Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-06-07
human soul might fight Its way q
save at cost Of sweetness and content

non knew what land rightly belonged
under any of the three. Indeed. over
the heart of that region now loated all
the three banners at the same time
that of Spain. passing. but still proud,
for a generation actual governor if not
actual owner Of all the country beyond
the Mississippi so far as it had any
government at all; that of France.
owner of the n great seaport. New
Orleans, settler Of the valley for a gen.
Grafton, and that Of the new republic
only just arriving into the respect of
men either Of the east or the west, a
republic which had till recently exacted
respect chiefly through the stark dead
liness of its fighting and marching men.
1t was a splendid game in which
these two boys. Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark-they scarcely were more
than boys-now were entering. And
with the superb unc%onsciousness and
self trust Of youth they played it with.
dash and confidence, never doubling
their success.
The prediction of William Clark none
the less came true. In this matter of
flags autocratic Spain was not disposed
to yield. De Lassus, Spanish comman-
dant for so many years. would not let
the young travellers so beyond st. LOU
is, even so far as Charette. He must
be IRE that his country, which by
right or not he had ruled SO long. had
not only been sold by Spain to France.
but that the cession had been duly con-
frmed, and Furthermore he must be
sure that the cession by France to the
United States had also been concluded
formally.
Traders and trapners had been pass
ing through from the plains country.
yes; but this was a different matter.
Here was a lotilla under a third flag.
1t must not pass. Spanish official dig
nifty vas not thus to be shaken, not to
be hurried. All must wait until the
formalities had been concluded.
This delay meant the loss Of the en-
tire winter. The two young leaders of
the expedition were obliged to make
the best of it they could.
Clark formed an encampment in the
timbered country across the Mississippi
from st. Louis and soon had his men
comfortably ensconced in cabins of
their own building. Meanwhile he
picked up more men around the ada
cent military posts-Ordway and How
ard and Frazer Of the New England
regiment. Cruzatte, Labiche. Lajeu-
nesse. Drouillard and other voyagers
for watermen. They made q hardy
and efficient band.
Upon Captain Lewis devolved most
of the scientific work Of the expedition.
1t was necessary for him to spend
much time in st. Louis to complete his
store of instruments, to extend his
own studies in scientific matters. Per-
haps, after all. the success of the ex-
petition was furthered by this delay
upon the border.
expedition rolls by spring-forty-tive
in all, counting assistants who were
not officially enrolled. Their equip
ment for the entire journey out and
back, Of more than two years in dura-
ton, was to cost them not more than
$1,000. A tiny army, a meager equip
ment, for the taking of the richest
empire of the world!
But now this army of a score and a
half Of men was to witness the lower
ing before it Of two of the greatest
flags then known to the world. 1t al
ready had seen the retirement of that
of Great Britain. The wedge which
Burr and Merry and Yrujo had so
dreaded was now about to be driven
home. The country must split apart
Great Britain must fall back to the
~north-these other powers, France and
Spain, must make way to the south
and west.
The army of the new republic, under
two loyal boys for leaders, pressed for
ward, not with drums or banners, not
with the roll Of kettle drums, not with
the pride and circumstance of glorious
war. The soldiers of it's ranks had not
even a uniform-they were clad in
buckskin and linsey, leather and fur.
The strange, colorful life Of the little
capital Of the west went on eagerly.
St. Louis was happy; Detroit was
glum. The fur trade had been split in
half. Great Britain had lost. The
furs now went out down the Missis.
sippf instead of down the st. Law.
renee. A world was in the making
and remaking, and over that disturbed
and divided world there still foated
the three rival flags.
Five days before Christmas of 1903
the flag of France iuttered down in
the old city of New Orleans. They
had dreaded the feet Of Great Britain
at New Orleans-had hoped for the
feet Of France. They got a feet Of
Americans in fatboats-rude men with
long rifles and leathern garments, who
came under paddle and oar and not un-
der sail.
Laussat was the last French COM
mandant in the valley. De Lassus, the
Spaniard, holding on to his dignity up
the Missouri river beyond st. Louis,
still chung to the sovereignty that Spain
had deserted. And across the river in