Volume 1

39^
all's well that ends well.
But in about an hour the storm was over, and for the last
time orders were given to load and proceed. As there was
no further danger of the Schians pursuing us, everyone
went as he pleased, and we were soon divided into more
than 200 parties, dispersed over the plains and hills in
every direction. Le Borgne desired us to keep near him
and his party, which was the most numerous. At ten
o'clock we came to the Wolf's Tent, which some of us
ascended on horseback, whence we had a delightful view of
the country, and of the different parties on their way homeward—the
Mandanes keeping eastward, the Big Bellies
westward, and the Saulteurs [Souliers] northward.
At some distance to the N. E., we observed a herd of
buflalo, which being signaled to a party passing below us,
in an instant upward of 50 horsemen were in pursuit. Here
we dried our cloaks, robes, and blankets, and then pushed
on to overtake the hunting party, who had killed a great
many, and were well loaded with flesh. We soon after
came to a brook that emptied into Knife river, where we
found a few stunted willows, and saw that many of the Big
Bellies had stopped to light a fire and turn their horses
out to feed. We also halted, as ours stood in great need of
refreshment, too, and we ourselves had eaten nothing but a
few raw meadow-turnips since the first meal we made at the
Schians' camp. We found some difificulty in procuring
anything from those avaricious Big Bellies, who set more
value upon a piece of fresh meat than they do on a beaver
or bear skin. We wished to buy a few pounds to roast,
but they would dispose of none, and had it not been that
Le Borgne joined us, we would not have got one mouthful.
When he came up and his women unloaded their horses
and mules, he was presented with some meat, which they
roasted, or rather warmed, for it was positively raw when
he invited us to eat. In payment for this he made no
scruple of accepting the contents of our powder-horns and
shot-bags, and even begged some tobacco. This repast of
raw flesh cost us each, according to the valuation of prop-