, from which fact the boys felt sure
they would not be compelled to look for a hollow tree as before.
First of all they were wise enough to take their bearings, for they
certainly did not want to lose themselves in the vast wilderness, since
they could no longer depend on finding their friends by simply hunting
for the river.
Then the next thing was to hunt up into the wind. This was, of course,
done so that if they were approaching some keen-nosed game the animal
might not scent their presence, and depart before they could get a
chance to fire a single shot.
It was a wild section of country. They could see, beyond, the mighty
barrier of mountains that stood between them and their goal. The woods
were composed of scrub trees, with openings here and there; though in
most sections, east of the chain of mountains, prairie land existed.
From where they looked up to the dizzy heights, the sides of the
mountains seemed bleak and rocky. They had been told, however, that on
the western slope vegetation grew plentifully, as the winds from the
ocean brought much rain, though little of this crossed the divide.
The boys pursued their hunt for nearly an hour without coming upon any
game, although they saw plenty of signs of it, and were always counting
on making a discovery. Versed in forest lore, they knew how to creep
along without making any sound likely to give warning of their approach.
All conversation had been tabooed long since, for even Roger knew that
an incautious word might spoil their plans, and give the unseen deer
notice of their presence in the vicinity.
It was while they were thus moving along that Dick suddenly thrust out
a hand and drew his companion to a standstill. Roger turned his head
quickly, as though he did not comprehend what this meant, only to see
Dick's finger pressed on his lips to indicate silence.
At the same moment Roger himself caught the low thud of hoofs. Some
animal was certainly approaching them, and the singular "clicking" that
accompanied each thud told them the beast must have cloven hoofs like
those of a deer.
A few seconds passed during which the strange sounds grew louder, and
then, as the bushes parted, the two boys gazed upon a sight such as had
never before greeted their astonished eyes.
FOOTNOTE:
[5] See "The Pioneer Boys of the Yellowstone."