Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-06-28
CHAPTER XIV.
Under One Flag.
Meriwether Lewis

ohNo' LII "hoG ASSAOn SLSN SAAo SACdL
pine which swims with you to the
sea? What fat lands reared this heavy
trunk, which sinks at last, to be buried
in the sands?
What jewels lie under your flood?
What rich minerals float impalpably
in your tawny waters? Across what
wide prairies did you come, among
what hills, through what vast forests?
How long, great river, was your jour-
hey, sufficient to afford so tremendous
a gathering Of the waters?
A hundred years ago the great Mis-
souri, made no answer to these ques-
lions. 1t was open highway only for
those who dared.
The flag which foated over the last
stockade Of Spain, the farthest out
post Of France, now was advancing
step by step, inch by inch, up the
giant food of the Missouri, borne on
the flagship Of a lotilla consisting of
n fatboat and two, skifs, carrying
ar army whose guns We're one swivel
piece and thirty rifles.
When sail and oar and setting pole
proved u%navaiiing the men were out
and overheard, running the banks with
t cordelle. AS they labored thus On
the line. like so many yoked cattle.
using each ounce of weight and strain
ing muscle to hold the heavy boat
against the current, snags would catch
the line, stumps would foul it, trees
growing close to the banks edge would
arrest it. Sometimes the great boat,
swung sidewise in the current in spite
of the last art of the steersmen, would
tauten the line like a tense fiddle string,
Tipping the men like so many insects
from their footing and casting them
into the river, to emerge as best they
might.
Cruzatte, Labiche, Drouillard, all the
French voyageurs, with the infinite
French patience smiled and sweated
their way through. The New Eng
2anders grew grim; the K~entuckians
fumed and swore. But little by little,
inch by inch, creeping, creeping. pay
ing the toll exacted, they went on day
by day, leaving the old world behind
them, morning by morning advancing
farther into the new.
The sun blistered them by day,
clouds of pests tormented them by
night, miasmatic lowlands threatened
them both night and day, but they
,Went on.
The immensely of the river itself was
an appalling thing. Its bends swept
miles long in giant arcs. But bend
after bend they spanned, bar after bar
they skirted, bank after bank they con
Nuered, and vent on.
On ahead somewhere lay the power
full Sioux nation, doubt and dread of
all the traders who had ever passed
up the Missouri. Dorion, the Indian
interpreter of the exploring party, mar
ried among them, admitted that ever
he could not tell what the Sioux
might do.
The expedition struck camp at last
high I'D on the great river in the
country of the Y~anktonnais. The
Sioux long had marked its coming and
were ready for it's landing. Their sig
nal fires called in the villages to meet
the boats Of the white men.
They came riding down in bands,
whooping and shouting, painted and
half naked, we'll armed-splendid saw
bloodthirsty. They were curious as to
the errand of these new men who
came carrying a new flag, these men
who could make the thunder speak.
For now the heavy piece on the bow
of the great barge spoke in no uncer.
tain terms, so that it's echoes ran back
along the river shores. No such boat,
no such gun as this, had ever been
seen in that country before.
"TeL them to make q council, Do
rion," said Lewis. "Say that only real
chiefs must come, for we will not treat
with any but their head men. If they
wish to see us soon let them come to
u village here"
"You are chiefs" said Dorion.
"Have I not seen it? I will tell
them So"
But Dorion had been gone but a
short time when he came h~urrying
back from the Indian village.
'The runners say plenty buffalo close
by" he reported. "The chief, she'll
call the people to hunt the buffalo,"
William Clark turned to his com
panion.
"You hear that, Merne" said he.
"Why should we not 60 also?"
"Agreed!' said Meriwether Lewis.
But stay; / have a thought. We will
go as they go and hunt as they do. To
impress an Indian beat him at his own
game. You and I must ride this day
Will"
Eyes, and without saddles too. Very
yell, I learned that of my BROTHER. who
learned II Of the Indians themselves,
And know you and ! both can shoot
the bow as well as most Indians that