Page:History of Oregon volume 1.djvu/216

Rh a stout young Walla Walla, knight of the sorrowful countenance, whose name signified 'destitute,' because he had gambled away his patrimony; also another Chinook with a flattened head and wide mouth, a youth wearing the dignity of manhood; another was a Walla Walla, also a gamester and a rogue, though shrewd; yet another was a cripple with short, crooked legs, who carried a crutch of great length on which he poised himself and swung his body forward three or four yards at a leap. The sixth was to have been the guide, but failed to keep his engagement, which led to much trouble.

With ten horses belonging to the Mission, and ten others owned by the natives, and provisions for six days, Lee set out on his undertaking. The trail proved worse than he had anticipated, passing through ravines and across rapid streams, and often obstructed by fallen trees. Sometimes it lay along the margins of dangerous cliffs, and at the best was everywhere overgrown with underbrush. On the west side of the summit it was lost altogether under many generations of leaves. The six days' provisions were exhausted, and two of their horses, starving like themselves, were eaten before they had reached the Willamette, at the end of two weeks.

On this expedition Lee was overtaken, soon after leaving the Dalles, by John A. Sutter, then on his way to California. With Sutter was a party of mountain men, who were unwilling to follow the circuitous route taken by Lee's guides, and broke away from them, reaching the Mission in six days—a feat that was considered incredible but for the proof of letters sent by Perkins. Eight days more passed, and as Lee had not yet returned, a party was forming to go in search of him, when he made his appearance.

A good guide being procured, and the services of