THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



91 



as I found that these catfish will not take parts of their 

 own kind as food. Provost had taken a bath, and rowed 

 the skiff (which we had brought this whole distance on the 

 cart, dragged by a mule) along with two men, across the 

 river to seek for game on the point opposite our encamp- 

 ment. They returned, however, without having shot any- 

 thing, and my four catfish were all the fresh provisions that 

 we had, and ten of us partook of them with biscuit, coffee, 

 and claret. Dusk coming on, the tent was pitched, and 

 preparations to rest made. Some chose one spot and 

 some another, and after a while we were settled. Mr. 

 Ciilbertson and I lay together on the outside of the tent, 

 and all the party were more or less drowsy. About this 

 time we saw a large black cloud rising in the west; it 

 was heavy and lowering, and about ten o'clock, when 

 most of us v/ere pretty nearly sound asleep, the distant 

 thunder was heard, the wind rose to a gale, and the rain 

 began falling in torrents. All were on foot in a few 

 moments, and considerable confusion ensued. Our guns, 

 all loaded with balls, were hurriedly placed under the tent, 

 our beds also, and we all crawled in, in the space of a very 

 few minutes. The wind blew so hard that Harris was 

 obliged to hold the flappers of the tent with both hands, 

 and sat in the water a considerable time to do this. Old 

 Provost alone did not come in, he sat under the shelving 

 bank of the river, and kept dry. After the gale was over, 

 he calmly lay down in front of the tent on the saturated 

 ground, and was soon asleep. During the gale, our fire, 

 which we had built to keep off the myriads of mosquitoes, 

 blew in every direction, and we had to watch the embers 

 to keep them from burning the tent. After all was over, 

 we snugged ourselves the best way we could in our small 

 tent and under the wagon, and slept soundly till daylight. 

 Mr. Culbertson had fixed himself pretty well, but on aris- 

 ing at daylight to smoke his pipe. Squires immediately 

 crept into his comfortable corner, and snored there till the 



