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Show 198 JOUHNAL OF A VOYAGI!: we were on Red river, and of course in the territory claimed by the United States. We took the road to my fort, and as they were on horseback, they travelled :ather faster than n1yself; they were halted by the sentinel, and immediately retreated much surprised. When I came up, I took them in, and then explained to them, as well as possible, my intentions of descending the river to Natchitoches, but at the same time told them that if governor Allencaster would send out an officer with an interpreter, who spoke French or English, I would do n1ysclf the plc::wurc to give his excellency every reasonable satisfaction as to my intentions in com. ing on his frontiers. They informed me that on the se· cond day they would be in Santa Fe, but were c.1rcful never to suggest an idea of my being on the Rio del Norte. As they concluded, I did not think as I spoke ; they were ·very anxious to ascertain our numbers, &c. ; seeing only five men here, they could not believe we came without horsrs, &c. To this I did not think proper to give them any satisfaction, giving thetn to understand we were in many parties, &c. 17th February, Tuesday.-In the tnorning, our twQ Spanish visitors departed, after I had n1ade them some trifling presents, with which they see1ncd highly delighted. After their departure, we commenced working at our little work, as I thought it probable the governor might dispute my right to descend the Red river, and send out Indians, or some light party to attack us ; I therefore determined to be as n1uch prepared to receive them as possible. This evening the corporal and three of the n1en arrived, who had been sent back to the camp of the frozen lads. They informed n1e that two men would arrive the next day; one of which was Menaugh, who had been left alone on the ~7th January, but that the other two, Dougherty and TO THE SOURCES OF THE ARKANSA \V, &c. 199 Sparl~ s, were unable to come. They said that they haJ haikd thctn with tears of joy, and were in despair when they again left them, with the chance of never seeing then1 n1ore. They sent on to me some of the bones takcn out of their fe t, and conjured me by all that wa sacred, not to Ieav~ them to perish far from the civilized world. Ah! little did they know my heart, if they could suspect n1e of 'onduct so ungenerous. No! before they should be left, I would for months have carried the enu of a litter, in order to secure them, the happiness of once xnore seeing their native homes ; and being received in the bosom of a grateful country. Thus those poor lads are to be invalids for life, made infirm at the commencement of n1anhood and in the prin1e of their course, doon1ed to pass the remainder of their days in misery and want ; for what is the pension ? not sufficient to buy a man his victuals! what man would even lose the smallest of his joints for such a trifling pittance. 18th February, vVednesday.-The other two boys ar .. rived ; in the evening I ordered the sergeant and one man to prepare to march to-n1orrow for the Arkansaw where ' we had left our interpreter, horses, &c. to conduct them on, and on his return to bring the two lads who \\'Cre still in the mountains. l9tb February, Thur.rday.-Sergcant William E. Meek, marched with one man, whose name was Theodore Miller, and 1 took three other men to accon1pany him out some distance, in order to point out to him a pass in the mountain, which I conceived n1ore eligible for horses than the one we had come. I must here rc1nark the effect of habit, discipline and example in two soldiers soliciting a command of n1ore than 180 1nilcs ov ·r t\VO great ridges of mountains covered with sno\\', inhabited by lanJs of unkno\vn savages in the intcTcc;t of a nation, with whom |