y, but burning with the
desire for revenge. The explorers continuing their voyage arrived at
Saint Louis on the 23rd of September, 1806, having been absent more
than two years, and having traveled more than nine thousand miles.

When the expedition, on its return, had reached the head waters of the
Missouri, two of these fearless men, Colter and Potts, decided to remain
in the wilderness to hunt beaver. Being well aware of the hostility of
the Blackfoot Indians, within whose regions they were, they set their
traps at night, and took them up in the first dawn of the day. Early one
morning, they were ascending a creek in a canoe, visiting their traps,
when they were alarmed by a great noise, like the trampling of animals.
They could see nothing, as the perpendicular banks of the river impeded
their view. Yet they hoped that the noise was occasioned simply by the
rush of a herd of buffaloes.

Their doubts were soon painfully removed. A band of six hundred
Blackfoot warriors appeared upon each side of the creek. Escape was
hopeless. The Indians beckoned to the hunters to come ashore. Colter
turned the head of the canoe towards the bank, and as soon as it touched
the land, a burly savage seized the rifle belonging to Potts, and
wrenched it from his hand. But Colter, who was a man of extraordinary
activity and strength, grasped the rifle, tore it from the hands of the
Indian, and handed it back to Potts. Colter stepped ashore and was a
captive. Potts, with apparent infatuation, but probably influenced by
deliberate thought, pushed again out into the stream. He knew that, as a
captive, death by horrible torture awaited him. He preferred to provoke
the savages to his instant destruction. An arrow was shot at him, which
pierced his body. He took deliberate aim at the Indian who threw it and
shot him dead upon the spot. Instantly a shower of arrows whizzed
through the air, and he fell a dead man in the bottom of the boat. The
earthly troubles of Potts were ended. But fearful were those upon which
Colter was about to enter.

The Indians, after some deliberation respecting the manner in which they
would put him to death, stripped him entirely naked, and one of the
chiefs led him out upon the prairie to the distance of three or four
hundred yards from the rest of the band who were grouped together.
Colter then perceived that he was to have the dreadful privilege of
running for his life;--he, entirely naked and unarmed, to be pursu