Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-09-29


electrician of the louisville Bugle,
mythical Otter Greek county newspaper
days, Wednesdays and Fridays at $3.50
to 6:45 p. m, E. d. S. 7.
tinued in captivity. The others es-
capped one night when the guard was
asleep Sacajawea might have fled also
had not Otter Woman slept SO soundly
that she screamed and reused the
Minnetarees when she was suddenly
and roughly awakened by the fugitives.
Content With Her Lot
In the lodge of Red Arrow. her
captor, and his wife, Sacajawea &C
cepted her lot and became content.
She grew to love them-and also a
Dakota lad of the tribe of Mandans,
peace-loving redmen who dwelt. in
earth huts along the Missouri river.
gambling bet with Charbonneau,. an
Interpreter and guide for the American
Fur Co. Charbonneau already had two
wives but, in the easy manner of the
frontier, he made this slender, 16-year-
old his No. 3. Sacajawea did not pro-
inant force. 1t was not until the ad-
vent of more white men that loyalty
to them gave her sufficient strength
to assert herself.
In the Mandan village, near the
present site of Bismarck, the expedi-
tion of Lewis and Clark lay snow
bound. The previous summer, acting
under Instructions from President JEFF
ferson who had recently purchased
from France the Louisiana territory
all that region lying between the Mis-
sissippi and the crest of the Rockies
the expedition had set out from st.
Louis to cross the territory and pene-
70 hounroI the parifin IT
one of the most adventurous eXpedi-
lions in the history of exploration, for
west of the Mississippi, except for a
few fur traders, white men were non
existent and mountains, rivers and
plains were uncharted. Thousands of
miles of they knew not what confront
ed the explorers. But intrepidly they
plunged into the wilderness and were
successful in their quest for the Pa
cific-but successful because of SAGA
jawea.
Captains Lewis and Clark, this win
ter of 1804-1805, sought a guide and
interpreter to lead them to the coast.
Charbonneau, after promising his
services, accepted more lucrative Of
fer from some traders. But the eX-
plorers had won the interest of SAGA
jaWea. They were bound in the dlrec-
ton of her people. For the first time
in her life she asserted herself, her
black eyes flashing in anger. She told
Charbonneau that he had no word of
for him to the two leaders, whom she
knew as Long Knife and Red Hair,
she would destroy herself, and her
Batiste, who had recently been born.
Husband Keeps His Word
Charbonneau, naturally weak Willed
and now amazed by the sudden spirit
shown by his slave wife. agreed to keep
1T LrxyritoIl1y tho rrir1 Y1IShnI n
the tent of Long knife and Red Hair
to impart the news. They laughed and
told her she was clever girl. Captain
Clark, testing with her, called her
"Janey," a name destined to follow
her throughout the next two years of
the expedition.
From this moment Sacajawea could
SO that they might proceed westward
The Missouri cleared the first of April
and on the 10th of that month, the
expedition headed into the setting sun,
into the nknown-preceded by the
excited young Indian girl on whose
back was strapped her baby, born only
one month and 10 days before!
After a hazardous course the party
reached the Great Falls of the Mis-
souri, Sacajawea, with her husband
and Captain Clark, were ahead of the
main body when a thunderburSt filled
the gulch in which they travelled. The
girl forced her scared husband up the
cliffs and, aided by Clark, lifted her
self just in time to escape a 15-foot
wall of water.
once she fell desperately ill. and
before her there appeared valley
deeper and gloomier than the Mis-
souri, canyon up which she had come
for so many days-the Shadow valley.
Captain Clark sent his black servant,
owl 70 l,n, hot 10
skill be slowly guided the Indian girl
back to health.
Soon she had the opportunity to re-
pay Red Hair. When Charbonneau al
lowed his boat, loaded with the writ
ten records of the trip, and camp
the stream to the rescue. Captain
Lewis, seeing the accident from the
shore, feared for her on account of
the rough and treacherouS speed of
the water. But at risk of her life and
that of her baby, she retrieved the
supplies. For her heroic act, which
made it unnecessary to retrace hun
the captains agreed to name the next
creek after her.
Recognizes Previous Route
Her main service to the explorers
and to poSterity was performed when,
in the labyrinth Of the Rocky noun
which she had been hurried as cap
tive. Through dark, narrow canyons, so
steep-walled that only at monday did
the sun strike the river, she unerringly
led the way. And then one evening she
paused, to scan the cliffs intently.
I'VE are coming to a country where
the river has three forks" she said
confidently.
The explorers were skeptical. but
she was right. On July Is, the party
arrived in the Gallat1n country. At
this point, where all Indian trails