Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-08-01
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party Of rOur SllaWHees hcaiu theiA
coming through tie woods, and, lying
like. snakes in the underground, peered
out and saw them pass. Then they
rose, and Crooked Lightning looked
at Black Wolf and, with a grunt OF
angry satisfaction, lei the way home
ward. And to the village they bore
the news that White Arrow had made
good HIS G-ord and, side!b by side with
the big chief of the Long Knives, was
leading a war party against his tribe
and kinsmen. And Early, Morn car
ried the news to her mother, who lay
sick In a wigwam.
The miracle went swiftly, and Kas-
kaskia fell. Stealthily Gordon of
hunters 81 rounded the little. town.
The rest stole to the walls'of the fort.
Lights fiickered from within, the
sounds of ylollns and dancing feet
came through. crevice and window.
Clark's tall figure stole noiselessly into
the great hall, where the Creoles were
making merry and leaned silently with
folded arms against the doorpost, look
Ing on at the revels with grave smile.
The light from the torches flickered
across his face, and an Indian lying
on the floor sprang to his feet with a
curdling war-whoop. Women screamed
and men rushed toward the door. The
stranger stood motionless and his grim
smile was unchanged, ......
s.Dance onr' he commanded cour-
teously, "but remember" he added
sternly, you dance under Virginia and
not Great Britain!"
There was q great noise behind him.
Men dashed into the fort, and Roche
blave and his officers were prisoners.
By daylight Clark had the town dis
armed. The French, Clark said next
day, could take the oath of allegiance
to- the republic. or depart with their
families IN peace. AS for their church,
he had nothing to do with any church
save to protect 1t from insult. So that
the people who had heard terrible sto-
ries of the wild woodsmen and who
expected to be killed or made slaves,
joyfully became Americans. They
even gave Clark volunteer company
to march with him upon Cahokia, and
that village, too, soon became Ameri-
can. Father Gibault volunteered to
60 to Vincennes. Vincennes gathered
in the church to hear him, and then
flung the Stars and Stripes to the
winds of freedom above the fort. Clark
sent one captain there to take COM
mand. With a handful of hardy men
who could have been controlled only
by him, the dauntless one had con-
Quered land as big as any European
Kingdom Now he had to govern and
protect it. He had to keep loyal an
alien race and hold his own against
the British and numerous tribes Of In
dians, bloodthirsty, treac cherous and
deeply embittered against all Ameri-
cans. He was hundreds Of miles from
any American troops; farther still
from the seat of government, and
could get no advice or help for per-
haps year.
And those Indians poured into Ca
hokia-a horde of them from every
tribe between the Great Lakes and the
Mississippi-chiefs and warriors Of
every Importance; but not before
Clark had formed and drilled four
companies of volunteer Creoles.
."Watch him." said Dave, and Ers-
kline did, marveling at the mans
knowledge of the Indian. He did not
live in the fort, but always ON guard,
always seemingly confident, stayed
openly in town while the savageS, sui
len and grotesQue, strutted In full war
panOply through the struggling streets,
inquisitive and insolent, their eyes
burning with the lust Of plunder and
murder For days he sat in the midst
Of the ringed warriors and listened.
On the second day Ersklne saw Kah-
too in the throng and Crooked Light
ming and Black Wolf. After dusk that
dag he felt the fringe of his hunting
shirt plucked, and IN Indian, with face
hidden in a blanket, whispered as he
passed:
"Tell the big chief" he snld in
Shawnee. ito be on guard tomorrow
night" He knew il was some kindly
tribeSman, and he wheeled and went
to Clark, who smiled. Already the big
chief had guards concealed in his
little house, who seized the attacking
Indians, while two minutes later the
townspeople were under arms. The
captives were put in irons, and Frs
kline saw among them the crestfallen
faces Of Black Wolf and Crooked
Lightning. The Indians pleaded that
they were trying TO test the friendship
Of the French for Clark, but Clark
refusing all requests for their release
remained silent, naughty, indifferent
fearless. He still refused to tafe ref
uge In the fort, and called in lmber
of ladies and gentlemen to his house,
where they danced all night amid the
council-fres of the bewildered saw
ages. Next morning he stood In the
center of their ringed warriors with
the tasseled shirts Of his rlhemen
massed behind him, released the cap
tiveschiefs and handed them the bloody
yerfhelt Of wnmDum