[74] All being seated, the pipe was passed round to a few principal persons who sat directly in front of us. Some presents were likewise laid before the partizan, consisting of a blanket, a skin to make mockasins of, a dozen knives, and five twists of tobacco; and though some of them complained aloud, and with a violent shivering gesticulation, of the cold they suffered during the night, such was the state of our stores, both public and private, that it was not thought prudent further to enlarge our bounty.
One of our number, who was earnestly occupied in endeavouring to obtain a few words of their language, but who succeeded in recording but four, heard one of them, whilst in conversation with the partizan, terminate a remark with a word or phrase so exactly similar in sound to the words How is it, that he almost involuntarily repeated them aloud. The speaker seemed pleased with this, and believing, from the exact similarity of the sounds, that he understood the language, immediately directed his discourse to him, but was answered only by signs denoting ignorance of the language. Their words seem less harsh, more harmonious, and easier of acquisition, than those of their neighbours.
Whilst thus occupied, one of the soldiers who were behind us called our attention to an Indian who had the effrontery to seize the Kaskaia horse by the halter, and, as in a former instance, was making a noose to pass over his head; this procedure was pointed out to the partizan, who taking no notice of it, the fellow was ordered, in a peremptory tone of voice and unequivocal manner, to desist, which he reluctantly complied with. Thus this horse is immediately distinguished and recognized by all the parties we have met with since he has been with us.
We had remained about an hour with this party, when, in consequence of this conduct, of their importunateness, and some incipient symptoms of disorder [75] amongst them, we judged it prudent to leave them, in order to avoid a quarrel. We therefore mounted our horses, notwithstanding the earnest solicitations of these Indians that we would pass the night with them, probably anticipating another night attack from some unseen enemy: but hardly had we proceeded an hundred yards, when Julien's voice called our attention to the precarious situation in which he was placed. He had been by an accident detained in the rear, and being separated a short distance from the party, he was now entirely surrounded by the Indians, who appeared determined to strip him of every thing, and by pulling at his blanket, bridle, &c. they had nearly unhorsed him. Several of us, of course, at this critical juncture turned our horses to assist him, and a soldier who was nearest prepared his rifle to begin the onset. Observing our attitude, many of the Indians were in a moment prepared for battle, by placing their arrows across their bows. And a skirmish would no doubt have ensued, had not the partizan, observing our determination, and influenced perhaps by gratitude for the presents he had received, called off his men from Julien, and permitted us, without any further futile molestation, to proceed on our way.
In consequence of the desperate situation of this party, we could not entertain a doubt that they would attempt to capture our horses during the night, and to appropriate to themselves our personal equipments. We therefore continued our movement until a later hour than usual; and after a day's journey of twenty-two miles, during which we saw but three trees, we encamped on a selected position, and made the best arrangements in our power to repulse a night attack. The horses were staked as near to each other and to ourselves as possible; the packs were arranged in a semicircular line of defence, and each man reposed on his private baggage; the guard was doubled, and we remained wakeful during the [76] night. No alarm, however, occurred; and in the morning,
Sunday 13th, set out early. Our way led over a luxuriant bottom of from three to twelve miles in breadth, producing a luxuriant growth of grasses, now glittering with drops of collected dew; crossed a creek which is destitute of timber, as far as the eye can trace its course. The depth of the water being to all appearance considerable, it became necessary to seek a fording-place, which was found about a mile above its confluence. It was here knee-deep, flowing with a moderate current over a bed of sand and gravel, the surface of the water being depressed only about four feet below the general level.[111] About an hundred yards beyond its confluence, we observed a canal of water backed up from the river, which, from a little distance, gave a double appearance to the creek. We remained here until a large elk, which had been shot, was cut up, and the meat packed upon the horses. At our mid-day resting-place were a few trees, and some elevated sand-hills, but as the situation was not an eligible one for the protection of the horses from Indian depredation, we moved a few miles further, and encamped, as usual, on the bank of the river. The day had been very sultry, with an extreme temperature of 95 degrees, and the evening was accompanied by a display of lightning in the north-western horizon.
The bisons are yet numerous, and the white wolves also abundant; packs of the latter are still heard to howl about our camp in the night, thus responding to the harsh bellowing or grunting of the bulls. Our dogs, that formerly took part in this wild and savage concert, by barking fiercely in return, no longer rouse us from our sleep by noticing it.
Monday, 14th. A slight dew had fallen; the wind was S.S.E., nearly calm; and our morning's journey was arduous, in consequence of the great heat of the atmosphere. Our dogs, these two or three days past, [77] had evidently followed us with difficulty. Cæsar, a fine mastiff, and the larger of the two, this morning trotted heavily forwards, and threw himself down directly before the first horse in the line; the rider turned his horse aside, to avoid doing injury to the dog; but had he noticed the urgency of this eloquent appeal of the animal for a halt, it would not have passed unregarded. The dog, finding this attempt to draw attention to his sufferings unavailing, threw himself successively before two or three other horses, but still failed to excite the attention he solicited, until a soldier in the rear observed that his respiration was excessively laborious, and his tongue to a great length depended from his widely extended mouth. He therefore took the dog upon his horse before him, intending to bathe him in the river, which, however, being at the distance of half a mile, the poor exhausted animal expired in his arms before he reached it. To travellers in such a country, any domesticated animal, however abject, becomes an acceptable companion; and our dogs, besides their real usefulness as guards at night, drew our attention in various ways during the day, and became gradually so endeared to us, that the loss of Cæsar was felt as a real evil.
The afternoon continued sultry, the extreme heat being 97 degrees. Towards evening a brisk N. E. wind appeared to proceed from a nimbus which was pouring rain in that direction, and produced so instantaneous and great a change in the atmospheric temperature, that we were obliged to button up to the chin; but it refreshed and revived us all. As we were now approaching a well-wooded creek, we hoped soon to assuage our impatient thirst, but great was the mortification, upon arriving at the naked bank, to see a dry bed of gravel of at least fifty yards in breadth. Crossing this inhospitable tract, which appears to be occasionally deluged with water, with the intention of passing down the opposite bank to [78] the river, we were agreeably surprised to discover a fine limpid stream of cool flowing water, meandering through a dense growth of trees and bushes, which had before concealed it from view. Here we remarked the honey locust and button-wood (platanus occidentalis), though the principal growth was cotton-wood, elm, and ash. This stream of water, we believe, is known to a few hunters, who have had an opportunity to visit it, by the name of Little Arkansa.[112]
The distance of the day's journey was twenty-three miles, during which but a single prairie dog village was seen, and proved to be the last one that occurred on the expedition. Partridges and prairie fowls were numerous.