Part 29 (1/2)

They found the moccasin of an Indian not far from here

”Blackfoot!” said Sacajawea, and pointed to the north, shaking her head

She insisted that the left-hand river was the right one; but, unwilling as yet to rely on her fully, the leaders called a council of the u choice here ht mean the failure of their expedition Cruzatte had o up that left-hand strea the mountains,” one said ”We shall perish when the winter coo both ways,” said Meriwether Lewis at length ”Captain Clark will explore the lower fork, while I go up the right-hand stream We will meet here e know the truth”

So Lewis traveled two days' journey up the right-hand fork before he turned back, thoughtful

”I have decided,” said he to the men who accompanied him ”This stream will lead us far to the north, into the British country It cannot be the true Missouri I shall call this Maria's River, after inia, Maria Woods I shall not call it the Missouri”

He ain they held a council

The men were still dissatisfied Clark had advanced some distance up the left-hand stream

”We must prove it yet further,” said Meriwether Lewis ”Captain Clark, do you reh to know absolutely whether we are right or wrong If we are not right in our choice, it is as the men say--we shall fail! But where is Sacajawea?” he added

”I will ask her once more”

Sacajaas ill; she was in a fever She could not talk to her husband; but to Lewis she talked, and always she said, ”That way! By and by, big falls--um-m-m, um-m-m!”

”Guard her well,” said Lewis anxiously ”Much depends on her I o on ahead”

He took the French interpreter, Drouillard, and three of the Kentuckians, and started on up the left-hand stream with one boat The current of the river seeet the boat upstreaone for several days, and no word came back from them

Meantime, at the river forks, Williahten the loads of their boats They began to cache all the heavy goods hich they could dispense--their tools, the extra lead and powder-tins, some of the flour, all the heavy stuff which would encumber them most seriously Here, too, was the end of the journey of the red pirogue from St Louis--they hid it in the s of an island near the mouth of Maria's River

Lewis himself, weak from toil, fell ill on the way, but still he would not stop He came to a point from which he could see thethrough a canon

The next day they came to the foot of the Great Falls of the Missouri, alone, majestic here in the wilderness, soundless save for their own dashi+ng--those wonderful cascades, noell known in industry, so nearly forgotten in history

”The girl was right--this is the river!” said Lewis to his ht!”

Cascade after cascade, rapid after rapid, he pushed on to the head of the great drop of the Missouri, where it plunges down froh the vast plains

Noent down to the er uessed the cause of delay, and at last believed Sacajawea

”Make some boat-trucks, Will,” said Lehen at last they were all encae twenty miles of falls and rapids”

And Williaineer, who always had a solution for any probleraphy, went to work upon the hardest task in transportation they yet had had

”We et into the ain they cached soreat swivel piece which had ”e tribes

Also there were stored here the spring's collection of animals and rindstone which had co for their race

It took the party a full e They orn to the bone by the hard labor, scorched by the sun, and frozen by the night winds

”We o on!” was always the cry