- woman drank. Everybody at the fort was interested.
Soon from the lodge of Chaboneau issued a new sound—a feeble, shrill, piping wail. But the groans of Sa-ca-ja-we-a had ceased. Out again darted Chaboneau, his leather face beaming.
"One fine boy," he shouted, capering. "It is all right. One fine boy. I t'ink he look like me."
The next day, which was February 12, the hunting party returned, having left their meat in a pen to protect it from the wolves.
"I have the honor to announce a new recruit, Captain," reported Captain Lewis, saluting Captain Clark, a twinkle in his eyes.
"What's his name, Merne? Chaboneau?" demanded Captain Clark, smiling broadly, with cold-reddened face.
"He is leetle Toussaint," proclaimed Chaboneau. "One fine boy who look so han'some as me."
"B' gorry," uttered Sergeant Pat, "an addition to our number, is it? Faith, he has good lungs, but I thought it was a weasel chasin' a rabbit."
The next morning four men and three horses to haul sleds were sent down to get the meat; but at evening they came back empty-handed. A hundred Sioux had robbed them. Captain Lewis set out at sunrise, to punish the robbers. Only three or four Mandans went. Chief Black Cat said that his young men were out hunting, and the villages had few guns, so his people could not help the white soldiers.
