“Oh! yes we shall, never fear,” Dick assured him. “But stop and look ahead. What have we run up against now, I wonder. It looks like an Indian family on the move.”
“You are right, Dick,” cried Roger. “They have a horse, and two poles fastened so that the other ends drag on the ground. On that they have hides, and I can see a squaw and a papoose. Suppose we try and see if we can make ourselves understood?”
“I mean to,” replied the other, quickly. “The warrior may be able to direct us to the river we are seeking, down which we hope to float until we come to the sea itself.”
They walked nearer the Indians, who by this time had discovered their presence, and were undoubtedly amazed to see people with white skins in that part of the country.
“We have never, up to now, come in contact with any Indians dressed as that fellow is,” remarked Dick, as he held up his hand with the palm toward the woman, to indicate that their intentions were friendly; for that seems to be a sign universally understood among all the savage peoples of the world.
“It may be they belong to the Nez Perces tribe, and the man is a brave, because he wears the bear claws about his neck,” ([Note 8]) suggested Roger; “I heard Captain Clark speaking about them only yesterday, and saying we must soon strike their hunting grounds, for he had learned about them from other tribes.”
As the two boys joined the Indians they saw that the fat squaw had a small papoose in her arms. Dick instantly discovered that the child was suffering in some way, possibly from cramps in its little stomach. According to the native custom nothing would be done to relieve the pain, that is in the way of medicine. When they reached their village the old medicine man would doubtless be called in to conduct his eccentric dances around the writhing child, to rattle his hollow gourds that contained small stones, and to do everything in his power to frighten off the evil spirit that was believed to be tormenting the papoose.
Dick tried to begin a conversation with the brave. As he could depend only on gestures it was rather difficult; but, by this time, both boys were becoming more or less expert in this sort of thing. Presently he managed to convince the brave that he was a medicine man after a fashion, and would be glad to try to relieve the sufferings of the papoose.
When the squaw understood this from what her man told her, she looked dubious. Evidently her faith had made her believe that the more fantastic the costume of the healer, the better chance there would be of success; and how then could this boy with the white skin frighten away the evil spirit when he made no attempt to disguise himself?
Both brave and squaw looked anxiously on as Dick took out a little case from his pocket and extracted a tiny bottle. It was only camphor that the phial contained, but Dick felt positive it would work wonders, if only he could get the child to swallow a dose.