Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-06-06

men returned frOstDltten with their
loads of meat. The sky was dark.
The days were short.
To improve the morale of their men
the leaders now planned certain fes.
tivities for them. On Christmas eve
each man had his stocking well stuffed
with such delicacies as the compa
ny stores afforded-pepper, salt. dried
fruits long cherished in the commits.
sary and such other knickknacks as
might be spared.
On Christmas day Drouillard brought
out fiddle. A dance was ordered and
went on all day long on the puncheon
floor of the main cabin. In moccasins
and leggings, with hair long and tunics
belted close to their lean waists, the
white men danced to the tunes of their
own land-the reels and hoedowns Of
old Virginia and Kentucky.
The sounds of revelry We're heard by
the Mandans, who came up to the
gate.
"White men make a medicine dance"
they said, and knocked for entrance.
Two women only were present, the
wife Of Jussaume, the squaw man, and
Sacajawea, the girl wife Of Charlton
neau, the interpreter of the Mandans.
These two had many presents.
The face of Sacajawea was wreathed
in smiles. Always her eyes followed
the tall form of Meriwether Lewis
wherever he went. Her own husband
was but her husband, and already she
had elected Meriwether Lewis as her
deity. When her husband thrashed
her, always he thrashed her husband.
In her simple child's soul she con-
secrated herself to the task which he
had assigned her. Yes, when the grass
came she would take these white men
to her own people. If they wanted to
see the salt waters far to the west
her people had heard of that-ther
they should go there also. The bird
woman was very happy that Christ
mas day. The chief had thrashed
Charbonneau and had given her won
derful presents.
And so the winter passed. and the
welcome spring opened the way for
further progress.
(Which way, WIFI" asked Meri-
wether Lewis one bright morning.
(which is the river? If we miss
many guesses the British will beat us
through. Which is our river here?"
They stood at the junction Of the
Yellowstone with the Missouri and
faced one of the first Of their great
problems. The geese were flying north
ward again; the grass was green
Three weeks ago the ice had run clear.
and they had left their winter quar-
tiers among the Mandans.
Five months they had spent at the
Mandan village. For five months they
had labored to reach that place; for
five months or more they had lain at
st. Louis. Time was passing. As
Meriwether Lewis said. few wrong
guesses could be afforded
Early in April great barge, manned
by ten men. had set out downstream,
carrying with it the proof Of the sue
cess of the expedition. 1t bore many
new things. precious things, things un.
known to civilization. Among these
were sixty specimens Of plants. as
many of minerals and earths, weapons
Of the Indians, examples of their cloth
ing, specimens Of the corn and other
vegetables which they raised, horns of
the bighorn and the antelope-both ami
mails then new to science-antlers of
the deer and elk. stuffed specimens.
dried skins, herbs. fruits, flowers, and
with all these the broken story of a
new geography-the greatest story ever
sent out for publication by any man
or men. and all done in Homeric sim
plicity.
As the great barge had started down
the river the two pirogues which had
come so far, joined by the cottonwood
dugouts laboriously fabricated during
the winter months, had started up the
river manned by thirty-one men.
With the pick Of the original party
there had come but one woman, the
girl Sacajawea, with her little baby.
born that winter at the Mandan fort
ress. Sacajawea now had her place in
the camp. She and her infant were
the pets Of all. She sat in the sunlight,
her baby in her lap, by her side an
Indian dog, waif which Lewis had
found abandoned in an Indian encamp.
ment and which had attached itself to
him.
Sacajawea smiled as the tall form of
the captain came toward her. She had
already learned some of the words of
his tongue. he some Of hers.
(which way, Sacajawea?" asked
Meriwether Lewis. what river is
this which goes on to the left?"
Him Ro'shone," replied the girl.
MY man call him that. No good!
Him-big river" and she pointed to.
ward the right hand stream.
"As thought. WILL" said Lewis
nodding. And again to the Indian girl
DO you remember this placer"
She nodded her head vigorously and
smiled.
"Seew
With a pointed stick she began to
sketch a map on the sand of the river
bar, showing how the Yellowstone flow
ed from the south-how, far on ahead
its upper course bent toward the Mis-
souri,, with march of not more thar
a day between the two. The maps OF
this new world that first came back tc
civilization were copies Of Indians
dra winps made with a nOinted stick