first across the continent-第5章

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se　who　practise　it；　so　that　the　band　is　now　reduced　to　four　warriors；　who　were　among　our　visitors。　These　were　the　remains　of　twenty…two　who　composed　the　society　not　long　ago；　but；　in　a　battle　with　the　Kite　（Crow）　Indians　of　the　Black　Mountains；　eighteen　of　them　were　killed；　and　these　four　were　dragged　from　the　field　by　their　companions。〃

Just　above　the　site　of　the　city　of　Yankton；　and　near　what　is　still　known　as　Bon　Homme　Island；　Captain　Clark　explored　a　singular　earth　formation　in　a　bend　of　the　river。　This　had　all　the　appearance　of　an　ancient　fortification；　stretching　across　the　bend　and　furnished　with　redoubts　and　other　features　of　a　great　fort。　　In　the　journal　is　given　a　glowing　account　of　the　work　and　an　elaborate　map　of　the　same。　Modern　research；　however；　has　proved　that　this　strange　arrangement　of　walls　and　parapets　is　only　a　series　of　sand　ridges　formed　by　the　currents　of　the　river　and　driftings　of　sand。　Many　of　these　so…called　earthworks　are　situated　on　the　west　bank　of　the　Upper　Missouri；　in　North　Dakota　and　South　Dakota。

A　few　days　later；　the　party　saw　a　species　of　animal　which　they　described　as　〃goats；〃very　fleet；　with　short　pronged　horns　inclining　backward；　and　with　grayish　hair；　marked　with　white　on　the　rump。　This　creature；　however；　was　the　American　antelope；　then　unknown　to　science；　and　first　described　by　Lewis　and　Clark。　　While　visiting　a　strange　dome…shaped　mountain；　〃resembling　a　cupola；〃　and　now　known　as　〃the　Tower；〃　the　explorers　found　the　abode　of　another　animal；　heretofore　unknown　to　them。　　〃About　four　acres　of　ground；〃　says　the　journal；　〃was　covered　with　small　holes。〃　　The　account　continues：　〃These　are　the　residence　of　a　little　animal；　called　by　the　French　petit　chien　（little　dog）；　which　sit　erect　near　the　mouth；　and　make　a　whistling　noise；　but；　when　alarmed；　take　refuge　in　their　holes。　In　order　to　bring　them　out　we　poured　into　one　of　the　holes　five　barrels　of　water　without　filling　it；　but　we　dislodged　and　caught　the　owner。　After　digging　down　another　of　the　holes　for　six　feet；　we　found；　on　running　a　pole　into　it；　that　we　had　not　yet　dug　half…way　to　the　bottom：　we　discovered；　however；　two　frogs　in　the　hole；　and　near　it　we　killed　a　dark　rattlesnake；　which　had　swallowed　a　small　prairie　dog。　We　were　also　informed；　though　we　never　witnessed　the　fact；　that　a　sort　of　lizard　and　a　snake　live　habitually　with　these　animals。　The　petit　chien　are　justly　named；　as　they　resemble　a　small　dog　in　some　particulars；　although　they　have　also　some　points　of　similarity　to　the　squirrel。　　The　head　resembles　the　squirrel　in　every　respect；　except　that　the　ear　is　shorter；　the　tail　like　that　of　the　ground　squirrel；　the　toe　nails　are　long；　the　fur　is　fine；　and　the　long　hair　is　gray。〃

Great　confusion　has　been　caused　in　the　minds　of　readers　on　account　of　there　being　another　burrowing　animal；　called　by　Lewis　and　Clark　〃the　burrowing　squirrel；〃　which　resembles　the　petit　chien　in　some　respects。　But　the　little　animal　described　here　is　now　well　known　as　the　prairie…dog；an　unfortunate　and　misleading　name。　　It　is　in　no　sense　a　species　of　dog。　The　creature　commonly　weighs　about　three　pounds；　and　its　note　resembles　that　of　a　toy…dog。　It　is　a　species　of　marmot；　it　subsists　on　grass　roots　and　other　vegetable　products；　its　flesh　is　delicate　and；　when　fat；　of　good　flavor。　The　writer　of　these　lines；　when　crossing　the　great　plains；　in　early　times；　found　the　〃prairie…dogs〃　excellent　eating；　but　difficult　to　kill；　they　are　expert　at　diving　into　their　holes　at　the　slightest　signal　of　danger。

The　following　days　they　saw　large　herds　of　buffalo；　and　the　copses　of　timber　appeared　to　contain　elk　and　deer。　　〃just　below　Cedar　Island；〃　adds　the　journal；　〃on　a　hill　to　the　south；　is　the　backbone　of　a　fish；　forty…five　feet　long；　tapering　towards　the　tail；　and　in　a　perfect　state　of　petrifaction；　fragments　of　which　were　collected　and　sent　to　Washington。〃　　This　was　not　a　fish；　but　the　fossil　remains　of　a　reptile　of　one　of　the　earliest　geological　periods。　Here；　too；　the　party　saw　immense　herds　of　buffalo；　thousands　in　number；　some　of　which　they　killed　for　their　meat　and　skins。　　They　also　saw　elk；　deer；　turkeys；　grouse；　beaver；　and　prairie…dogs。　The　journal　bitterly　complains　of　the　〃moschetoes；〃　which　were　very　troublesome。　As　mosquitoes　we　now　know　them。

Oddly　enough；　the　journal　sometimes　speaks　of　〃goats〃　and　sometimes　of　〃antelopes；〃　and　the　same　animal　is　described　in　both　instances。　Here　is　a　good　story　of　the　fleetness　of　the　beautiful　creature：

〃Of　all　the　animals　we　had　seen；　the　antelope　seems　to　possess　the　most　wonderful　fleetness。　　Shy　and　timorous；　they　generally　repose　only　on　the　ridges；　which　command　a　view　of　all　the　approaches　of　an　enemy：　the　acuteness　of　their　sight　distinguishes　the　most　distant　danger；　the　delicate　sensibility　of　their　smell　defeats　the　precautions　of　concealment；　and；　when　alarmed；　their　rapid　career　seems　more　like　the　flight　of　birds　than　the　movements　of　a　quadruped。　After　many　unsuccessful　attempts；　Captain　Lewis　at　last；　by　winding　around　the　ridges；　approached　a　party　of　seven；　which　were　on　an　eminence　towards　which　the　wind　was　unfortunately　blowing。　The　only　male　of　the　party　frequently　encircled　the　summit　of　the　hill；　as　if　to　announce　any　danger　to　the　females；　which　formed　a　group　at　the　top。　Although　they　did　not　see　Captain　Lewis；　the　smell　alarmed　them；　and　they　fled　when　he　was　at　the　distance　of　two　hundred　yards：　he　immediately　ran　to　the　spot　where　they　had　been；　a　ravine　concealed　them　from　him；　but　the　next　moment　they　appeared　on　a　second　ridge；　at　the　distance　of　three　miles。　　He　doubted　whether　they　could　be　the　same；　but　their　number；　and　the　extreme　rapidity　with　which　they　continued　their　course；　convinced　him　that　they　must　have　gone　with　a　speed　equal　to　that　of　the　most　distinguished　race…horse。　Among　our　acquisitions　to…day　were　a　mule…deer；　a　magpie；　a　common　deer；　and　buffalo：　Captain　Lewis　also　saw　a　hare；　and　killed　a　rattlesnake　near　the　burrows　of　the　barking　squirrels。〃

By　〃barking　squirrels〃　the　reader　must　understand　that　the　animal　better　known　as　the　prairie…dog　is　meant；　and　the　mule…deer；　as　the　explorers　called　it；　was　not　a　hybrid；　but　a　deer　with　very　long　ears；　better　known　afterwards　as　the　black…tailed　deer。〃

At　the　Big　Bend　of　the　Missouri；　in　the　heart　of　what　is　now　South　Dakota；　while　camped　on　a　sand…bar；　the　explorers　had　a　startling　experience。　〃Shortly　after　midnight；〃　says　the　journal；　〃the　sleepers　were　startled　by　the　sergeant　on　guard　crying　out　that　the　sand…bar　was　sinking；　and　the　alarm　was　timely　given；　for　scarcely　had　they　got　off　with　the　boats　before　the　bank　under　which　they　had　been　lying　fell　in；　and　by　the　time　the　opposite　shore　was　reached；　the　ground　on　which　they　had　been　encamped　sunk　also。　A　man　who　was　sent　to　step　off　the　distance　across　the　head　of　the　bend；　made　it　but　two　thousand　yards；　while　its　circuit　is　thirty　miles。〃

The　next　day；　three　Sioux　boys　swam　the　river　and　told　them　that　two　parties　of　their　nation；　one　of　eighty　lodges；　and　one　of　sixty　lodges；　were　camped　up　the　river；　waiting　to　have　a　palaver　with　the　white　explorers。　These　were　Teton　Sioux；　and　the　river　named　for　them　still　bears　that　title。



Chapter　V

From　the　Tetons　to　the　Mandans

〃On　the　morning　of　September　25th；〃　says　the　journal；　〃we　raised　a　flagstaff　and　an　awning；　under　which　we　assembled；　with　all　the　party　parading　under　arms。　　The　chiefs　and　warriors；　from　the　camps　two　miles　up　the　river；　met　us；　about　fifty　or　sixty　in　number；　and　after　smoking　we　delivered　them　a　speech；　but　as　our　Sioux　interpreter；　M。　Durion；　had　been　left　with　the　Yanktons；　we　were　obliged　to　make　use　of　a　Frenchman　who　could　not　speak　fluently；　and　therefore　we　curtailed　our　harangue。　After　this　we　went　through　the　ceremony　of　acknowledging　the　chiefs；　by　giving　to　the　grand　chief　a　medal；　a　flag　of　the　United　States；　a　laced　uniform　coat；　a　cocked　hat　and　feather；　to　the　two　other　chiefs；　a　medal　and　some　small　presents；　and　to　two　warriors　of　consideration；　certificates。　The　name　of　the　great　chief　is　Untongasabaw；　or　Black　Buffalo；　the　second；　Tortohonga；　or　the　Partisan；　the　third；　Tartongawaka；　or　Buffalo　Medicine；　the　name　of　one　of　the　warriors　was　Wawzinggo；　that　of　the　second；　Matocoquepa；　or　Second　Bear。　　We　then　invited　the　chiefs　on　board；　and　showed　them　the　boat；　the　air…gun；　and　such　curiosities　as　we　thought　might　amuse　them。　　In　this　we　succeeded　too　well；　for；　after　giving　them　a　quarter　of　a　glass　of　whiskey；　which　they　seemed　to　like　very　much；　and　sucked　the　bottle；　it　was　with　much　difficulty　that　we　could　get　rid　of　them。　They　at　last　accompanied　Captain　Clark　on　shore；　in　a　pirogue　with　five　men；　but　it　seems　they　had　formed　a　design　to　stop　us；　for　no　sooner　had　the　party　landed　than　three　of　the　Indians　seized　the　cable　of　the　pirogue；　and　one　of　the　soldiers　of　the　chief　put　his　arms　round　the　mast。　　The　second　chief；　who　affected　intoxication；　then　said　that　we　should　not　go　on；　that　they　had　not　received　presents　enough　from　us。　Captain　Clark　told　him　that　he　would　not　be　prevented　from　going　on；　that　we　were　not　squaws；　but　warriors；　that　we　were　sent　by　our　great　father；　who　could　in　a　moment　exterminate　them。　The　chief　replied　that　he　too　had　warriors；　and　was　proceeding　to　offer　personal　violence　to　Captain　Clark；　who　immediately　drew　his　sword；　and　made　a　signal　to　the　boat　to　prepare　for　action。　The　Indians；　who　surrounded　him；　drew　their　arrows　from　their　quivers；　and　were　bending　their　bows；　when　the　swivel　in　the　boat　was　instantly　pointed　towards　them；　and　twelve　of　our　most　determined　men　jumped　into　the　pirogue　and　joined　Captain　Clark。　　This　movement　made　an　impression　on　them；　for　the　grand　chief　ordered　the　young　men　away　from　the　pirogue；　and　they　withdrew　and　held　a　short　council　with　the　warriors。　Being　unwilling　to　irritate　them；　Captain　Clark　then　went　forward；　and　offered　his　hand　to　the　first　and　second　chiefs；　who　refused　to　take　it。　　He　then　turned　from　them　and　got　into　the　pirogue；　but　he　had　not　got　more　than　ten　paces；　when　both　the　chiefs　and　two　of　the　warriors　waded　in　after　him；　and　he　brought　them　on　board。　We　then　proceeded　on　for　a　mile；　and　anchored　off　a　willow　island；　which；　from　the　circumstances　which　had　just　occurred；　we　called　Bad…humored　Island。〃

The　policy　of　firmness　and　gentleness；　which　Lewis　and　Clark　always　pursued　when　treating　with　the　Indians；　had　its　good　results　at　this　time。　What　might　have　been　a　bloody　encounter　was　averted；　and　next　day　the　Indians　contritely　came　into　camp　and　asked　that　their　squaws　and　children　might　see　the　white　men　and　their　boats；　which　would　be　to　them　a　novel　sight。　This　was　agreed　to；　and　after　the　expedition　had　sailed　up　the　river　and　had　been　duly　admired　by　a　great　crowd　of　men；　women；　and　children；　the　Tetons　invited　the　white　men　to　a　dance。　　The　journal　adds：

〃Captains　Lewis　and　Clark；　who　went　on　shore　one　after　the　other；　were　met　on　landing　by　ten　well…dressed　young　men；　who　took　them　up　in　a　robe　highly　decorated　and　carried　them　to　a　large　council…house；　where　they　were　placed　on　a　dressed　buffalo…skin　by　the　side　of　the　grand　chief。　The　hall　or　council…room　was　in　the　shape　of　three…quarters　of　a　circle；　covered　at　the　top　and　sides　with