as they might have done, to take by force the whole deer, but contented themselves with what had been thrown away by the hunter.  Captain Lewis now had the deer skinned, and after reserving a quarter of it gave the rest of the animal to the chief to be divided among the Indians, who immediately devoured nearly the whole of it without cooking.  They now went forward towards the creek where there was some brushwood to make a fire, and found Drewyer who had killed a second deer:  the same struggle for the entrails was renewed here, and on giving nearly the whole deer to the Indians, they devoured it even to the soft part of the hoofs.  A fire being made captain Lewis had his breakfast, during which Drewyer brought in a third deer:  this too, after reserving one quarter, was given to the Indians, who now seemed completely satisfied and in good humour.  At this place they remained about two hours to let the horses graze, and then continued their journey, and towards evening reached the lower part of the cove having on the way shot an antelope, the greater part of which was given to the Indians.  As they were now approaching the place where they had been told by Captain Lewis they would see the white men, the chief insisted on halting:  they therefore all dismounted, and Cameahwait with great ceremony and as if for ornament, put tippets or skins round the necks of our party, similar to those worn by themselves.  As this was obviously intended to disguise the white men, captain Lewis in order to inspire them with more confidence put his cocked hat and feather on the head of the chief, and as his own over-shirt was in the Indian form, and his skin browned by the sun, he could not have been distinguished from an Indian:  the men followed his example, and the change seemed to be very agreeable* to the Indians.

In order to guard however against any disappointment captain Lewis again explained the possibility of our not having reached the forks in consequence of the difficulty of the navigation, so that if they should not find us at that spot they might be assured of our not being far below.  They again all mounted their horses and rode on rapidly, making one of the Indians carry their flag, so that we might recognise them as they approached us; but to the mortification and disappointment of both parties on coming within two miles of the forks, no canoes were to be seen.  Uneasy lest at this moment he should be abandoned, and all his hopes of obtaining aid from the Indians be destroyed, captain Lewis gave the chief his gun, telling him that if the enemies of his nation were in the bushes he might defend himself with it; that for his own part he was not afraid to die, and that the chief might shoot him as soon as they discovered themselves betrayed.  The other three men at the same time gave their guns to the Indians, who now seemed more easy, but still wavered in their resolutions.  As they went on towards the point, captain Lewis perceiving how critical