t he added a few men to his party now and then, picking them
slowly, carefully. One morning, while engaged in his duties of
supervising the work in progress at the shipyards, he had his
attention attracted to a youth of some seventeen or eighteen years,
who stood, cap in hand, at a little distance, apparently too timid to
accost him.

"What is it, my son?" said he. "Did you wish to see me?"

The boy advanced, smiling.

"You do not know me, sir. My name is Shannon--George Shannon. I used
to know you when you were stationed here with the army. I was a boy
then."

"You are right--I remember you perfectly. So you are grown into a
strapping young man, I see!"

The boy twirled his cap in his hands.

"I want to go along with you, Captain," said he shyly.

"What? You would go with me--do you know what is our journey?"

"No. I only hear that you are going up the Missouri, beyond St. Louis,
into new country. They say there are buffalo there, and Indians. 'Tis
too quiet here for me--I want to see the world with you."

The young leader, after his fashion, stood silently regarding the
other for a time. An instant served him.

"Very well, George," said he. "If your parents consent, you shall go
with me. Your pay will be such that you can save somewhat, and I trust
you will use it to complete your schooling after your return. There
will be adventure and a certain honor in our undertaking. If we come
back successful, I am persuaded that our country will not forget us."

And so that matter was completed. Strangely enough, as the future
proved, were the fortunes of these two to intermingle. From the first,
Shannon attached himself to his captain almost in the capacity of
personal attendant.

At last the great bateau lay ready, launched from the docks and moored
alongside the wharf. Fifty feet long it was, with mast, tholes and
walking-boards for the arduous upstream work. It had received a part
of its cargo, and soon all was in readiness to start.

On the evening of that day Lewis sat down to pen a last letter to his
chief. He wrote in the little office-room of the inn where he was
stopping, and for a time he did not note the presence of young
Shannon, who stood, as usual, silent until his leader might address
him.

"What, is it, George?" he asked at length, looking up.

"Someone waiting to see you, sir--they are in the parlor. They sent
me----"

"They? Who are they?"

"I don't know, sir. She asked me to come for y