He Had Proved Himself Faithful And
Serviceable While Sober; But The Love Of Liquor, In Which He Had
Been Nurtured And Brought Up, Would Occasionally Break Out, And
With It The Savage Side Of His Character.
It was his love of liquor which had embroiled him with the
Missouri Company.
While in their service at Fort Mandan, on the
frontier, he had been seized with a whiskey mania; and, as the
beverage was only to be procured at the company's store, it had
been charged in his account at the rate of ten dollars a quart.
This item had ever remained unsettled, and a matter of furious
dispute, the mere mention of which was sufficient to put him in a
passion.
The moment it was discovered by Mr. Lisa that Pierre Dorion was
in treaty with the new and rival association, he endeavored, by
threats as well as promises, to prevent his engaging in their
service. His promises might, perhaps, have prevailed; but his
threats, which related to the whiskey debt, only served to drive
Pierre into the opposite ranks. Still he took advantage of this
competition for his services to stand out with Mr. Hunt on the
most advantageous terms, and, after a negotiation of nearly two
weeks, capitulated to serve in the expedition, as hunter and
interpreter, at the rate of three hundred dollars a year, two
hundred of which were to be paid in advance.
When Mr. Hunt had got everything ready for leaving St. Louis, new
difficulties arose.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 153 of 615
Words from 41401 to 41652
of 165649
