ty riflemen to bring up the rear, with orders to
shoot any man that tried to turn back.

{14} The worst of all came when they crossed the Horseshoe Plain,
which the floods had made a shallow lake four miles wide, with dense
woods on the farther side. In the deep water the tall and the strong
helped the short and the weak. The little dugouts picked up the poor
fellows who were clinging to bushes and old logs, and ferried them to
a spot of dry land. When they reached the farther shore, so many of
the men were chilled that the strong ones had to seize those
half-frozen, and run them up and down the bank until they were able
to walk.

One of the dugouts captured an Indian canoe paddled by some squaws.
It proved a rich prize, for in it were buffalo meat and some kettles.
Broth was soon made and served to the weakest. The strong gave up
their share. Then amid much joking and merry songs, the column
marched in single file through a bit of timber. Not two miles away
was Vincennes, the goal of all their hopes.

A Creole who was out shooting ducks was captured. From him it was
learned that nobody suspected the coming of the Americans, and that
two hundred Indians had just come into town.

With the hope that the Creoles would not dare to fight, and that the
Indians would escape, Clark boldly sent the duck hunter back to town
with the news of his arrival. He sent warning to the Creoles to
remain in their houses, for he came only to fight the British.

{15} So great was the terror of Clark's name that the French shut
themselves up in their houses, while most of the Indians took to the
woods. Nobody dared give a word of warning to the British.

Just after dark the riflemen marched into the streets of the village
before the redcoats knew what was going on.

Crack! crack! sharply sounded half a dozen rifles outside the fort.

"That is Clark, and your time is short!" cried Captain Helm, who was
Hamilton's prisoner at this time; "he will have this fort tumbling on
your heads before to-morrow morning."

[Illustration: Defending a Frontier Fort against the British and
Indians]

During the night the Americans threw up an intrenchment within rifle
shot of the fort, and at daybreak opened a hot fire into the
portholes. The men begged their leader to let them storm the fort,
but he dared not risk their lives. A party {16} of Indians that had
been pillaging the Kentucky settlements came marching into the
village, and were caught re