The Magnificent Adventure Part 16

Yours to hand touching uppon the Expedishon into the Missourie Country, & I send this by special bote up the river to mete you at Pts'brgh, at the Foarks. You convey a moast welcome and appreciated invitation to join you in an Enterprise conjenial to my Every thought and Desire. It will in all likelyhood require at least a year to make the journey out and Return, but although that means certain Sacrifises of a personal sort, I hold such far less than the pleasure to enlist with you, wh. indeed I hold to be my duty allso.

I need not say how content I am to be a.s.sociated with the man moast of all my acquaintance apt to achieve Success in an undertaking of so difficult and perlous nature. As you know, it is in the wilderness men are moast sevearly tried, and there we know a man. I have seen you so tried, and I Know what you are. I am proud that you apeare to hold me and my own qualities in like confident trust and belief, and I shall hope to merit no alteration in your Judgment.

There is no other man I would go with on such an undertaking, nor consider it seriously, although the concern of my family largely has been with things military and adventurous, and we are not new to life among Savidges. Too well I know the dangers of bad leadership in such affairs, yes and my brother, the General, also, as the story of Detroit and the upper Ohio country could prove. All of that country should have been ours from the first, and only lack of courage lost it so long to us.

You are so kind as to offer me a place equal in command with you--I accept not because of the Rank, which is no moving consideration, eather for you or for me--but because I see in the jenerosity of the man proposing such a division of his own Honors, the best a.s.surance of success.

You will find me at or near the Falls of the Ohio awaiting the arrival of your party, which I taik it will be in early August or the Midel of that month.

Pray convey to Mr. Jefferson my humble and obedient respects, and thanks for this honor wh. I shall endeavor to merit as best lies within my powers.

With all affec'n, I remain,

Your friend,

WM. CLARK.

P. S.--G.o.d alone knows how mutch this all may mean to You and me, Merne--WILL.

Clark, then, was to meet him at the Falls of the Ohio, and he, too, counseled haste. Lewis drove his drunken, lazy workmen in the shipyards as hard as he might, week after week, yet found six weeks elapsed before at last he was in any wise fitted to set forth. The delay fretted him, even though he received word from his chief bidding him not to grieve over the possible loss of a season in his start, but to do what he might and to possess his soul in patience and in confidence.

Recruits of proper sort for his purposes did not grow on trees, he found, but he added a few men to his party now and then, picking them slowly, carefully. One morning, while engaged in his duties of supervising the work in progress at the shipyards, he had his attention attracted to a youth of some seventeen or eighteen years, who stood, cap in hand, at a little distance, apparently too timid to accost him.

"What is it, my son?" said he. "Did you wish to see me?"

The boy advanced, smiling.

"You do not know me, sir. My name is Shannon--George Shannon. I used to know you when you were stationed here with the army. I was a boy then."

"You are right--I remember you perfectly. So you are grown into a strapping young man, I see!"

The boy twirled his cap in his hands.

"I want to go along with you, Captain," said he shyly.

"What? You would go with me--do you know what is our journey?"

"No. I only hear that you are going up the Missouri, beyond St. Louis, into new country. They say there are buffalo there, and Indians. 'Tis too quiet here for me--I want to see the world with you."

The young leader, after his fashion, stood silently regarding the other for a time. An instant served him.

"Very well, George," said he. "If your parents consent, you shall go with me. Your pay will be such that you can save somewhat, and I trust you will use it to complete your schooling after your return. There will be adventure and a certain honor in our undertaking. If we come back successful, I am persuaded that our country will not forget us."

And so that matter was completed. Strangely enough, as the future proved, were the fortunes of these two to intermingle. From the first, Shannon attached himself to his captain almost in the capacity of personal attendant.

At last the great bateau lay ready, launched from the docks and moored alongside the wharf. Fifty feet long it was, with mast, tholes and walking-boards for the arduous upstream work. It had received a part of its cargo, and soon all was in readiness to start.

On the evening of that day Lewis sat down to pen a last letter to his chief. He wrote in the little office-room of the inn where he was stopping, and for a time he did not note the presence of young Shannon, who stood, as usual, silent until his leader might address him.

"What, is it, George?" he asked at length, looking up.

"Someone waiting to see you, sir--they are in the parlor. They sent me----"

"They? Who are they?"

"I don't know, sir. She asked me to come for you."

"She. Who is she?"

"I don't know, sir. She spoke to her father. They are in the room just across the hall, sir."

The face of Meriwether Lewis was pale when presently he opened the door leading to the apartment which had been indicated. He knew, or thought he knew, who this must be. But why--why?

The interior was dim. A single lamp of the inefficient sort then in use served only to lessen the gloom. Presently, however, he saw awaiting him the figure he had antic.i.p.ated. Yes, it was she herself.

Almost his heart stood still.

Theodosia Alston arose from the spot where she sat in the deeper shadows, and came forward to him. He met her, his hands outstretched, his pulse leaping eagerly in spite of his reproofs. He dreaded, yet rejoiced.

"Why are you here?" he asked at length.

"My father and I are on a journey down the river to visit Mr.

Blennerha.s.set on his island. You know his castle there?"

"Why is it that you always come to torment me the more? Another day and I should have been gone!"

"Torment you, sir?"

"You rebuke me properly. I presume I should have courage to meet you always--to speak with you--to look into your eyes--to take your hands in mine. But I find it hard, terribly hard! Each time it is worse--because each time I must leave you. Why did you not wait one day?"

She made no reply. He fought for his self-control.

"Mr. Jefferson, how is he?" he demanded at length. "You left him well?"

"Unchangeable as flint. You said that only the order of your chief could change your plans. I sought to gain that order--I went myself to see Mr. Jefferson, that very day you started. He said that nothing could alter his faith in you, and that nothing could alter the plan you both had made. He would not call you back. He ordered me not to attempt to do so; but I have broken the President's command. You find it hard! Do you think this is not hard for me also?"

"These are strange words. What is your motive? What is it that you plan? Why should you seek to stop me when I am trying to blot your face out of my mind? Strange labor is that--to try to forget what I hold most dear!"

"You shall not leave my face behind you, Captain Lewis!" she said suddenly.

"What do you mean, Theodosia? What is it?"

"You shall see me every night under the stars, Meriwether Lewis. I will not let you go. I will not relinquish you!"

He turned swiftly toward her, but paused as if caught back by some mighty hand.

"What is it?" he said once more, half in a whisper. "What do you mean?

Would you ruin me? Would you see me go to ruin?"

"No! To the contrary, shall I allow you to hasten into the usual ruin of a man? If you go yonder, what will be the fate of Meriwether Lewis?