So the captains called the No-Salmon (to-day the Lou Lou) River, "Traveler's Rest Creek," because here camp was made while the men hunted and mended clothes before again climbing the mountains.
The Pierced Nose trail was plain at first, but on the Idaho side of these the Bitter Root Mountains it soon was lost amidst many other trails, and the snows and the thick timber and the bare rocks. Old Toby himself was well-nigh confused; he had not been along the main trail for many years.
The mountains were very broad, very wild. The jumble of high ridges was steep, and constantly drear with rain and snow. The horses strayed, and went lame, and fell down and broke things. The hunters sometimes brought in a lean deer, sometimes a few grouse, and frequently nothing, so then for all hands there were only a sip of canned soup, and berries.
It was on September 14 that the first of the colts was killed, to be eaten. The soup and the berries were making the men ill. He was a nice little black colt, and Peter hated to have him killed; but what else could be done? On this day, also, they arrived at a clear, rocky river down which extended the Indian road.
"Is this the Big River?" asked Captain Lewis, hopefully, of old Toby. "Is this the Big River, with the falls and the white men?"
"Koos koos kee," grunted old Toby. And that was all he would say.
So "Koos-koos-kee" was the river named.
