Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-16
BY EMERSON HOUGH.
A Stirring Story of the Northwest.
Copyright, 1928. by D. Appleton 4 co.,

to- Wait t' here tor them. The ' water is
| falling now" said Clark. I'VE are
4, doing our twenty miles daily. The
men laugh on the line. for the bars
are exposed, and they can track along
| shore easily. Suppose Shannon were
out three days. that would make II
| sixty miles upstream or less for
! him, for he could cut the bends.
! make no doubt that when he found
up the river, even before this time.
| En- avant, Cuzatte"" he called. You
| shall lead the line for the first draw.
make it lively for an hour. Sing
! some song, Cruzatte, If you can
some song of old Kaskaskia."
Sure, the Frenchmans, she'll lead
on the line this morning, capitaine!
I'll put nine, seven Frenchmans on
the line. and she'll run on the bank
on her bare feet two hour-one hour.
This buffalo meat, she make French
mans strong like nothing
GO on, Frenchy!" said Parick
| Gass. Cruzatte's sergeant, who stood
! near by. Wait until time comes for
my squad on the line-'tis thin Well
| make the elkhide hum! There's a
| few of the Irish along."
"Ho." said Ordway. usually silent.
| wait rather for us YankeeS-we'll
show you what old Vermont can do.'
LAS to that" said Pryor, "belike the
Ohio and Kentucky men could serve
turn as we'll as the Irish or the
j French. Old kaintuck has to help
out the others-the way she did in
the French and Indian war"
Well" broke in Peter Weiser,
| joining them as they argued, Il am
from Pennsylvania. but l am half
Nirginian, and there are some others
from the Old Dominion. When you
| are all done. call on us-ole Vir-
ginny never tires"
The contagion of their light heart
edness, their loyalty and devotion,
came as solace to the heart of Meri-
wether Lewis. He smiled in spite of
himself. his eye kindling with conf
dence and admiration as he looked
over his men.
They were stripping for their days
work, ready for mud or water or sun,
as the case might be. Amidships, on
the highest locker on the barge, one
of the kentuckians was Tapping his
arms Justify and giving the cockcrow,
| the river challenge of frontier days.
Others seated themselves at the long
sweeps of the barge. while yet others
We're manning the pirogues.
A few moments later. with joyous
shouts. they were on their way once
more, and not setting their faces to-
ward home. In an hour they were
above the first long bend. The will
derness had closed behind them. No
trace of the Indian village was left,
no sight of the lingering smoke of
| their last camp fires.
Faithfully. patiently. day by day,
they held their way. sustained by
the renewed fascination of adventure,
hardened and Injured to risk and toll
alike. The distance behind them
heightened so enormously that they
began to figure upon the unknown
rather than the known
I We surely must be almost across
now" said some of the men,
! All of them Were sore distressed
over the loss of Shannon. Two weeks
had passed since they left the Yank-
ton Sioux, and four times the faith
full trailers had come back to the
boats with no trace OF the missing
one.
1T certainly is in the off chance
now" assented William Clark seri-
ously one day as they lay in the noon
encampment. But perhaps he NAV
be among the natives somewhere.
and we may hear of him when we
come back-if ever we do"
III he got by the Teton Sioux and
Kept on up the river in time, he would
! find us somewhere x7nong the Man
dans," said Merlwether Lewis. "But
We VIII try once more before we give
him up: Send a man to the top of
/ the bluff with my spyglass."