plain put up a scaffold. Then the men and
the baggage were ferried across in the pirogue, and the baggage was placed
on the scaffold. Last of all, the pack-horses swam the channel, and
standing by the scaffold in water above their knees, received again their
load of baggage.

[Illustration: Clark's Advance on Vincennes.]

All then proceeded to the second channel, which was crossed in the same
way. It took three days to build the pirogue and cross the two branches of
the river.

During this time hunger was added to the other sufferings of the men, for
the flood had driven all the wild animals away, so that there was no
longer any game to shoot. Advance was slow and extremely tiresome, for the
men had to march from morning till night up to their waists in mud and
water. They were nearing the Great Wabash River.

On February 20 the men were quite exhausted. There had been nothing to eat
for nearly two days. Many of the creoles were so downcast that they began
to talk of going home. Clark, putting on a brave face, laughed and said:
"Go out and kill a deer."

But meanwhile his men, acting under orders, had built three canoes, and on
the morning of the 22d the entire force was ferried across the Wabash.

Once on the side of the river where Vincennes stood, they began to feel
more cheerful, for by night they expected to be at the fort.

It was well that they did not know what awaited them, for they had yet a
bitter experience to pass through. Almost all the way was under water, and
as they went slowly on they often stepped into hollows where the water
came up to their chins. But, guided by their bold leader, they pressed
forward until they reached a hillock, where they spent the night.

During the long hours of this trying day Clark had kept up the spirits of
his men in every way he could. In telling about it later, he said: "I
received much help from a little antic drummer, a boy with such a
fun-loving spirit that he made the men laugh, in spite of their weariness,
at his pranks and jokes."

On starting out again the next morning some were so weak and famished that
they had to be taken in the canoes. Those who were strong enough to wade
came to water too deep to walk through, and, painfully struggling, began
to huddle together as if all hope had fled.

Then Clark had to do something to rouse them. Suddenly he blackened his
face with gunpowder and, sounding the war-whoop like an Indian brave,
fearlessly sprang forwa