dered, and
one of them wounded, in an encounter with the fierce Sioux, but were
undauntedly pushing forwards into the unknown wilderness towards the
mountains.

They Meet Two Hunters.

These two hardy and daring adventurers formed the little vanguard of the
bands of hunters and trappers, the famous Rocky Mountain men, who were
to roam hither and hither across great West in lawless freedom for the
next three quarters of a century. They accompanied the party back to the
Mandan village; there one of the soldiers joined them, a man name
Colter, so fascinated by the life of the wilderness that he was not
willing to leave it, even for a moment's glimpse of the civilization,
from which he had been so long exiled. [Footnote: For Colter, and the
first explorers of this region, see "The Yellowstone National Park," by
Captain H. M. Chittenden.] The three turned their canoe up-stream, while
Lewis and Clark and the rest of the party drifted down past the Sioux.

They Return to St. Louis.

The further voyage of the explorers was uneventful. They had
difficulties with the Sioux of course, but they held them at bay. They
killed game in abundance, and went down-stream as fast as sails, oars,
and current could carry them. In September they reached St. Louis and
forwarded to Jefferson an account of what they had done.

After-Careers of Lewis and Clark.

They had done a great deed, for they had opened the door into the heart
of the far West. Close on their tracks followed the hunters, trappers,
and fur traders who themselves made ready the way for the settlers whose
descendants were to possess the land. As for the two leaders of the
explorers, Lewis was made Governor of Louisiana Territory, and a couple
of years afterwards died, as was supposed, by his own hand, in a squalid
log cabin on the Chickasaw trace--though it was never certain that he
had not been murdered. Clark was afterwards Governor of the territory,
when its name had been changed to Missouri, and he also served honorably
as Indian agent. But neither of them did anything further of note; nor
indeed was it necessary, for they had performed a feat which will always
give them a place on the honor roll of American worthies.

Pike and his Explorations.

While Lewis and Clark were descending the Columbia and recrossing the
continent from the Pacific coast, another army officer was conducting
explorations which were only less important than theirs. This was L