them several maps, arguing his case for nearly an hour.
"It doesn't matter to me whether you're right or wrong, Captain," Colter said when Captain Lewis finished. "I can't speak for the others, but I'll follow you and Captain Clark whatever direction you choose. The way I figure it, we are in this together."
"Well put, Colter."
"I'm with the captains, too."
"Count me in."
All the men were of the same mind, which cheered Captain Lewis considerably.
June 9, 1805
I am gratified at the men's willingness to follow us despite their belief we have chosen the wrong river. I pray that we are right.
To reach the mountains before winter we will travel light and fast. To this end we left the red pirogue at the fork and will pick it up on our way home. We also left a cache of supplies there.
I am leading a land party to reach the Great Falls ahead of the others. Drouillard, J. Fields, Gibson, and Goodrich are with me. If the Falls are not up this river, we may still have time to go back down and ascend the other branch and reach the mountains before winter. Captain Clark is following on the river with the others.
I am still not feeling well. When I left this morning Sacagawea was also ill....
THE CAPTAIN SLEPT very little our first night out because of his illness. Despite this, we were on our way again early the next morning.
A few hours after we started, the men shot four elk.
"Butcher the meat and hang what we don't need next to the river," Captain Lewis said, sitting down heavily on the ground. He was pale and very weak. He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. I lay down next to him until the scent of those elk guts pulled me away.
When I got my fill, I returned to the Captain and found him sleeping peacefully. Rather than disturb him, I joined Private Goodrich at the river, where he was fishing. He pulled out one lively fish after another with his pole and string. It was great fun to catch the flopping fish he threw onto the bank and bring them to him. Each time I brought one, he patted me on the head, took the fish from my mouth, and put it onto the growing pile.
"They don't call you Seaman for nothin'."
"Goodrich!"
It was Captain Lewis. I ran to him, with Goodrich right on my heels. The Captain was doubled over on the ground, clutching his stomach. "Gather ... some ... chokecherry ... branches," he said through clenched teeth. "I need to make some medicine out of the bark."
Goodrich ran off. I had never seen the Captain in such pain and I wanted to help him, but there was nothing I could do but watch. Goodrich returned with the branches.
"What should I do with them, Captain?"
"Strip the bark ... make tea..."
The men were alarmed at the Captain's condition. Drouillard wanted to find Captain Clark and bring him up, but Captain Lewis wouldn't let him, insisting that he would be fine after the tea had a chance to work.
By eight o'clock the Captain was sitting. By ten o'clock he was walking. He went to sleep about eleven, and the next morning he seemed perfectly recovered.
"Bless my mother for teaching me about herbs," he said. "Shall we proceed on, gentlemen?"
We walked nearly thirty miles before the Captain called a halt, saying that he was somewhat weakened from his ailment the day before. After we made camp the Captain worked on his notes, then did some fishing using a deer spleen as bait, which worked tolerably well.
The following day we came upon a vast plain with more buffalo than we had ever seen before. In the distance there was a great rumbling noise. Captain Lewis ran toward the sound.
June 13, 1805
O the Joy! We have arrived at the Great Falls and their beauty is beyond my ability to put into words....
Colter flips through the red book. "Some pages are missing here. You were there, Drouillard. Any idea what was on them?"
Drouillard shakes his head.
I know....
THE CAPTAIN stood on the edge of the precipice, staring across that grand crack in the prairie.
"A rainbow," he said, and began to
"It doesn't matter to me whether you're right or wrong, Captain," Colter said when Captain Lewis finished. "I can't speak for the others, but I'll follow you and Captain Clark whatever direction you choose. The way I figure it, we are in this together."
"Well put, Colter."
"I'm with the captains, too."
"Count me in."
All the men were of the same mind, which cheered Captain Lewis considerably.
June 9, 1805
I am gratified at the men's willingness to follow us despite their belief we have chosen the wrong river. I pray that we are right.
To reach the mountains before winter we will travel light and fast. To this end we left the red pirogue at the fork and will pick it up on our way home. We also left a cache of supplies there.
I am leading a land party to reach the Great Falls ahead of the others. Drouillard, J. Fields, Gibson, and Goodrich are with me. If the Falls are not up this river, we may still have time to go back down and ascend the other branch and reach the mountains before winter. Captain Clark is following on the river with the others.
I am still not feeling well. When I left this morning Sacagawea was also ill....
THE CAPTAIN SLEPT very little our first night out because of his illness. Despite this, we were on our way again early the next morning.
A few hours after we started, the men shot four elk.
"Butcher the meat and hang what we don't need next to the river," Captain Lewis said, sitting down heavily on the ground. He was pale and very weak. He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. I lay down next to him until the scent of those elk guts pulled me away.
When I got my fill, I returned to the Captain and found him sleeping peacefully. Rather than disturb him, I joined Private Goodrich at the river, where he was fishing. He pulled out one lively fish after another with his pole and string. It was great fun to catch the flopping fish he threw onto the bank and bring them to him. Each time I brought one, he patted me on the head, took the fish from my mouth, and put it onto the growing pile.
"They don't call you Seaman for nothin'."
"Goodrich!"
It was Captain Lewis. I ran to him, with Goodrich right on my heels. The Captain was doubled over on the ground, clutching his stomach. "Gather ... some ... chokecherry ... branches," he said through clenched teeth. "I need to make some medicine out of the bark."
Goodrich ran off. I had never seen the Captain in such pain and I wanted to help him, but there was nothing I could do but watch. Goodrich returned with the branches.
"What should I do with them, Captain?"
"Strip the bark ... make tea..."
The men were alarmed at the Captain's condition. Drouillard wanted to find Captain Clark and bring him up, but Captain Lewis wouldn't let him, insisting that he would be fine after the tea had a chance to work.
By eight o'clock the Captain was sitting. By ten o'clock he was walking. He went to sleep about eleven, and the next morning he seemed perfectly recovered.
"Bless my mother for teaching me about herbs," he said. "Shall we proceed on, gentlemen?"
We walked nearly thirty miles before the Captain called a halt, saying that he was somewhat weakened from his ailment the day before. After we made camp the Captain worked on his notes, then did some fishing using a deer spleen as bait, which worked tolerably well.
The following day we came upon a vast plain with more buffalo than we had ever seen before. In the distance there was a great rumbling noise. Captain Lewis ran toward the sound.
June 13, 1805
O the Joy! We have arrived at the Great Falls and their beauty is beyond my ability to put into words....
Colter flips through the red book. "Some pages are missing here. You were there, Drouillard. Any idea what was on them?"
Drouillard shakes his head.
I know....
THE CAPTAIN stood on the edge of the precipice, staring across that grand crack in the prairie.
"A rainbow," he said, and began to
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