Evening star., 1924-02-11
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

Continued from Yesterdays Starr
"Forgotten him: From Detroit to
New Orleans-we owe ii all to George
Rogers Clark 1t was he who opened
the river from Pittsburgh to New Or
leans. He'll not need. now, TO be an
ally of France again. once moe 4
member of your family Will be in at
the finding of vast new country.
"Merne, I've sold my farm. | got
ten thousand dollars for my place
and so | am off with you. not wi:n
much of it left in my pockets. but
science. and some of the family. debts
paid. / care not how far we go, Or
when we come back. | thank Mr..
jefferson for taking me on with you.
'Tis the gladdeSt time in all my life.'
We are share and share alike.
WILL said his friend Lewis. soberly.
Tell me. can we get beyond the Mis-
sissippi this fall, do YOU Think
"Doubtful,' said Clark. THE Span
ish of the valley are not very well
reconciled to this Louisiana sale. and
neither are the French. They have
been holding all that country in part
nership. each people afraid or the
other, and both showing their teeth
10 us. But | hear the commission Is
doing Well at st. Louis, and l presume
he transfer will be made this fall or
winter. After that they cannot stop
US from going on. Tell me, have YOU
HtdTu any tnlnS OF AOl. 1buTT pldn {.
There have come new rumorS of the
old attempt to separate the west from
the government at Washington. and
he is said to have agents scattered
from St Louis to New, Orleans.
He did not note the sudden flush on
his friends face-indeed. gave him
no time to answer, but went on. abb
Sorbed in his own executive details.
What sort of men have YOU in
your party. Merne?"
n
Shannon and an army sergeant by
the name of Gass, Patrick Gas.s-:hey
should be very good men. l brought
on Collins from Maryland and ''e;C
stuff, / think. McNeal. Potts. Gibson
Il got those around Carlisle. We
heed more men.
Il have picked out few re-
said Clark, You know Kentucky
breeds explorers. have good
blacksmith, Shields. and Bill Bratton
= another black can
tinker a gun ii need be: Then l have
John Coalter. an active. strapping
chap. and the two Fields boys. whom
| know to be good men: and Charlie
Floyd. Nate Pryor and couple of
others-Warner and Whitehouse We
should get the rest at tfe f"ris
around St. Louis | want to take my
Sood-natured under hardship. and u
laugh now and then will not hurt any
of u.s.
Lewis nodded assent
Your judgment of men IS as good
as mine. VIII. But come. it is Sep
tomber. and the leaves are falling
All my men have the fall hun. IN
their blood-they win start tor anv
place at any moment. Let Us move.
Suppose YOU take the boat on down
and let me go across. horseback. TO
kaskaskia. | have some business
there. and ] will try for a few more
recruits; We must have fifty men"
Nothing shall stop us, Merne. and
see fresh grass every night for a
Year. But yoU-how can you be con-
tent to punish yourself for SO long ?
For me, | am half Indian; but l eX-
pected to have heard long ago that
.ou were married and settled down as
Virginia squire, raising tobacco and
negroes. like any one else Tell me,
how about that old affair of which
you once used to confide to me when
we were soldering together here.
years back? Twas a fair New York
maid was it not? From what you
said | fancied her quite without COM
parlson, in your estimate, at least.
Yet here you are. vagabonding out
gone for yearS-or never come back
at all, for all we know. Have a care,
man-Hretty girls do not watt
AS he spoke: SO strange look
~
liam Clark swiftly put out hand.
What is it. Merne? Pardon me,
Did she-not waltz"
His companion looked at him
Sravely.
she married. something like three
years ago. She is the wife of Mr..
Aston, wealthy planter of the Caro-
llnas. a friend of her father and a
man of station. A good marriage for
her-for him--for both"
nf for
than his words to his warmest friend
and left them both silent for a time
William Clark ceased breaking bark
between his fingers and Tipping away
the pieces.
Well in my own case" said he. at
length, Il have no ties to cut. 'Tis
as well-we shall have no faces of
women to trouble US on our trails out
Xonder They don't belong there.
Merne-the ways of the trappers are
best. But we must not talk too much
of this" he added. 'I'll see you get
well settled down as Virginia
squire your white hair hanging
down on your shoulders and a score
Of grandchildren about Your knees to
hamper you"
William Clark meant well - his
friend knew that; SO now he smiled
or tried to smile
'Merne," the red-headed one. went
IN. throwing an arm n across his
friends shoulders. pass over this af-
fair-cut it out of your heart Be-
lieve me, believe me. the friendship
of men is the only one that lasts. We
two have eaten from the same pam
nikin. slept under the same bear robe
before now-Wc still may. do so. And
look at the adventures before u.s.
You are boy. WILL" said Meri-
wether Lewis, actually smiling now,
and i am glad you are and always
will be. because. Will. ] never was
hoy--l was born old. But now" he
added, sharply. as he rose. "a pleas
ant journey to us both-and the long
err the better"
CHAPTER Nil.
Under Three Flags.
The day was but beginning for tn.