528 



AUDUBON 





Captain Sire's daughters and her husband are going up 

 with us. She soled three pairs of moccasins for me, as 

 skilfully as an Indian. Bell and Harris shot several rare 

 birds. Mr. Bowie promised to save for me all the curios- 

 ities he could procure; he came on board and saw the 

 plates of quadrupeds, and I gave him an almanac, which 

 he much desired. 



After we had all returned on board, I was soniCwhat 

 surprised that Sprague asked me to let him return with 

 the "Omega" to St. Louis. Of course I told him that 

 he was at liberty to do so, though it will keep me grind- 

 ing about double as much as I expected. Had he said the 

 same at New York, I could have had any number of young 

 and good artists, who would have leaped for joy at the 

 very idea of accompanying such an expedition. Never 

 mind, however. 



We have run well this afternoon, for we left Fort Pierre 

 at two o'clock, and we are now more than twenty-five 

 miles above it. We had a rascally Indian on board, who 

 hid himself for the purpose of murdering Mr. Chardon; 

 the latter gave him a thrashing last year for thieving, and 

 Indians never forget such things — he had sworn ven- 

 geance, and that was enough. Mr. Chardon discovered 

 him below, armed with a knife; he talked to him pretty 

 freely, and then came up to ask the captain to put the 

 fellow ashore. This request was granted, and he and his 

 bundle were dropped overboard, where the water was 

 waist deep; the fellow scrambled out, and we heard, after- 

 ward, made out to return to Fort Pierre. I had a long 

 talk with Sprague, who thought I was displeased with 

 him — a thing that never came into my head — and in all 

 probability he will remain with us. Harris shot a pair 

 of Arkansas Flycatchers, and Squires procured several 

 plants, new to us all. Harris wrote a few lines to Mr. 

 Sarpy at St. Louis, and I have had the pleasure to send 

 the Elk horns, and the great balls from the stomachs of 



