paces of us, he halted.  Captain Lewis, who had alighted to receive him, held out his hand and beckoned to him to approach; he only looked at us for some time, and then, without saying a word, returned to his companions with as much haste as he had advanced.  The whole party now descended the hill and rode toward us.  As yet we saw only eight, but presumed that there must be more behind us, as there were several horses saddled.  We however advanced, and Captain Lewis now told his two men that he believed these were the Minnetarees of Fort de Prairie, who, from their infamous character, would in all probability attempt to rob us; but being determined to die rather than lose his papers and instruments, he intended to resist to the last extremity, and advised them to do the same, and to be on the alert should there be any disposition to attack us.  When the two parties came within a hundred yards of each other, all the Indians, except one, halted.  Captain Lewis therefore ordered his two men to halt while he advanced, and after shaking hands with the Indian, went on and did the same with the others in the rear, while the Indian himself shook hands with the two men.  They all now came up; and after alighting, the Indians asked to smoke with us.  Captain Lewis, who was very anxious for Drewyer’s safety, told them that the man who had gone down the river had the pipe, and requested that as they had seen him, one of them would accompany R. Fields, to bring him back.  To this they assented, and Fields went with a young man in search of Drewyer.”

Captain Lewis now asked them by signs if they were Minnetarees of the north, and he was sorry to be told in reply that they were; he knew them to be a bad lot.  When asked if they had any chief among them, they pointed out three.  The captain did not believe them, but, in order to keep on good terms with them, he gave to one a flag, to another a medal, and to the third a handkerchief.  At Captain Lewis’ suggestion, the Indians and the white men camped together, and in the course of the evening the red men told the captain that they were part of a big band of their tribe, or nation.  The rest of the tribe, they said, were hunting further up the river, and were then in camp near the foot of the Rocky Mountains.  The captain, in return, told them that his party had come from the great lake where the sun sets, and that he was in hopes that he could induce the Minnetarees to live in peace with their neighbors and come and trade at the posts that would be established in their country by and by.  He offered them ten horses and some tobacco if they would accompany his party down the river below the great falls.  To this they made no reply.  Being still suspicious of these sullen guests, Captain Lewis made his dispositions for the night, with orders for the sentry on duty to rouse all hands if the Indians should attempt to steal anything in the night.  Next morning trouble began.  Says the journal:—­