The Bird-Woman of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Part 12

They danced and sang into the night.

On New Year's Day, they fired their guns to welcome in the New Year.

They had more to eat than on Christmas Day.

The captains wrote, "Our greatest pleasure to-day is thinking about New Year's, 1807. Then we shall be home."

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THE START HOME.

In March, the elk left the woods near Fort Clatsop.

The soldiers could not get enough to eat.

The captains said, "It is time to start home."

They bought a canoe with a soldier-coat and some little things.

They took another canoe from the Clatsops for some elk meat that the Indians had stolen.

They had not many things left to get food and horses with on the way home.

But their guns were in good order.

They had good powder and b.a.l.l.s.

They could kill game on the way.

They cut up their big flag into five robes.

They could sell them robes for food.

The captains gave the Clatsops letters to give to any white men who should come there.

These letters told about the party's trip out West.

They told how they were going back East.

The Clatsops promised to give these letters to the first white men who should come.

Then the party said good-bye to the Clatsops.

This was in the month of March.

They started up the Columbia River, singing.

They were happy because they were going home.

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AT CAMP CHOPUNNISH.

On the way up the Columbia, the soldiers killed game.

They gave some to the Indians for roots.

They came to the foot of the mountains in May.

There was too much snow then for them to cross They made a camp near the Chopunnish Indians.

They called it Camp Chopunnish.

They sent out to get the horses they had left when camping there before.

They tried to get enough food to last them over the mountains.

Many of the Indians were ill.

Captain Clark gave them medicine.

They gave him food and horses for the medicine.

Captain Lewis talked with the Indian chiefs all day.

They promised to let some young Indians show the way over the mountains.

The captains gave each soldier some of their goods and sent him out to get food.

Captain Lewis wrote that each man had "only one awl and one knitting- pin, half an ounce of vermilion, two needles, a few skeins of thread, and a yard of ribbon."

Two of the men took their goods with them in a canoe.

The canoe turned over.

They lost all their goods.

They just saved their lives.

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Two other men went up the river with their goods on a horse.

The horse slipped down a steep bank into the river.

He got safe to the bank across the river.

An Indian made him swim back to the two soldiers.

On the way, most of the goods were lost.

The paint melted, and the horse's back was all red.

The Indians on the bank across the river saw what the soldiers wanted.

They loaded some roots and bread on a raft.

They tried to cross to the soldiers.

A high wind sent the raft on a rock.

The raft turned over.

The roots and bread were lost.

Then the captains and men felt unhappy.

They cut the b.u.t.tons from their clothes.

They gathered up all the bottles and medicine boxes they had.

With these things, two soldiers went out to get food.

They got three bushels of roots and some bread.

The other men hunted.

They dried some meat, and gave some to the Indians for roots.

They became good friends with the Chopunnish Indians.

They used to run fast races together.

Both soldiers and Indians could run fast.

The soldiers took sides and played prisoners' base.

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OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS GOING HOME.

The party wanted to start over the mountains in early June.

The Indians were not ready to go with them then.

The party started to go without the Indians.

They could not find food for the horses.