Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-09
ALICE 4. OF OLD il
- 49, - ~-r+
VI|VCENNES
CCoNT1NUED.l
y MAURICE THOMPSON
ooUVxgAA 1oo0 b. ths
BoWXH,N n1ux. QoM1A1Y

SCanOlng nearly waist deep in freeZ-
ing water and looking out upon the
muddy, sealike food that stretched far
away to the channel Of the Wabash
and beyond, Clark turned to beverley
and said, speaking low. so as not to
be overheard by any other Of. his Of
hcers or men:
us it possible. Lieutenant Beverley.
that we are to fail, with Nincennes al
most In sight Of us?''
mo, sir it Is not possible" was the
hrm reply. Nothing must, nothing
can, stop us. Look at that brave child!
He sets the heroic example"
Beverley pointed as he spoke at a
boy but fourteen years old, who was
using his drum as float to bear him
up while he coura geously swan beside
the men.
Clark's clouded face cleared once
more. You are right" he said. Come
on! We must win or die"'
Sergeant Dewitt" he added. turning
to an enormously tall and athletic man
near by. take that little drummer and
Lao VI I'LL VI yOuA SAOuIOCA d11A GVOu luS>
way, and, sergeant, make him pound
that drum like the devil beating tan
bark!'
The huge man caught the spirit Of
his commanders order. In a twinkling
he had the boy astride Of his neck with
the kettledrum resting on his head.
and then the rafting music began.
Clark followed, pointing onward with
his sword. The half frozen and totter-
ing soldiers sent up shout that went
back to where Captain Bowman was
bringing up the rear under orders to
shoot every man that struggled or
shrank from duty.
Now came time when not a mouth
ful Of food was left. A whole day they
doundered on, starving, growing faint
er at every step, the temperature fall
ing, the ice thickening. They camped
on high land, and next morning they
heard Hamilton's distant sunrise gun
boom over the water.
Zone half ration for the men," said
Clark, looking disconsolately in the
direction whence the sound had come.
"Just five mouthfuls apiece, even, and
III have Hamilton and his fort with
in rty-eight hours"
1--WE will have the provisions. colonel.
or will die trying to get them," Bev-
erley responded. Depend upon me-"
They had constructed some canoes
in which to transport the weakest Of
the men.
Il will take dugout and some pick
ed fellows. We will pull to the wood
yonder, and there we shall find some
kind Of game which has been forced to
shelter from the high water"
It was a cheerful view Of a forlorn
hope. Clark grasped the hand extend
ed by Beverley and they looked en-.
couragingly into each others eyes.
Oncle Jazon volunteered to 60 In the
pirogue. He was ready for anything.
everything.
II can't shoot wo'th a cent" he
whined as they took their places in the
cranky pirogue, ''but l might jes' hap
pen to kill squirt or a elephant or
somepin mother"
"Veryswell" shouted Clark in loud,
cheerful voice, when they had padded
away to considerable distance. Bring
the meat to the woods on the hill yon-
der" pointing to distant island-like
ridge far beyond the creeping food.
well be there ready to eat it,
he said this for the ears Of his men.
Y<I10Up hoo p1o Nd vn3+h a.
Cling but determined chorus Of ap.
prevail. They crossed the rolling cur.
rent Of the Wabash by tedious proc.
ess Of ferrying, and at last found
themselves once more wading in back
water up to their armpits, breaking Ice
an inch thick as they went. 1t was
the closing struggle to reach the high
wooded lands. Many Of them fell ex.
hausted. but their stronger comrades
lifted them, holding their headsf above
water, and dragged them on.
Clark. always leading, always inspir
ing, was first to set foot on dry land
He shouted triumphantly, waved his
sword and then fell to helping the me1
out OF the freezing food. This accom-
plished, he ordered fires built, but
there was not soldier Of them al
whose hands could clasp an az handle
50 weak and numbed with cold were
they. He was not to be baffied, how
ever. If fire could not be had, exercise
must serve its purpose. Hastily pour
Ing some powder into his hand, be
u or1 hin ol>n1 hio poon
''Victory, men, victory!" he shouted
taking of his hat and beginning t
leap and dance. "Come on!> Wei
have a war dance and then a feast al
soon as the meat arrives that l have
sent for. Dance, you brave lads, dance
Victory! Victory"
The strong men, understanding their
colonel's purpose, took hold Of the deli
cate ones, and the leaping, the caper
ing, the tumult of voices and the
stamping of slushy moccasins with
which they assaulted that stately for:
est must have frightened every wild
thing thereabout into deadly rigor
Clark's> irrepressible energy and op
dmism worked a veritable charm upon
bis faithful but almost dying compan'
ions in arms. Their trust In him mad
them feel sure that food would 500
be forthcoming. The thought afrorde,
q stimulus more potent than wine. I
drove them into an ecstasy Of frantic
motion and shouting which soon warm
ed them thoroughly.
1t is said that fortune favors tn
brave The larger meaning Of tn