Whentheyhadpocketedtheamount，andsquandereditinregalesorinoutfits，theybegantotalkofpecuniaryobligationsatMackinaw，whichmustbedischargedbeforetheywouldbefreetodepart;orengagementswithotherpersons，whichwereonlytobecanceledbya“reasonableconsideration。”Itwasinvaintoargueorremonstrate。Themoneyadvancedhadalreadybeensackedandspent，andmustbelostandtherecruitsleftbehind，unlesstheycouldbefreedfromtheirdebtsandengagements。Accordingly，afinewaspaidforone;ajudgmentforanother;atavernbillforathird，andalmostallhadtobeboughtofffromsomepriorengagement，eitherrealorpretended。
Mr。Huntgroanedinspiritattheincessantandunreasonabledemandsoftheseworthiesuponhispurse;yetwithallthisoutlayoffunds，thenumberrecruitedwasbutscanty，andmanyofthemostdesirablestillheldthemselvesaloof，andwerenottobecaughtbyagoldenbait。Withthesehetriedanothertemptation。Amongtherecruitswhohadenlistedhedistributedfeathersandostrichplumes。Thesetheyputintheirhats，andthusfiguredaboutMackinaw，assumingairsofvastimportance，as“voyageurs“inanewcompany，thatwastoeclipsetheNorthwest。
Theeffectwascomplete。AFrenchCanadianistoovainandmercurialabeingtowithstandthefineryandostentationofthefeather。Numbersimmediatelypressedintotheservice。Onemusthaveanostrichplume;another，awhitefeatherwitharedend;athird，abunchofcock’stails。Thusallparadedabout，invaingloriousstyle，moredelightedwiththefeathersintheirhatsthanwiththemoneyintheirpockets;andconsideringthemselvesfullyequaltotheboastful“menofthenorth。”
Whilethusrecruitingthenumberofrankandfile，Mr。Huntwasjoinedbyapersonwhomhehadinvited，byletter，toengageasapartnerintheexpedition。ThiswasMr。RamsayCrooks，ayoungman，anativeofScotland，whohadservedundertheNorthwestCompany，andbeenengagedintradingexpeditionsuponhisindividualaccount，amongthetribesoftheMissouri。Mr。Huntknewhimpersonally，andhadconceivedahighandmeritedopinionofhisjudgment，enterprise，andintegrity;hewasrejoiced，therefore，whenthelatterconsentedtoaccompanyhim。Mr。
Crooks，however，drewfromexperienceapictureofthedangerstowhichtheywouldbesubjected，andurgedtheimportanceofgoingwithaconsiderableforce。InascendingtheupperMissouritheywouldhavetopassthroughthecountryoftheSiouxIndians，whohadmanifestedrepeatedhostilitytothewhitetraders，andrenderedtheirexpeditionsextremelyperilous;firinguponthemfromtheriverbanksastheypassedbeneathintheirboats，andattackingthemintheirencampments。Mr。Crookshimself，whenvoyagingincompanywithanothertraderofthenameofM’Lellan，hadbeeninterruptedbythesemarauders，andhadconsideredhimselffortunateinescapingdowntheriverwithoutlossoflifeorproperty，butwithatotalabandonmentofhistradingvoyage。