“The Hudson Bay people’s policy would be to discourage settlers, anyway,” mused the lieutenant. “With settlers in there tilling the ground and showing the Indians and the Canadians that farming paid better than fur-hunting, the Company’s business would suffer.”
“Yes,” drawled Kit; “an’ this hyar emigration, if it goes through, will put more Americans than thar air British in the Oregon country; an’ if thar’s anything in settlement of a country it’ll mean a big help to the United States.”
“It surely will,” affirmed the lieutenant. “Success in life and in battle means getting there first, and sticking.”
The route to Fort Hall followed up the Roseaux or River of Weeds from its juncture with the Bear to its sources. Here galloped into camp a horseman from the north—Baptiste Tabeau, of the Thomas Fitzpatrick party. Baptiste, shaking hands right and left, brought the news that the White Head, with all well, was but a short distance across country, encamped at Hall. Baptiste had been despatched southward, to meet the lieutenant.
Excited by promise of flour and rice and dried meat and butter, the Frémont camp slept little this night, and early in the morning, which was September 16, started onward. In the afternoon of September 18, emerging from the hills, with a cheer they greeted the sight of a green valley set amidst a sombre sage plain, and beside the sparkling Portneuf River which watered it, the white walls of a trading post. This was the British Hudson Bay Company post of Fort Hall, on the Portneuf, a mile above the Snake itself, in the Plains of the Snake.
Thomas Fitzpatrick, his boyish ruddy face glowing from its frame of oddly white hair, came to meet them.
“How are supplies?” asked the lieutenant, at once.
“I’ve saved all I could. We’ve been on short rations. But the post is ’bout as poor as when Kit left it. Emigrants cleaned it out. Beef and butter is what you’ll get; that’s all.”
“Where are the emigrants? Don’t see any.”
“Gone; wagons, cattle, women, children and all. Left a few steers and oxen, in trade; but they took most of their stuff right along.”