“I’ll try to tend to her, Toussaint,” said Captain Lewis; and got out the medicine chest.
But all that night, and part of the next day the groans of the little Bird-woman could be heard.
“Dere is one remedy I hear of,” spoke Jessaume. “I sorry my wife lef’. But sometime de Injun gif de rattle of de rattlesnake.”
“Let’s try that, then,” bade Captain Lewis.
So the captain broke open the specimen bales in the store-room and found a dried rattlesnake skin. With Chaboneau jumping about imploringly, he crumbled two of the rattles into water, and this the suffering Bird-woman drank. Everybody at the fort was interested.
Soon from the lodge of Chaboneau issued a new sound—a feeble, shrill, piping wail. But the groans of Sa-ca-ja-we-a had ceased. Out again darted Chaboneau, his leather face beaming.
“One fine boy,” he shouted, capering. “It is all right. One fine boy. I t’ink he look like me.”
The next day, which was February 12, the hunting party returned, having left their meat in a pen to protect it from the wolves.
“I have the honor to announce a new recruit, Captain,” reported Captain Lewis, saluting Captain Clark, a twinkle in his eyes.
“What’s his name, Merne? Chaboneau?” demanded Captain Clark, smiling broadly, with cold-reddened face.