sted in the evening at the camp-fire. They even were at last
constrained to eat their moccasins. Those on the or southeast bank,
suffered, however, less than the others, because they occasionally fell
in with Indians, utterly wild indeed, and who fled at their approach,
carrying off their horses. According to all appearances these savages
had never seen white men. Our travellers, when they arrived in sight of
the camp of one of these wandering hordes, approached it with as much
precaution, and with the same stratagem that they would have used with a
troop of wild beasts. Having thus surprised them, they would fire upon
the horses, some of which would fall; but they took care to leave some
trinkets on the spot, to indemnify the owners for what they had taken
from them by violence. This resource prevented the party from perishing
of hunger.

Mr. M'Kenzie having overtaken Mr. M'Lellan, their two companies pursued
the journey together. Very soon after this junction, they had an
opportunity of approaching sufficiently near to Mr. Hunt, who, as I have
remarked, was on the other bank, to speak to him, and inform him of
their distressed state. Mr. Hunt caused a canoe to be made of a
horse-hide; it was not, as one may suppose, very large; but they
succeeded, nevertheless, by that means, in conveying a little
horse-flesh to the people on the north bank. It was attempted, even, to
pass them across, one by one (for the skiff would not hold any more);
several had actually crossed to the south side, when, unhappily, owing
to the impetuosity of the current, the canoe capsized, a man was
drowned, and the two parties lost all hope of being able to unite. They
continued their route, therefore, each on their own side of the river.
In a short time those upon the north bank came to a more considerable
stream, which they followed down. They also met, very opportunely, some
Indians, who sold them a number of horses. They also encountered, in
these parts, a young American, who was deranged, but who sometimes
recovered his reason. This young man told them, in one of his lucid
intervals, that he was from Connecticut, and was named Archibald Pelton;
that he had come up the Missouri with Mr. Henry; that all the people at
the post established by that trader were massacred by the Blackfeet;
that he alone had escaped, and had been wandering, for three years
since, with the _Snake_ Indians.[L] Our people took this young man with
them. Arriving at the