e thought that he could do it
by taking the British posts.

He had three hundred men. They went down the O-hi-o River in boats.
They landed near the mouth of the O-hi-o River. Then they marched a
hundred and thirty miles to Kas-kas-ki-a.

Kas-kas-ki-a was far away from the Americans. The people there did not
think that the Americans would come so far to attack them. When Clark
got there, they were all asleep. He marched in and took the town
before they waked up.

The people living in Kaskaskia were French. By treating them well,
Clark made them all friendly to the Americans.

When the British at Vin-cennes heard that Clark had taken Kaskaskia,
they thought that they would take it back again. But it was winter.
All the streams were full of water. They could not march till spring.
Then they would gather the Indians to help them, and take Clark
and his men.

But Clark thought that he would not wait to be taken. He thought that
he would just go and take the British. If he could manage to get to
Vin-cennes in the winter, he would not be expected.

Clark started with a hundred and seventy men. The country was nearly
all covered with water. The men were in the wet almost all the time.
Clark had hard work to keep his men cheerful. He did everything he
could to amuse them.

They had to wade through deep rivers. The water was icy cold. But
Clark made a joke of it. He kept them laughing whenever he could.

At one place the men refused to go through the freezing water. Clark
could not per-suade them to cross the river. He called to him a tall
sol-dier. He was the very tallest man in Clark's little army. Clark
said to him, "Take the little drummer boy on your shoulders."

The little drummer was soon seated high on the shoulders of the tall
man. "Now go ahead!" said Clark.

The soldier marched into the water. The little drummer beat a march on
his drum. Clark cried out, "Forward!" Then he plunged into the water
after the tall soldier. All the men went in after him. They were soon
safe on the other side.

[Illustration]

At another river the little drummer was floated over on the top of his
drum. At last the men drew near to Vin-cennes. They could hear the
morning and evening gun in the British fort. But the worst of the way
was yet to pass. The Wa-bash River had risen over its banks. The water
was five miles wide. The men marched from one high ground to another
through the cold water. They caught an Indian with a cano