THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS S7 



Mr. Culbertson lent him old Peter, the horse, and I wrote 

 a petit billet to Mr. John Collins, to ask him to have them 

 ferried across the river, as our boat was away on a wood- 

 cutting expedition. As Le Brun did not return, of course 

 he was taken across, and may, perhaps, come back this 

 evening, or early to-morrow morning, with something 

 worth having. At this moment Bell has shot a Wolf 

 from the ramparts, and sadly crippled another, but it 

 made off somehow. 



June 27, Tuesday. This morning was quite cool, and 

 the wind from the north. After breakfast Bell and Owen 

 McKenzie went off on horseback on this side of the river, 

 to see how far off the Buffaloes are, and they may probably 

 bring home some game. Sprague and I have been draw- 

 ing all day yesterday and most of to-day. Provost has 

 been making whistles to call the Deer; later he, Harris, 

 and I, walked to the hills to procure the black root plant 

 which is said to be the best antidote for the bite of the 

 rattlesnake. We found the root and dug one up, but the 

 plant is not yet in bloom. The leaves are long and nar- 

 row, and the flowers are said to resemble the dwarf sun- 

 flower. Harris shot two of what he calls the Small Shore 

 Lark, male and female ; but beyond the size being a little 

 smaller than those found at Labrador, I cannot discover 

 any specific difference. From the top of the hills we saw 

 a grand panorama of a most extensive wilderness, with 

 Fort Union beneath us and far away, as well as the Yellow- 

 stone River, and the lake across the river. The hills across 

 the Missouri appeared quite low, and we could see the high 

 prairie beyond, forming the background. Bell and McKen- 

 zie returned, having shot a Wolf in a curious manner. On 

 reaching the top of a hill they found themselves close to 

 the Wolf Bell's horse ran quite past it, but young McKen- 

 zie shot and broke one fore-leg, and it fell. Bell then gave 

 his horse to McKenzie, jumped off, ran to the Wolf, and 

 took hold of it by the tail, pulling it towards the horses ; 



