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Show 372 • Lewis altll Cllt1'7~c's E'XJ>edition • uneasy nt this insinuation: he know the suspicious temper of the Indians, accustomed from their inHtncy to regat·d every stranger as an enemy, and saw that if this suggestion were not jnstantly checked, it might hazard the total failure of the cntct·prlsc. Assuming therefore a serious air, he told the chief that he was sorry to find they placed so little confi~ dence in him, but that he p:u·doned theil' suspicions because they were ignorant of the character of white men, among whom it was disgraceful to lie ot• cn(rap even an enemy by falsehood; that if they continued to think thus meanly of u they might be assured no white men would ever come to supply them with arms and merchandize; that there wa at this moment a party of white men wailing to trade with them at the forks of the river; and that if the greater part of the tribe entet·tained any suspicion, he hoped there were still among them some who were men, who would go and see with their own eyes the truth of what he said, and who, even if there was any danger, were not afraid to die. To doubt the courage of an Indian is to touch the tenderest string of his mind, and the surest way to rouse him to any dangerous achievement. Cameahwait instantly replietl, that he was not afraid to die, and mountinoo his horse, for the third time harangued the warriors: he tolJ them that l1e was ~csolved to go if he went alone, or if he were sure of perishmg; that he hoped thct•e were among those who heard him some who were not afraid to die, and who would prove it by mounting theit• horses and following him. 'l'his harangue produced an effect on six or eight ouly of the warrrors, who n~w joined their chief. 'Vith these captain Lewis smoked a pipe, and then feat·ful of some change in their capricious temper set out immediately. It was about twelve o'clock wh.en his small party lert the camp, attendee~ by CameabWait and the eight warriors: their departure seemed to spread a gloom over the village; those who would not venture to go were sullen and melancholy, and the woman were c1·ying and implol'ing the Great Spirit to protect their warriors as UJ' the JJ1issom·i. S73 jf they were going to certain destruction: yet such is the wavering inconstancy of these savages, that captain Lewis's party had not gone far when tltey were joined by ten or twelve more warriors. and before reaching the creek which they bad passed on the morning of the 13th, alJ the men of the nation and a number of women hatl ovcrtal\.cn them, and had changed from the surly ill tcmpct• in which they were two hours ago, to the greatest cheerfulness and gayety. When they arrivc(l at the spr·ing on the side of the mounLain where the party had encamped on the 12th, the chief insisted on halting to let the horses graze; to which captain Lt-wis assented anll smoked with them. They are excessively fond of the pi~e, in which however they are not able to in· tlulo>e much as tlwy do not cultivate tobacco themselves, and b theit· ru~ged country affords them but few articles to ex .. change fot• it. Ilere they rcmaint-d for about an hour, and on sctt ing out. by engaging to pay four of the party, captain Lewis obtained permission fot· himself and each of his n1en to l·ide hehintl an I nllian; but he soon found riding without stir1·ups more tiresome than walking, and therefore dismounted, making the Indian carry his pack. About sunset they 1·eachcd the upper part of the level valley in the cove tht•ough which he hall passed, aml which they no'~ called Shoshonee cove. 'rhe grass being burnt on the n01·tb side of the river they m·osscd over to the south, and encamped about four miles above the narrow pass between the hills noticed as they t1•avcrsed the cove before. The river was here about six yards wide, and frequently dammed up by the beaver. Drewyet• l1ad been sent fot·ward to hunt, but be returned in the evening unsuccessful, and their only supper therefore was the remaining pound of flour stirred in a little boiling water, and then divided between the four white men and two of the Indians. In order not to exhaust t11e strength of the men, captain Clarke did not )cave his camp till after breakfast. Although lle was scarcely half a mile below the Rattlesnake cliffs he |