“The white men are coming back! The white men are coming!” sped the glad word among the Cho-pun-nish or Pierced Noses, in their villages 100 miles up, on the Kooskooskee. “They will make us well.”
And the white men were indeed coming, by the trail from the Walla Walla, with the Snake Indian prisoner and Sa-ca-ja-we-a as interpreters; with the Skilloot and the three Walla Walla young men as guides (for the Pierced Nose and family had taken another trail); with some twenty horses, for the baggage, and for William Bratton, and for the men who had sore feet; and with the healing medicine box containing, especially, the celebrated eye-water.
“Let us wance get the horses we left with Twisted-hair an’ we’ll all ride, b’gorry,” quoth Sergeant Pat, limping along.
“On ze Kamass Prairie dere will be plenty root, plenty game,” rejoiced Chaboneau. “An’ mebbe dere we rest, while leetle Toussaint get well.” For little Toussaint seemed to be ailing.
First they were met, before reaching any village, by an old friend, Chief We-ah-koo-nut, and ten warriors. We-ah-koo-nut was called the Bighorn, because he always wore, hanging from his left arm, the horn of a mountain ram.
“We have heard that you were coming, and have ridden to greet you,” said Bighorn. “The sight of you makes our sore eyes well. We have no food for you here, but to-morrow you will reach a lodge where everything will be supplied.”
Before breakfast, in the morning, the lodge was found, on the bank of the Lewis or Snake River; but the families living there could supply only two dogs and some root bread.
Next was met Chief Tetoh, or Sky――the honest fellow who, with Twisted-hair, had helped the expedition get through from the Kamass Prairie to the Timm falls of the Columbia.
“Glad to see you. You are welcome,” exclaimed Tetoh.
“Where is Chief Twisted-hair? We have come to visit our friends, the Pierced Noses, again, and to get our horses,” explained Captain Lewis.
“You must cross the Kin-oo-e-nim (Snake River), here, and go to the Kooskooskee,” replied Chief Tetoh. “There you will find the Twisted-hair, who has your horses.”
So they crossed, in canoes lent to them by Tetoh, and arrived at the Kooskooskee or Clearwater.
“Eye-water, eye-water,” begged the Indians. Captain Clark traded a small bottle of the eye-water for a gray mare.