Part 22 (1/2)
The sun blistered theht; ht and day But they went on
The i; its bends swept iant arcs But bend after bend they spanned, bar after bar they skirted, bank after bank they conquered--and went on
In the water as rim, they paid the toll
A ae part on the game killed by the way At the reat city one day was to stand, they halted on the twenty-sixth of June Deer, turkeys, bear, geese, oslins,” as quaint Will Clark called theh passed They reached the reat Platte River, far out into the Indian country Over this uned the Otoes, the Oes, the Rees, the Sioux This was the buffalo range where the tribes had fought immemorially
It was part of thethese warring tribes The nature of the expedition was explained to their chiefs At the great Council Bluffs many of the Otoes came and proainst the O
On ahead somewhere lay the powerful Sioux nation, doubt and dread of all the traders who had ever passed up the Missouri Dorion, the interpreter,theht do
The expedition struck careat river, in the country of the Yanktonnais The Sioux long had nal fires called in the villages todown in bands, whooping and shouting, painted and half naked, well ar no man, proud, capricious, blood-thirsty They were curious as to the errand of these new --these men who could make the thunder speak For now the heavy piece on the bow of the great barge spoke in no uncertain ter the river shores No such boat, no such gun as this, had ever been seen in that country before
”Tell them to make a council, Dorion,” said Lewis ”Take this officer's coat to their head man Tell him that the Great Father sends it to him Give him this hat with lace on it Tell him that e are ready we may come to their council to meet their chiefs Say that only their real chiefs must come, for ill not treat with any but their head e here”
”You are chiefs!” said Dorion ”Have I not seen it? I will tell theone but a short tie
”The runners say plenty buffalo close by,” he reported ”The chief, she'll call the people to hunt the buffalo”
William Clark turned to his companion
”You hear that, Merne?” said he ”Why should we not go also?”
”Agreed!” said Meriwether Lewis ”But stay, I have a thought We will go as they go and hunt as they do To iame You and I must ride this day, Will!”
”Yes, and without saddles, too! Very well, I learned that of my brother, who learned it of the Indians themselves And I know you and I both can shoot the boell as ht better have been in school so the bow”
”Dorion,” said Lewis to the interpreter, ”go back to the village and tell their chief to send tith plenty of arrows Tell theame as the buffalo
On ahead are ani as twenty buffalo--we keep our great gun for those As for buffalo, we kill them as the Indians do, with the bow and with the spear We shall want the stiffest boith sinewed backs Our ar”
Swift and wide spread the word a the Sioux that the white chiefs would run the buffalo with their oarriors Exclamations of amusement, surprise, satisfaction, were heard The white men should see how the Sioux could ride But Weucha, the head er with ts and plenty of arrows--short, keen-pointed arrows, suitable for the buffalo hunt, when driven by the stiff bows of the Sioux
”Strip, Will,” said Meriwether Lewis ”If we ride as savages, it ”
They did strip to the waist, as the savages always did when running the buffalo--sternest of all savage sport or labor, and one of the boldest gas andhair tied in firm cues, when Weucha e turned out in wonder to see these two men whose skins hite, whose hair was not black, but soe new color--one whose hair was red
The two young officers were not content with this York, Captain Clark's servant, rolling his eyes, showing his white teeth, was ordered to strip up the sleeve of his shi+rt to show that his hide was neither red nor white, but black--another wonder in that land!
”Now, York, you rascal,” commanded William Clark, ”do as I tell you!”
”Yessah, massa Captain, I suttinly will!”