"We've got to be might careful," argued George. "The Missouri and the Columbia are supposed to head right near each other, the one on this side the mountains, the other on 'tother side. It would be a bad mess if we crossed and found we were in the wrong place. We haven't any time to lose."
Evidently so thought the captains. For the next day Captain Lewis took Drouillard, Sergeant Nat Pryor and several others, to explore by foot up the north fork. Captain Clark took Chaboneau, Sergeant Pat and several others, to explore up the south fork. Peter and the rest of the men remained at camp, together with Sa-ca-ja-we-a and little Toussaint.
This gave them the opportunity to sit in their bare feet, mend their moccasins and leggins, and pick green wild currants and ripe wild gooseberries. Sa-ca-ja-we-a, who was always busy, dressed a doe-skin for herself and little Toussaint.
The Captain Clark party returned on the third day, in the rain. They had gone up along the south branch about forty miles—had walked about 100 miles, all told, said Pat, with a wry face and a limp; Reuben had been chased so shrewdly by a big bear, after his gun had missed fire, that in climbing a tree he kicked the bear's mouth, and as nobody could get to the tree the bear had kept Reuben there for an hour; rain and snow both had made the trip uncomfortable—but the river appeared to lead west of south, and the captain was convinced that it was the true Missouri.
