two or
three of the Sioux, among them the Teton chief. A savage had his hand
flung about the mast of the pirogue, others laid hold upon the
painter. Clark, flushed and angry at the touch of another man's hand,
had whipped out his sword, and the Indians were drawing their bows
from their cases.

At that moment Lewis gave a loud order, which arrested them all. The
Sioux turned toward the barge, to see the black mouth of the great
swivel gun pointing at them--the gun whose thunder voice they had
heard.

"Big medicine!" called out Black Buffalo in terror, and ordered his
men back.

Clark offered his hand to Black Buffalo, but it was refused. Angry, he
sprang into the pirogue and pushed off for the barge. Three of the
Indians stepped into the pirogue with him, jabbering excitedly, and,
with Clark, went aboard the barge, where they made themselves very
much at home.

"_Croyez moi!_" ejaculated Drouillard. "These Hinjun, she'll think he
own this country!"

Here, then, they were, in the Teton country. No sleep that night for
either of the leaders, nor for any of the men. They pulled the
pirogues alongside the barge and sat, barricaded behind their goods,
rifle in hand.

They kept their visitors prisoners all that night, and whatever might
have been the construction the Tetons placed on their act, they
themselves by dawn were far more placable. Continually they motioned
that the whites should come ashore, that they must stop, that they
must not go on further up the river. But when all was prepared for the
start on the following morning, Lewis ordered the great cable of the
barge cast off.

Black Buffalo in turn ordered his men to lay hold upon it and retain
the boat. Once more the Indians began to draw their bows. Once more
Lewis turned upon them the muzzle of his cannon. His men shook the
priming into their pieces, and made ready to fire. An instant, and
much blood might have been shed.

"Black Buffalo," said Lewis, as best he might through his interpreter,
"I heard you were a chief. You are not Black Buffalo, but some squaw!
We are going to see if we can find Black Buffalo, the real chief. If
he were here, he would accept our tobacco. The geese are flying down
the river. Soon the snow will come. We cannot wait. See, I give you
this tobacco on the prairie. Go and see if you can find Black Buffalo,
the real chief!"

"Ha!" exclaimed the Teton leader, his dignity outraged. "You say I am
not Black Buffalo--that I am