The Captain's Dog (15 page)

"Why would he do that?" Drouillard asked.

"In order to keep us here with our rifles. These people are starving. Our guns could help get meat for them."

"Providing there's meat around here," Drouillard said, "which I have not seen hide nor hair of. No, I think the chief is telling us the truth about the mountains."

If Cameahwait was right, then there was no Northwest Passage. Captain Lewis could not quite get his mind around what he had just heard. I had spent many nights listening to the captains discuss this passage and what it meant to the future of their country. It was a severe blow for him. He sat mute for several minutes, staring at the mounds of dirt.

Cameahwait became increasingly uncomfortable with the silence. "I have upset your chief," he signed, looking concerned.

Drouillard shook his head. "He is just admiring your fine map." He nudged Captain Lewis. "Captain?"

Captain Lewis looked up.

"We need to continue the parley," Drouillard said quietly.

"Yes, of course." The Captain smiled at Cameahwait, but there was no real joy behind it "Ask him if
there is anyone who has been over the mountains who could speak to us about the route."

Cameahwait talked with the other Shoshones sitting with us, then told us there was one man who had made the journey many years ago.

"Can we talk to him?"

Cameahwait said the man lived in another encampment a few miles away, but he would be happy to take us to him.

A large number of Shoshones followed us as we walked across the prairie, laughing and chattering away. The Shoshones were a handsome people, although somewhat gaunt from lack of food. Their clothing was made out of beautifully tanned deerskin decorated with beads and shells. Some of the men wore a fur garment draped over their shoulders, called a tippet, made of river otter or delicate ermine skins. Others wore robes made from prairie wolf, antelope, deer, or buffalo skins. Like other tribes we had encountered, most of the men wore scalps taken from their enemies tied to their leggings.

I liked these Shoshones. They were very outgoing and friendly. The same could not be said for their dogs, who were the snappiest mongrels I had yet encountered along the trail. The only things that kept them at bay were my size and the occasional kick and whack from the Shoshones, who considered it rude for them to bite at me.

The Captain named the old man who had been across the mountains Old Toby, because the Captain couldn't pronounce his real name. We sat outside Old Toby's lodge and Captain Lewis shared a pipe of our tobacco with him.

Old Toby told the Captain that the mountains were very perilous this time of year.

"No food," he signed. "Horses fall from cliffs. Men will be crippled with foot soreness. The snow will freeze all of you to death."

Captain Lewis was undeterred. "Ask him if there is a big river going through the mountains." His mind was still on the Northwest Passage.

"There are no rivers you can take to get through the mountains, but there is a big river on the other side that leads to a stinking lake with water you cannot drink."

"The Pacific. The big river must be the Columbia."

The Captain and Drouillard spent the rest of the afternoon talking to Old Toby and Cameahwait. The chief readily agreed to lend us thirty horses to retrieve our supplies at the Jefferson River, and consented to lead us there and lend a hand.

Captain Lewis asked Old Toby if he would guide us over the mountains. Old Toby said he would think about it and let us know in a few days.

That night in camp there was a lot of talk among the Shoshones about the wisdom of taking us to the
Jefferson. Most of them believed we were leading them into a trap and would kill them. By morning they were convinced of this and Cameahwait informed Captain Lewis that he was still willing to take us but his men refused to go.

Captain Lewis began haranguing the Shoshone men, with Drouillard translating his harsh words into hand-talk. The Captain called them cowards, challenged their manhood, and said other rough things, which Drouillard had a difficult time expressing.

Cameahwait joined the Captain in the harangue. He swung onto his horse and yelled that he would rather die than break his word to the Captain. And if the Captain planned on killing him, he was not afraid to die. He had to repeat this speech three times before a few of his men were shamed enough to mount their horses. When we left the village there was much crying and wailing. The women were convinced the men were riding off to certain death.

Not long after we left we were joined by a dozen more men. A little later it seemed as if the entire village had joined us—men, women, children, and dogs were strung out for a mile behind us. I suspected their change of heart was brought on not by courage but by their empty bellies. They did not want to miss the chance that our rifles might get lucky.

That night the Captain sent Drouillard ahead to hunt, but he returned a few hours later without anything. Captain Lewis mixed the last of the flour and divided it. He gave me half of his portion, but it was like dropping a pebble into a dry well. I was almost ready to eat some dirt, just for the pleasure of having something inside of me.

Early the following morning Captain Lewis again sent Drouillard out ahead to hunt. I wanted to go with him, but the Captain wouldn't allow it.

"You stick around, Sea. I don't want you chasing the game off."

A ridiculous notion, but I had no choice in the matter. We waited before proceeding, to give Drouillard a head start.

We hadn't gone far when a Shoshone who had been following Drouillard came galloping up, screaming that Drouillard had shot a deer. The Shoshones ran in the direction the rider had come from, like the prairie was on fire behind them. Captain Lewis and I followed at a more dignified pace, although I wanted to bolt ahead.

When we arrived, there was a scene I would not have believed if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Drouillard had stripped the guts out of the deer and the Shoshones were at the pile like a pack of famished wolves. Blood dribbled out of the corners of their mouths as they gulped down pieces of heart, lungs, and liver. One of the braves had gotten ahold of a string of intestine and was feeding it into his mouth with one
hand as he pushed the foul contents out with the other hand. They were eating
my
food! I was about to join the fray, but Captain Lewis stopped me.

"Steady, Sea ... Better wait for them to get their bellies full or they're liable to gobble you down right along with the deer."

"
Caw! Caw! Caw!
"

White Feather appeared in the tree above the Indians. I barked a greeting up to him.

"Quiet, Sea!" Captain Lewis scolded. "You'll get your turn."

The crow flew down to the ground and landed right in front of me. He allowed me to sniff him but to my surprise I could not pick up a single scent from his shiny feathers. I glanced at Captain Lewis and when I looked back, White Feather was gone.

"I'll go off and see if I can get another deer," Drouillard said.

McNeal had managed to save a quarter of the deer for us. We stood guard over our small pile of meat and watched the Shoshones devour every remaining scrap of flesh, including the soft part of the deer's hooves. When they finished the meat, they gnawed the bones clean, bit knuckles off the ends, and sucked the bones hollow.

We heard the report of Drouillard's rifle. The Shoshones ran to the sound, and the scene was repeated.

A short time later Drouillard fired again at some distance, but the Shoshones stayed put. He walked up with a third deer slung over his shoulder. The Shoshones didn't even get up. I was reminded of the wolves we had seen along the Missouri too gorged with meat to move.

"Looks like our guests are full," the Captain said. He began building a fire to cook our dinner. I couldn't wait and started in on the deer entrails, joined by a half dozen ravenous Shoshone dogs.

When we finished eating, our large party proceeded over to the Jefferson. As we approached the river the Shoshones once again grew suspicious that we were leading them into a trap. They began talking of returning to their village, and one shouted that the white men had filled their bellies with meat to dull them.

Chief Cameahwait began taking the fur tippets from around his men's necks and putting them on our men. "If we are attacked," he said, "they will not be able to tell the difference between their tribe and ours."

Captain Lewis, desperate to keep the Shoshones at the river, took the deception a step further by putting his cocked hat on Cameahwait's head. The other men followed suit and gave their hats to the Shoshones.

The Captain turned to Drouillard. "Tell Cameahwait that our other chief will be waiting for us at the fork when we arrive."

***

But when the fork came into view, Captain Clark was not there. Near the fork was a thick stand of trees that could easily conceal a whole tribe of warriors. This started another round of fear and suspicion. Cameahwait balked and brought the party to a halt.

Fearing the Shoshones were about to turn their horses around, Captain Lewis handed his rifle to Cameahwait. Turning to Drouillard Lewis said, "Tell him that if his enemies are in those trees, he can defend himself with my rifle."

At first Drouillard was too shocked to raise his hands. He stared at the Captain with his mouth open.

"Tell him!"

Drouillard reluctantly made the signs.

Cameahwait understood, but he still hesitated to move forward.

"Tell him that I am not afraid to die," Captain Lewis said. "Tell him that if I have deceived him he can shoot me."

"I don't think that's—," Drouillard began.

"Tell him!"

Drouillard did as he was ordered.

"Now give your rifles to the Shoshones."

Drouillard, McNeal, and Shields looked as if they thought the Captain had lost his mind. The men didn't like having their best friends hold their rifles, and now
the Captain was asking them to give them up to complete strangers. And Indians to boot.

"Do it now!"

I think this was the hardest thing these men had ever done, but each of them handed his rifle to the Shoshone next to him. This bold gesture seemed to calm Cameahwait and his men down somewhat, and we proceeded on to the fork.

When we got there, Captain Lewis asked Drouillard in a rather loud cheerful voice if he remembered the place where we had left the note for Captain Clark downriver. We had put the note there several days earlier to apprise him of our situation.

"Yes, sir."

"Good! Take one of the Indians to the river and bring the note back to me."

"But
you
wrote—"

"Act like you've never seen the note before and make sure your friend sees you
find
it."

Drouillard nodded and returned awhile later with the note, trying to act very excited, which was not an easy role for him to play. Captain Lewis grabbed the note out of his hand as if Drouillard had brought him a sack of gold. He showed it to Chief Cameahwait, claiming it was from Captain Clark informing them that Clark and his men would be along the following day and to wait there for them. Cameahwait looked the note
over carefully and seemed fascinated with the idea that the captains could communicate with each other by making little marks on paper.

"What will we do if Captain Clark doesn't arrive at the fork tomorrow?" McNeal asked.

"I have no idea," Captain Lewis said.

That night, for the benefit of the Shoshones, the Captain feigned a jovial confidence he did not feel. The Captain's cheerfulness seemed strained. The Shoshones were not fooled. They knew something was wrong. When the Captain unrolled his blanket for the night near the fire, they put their beds all around him so he could not leave.

August 17, 1805

I slept very little last night, worrying about what I will do if Captain Clark does not arrive today. What could be keeping him? Any number of things, I realize. It is so frustrating to wait here knowing that with each passing minute the Shoshones may bolt like frightened deer. They have been raided so many times in recent years, they trust no one. I cannot blame them. According to Cameahwait, their numbers have been greatly reduced from disease and starvation as well as war. They have been left with barely enough men of fighting age to defend themselves.

I sent Drouillard downriver with an Indian, hoping he can intercept Captain Clark and hurry him along....

"There's ink spilled over this page," Colter says.

"Pass me that canteen."

Drouillard hands it over.

CAPTAIN LEWIS
spilled the ink when the brave who had accompanied Drouillard came running into camp yelling that there were white men in boats coming upriver.

Captain Lewis jumped to his feet. He didn't notice the ink he spilled because Chief Cameahwait had him in a bear hug. Though Captain Lewis hadn't understood the brave's words, he understood Cameahwait's enthusiasm and it was hard to say which of them was more excited. Captain Lewis could now get his horses and perhaps get through the mountains before winter set in. But Cameahwait had even more at stake. The arrival of Captain Clark meant he had not led his people into an ambush.

A few minutes later Captain Clark, Charbonneau, Bird Woman, and Drouillard walked into camp ahead of the men in the canoes. The Shoshones swarmed to Captain Clark. When Chief Cameahwait finished hugging him, the chief tied a bunch of seashells in Captain Clark's hair. Then Captain Lewis was finally able to cut through the crowd and reach his friend. The two men embraced and there were tears in the eyes of both.

I stood off to the side to save my paws from getting tramped upon. Bird Woman saw me and reached into her pouch for a dead mouse, which I swallowed in one gulp. She hunched down and turned so I could see Pomp. He seemed to have grown a great deal during our short separation. Bird Woman was going to have to
make a bigger cradleboard to accommodate him soon. He grinned and laughed, and I gave him a wet lick across his brown face. I was about to give him another for good measure when Bird Woman squealed in delight, running toward a young Shoshone woman about her age. The women hugged and cried and laughed and cried and chattered in rapid Shoshone. I was able to understand enough of their conversation to learn that this was Bird Woman's friend Jumping Fish, the girl who had gotten away the day Bird Woman was captured by the Hidatsas.