rd. His men plunged in after him without a word.

By dusk they were still six miles from Vincennes. Their clothing was
drenched, their muscles ached with weariness, and they were well-nigh
exhausted from lack of food. To make matters worse, the weather that day
was bitterly cold. Yet the worst experience of the whole trying march was
to come.

For before them stretched a shallow lake, four miles in extent. With
something like a score of the strongest men just behind him, Clark plunged
into the ice-cold water, breast-deep. When they had gone about half-way
across some of them were so cold and weak that they could not take another
step. So the canoes were kept busy rescuing them and getting them to land.

Those who, though weak, were still able to keep their feet, clung to the
strong and plodded forward. When they had finally reached the woods
bordering the farther side of the lake, they had not strength enough to
pull themselves out, but clung desperately to the bushes and logs on the
shore until the canoes could pick them up.

On reaching land some were so exhausted that they fell upon the ground
with their faces half buried in the water. But the stronger ones built
fires and fed them broth made from some venison they had taken from squaws
in an Indian canoe which happened along. With food and warmth courage
returned.

In the afternoon they set out again. After crossing a narrow lake in the
canoes and marching a short distance, they reached a tree-covered spot
from which they could see the town and the fort. There they made a stop
and, hidden by the trees, made ready for the attack.

There was some fighting that night, and it was continued the next day.
Then Clark demanded the surrender of the fort. Hamilton at first refused,
but, as he had only a small number of men, he had to give up both fort and
garrison. He himself was sent a prisoner to Virginia.

Clark's capture of Vincennes was the finishing stroke of his conquest. He
had succeeded in one of the boldest enterprises ever undertaken in
America. All the vast region he had set out to conquer remained under
American control until the end of the Revolution, when, by treaty, it
formally became a part of our country.

In carrying out his plans Clark had not only risked his health and life,
but he had used up all his property. In spite of the great service he had
done his country, his last years were spent in poverty. For a while he
lived alone in a rude dwelling