the Assiniboin with a letter
to Mr. Henry, to procure his endeavors to prevail on some of the Sioux
chiefs to accompany him to Washington."

It is hard to understand that indomitable humor. Here they were, just
freed from imminent disaster, worn, half-starved, beggared, yet bobbing
up like corks from the depths, and forthwith making calm preparations
for fresh labors of a grave kind.

CHAPTER XI

RECROSSING THE DIVIDE

By the route made famous as Lewis and Clark's Pass, Captain Lewis's
party on July 7th recrossed the Great Divide that separates the
Atlantic from the Pacific, and upon the next day they again ate of the
flesh of the buffalo. On the 16th they were at the Falls of the
Missouri; and two days later they reached the mouth of Maria's River,
which they were to explore.

Ten days were spent in this exploration, until further progress was
stopped, on the 26th, by an encounter with a band of the dreaded
Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie, who had wrought such havoc among the
Shoshones,--a set of roving outlaws, who held a reign of terror over
all the tribes of the northwestern plains.

Captain Lewis determined to meet these folk as he had met all others.
He held a council with them, smoked the pipe of peace, and endeavored
to explain to them his mission. When night came, whites and Indians
camped together. Lewis knew that he must be on his guard, and had some
of his men remain awake throughout the night; but in the early dawn the
Minnetarees, catching the sentry unawares, stole the guns of the party
and tried to make off with them. A hand-to-hand fight followed. One of
the men, in struggling with an Indian and endeavoring to wrest a stolen
gun from him, killed him by a knife-thrust. The savages then attempted
to drive off the horses; but in this they were thwarted. Being hard
pressed, and one of their number shot by Captain Lewis's pistol, they
were forced to retreat, leaving twelve of their own horses behind. The
whites were the gainers, for they took away four of the captured
animals, while losing but one of their own. The Indians had also lost a
gun, shields, bows and arrows. Most of this stuff was burned; but about
the neck of the dead warrior, whose body remained upon the field,
Captain Lewis left a medal, "so that the Indians might know who we
were." The Minnetarees never forgot or forgave this meeting. For long
years afterward they nursed the thought of revenge, doing what they
could to obstruct