"
Sergeant Ordway's party, it will be recollected, had left Captain Clark
at the three forks of the Missouri, to which they had come down the
Jefferson, and thence had passed down the Missouri to White Bear
Islands, and, making the portage, had joined the rest of the party just
in time to reinforce them. Game was now abundant the buffalo being in
enormous herds; and the bighorn were also numerous; the flesh of these
animals was in fine condition, resembling the best of mutton in flavor.
The reunited party now descended the river, the intention being to reach
the mouth of the Yellowstone as soon as possible, and there wait for
Captain Clark, who, it will be recalled, was to explore that stream and
meet them at the point of its junction with the Missouri. The voyage of
Captain Lewis and his men was without startling incident, except that
Cruzatte accidentally shot the captain, one day, while they were out
hunting. The wound was through the fleshy part of the left thigh, and
for a time was very painful. As Cruzatte was not in sight when the
captain was hit, the latter naturally thought he had been shot by
Indians hiding in the thicket. He reached camp as best he could, and,
telling his men to arm themselves, he explained that he had been shot by
Indians. But when Cruzatte came into camp, mutual explanations satisfied
all hands that a misunderstanding had arisen and that Cruzatte's unlucky
shot was accidental. As an example of the experience of the party about
this time, while they were on their way down the Missouri, we take this
extract from their journal:--
"We again saw great numbers of buffalo, elk, antelope, deer, and wolves;
also eagles and other birds, among which were geese and a solitary
pelican, neither of which can fly at present, as they are now shedding
the feathers of their wings.
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