as he had pursued.  Very glad to be released from this danger, captain Lewis returned to the shore, and observed him run with great speed, sometimes looking back as if he expected to be pursued, till he reached the woods.  He could not conceive the cause of the sudden alarm of the bear, but congratulated himself on his escape when he saw his own track torn to pieces by the furious animal, and learnt from the whole adventure never to suffer his rifle to be a moment unloaded.  He now resumed his progress in the direction which the bear had taken towards the western river, and found it a handsome stream about two hundred yards wide, apparently deep, with a gentle current; its waters clear, and its banks, which were formed principally of dark brown and blue clay, are about the same height as those of the Missouri, that is from three to five feet.  What was singular was that the river does not seem to overflow its banks at any season, while it might be presumed from its vicinity to the mountains, that the torrents arising from the melting of the snows, would sometimes cause it to swell beyond its limits.  The contrary fact would induce a belief that the Rocky mountains yield their snows very reluctantly and equably to the sun, and are not often drenched by very heavy rains.  This river is no doubt that which the Indians call Medicine river, which they mentioned as emptying into the Missouri, just above the falls.  After examining Medicine river, captain Lewis set out at half after six o’clock in the evening on his return towards the camp, which he estimated at the distance of twelve miles.  In going through the low grounds on Medicine river he met an animal which at a distance he thought was a wolf, but on coming within sixty paces, it proved to be some brownish yellow animal standing near its burrow, which, when he came nigh, crouched and seemed as if about to spring on him.  Captain Lewis fired and the beast disappeared in its burrow.  From the track and the general appearance of the animal he supposed it to be of the tiger kind.  He then went on, but as if the beasts of the forests had conspired against him, three buffaloe bulls which were feeding with a large herd at the distance of half a mile, left their companions and ran at full speed towards him.  He turned round, and unwilling to give up the field advanced towards them:  when they came within a hundred yards, they stopped, looked at him for some time, and then retreated as they came.  He now pursued his route in the dark, reflecting on the strange adventures and sights of the day which crowded on his mind so rapidly that he should have been inclined to believe it all enchantment if the thorns of the prickly pear piercing his feet did not dispel at every moment the illusion.  He at last reached the party, who had been very anxious for his safety, and who had already decided on the route which each should take in the morning to look for him.  Being much fatigued he supped and slept well during the night.