The village was near the banks of the Koos-koos-kee. Twisted-hair, who was the head chief, drew a map with charcoal on a white robe. He showed that not far below, the Koos-koos-kee joined another river, and that this river joined another river from the north, and the two combined flowed west to the big water.
“Tim-tim-m-m-m!” crooned all the Indians, imitating the noise of some great falls that would be met. From the region of these falls and below, came the beads and the brass ornaments traded to Indians by white men.
’Twas time to change from horses to canoes again. Five canoes were hollowed by fire from tree trunks—for only a few of the men were strong enough to swing an adze. All the horses were branded with the army brand which bore the name “Capt. M. Lewis, U. S.,” and left in charge of the Pierced Noses. Chief Twisted-hair promised that the horses should be well taken care of, and would be waiting when the white men asked for them again.
“Well, I for one am glad to be away,” said George Shannon, when in the morning of October 7 the canoes, laden and manned, their oar-blades flashing, headed into mid-stream. “These Nez Percés are a good people—’bout the best looking Injuns we’ve seen—but they’re mighty independent. They don’t give anything for nothing.”
“No. And they even hold us to small account because we eat dogs,” quoth Joe Fields. “But if a man wants meat, in their village, it’s eat fish, hoss or dog—an’ dog’s the only stuff with any strength.”
That was true. Lacking better meat, the captains finally were buying the Pierced Noses’ work-dogs—for dog-meat had been found good, back at the Sioux camps on the Missouri. Drouillard and Cruzatte and the other Frenchmen preferred it even to deer. But the Pierced Noses sneered at the white “dog-eaters.”
Why they were called “Pierced Noses” nobody could tell. However, old Toby claimed that below there were other, real Pierced Noses, and also real Flat-heads.
Chief Twisted-hair and a second chief, Tetoh, were aboard the captains’ canoe, to help the white men pass through the other villages, into the “Tim-tim-m-m” river.
As for old Toby and his son, on the third day out, during a halt they suddenly were espied running away at top speed, and did not so much as turn their heads.
“They’re leaving without their pay! Send and get them, so we can pay them,” cried Captain Lewis.