“That is partly the result of having a man like Captain Clark along,” explained Dick. “He believes in method, and carries his ideas out as a military man should. Captain Lewis could not have found a better companion for his venture than he did.”
“It is settled that we are to go along with them, of course?” fretted Roger, who knew perfectly well that this matter had been arranged, but wanted to hear his comrade say so.
“We have the word of the commander for it, and that ought to be enough, Roger.”
One whole day they spent in the camp by the river so that nothing should be neglected. Then, on the following morning, bright and early the good-bys were said, and the little party, mounted on the horses, set out to plunge still deeper into the unknown wilderness toward the glittering prize that tempted them—the sun-kissed sea that lay far away over mountains and across burning deserts.
It was only natural that every one should be more or less affected over the parting. None of them could tell what the future held. Surrounded by a trackless wilderness, many hundreds of miles from a single white man’s village, and with treacherous savages to deal with, the chances of their ever coming together again seemed very remote.
During that day both the boys were inclined to be unusually quiet and thoughtful. Indeed, for that matter, every one of the riders seemed to have lost his ordinary spirits, although, of course, this feeling of depression would soon wear away, and by degrees the men would learn to face the situation bravely.
It was evident to every one that the party was now approaching the foothills of those great mountains of which so much had been heard. Captain Lewis knew that, in order to cross them with as little hard work as possible, they must head for a pass of which they had been told by some of the Indians. Unless they could find this, their efforts would be in vain, and they must turn back, defeated in their daring plans.
Three days after leaving their comrades the advancing party came to a good camping ground early in the afternoon, and, as the horses were really in need of a rest, it was concluded to stop here for the night.
This was an opportunity the two boys had been waiting for, and they had little difficulty in getting permission from the commander to indulge themselves in a short hunt.