cts
of traffic; they left six or eight of their number, however, to keep
watch upon the white men, and scouts were continually passing to and fro
with intelligence.

Mr. Crooks saw that it would be impossible to prosecute his voyage
without the danger of having his boats plundered, and a great part of
his men massacred; he determined, however, not to be entirely frustrated
in the objects of his expedition. While he continued, therefore, with
great apparent earnestness and assiduity, the construction of the
trading house, he despatched the hunters and trappers of his party in
a canoe, to make their way up the river to the original place of
destination, there to busy themselves in trapping and collecting
peltries, and to await his arrival at some future period.

As soon as the detachment had had sufficient time to ascend beyond the
hostile country of the Sioux, Mr. Crooks suddenly broke up his feigned
trading establishment, embarked his men and effects, and, after giving
the astonished rear-guard of savages a galling and indignant message to
take to their countrymen, pushed down the river with all speed, sparing
neither oar nor paddle, day nor night, until fairly beyond the swoop of
these river hawks.

What increased the irritation of Messrs. Crooks and M'Lellan, at this
mortifying check to their gainful enterprise, was the information that a
rival trader was at the bottom of it; the Sioux, it is said, having been
instigated to this outrage by Mr. Manuel Lisa, the leading partner and
agent of the Missouri Fur Company, already mentioned. This intelligence,
whether true or false, so roused the fiery temper of M'Lellan, that
he swore, if ever he fell in with Lisa in the Indian country, he would
shoot him on the spot; a mode of redress perfectly in unison with
the character of the man, and the code of honor prevalent beyond the
frontier.

If Crooks and M'Lellan had been exasperated by the insolent conduct
of the Sioux Tetons, and the loss which it had occasioned, those
freebooters had been no less indignant at being outwitted by the white
men, and disappointed of their anticipated gains, and it was apprehended
they would be particularly hostile against the present expedition, when
they should learn that these gentlemen were engaged in it.

All these causes of uneasiness were concealed as much as possible from
the Canadian voyageurs, lest they should become intimidated; it was
impossible, however, to prevent the rumors b