Oh thank the Lord for Pompy's deliverance. Reed will have a commendation whether he wants one or not. I think Meriwether it is time Reed revealed his true identity. This mysteriousness must come to a head for the sake of the expedition. What do you say friend. Wea perhaps you take your maid servant Helacha with you when you take Pompy to the river in future.......
Taking Reed aside in a downtime I had a very long, quiet and intimate talk with him about his secretive presence here. I gave my word not to reveal 'all' details except to say it was over a lost love. He's actually very wealthy but seeks recluse in our noble mission. He is extremely well read and a Lawyer in his own right. I see a good, intelligent, well read man in him. It does not surprise me now Sacagawea that he dove into the current to save your little boy Pompy. It's what a gentleman should do, and he did. He is a quiet gentleman. Most of our volunteer gentlemen are the noisy ones. I accept he's very happy now in his current position, as scribe, Cprl, interpreter, intellectual, moralist, .... He still refuses further promotion or noteriety. I still mention himself in the logs I dictate to him. He winces at such writings which I confess amuses me more than a little. A mixed band we are and perhaps all the better for it. Better I think. Without Wea's advice we could all be dead by now. Speaking to our paid Sgt Ranger Andre, who ironically speaks French, since he's French I guess. He's been a great boon in foraging for game and helping Captain William in his surveying. Reed's maps are even getting better in style and legends. Soon we'll send out 3 well supplied recon parties on horse back, each with 2 buggies of supplies. To test out best possible routes over the Rockies. Sgt Andre will lead one team over his favoured way, I with Wea will reccy another way, and you Captain Wiliam with Toussaint the 3rd way. I hope that's agreeable? Bon Voyage!
Meriwether, I suggest that you and I follow the riverbed. It seems to flow west and should, at some point, reach the plains on the other side of the mountain. There may be other passages that are shorter but if this one works out, it should be easier.
The three recon parties returned with heartening news that there was a narrow pass thru the mountains that would save us valuable time. That evening we ate heartily, our last decent meal for some time, then slept early for a dawn departure....
Taking 2 dozen well supplied men, some with horse, mules, and 2 tough buggy carts laden with gear and supplies, ... we set off to the narrow pass leaving Lt Jones in charge of Fort Sacagawea with orders to collect, build and store food, timber and to plant some Spring crops.
When we reached the pass some 500 feet above ground level we discovered the entrance was quite narrow with barely sufficient room thru which to fit a buggy cart while the low ceiling would not cater for a horse mounted man. We lit torches and entered the tunnel. The deeper we went the larger it became until it spread out before us into a cave.....
That was a tight squeeze. If this route proves well then could we widen and heighten the entrance to this cavern complex? Just a thought. Andre has noticed the spoor of wolves and bears in these caves so keep your weapons ready men. This main cavern is huge, it could be very useful. Let's rest awhile here and eat. A fire would be nice too. Watch where the smoke goes, I feel a slight flow of air. Then a huge flurry of chaos enveloped us as a swarm of bats flew all about in a panic. Many yells and firing of muskets only added to the mayhem. Horses and mules panicking too. Wea crouching holding and protecting her baby Pompy. Tous waving a fire brand with others following his lead. The swarm headed west and out a hole 30' up. Soon, it was all quiet again. The imagined danger was over leaving us all gaping, gasping and wide eyed. Men tried hard to calm the horses and mules. In the ensuing silence we started hearing loud growling noises coming from the west and drawing nearer. Tous yells 'Grizzlies'! I yelled 'form two lines men'! and then the two huge bears came into view charging at a frantic speed. 'Fire front', fire rear', and still one came on. Then William stepped forward and fired his pistol hitting the monster between its eyes. It slid dead to a halt at William's feet. 'Reload' I tried to yell but few heard the command. Too much yelling and cheering. Andre went over to the smaller Grizzly and finished it off with his big Bowie knife. 'Two females with hidden young ones no doubt. Best we skin and butcher these two. Waste not, want not.' said Toussaint. 'I'll take the big skin says Andre, remember?' "Easy", says I. "That's what was agreed in spirit. Tous, you take the smaller skin. But if we meet Daddy bear, I want that skin to give to our President Jefferson. OK? It will double your own fame too. C'est bon!" Reed put his heart into the sketch. He even had a few coloured pencils which gave a surreal ambiance to the image. Sign it I said, Jefferson will have it mounted in a gold frame and your name likewise. He smiled. Reed, come hither and draw a sketch of the scene.
After the excitement died down, Andre went looking for the baby bears. When he found them, three of them seemed to be old and big enough to survive on their own. But the smallest one would never have made it on it's own. Andre brought it back with him. He fed it meat and berries. Soon it was following him around like a puppy. We continued exploring the cave and discovered that it emerged on the other side of the mountain! It was a natural passage through the mountain. It opened up part way down the mountain. The view from there was magnificent. There was a fertile green valley and way off in the distance, the ocean. We descended to the valley floor and Andre announced that he was going back up into the mountains. He raised the Grizzly bear and became known far and near as Grizzly Andre .... except that somebody mistakenly changed his name to Grizzly Adams. As we rode out into the valley, we were met by a band of Indians in warpaint, riding, yelling and shooting bows and arrows.
"Form 2 ranks men and hold til I say." I walked forward with hands held high, and Wea just behind as a translator with Pompy on her back. "Parley" Sacagawea shouted in her Native Sonshone tongue. Amazingly, the warlike Indians pulled up fast at a signal from their War Chief. "Sacagawea?" he yelled.
The Indian war party were also Sonshone but this tribe were renegades and had separated from the nation some years before. Obviously their chief had heard of the name Sacagawea before but nevertheless maintained their belligerent stance.. whooping with bows held aloft. The two commanders looked at each other.. "what do we do one asked the other"......
'Sacagawea', said the warchief dismounting from his pony and walking opened armed towards Wea. I motioned for the men to lower their muskets. "It is I, Cameahwait, your long lost older brother, do you not reconise me?" Hugging her he saw little Pompy on her back, .."and am I now an Uncle? Let's talk indeed." Looking at me, William and his own mounted warriors Cameahwait suggested a peaceable talk with a shared meal and the pipe ceremony. Wea translated with tears of joy I think. She explained the Incredible! Shoshone Warchief Cameahwait was her long lost older brother. What luck and relief. They are the renegade Shonshine Indians you mentioned William. It all fits nicely into place now. I think the men on both sides were relieved at this turn of events, even smiling back and forth. Both Andre and Toussaint speak their tongue and are engaging them in a friendly manner.
Wea: We spent several days with my brother and his band. It was wonderful seeing him again. I'm afraid, though, that he quite spoiled Pompy. I didn't complain because who knows when we will meet again. They rode with us for part of our journey then departed. We are now at the ocean. We have found no water route to the northwest but we have carved a trail that many people will follow in years to come. Now we will turn south and explore and map a different route back east.
Your brother is a great Chief Wea, he treated us so well. I will mention him most favourably in the log. Reed is drawing sketches of this remarkable event. When we reached the Pacific Ocean I went for a swim, and encouraged all the men to do likewise. Even the horses and mules. We don't smell so much now. Good thinking to find an alternate route through the Rockies on our way back Wea. What does your brother Cameahwait think or know of a good way to go? I would like to give him and his people some friendship gifts. Any suggestions? Certainly a telescope and some other things like mirrors, seeds, paper, ink, pens, ...even some axes, 2 muskets and one twin barreled pistol, ....and a bible. Two of our gentlemen volunteers, Watts and Adams, are miners who both reckon they could safely widen and heighten the bottleneck through the caves route. That sounds great and if needed Fort Sacagawea could well expand to cater for a mining workforce.