killed two stags. " Did I not tell you right? " he remarked, smilingly, to my companion. " You see the Great Spirit does not only provide for our wants of this evening, but he gives us also a supply for to-morrow."
Now began the most difficult and most perilous part of our journey. I had to pass through a country supposed to be overrun by war-parties, of the Blackfeet, Assiniboins, Grosventres, Aricaras and Sioux. All these nations entertained the most hostile dispositions toward the Flatheads. I therefore dispensed with their services any farther. I again excited them to continue the good work they had begun; to be steadfast in their faith; regular in their de
votions; charitable toward one another. I embraced them all and took my leave. Mr. John de Velder, a native of Ghent in Belgium, had volunteered his services to me at the rendezvous. In consideration of the bad state of my health, I deemed myself very happy to accept of them; he has never left me since. He was now to be my only traveling com
panion. As there is no road, we followed the direction of the river; at intervals we were obliged to make immense circuits to avoid the steep and craggy hills that defied our passage. For zoo miles, we had continually death before our eyes. On the second day, I discovered before daylight a large smoke at a distance of about a quarter of a mile. We hastily saddled our horses and following up a ravine we gained a high bluff unPercéived. At night we did not dare to make fire for fear of attracting notice. Again about dinner time, we found on the road the carcase of a buffalo, killed only two hours before; the tongue and the marrowbones with some other dainty pieces had been taken away. Thus the kind Providence of our God took care to supply our wants.
We took a direction contrary to the tracks of the Indians, and spent a safe night in the cliffs of the rocks. The next day we struck upon a spot where forty lodges had been encamped, the fires were yet in full blaze.
Finally, we crossed the Missouri at the same place where,