They would give eight gallons of corn for one piece.
The Indians did not know what money was.
The captains did not carry money with them.
They took flags and medals, knives and blankets, looking-glasses and
beads, and many other things.
With these they could get food from the Indians.
On Christmas Day, 1804, the soldiers put the American flag up over the
fort.
They told the Indians not to come to see them on that day.
They said it was the best day of their year.
It was a cold day, with much ice and snow.
They had a good dinner and after dinner the soldiers danced.
On New Year's Day, 1805, they fired off all their guns.
The captains let the soldiers go to the Mandan camp.
They took their fiddle and danced for the Indians.
One soldier danced on his hands with his head down.
The Indians liked this dancing very much.
They gave the soldiers some corn and some skins.
sur prised hair paint ed stran ger
fin ger wa ter helped York
THE BLACK MAN.
Captain Clark had his black man, York, with him.
The Indians were always surprised to see the black man.
They thought he was stranger than the white men.
One Mandan chief said, "This is a white man painted black."
He wet his finger and tried to wash the black off York's skin.
The black would not come off.
Then York took off his hat.
The chief had not seen such hair before.
Then the chief said, "You are not like a white man.
You are a black man."
The Indians told each other of this black man.
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