his partizan, quieted every murmur at Kaskaskia, volunteered to go to Vincennes, and won over the French inhabitants there, prevailing upon them to declare for America and to run up the American flag.

This was much; but more remained to be done. The Indians had to be held in check. From the Mississippi to the Lakes the red men were disturbed; for, while they had been hostile to the Americans, they had been friendly to these French. Thus they paused at the very instant that the arrow was on the string-hesitated when the tomahawk was already in the uplifted hand.

Had Clark not conciliated the French, had not Pierre Gibault succeeded in getting the American flag hoisted at Vincennes as well as at Kaskaskia, there would probably have been no grand council of Indian chiefs to confer with one another and listen to Clark.

But the attitude of the French confused the Indians and caused them to come from all directions and from long distances to talk-to talk with Clark.

It was a grand gathering; and the temper of the Indians was ugly. But Clark had a genius for managing borderers, white or red; and he so gained upon the untutored children of the forest, with mingled suavity and sternness, a seeming carelessness and a vigilance which could not be caught nap

ping, that they began to admire him greatly. When he painfully surprised a band which came secretly to slay him, by springing an ambuscade upon them; when he put these unskilful assassins in irons, and, reckless of mutterings among the children of the forest, went to a ball where "gentlemen and ladies" danced the night away, the savages were sorely perplexed. How to deal with such a man was a puzzle which was earnestly debated at many a council-fire that night. So that next morning, when he spoke to the council-two belts in his hands, one for peace and one for war-telling the chiefs that it was for them to choose, they eagerly snatched the emblem of peace.

They consented that two of the baffled assassins should be put to death; and the young bucks came forward, squatted on the ground, covered their heads with their blankets, expecting the tomahawk.

Whereupon Clark dealt his master-stroke; he forgave the guilty men.

Then there was rejoicing, a great feast, and solemn vows of friendship.

For the present the Illinois country was at peace.

But Hamilton could not allow the huge prize to be taken from British hands so easily. Exerting every energy, he enlisted nearly two hundred whites and about three hundred Indians, dropped down upon Vincennes, and took it. This was in

December, 1778. The winter being far advanced, Hamilton decided to wait till spring, at which time he would retake Kaskaskia and expel the Americans from the disputed territory. Not needing his large force longer, he disbanded all but some eighty

men.

Clark received information of Hamilton's plan, and of the scattering of his forces. He determined to forestall the British.

Gathering together one hundred and seventy men, he set out from Kaskaskia in February, 1779, for Vincennes.

That winter march is one of the most wonderful achievements of human pluck and hardihood. When they struck the "drowned lands of the Wabash," theirs was a voyage by water without boats. They waded mile after mile, day after day-the water sometimes chin-deep. To keep gun and powder dry they had to hold their hands outstretched above their heads as they waded on. Sometimes it was almost impossible to find a spot of ground to rest for the night. The rations failed, for they could kill no game in these overflowed regions. Just before they reached Vincennes they had been two days without food. To get across the Wabash they had to make canoes. Then there was further wading through the cold water. Six miles from the town they camped for the night upon a hillock, hungry, drenched, almost frozen. Next day more