'I had discovered long ago that human beings have pitiful noses. About all they can do is breathe through them, which is a shame and a great handicap in the wilderness. If the wind is blowing right, my nose can smell a deer two miles away and a skunk a considerable distance farther. I can tell the future with my nose and sometimes figure out what happened a day or two before if the scent is strong.

'Another almost useless appendage is the human ear. The men couldn't hear anything until it was right in front of them, and sometimes not even then. My ears work in concert with my nose. I can conjure a pretty clear picture of what lies ahead long before I get to it or it gets to me. These skills came in pretty handy during our journey.'

It is 1804 - a historic year in America - the year that Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the Corps of Discovery set out for their now-legendary exploration, departing St. Louis to travel across the country to the Pacific Ocean and back. Part history, part science - and adventure through and through - The Captain's Dog is the carefully researched, thrilling tale of America's greatest journey of discovery, as seen through the keen, compassionate eyes of a remarkable dog.