The red pirogue was to be hidden on an island at the mouth of Maria's River.
John Shields, the blacksmith, and Alec Willard worked at bellows and forge, repairing tools and spontoons; and William Bratton repaired broken guns.
However, the captains were still cautious regarding the right route to strike the Columbia on the other side of the mountains; and early the next morning, June 11, Captain Lewis took Drouillard, John Shields, George Gibson and Si Goodrich, to scout ahead up that south fork. He promised to send back word to Captain Clark, who was to follow, with the boats and party, as soon as the cache was completed.
On the morning of the twelfth the white pirogue and the six canoes headed up the south fork, before a fair wind.
"We're off," exulted Sergeant Pat
Everybody was in high spirits—everybody except Chaboneau and Sa-ca-ja-we-a.
"Sa-ca-ja-we-a she seeck," announced Chaboneau. "I do not know what is matter. Mebbe stomick, or mebbe she ketch col' in all dat rain."
Yes, the little sixteen-year-old Bird-woman was feeling very ill. Now for almost a thousand miles she had carried baby Toussaint, had tended the lodge fire and done other Indian woman work; sometimes she had been wet, frequently cold and foot-sore, but she never had complained or lagged.
"You must let her rest, Chaboneau," said Captain
