netarees of the
north, and he was sorry to be told in reply that they were; he knew
them to be a bad lot. When asked if they had any chief among them, they
pointed out three. The captain did not believe them, but, in order to
keep on good terms with them, he gave to one a flag, to another a medal,
and to the third a handkerchief. At Captain Lewis' suggestion, the
Indians and the white men camped together, and in the course of the
evening the red men told the captain that they were part of a big
band of their tribe, or nation. The rest of the tribe, they said, were
hunting further up the river, and were then in camp near the foot of the
Rocky Mountains. The captain, in return, told them that his party had
come from the great lake where the sun sets, and that he was in hopes
that he could induce the Minnetarees to live in peace with their
neighbors and come and trade at the posts that would be established in
their country by and by. He offered them ten horses and some tobacco if
they would accompany his party down the river below the great falls. To
this they made no reply. Being still suspicious of these sullen guests,
Captain Lewis made his dispositions for the night, with orders for the
sentry on duty to rouse all hands if the Indians should attempt to steal
anything in the night. Next morning trouble began. Says the journal:--

"At sunrise, the Indians got up and crowded around the fire near which
J. Fields, who was then on watch, had carelessly left his rifle, near
the head of his brother, who was still asleep. One of the Indians
slipped behind him, and, unperceived, took his brother's and his own
rifle, while at the same time two others seized those of Drewyer and
Captain Lewis. As soon as Fields turned, he saw the Indian running off
with the rifles; instantly calling his brother, they pursued him for
fifty or sixty yards; just as they overtook him, in the scuffle for
the rifles R. Fields stabbed him through the heart with his knife. The
Indian ran about fifteen steps and fell dead. They now ran back with
their rifles to the camp. The moment the fellow touched his gun,
Drewyer, who was awake, jumped up and wrested it from him. The noise
awoke Captain Lewis, who instantly started from the ground and reached
for his gun; but finding it gone, drew a pistol from his belt, and
turning saw the Indian running off with it. He followed him and ordered
him to lay it down, which he did just as the two Fields came up, and
were