They observed that the Rocky Mountains, now in full sight, were still covered with snow, and the prospect of crossing them was not very rosy.  Their Chopunnish guide told them that it would be impossible to cross the mountains before the next full moon, which would be about the first of June.  The journal adds:  “To us, who are desirous of reaching the plains of the Missouri—­if for no other reason, for the purpose of enjoying a good meal—­this intelligence was by no means welcome, and gave no relish to the remainder of the horse killed at Colter’s Creek, which formed our supper, as part of which had already been our dinner.”  Next day, accordingly, the hunters turned out early in the morning, and before noon returned with four deer and a duck, which, with the remains of horse-beef on hand, gave them a much more plentiful stock of provisions than had lately fallen to their lot.  During the previous winter, they were told, the Indians suffered very much for lack of food, game of all sorts being scarce.  They were forced to boil and eat the moss growing on the trees, and they cut down the pine-trees for the sake of the small nut to be found in the pine-cones.  Here they were met by an old friend, Neeshnepahkeeook and the Shoshonee, who had acted as interpreter for them.  The journal says:—­

“We gave Neeshnepahkeeook and his people some of our game and horse-beef, besides the entrails of the deer, and four fawns which we found inside of two of them.  They did not eat any of them perfectly raw, but the entrails had very little cooking; the fawns were boiled whole, and the hide, hair, and entrails all consumed.  The Shoshonee was offended at not having as much venison as he wished, and refused to interpret; but as we took no notice of him, he became very officious in the course of a few hours, and made many efforts to reinstate himself in our favor.  The brother of Twisted-hair, and Neeshnepahkeeook, now drew a sketch, which we preserved, of all the waters west of the Rocky Mountains.”

They now met Twisted-hair, in whose care they had left their horses and saddles the previous fall, and this was the result of their inquiries:—­

“Between three and four o’clock in the afternoon we set out, in company with Neeshuepahkeeook and other Indians, the brother of Twisted-hair having left us.  Our route was up a high steep hill to a level plain with little wood, through which we passed in a direction parallel to the (Kooskooskee) River for four miles, when we met Twisted-hair and six of his people.  To this chief we had confided our horses and a part of our saddles last autumn, and we therefore formed very unfavorable conjectures on finding that he received us with great coldness.  Shortly afterward he began to speak in a very loud, angry manner, and was answered by Neeshnepahkeeook.  We now discovered that a violent quarrel had arisen between these chiefs, on the subject, as we afterward understood, of our horses.  But as we could not