"You're the doctor, Will," laughed Captain Lewis. "From now on we'd better charge a fee. We'll get more meat that way than with our guns or goods."
Accordingly Captain Clark, who handled the medicines, exchanged his services for provisions. But the Indians appeared to be very poor, and the "doctor's" fees in dogs and horses and roots did not amount to much.
"Marse Will won't nebber make a libbin' at doctorin', dat's suah," finally admitted York, with a shake of his head. "Anyhow, he ain't killed anybody yet."
Chief Twisted-hair's village was up the Kooskooskee some miles. Chief Sky, and another chief named Cut-nose, rode along with the captains. When questioned about the horses and the saddles, they would give no straight answer; but
"S'pose no get 'um horse, no get 'um saddle," said Sa-ca-ja-we-a.
"Why is that?"
"Sho-sho-ne say he hear saddles gone, horses gone."
That was alarming news.
"An' Twisted-hair seemed like a fine gintleman," bemoaned Sergeant Pat.
"We can get more horses, can't we, Pat?" queried Peter. "We see lots of horses."
"Yes, an' how'll we buy 'em, when each man of us is down to a couple o' needles, a bit of thread an' a yard or so of ribbon, with a pinch o' paint for an
