it
down on the floor of the cave. Their fire lit up the rocks in a wild and
picturesque manner as they sat near, cooking and eating their first meal
of the actual voyage up the great Missouri.

"They got a deer that day," said Rob, poring over the _Journal_, "I
expect about their first deer."

Rob was turning over the pages on ahead. "Hah!" said he. "The men didn't
always take care of the grub; here it says, 'Lyed corn and Grece will
be issued, the next day Poark and flour, and the following, Indian meal
and Poark, according to this Rotiene till further orders. No Poark will
be issued when we have fresh meat on hand!'"

"You listen, now, Jesse. With breakfast bacon at sixty cents a pound,
and your appetite, we'll have to go after meat. Get out that throw line
of yours and see if we can't hang a catfish by morning. Here's a piece
of beef for bait."

Jesse scrambled down the shore and threw out his line, with a rock for
sinker, while the others finished making ready the beds.

"Jolly old place," ventured John, "though a little hard for a bed. What
you looking at, Rob?"

"I was trying to find if the old Indian images were left, that used to
be scratched or painted on the walls. Clark says the _voyageurs_ and
Indians were superstitious about this place. I think caves are always
spooky places."

Soon they all felt tired and began to unroll the beds. A screech owl
made a tremulous, eerie note, but even Jesse only laughed at that.

They had breakfast before the mist was off the water, and before the
cooking was begun Jesse called out from below:

"Hey, there! Wait for me! I've got the breakfast right here! Call in the
lyed corn and pork. Here's a catfish, four pounds, anyhow!"

"Clean him, Jess," called Rob, "and cut him up small enough to fry."

Jesse did so, and soon the slices were sizzling in the pan.

"Well, anyhow," commented their leader, "though not as good as venison,
it's wild game, eh? And our way has always been to live off the country
all we could without breaking laws."

"What changes, from then till now!" said Rob. "It was spring and summer
when they went up this river, but they killed deer, turkeys, elk,
buffalo, antelope, and wild fowl--hundreds--all the time. Now, all
that's unlawful."

"And impossible. Yes, they lived as the Indians lived, and they killed
game the year round. Now, about all we can do for a while will be to eat
the trusty catfish.

"One thing has not changed," their leader