CHAPTER XXI

AT THE FOOT OF THE ROCKIES

"THE time is coming, and very soon at that, I guess, Dick, when we must expect a great change in our going."

Roger made this remark some two weeks after their adventure with the rascally Dacotahs, who had been misled by the false words of Andrew Waller. All this while the whites had been steadfastly pushing farther and farther up the narrowing Missouri, until navigation had become very difficult.

"Yes, I know what you mean by that," remarked Dick. "Every day now we are having more and more trouble with the batteaux. They get aground so often that much valuable time is wasted in freeing them."

"It looks as if we might be nearly at the headwaters of the Missouri, the river is getting so shallow," Roger observed.

"That is probably partly due to the time of year," explained Dick. "We are well along in August, you must remember, and the snow doesn't melt as easily up in the mountain canyons now as it did earlier in the season. Besides, we have had little heavy rain, if you stop to think."

"What do you expect Captain Lewis will do, Dick?"

"I heard him saying only to-day, when they were working at the boat which stuck on the shoal, that it looked as though the limit had been reached. You understand what that means, of course, Roger?"

"I believe I do," was the reply. "From what I've picked up here and there it appears to be the plan to leave part of the expedition in camp somewhere along the upper reaches of the Missouri until next year, while the rest make a dash for the Coast on the horses."

"It was fixed," continued Dick, "that Captain Clark should lead the party headed for the sea; but I have heard since that Captain Lewis has changed his mind. He doesn't feel like being cheated out of that glorious sight after all he has passed through."

"And who can blame him?" burst out the impetuous Roger. "I only hope they let us keep along with them. We have a horse apiece, you know, and could easily hold our own when it came to hunting for game."

"Captain Lewis promised that we should set eyes on the sea if any one in the party did, and he is a man of his word, you know."

"I should never get over the disappointment," declared Roger, "if anything prevented us from keeping on to the end. We have made great sacrifices in order to be in the company. Besides, I am fairly burning to set eyes on some of the many wonders we expect to meet with in crossing the big mountains of rock. The Indians have kept telling us about strange animals to be encountered there."

"Those mountains," Dick went on to say, "are the home of the terrible brown bear which Captain Lewis has called the grizzly. We know how they can fight, because we had an experience in a cave with one that we're not likely ever to forget."[5]

"Yes," added Roger, "and according to the Indians' way of doing, we're entitled to wear those dreadful claws around our necks, after slaying the monster at close quarters. Whenever you run across an Indian with the claws of a grizzly bear worn as a necklace you can count on it that he's proved his right to the name of warrior.

"Then we've also heard of a beast living among the crags of these mountains that has immense curved horns, upon which he alights after throwing himself from some lofty height. That may be only a fairy story, but I'd like to see for myself if there's any truth in it.

"As for me, Dick, I've already made up my mind that I'll shoot one of those queer beasts, and get a sample of the curved horns, if ever the chance comes my way. Just yesterday I was thinking of the wonderful tracks we saw when we were having that adventure with the Dacotahs, and hoping that some of these fine days we might come upon the animal that made them."

"I have tried my best, Roger, to learn what the beast looks like, and the nearest any Indian has been able to tell is that once in a while a monster of the deer tribe is seen in these regions. None of the trappers in our party have an idea what it can be, save Batiste, who declares he has shot just such a great beast up in Canada."

"Then he must mean a moose!" exclaimed Roger, looking intensely interested. "Come to think of it now, I don't see why a moose might not wander over here. They live only in cold countries, I am told, but in the winter it must be bitter enough up here to please any one."

Just as the boys had said, when talking matters over between themselves, the river had become so shallow that it was folly to try to push the heavy batteaux any further up the current.

Accordingly, a permanent camp was to be established on the river bank, where a part of the men would be left in as comfortable circumstances as the conditions permitted. Here they were to stay until they were rejoined the following summer by the returning explorers, after they had been to the Coast.

Those who were to be left behind were to establish relations and make friends with the neighboring Indian tribes, serve them as physicians, and do what hunting was necessary.

Of course the scene in the camp that night was an unusual one. The men who were to accompany the two captains had been advised of their good fortune, and, while they showed signs of pleasure, at the same time they knew that the final stages of the big journey would be filled with peril, so, in one way, they really envied those who could stay behind in comfort and peace.

There was an air of half-suppressed excitement throughout the camp as the men conferred together, exchanged some of their possessions, and in numerous ways made ready for the parting that was coming so soon.

Captain Lewis did not have many preparations to make, for all along he and his able ally had seen that everything was kept at the highest notch of efficiency.

"I really do believe," said Roger, as he and his chum sat watching the many sights of the camp that evening, "that Captain Lewis has planned for every little thing that could happen; and whoever is left in charge here will know what he is to do from day to day, just as if he got his orders fresh from headquarters."

"That is partly the result of having a man like Captain Clark along," explained Dick. "He believes in method, and carries his ideas out as a military man should. Captain Lewis could not have found a better companion for his venture than he did."

"It is settled that we are to go along with them, of course?" fretted Roger, who knew perfectly well that this matter had been arranged, but wanted to hear his comrade say so.

"We have the word of the commander for it, and that ought to be enough, Roger."

One whole day they spent in the camp by the river so that nothing should be neglected. Then, on the following morning, bright and early the good-bys were said, and the little party, mounted on the horses, set out to plunge still deeper into the unknown wilderness toward the glittering prize that tempted them--the sun-kissed sea that lay far away over mountains and across burning deserts.

It was only natural that every one should be more or less affected over the parting. None of them could tell what the future held. Surrounded by a trackless wilderness, many hundreds of miles from a single white man's village, and with treacherous savages to deal with, the chances of their ever coming together again seemed very remote.

During that day both the boys were inclined to be unusually quiet and thoughtful. Indeed, for that matter, every one of the riders seemed to have lost his ordinary spirits, although, of course, this feeling of depression would soon wear away, and by degrees the men would learn to face the situation bravely.

It was evident to every one that the party was now approaching the foothills of those great mountains of which so much had been heard. Captain Lewis knew that, in order to cross them with as little hard work as possible, they must head for a pass of which they had been told by some of the Indians. Unless they could find this, their efforts would be in vain, and they must turn back, defeated in their daring plans.

Three days after leaving their comrades the advancing party came to a good camping ground early in the afternoon, and, as the horses were really in need of a rest, it was concluded to stop here for the night.

This was an opportunity the two boys had been waiting for, and they had little difficulty in getting permission from the commander to indulge themselves in a short hunt.

The camp was in need of fresh meat, though not desperately so; and if only a deer could be taken it would afford them a few good meals. Captain Lewis, knowing Roger's headstrong ways, took particular pains to caution them before they set out.

"See that you take no unnecessary chances, my boys," was what he had said. "We would be very sorry, indeed, to have to bear your parents bad news when next we see St. Louis. But I feel that, so long as Dick is along, you will be careful. And, if you can bring the carcass of a young deer back with you, so much the better."

It was a fine afternoon in late summer. There did not seem to be any sign of stormy weather in prospect, from which fact the boys felt sure they would not be compelled to look for a hollow tree as before.

First of all they were wise enough to take their bearings, for they certainly did not want to lose themselves in the vast wilderness, since they could no longer depend on finding their friends by simply hunting for the river.

Then the next thing was to hunt up into the wind. This was, of course, done so that if they were approaching some keen-nosed game the animal might not scent their presence, and depart before they could get a chance to fire a single shot.

It was a wild section of country. They could see, beyond, the mighty barrier of mountains that stood between them and their goal. The woods were composed of scrub trees, with openings here and there; though in most sections, east of the chain of mountains, prairie land existed.

From where they looked up to the dizzy heights, the sides of the mountains seemed bleak and rocky. They had been told, however, that on the western slope vegetation grew plentifully, as the winds from the ocean brought much rain, though little of this crossed the divide.

The boys pursued their hunt for nearly an hour without coming upon any game, although they saw plenty of signs of it, and were always counting on making a discovery. Versed in forest lore, they knew how to creep along without making any sound likely to give warning of their approach.

All conversation had been tabooed long since, for even Roger knew that an incautious word might spoil their plans, and give the unseen deer notice of their presence in the vicinity.

It was while they were thus moving along that Dick suddenly thrust out a hand and drew his companion to a standstill. Roger turned his head quickly, as though he did not comprehend what this meant, only to see Dick's finger pressed on his lips to indicate silence.

At the same moment Roger himself caught the low thud of hoofs. Some animal was certainly approaching them, and the singular "clicking" that accompanied each thud told them the beast must have cloven hoofs like those of a deer.

A few seconds passed during which the strange sounds grew louder, and then, as the bushes parted, the two boys gazed upon a sight such as had never before greeted their astonished eyes.

FOOTNOTE:

[5] See "The Pioneer Boys of the Yellowstone."