The Bird-Woman of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Part 13

There was snow all over the ground.

They had to turn back and camp where there was gra.s.s.

A week later the Indians were ready to go with them.

They started a second time.

The Indians showed them the way.

They found food for the horses each night.

The trip across the mountains was not so hard as it had been the year before.

Now the snow covered all the sharp rocks.

The snow was so hard that the horses could walk on it.

Now they had enough food.

All the men had horses.

They went many miles each day.

All were happy.

One of the Indians liked Captain Lewis so much that he gave him his name, "Yomekollick."

[Ill.u.s.tration: YOMEKOLLICK]

This means "White Bear-skin Folded."

The Indians thought their names were the best thing they could give to any one.

dif fer ent di vide ser vice third good-bye south Yel low stone

EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AGAIN.

Before they left the mountains, the captains said:

"We will divide our party.

Then we can go different ways.

Then we shall see more of the country east of the Rocky Mountains."

So Captain Lewis and nine men started in a straight line to the Falls of the Missouri.

Captain Clark and the others went more to the South.

Sacajawea went with Captain Clark.

The two parties promised to meet again down on the Missouri.

They said good-bye to each other on July third.

On the next day, Captain Clark wrote that they had a good Fourth of July dinner.

They had fat deer and roots.

Then they went on until time to sleep.

They had no time to dance now.

They were going home.

Captain Lewis and his men pushed on all day.

He did not write that they thought of the Fourth of July.

Captain Clark sent ten men down the Missouri River the way they had come West.

He went with Sacajawea and ten other men across to the Yellowstone River.

Sacajawea found the way for him.

She also found roots good to eat.

Captain Clark wrote that she was of "great service" to him.

Captain Clark's party went down the Yellowstone River to the Missouri River.

Here they met two white men.

These were the first white men besides themselves that they had seen for a year and four months.

They were glad to hear news from the East.

Soon after they met these white men, Captain Lewis and the other soldiers came down to them.

This was in August.

Captain Lewis had been shot by one of his best men.

The man thought that Captain Lewis was an elk, because his clothes were brown.

The man was very sorry for having shot him.

Captain Lewis soon got well.

The soldiers were happy to be together again.

They forgot their troubles.

They went down the Missouri, singing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE AS DRAWN BY CAPTAIN LEWIS IN HIS JOURNAL]

They were glad they had gone West.

They had taken the country for the Americans.

They had made friends with the Indians.

They knew where food could be found.

They knew about the animals and plants.

Now other people could find the way from the maps the captains had made.

dol lars vil lage

SACAJAWEA SAYS GOOD-BYE TO THE SOLDIERS.

Sacajawea's husband would not go to the captains' home.

He wanted to live with the Mandans.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A MANDAN EARTH LODGE]

So Sacajawea had to say good-bye to the soldiers.

The captains gave her husband five hundred dollars.

They did not give Sacajawea any money.

In those days, people did not think of paying women.

All the party were sorry to leave Sacajawea and the baby.

Sacajawea was sorry to stay behind.

She stood on the bank of the river watching the soldiers as long as she could see them.

The soldiers went down the Missouri to its mouth.

When they saw the village there, they fired off all their guns.

The people came out to see them and cheered that they were home again.