"Lewis and Clark and Me"
by Laurie Myers

Student Edition
Unit 1, pp. 44–59

This Snapshot is historical fantasy. It's based on real events in history, but it's told from a dog's point of view.

Seaman was a young 150-pound Newfoundland dog who yearned for adventure. One day he was with his owner on the wharf. They saw a group of men getting ready for a trip by boat. One of the men caught Seaman's eye. The man saw him too. He walked over and scratched the back of Seaman's neck.
The man was Meriwether Lewis. It was August of 1803. He was looking for a dog to go along on his expedition. He and his partner, William Clark, and their crew would travel down the Ohio River until it met the Missouri. Then they would follow the Missouri River as far as they could. They wanted to reach the Pacific Ocean.
Seaman's owner said that his dog was good in water. Lewis listened. He examined Seaman. Then he picked up a piece of wood and threw it. "Go!" he said. Seaman fetched the stick. He took it back to Lewis. Lewis paid twenty dollars and Seaman was his. Seaman was happy.
He had caught fish off the docks and chased animals in the woods. But now he was on the river. One day he was taking a nap when he looked up. He made a quick scan and recognized something by its scent. It was a squirrel, but it was swimming. He looked again and saw hundreds of squirrels crossing the river. Lewis and the men wondered if they were migrating. Seaman didn't care. He was ready. Lewis told him to fetch, and Seaman sprang off the boat. He caught the squirrel, killed it, and took it back to Lewis. He did this over and over. That night they all had a good dinner of fried squirrel.
On another day he heard Lewis and his partner say the word "Indians." They were not upset, so Seaman relaxed too. When they met the new people, Lewis talked while an English-speaking Indian translated. But the Indians weren't listening. They were looking at Seaman. "Bear," one of them said. Lewis told them, "Dog." They said, "Bear" again. Lewis threw a stick and Seaman fetched it. "Bear-dog," one of the Indians said. He offered three beaver skins for Seaman.
Lewis said no. "Bear-dog special," he said. "No trade." Seaman knew then that he and Lewis would stay together.

Text excerpt from Lewis and Clark and Me, A Dog's Tale by Laurie Myers. Text © 2002 by Laurie Myers. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

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