by water, their moccasins in tatters, their hands blistered and their feet sore from rocks and the prickly-*pear cactus.
"De nort' branch—she de true Missouri," asserted old Cruzatte. "See how swift an' muddy she is, jus' like de Missouri. Ain' dat so, Drouillard?"
Drouillard nodded.
"I sartin she true Missouri. I lif on Missouri most my life, an' I know. De odder stream too clear an' smooth."
"For that very r'ason it comes out o' the Rock Mountains, 'cordin' to the cap'ns," put in Pat. "An' the bed of it be round stones, the same as are fetched down out o' the mountains. Not but what I favor the north branch myself, as the more likely direction. We'll find the Columby across to the north, an' not to the south, I'm thinkin'."
"The Minnetarees down at the Mandan town told us the Missouri was clear, at its head, didn't they?" queried George Shannon. "And there are some big falls to pass."
"Mebbe de nort' branch get clear, in leetle time," argued Drouillard. "She de true Missouri, for de Columby."
"Oui. So t'ink we all," agreed Cruzatte and Chaboneau and Lepage and Labiche. "De odder branch go too far sout'."
This was the opinion of the majority of the men. But
