An Indian
Riding Behind Captain Lewis, Fearful That He Should Not Get His Share
Of The Spoil, Jumped Off The Horse And Ran For A Mile At Full Speed.
The Journal Says:
-
"Captain Lewis slackened his pace, and followed at a sufficient
distance to observe them. When they reached the place where
Drewyer had thrown out the intestines, they all dismounted in
confusion and ran tumbling over each other like famished dogs.
Each tore away whatever part he could, and instantly began to eat it.
Some had the liver, some the kidneys - in short, no part on
which we are accustomed to look with disgust escaped them.
One of them, who had seized about nine feet of the entrails,
was chewing at one end, while with his hand he was diligently
clearing his way by discharging the contents at the other.
It was indeed impossible to see these wretches ravenously feeding
on the filth of animals, the blood streaming from their mouths,
without deploring how nearly the condition of savages approaches
that of the brute creation. Yet, though suffering with hunger,
they did not attempt, as they might have done, to take by force
the whole deer, but contented themselves with what had been thrown
away by the hunter. Captain Lewis now had the deer skinned,
and after reserving a quarter of it gave the rest of the animal
to the chief, to be divided among the Indians, who immediately
devoured nearly the whole of it without cooking. They now went
toward the [Prairie] creek, where there was some brushwood
to make a fire, and found Drewyer, who had killed a second deer.
The same struggle for the entrails was renewed here, and on giving
nearly the whole deer to the Indians, they devoured it even
to the soft part of the hoofs. A fire being made, Captain Lewis
had his breakfast, during which Drewyer brought in a third deer.
This too, after reserving one-quarter, was given to the Indians,
who now seemed completely satisfied and in good humor."
They now approached the forks of the Jefferson, where they
had expected to meet Clark and his party with the canoes.
Not seeing any signs of them, the Lewis party were placed in a
critical position. The Indians were again alarmed and suspicious.
Here Captain Clark's journal says: -
"As they went on towards the point, Captain Lewis, perceiving how
critical his situation had become, resolved to attempt a stratagem,
which his present difficulty seemed completely to justify.
Recollecting the notes he had left at the point for us, he sent Drewyer
for them with an Indian, who witnessed his taking them from the pole.
When they were brought, Captain Lewis told Cameahwait that, on leaving
his brother chief at the place where the river issues from the mountains,
it was agreed that the boats should not be brought higher than the next
forks we should meet; but that, if the rapid water prevented the boats
from coming on as fast as they expected, his brother chief was to send
a note to the first forks above him, to let him know where they were:
that this note had been left this morning at the forks, and mentioned
that the canoes were just below the mountains, and coming up slowly
in consequence of the current.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 86 of 201
Words from 46672 to 47225
of 110166
