Part 37 (1/2)

CHAPTER XII

WHAT VOICE HAD CALLED?

They lay in camp far down the river whose flood had borne theh the last of the dangerous country of the Sioux, defying the wild bands whose gantlet they had to run, but which they had run in safety Ahead was only what ht be called a pleasure journey, to the end of the river trail

The lowed dully in the dusk Each was telling what he presently was going to do, when he got his pay at old St Louis, not far below

Williaone to his blankets Lewis, the responsible head of the expedition, alone, aloof, silent, satinto his fire, the victi th and raised himself restlessly It was not unusual for him to be sleepless, and always, while awake, he had with hi unwontedly disturbing had come to Meriwether Lewis

He turned onceout so up a bit of stick, he traced here and there, in the ashes at his feet, points and lines, as if it were soain he th, almost like an Indian, as if in some definite conclusion

He had run his trail to the end, had finished the probleain ru-stick away He sat, his head on one side, as if looking at so to hiht, so faintly that he could not be sure His face, thin, gaunt, looked set and hard in the light of his little fire So wistful, too, showed in his eyes, frowning under the deep brows Was Meriwether Lewis indeed gone mad?

Had the hardshi+ps of the wilderness at last taken their toll of him--as had so a little, for he still eak and stiff froh to lean upon He looked about hi Here and there, stirred by the passing breeze, the elowed like an eye in the dark

The men slept, some under their rude shelters, others in the open under the stars, each rolled in his robe, his rifle under the flap to keep it from the dew

Meriwether Lewis knew the place of every man in the encaeants slept by his own mess fire, his squad around him McNeal, Bratton, shi+elds, Cruzatte, Reuben Fields, Goodrich, Whitehouse, Coalter, Shannon--the captain knehere each lay, rolled up like a mummy He had ht; for Meriwether Leas a leader of men, and no detail escaped hi the rows of sleeping forms His moccasined foot made no sound Save for his unifore hiht have ht some one of these--and he knehere lay the man he wished to find

He stood beside hiure The man lay a little apart froht, and the second guard usually slept where he would not disturb the others when awakened for his turn of duty

This ht in his blankets, and filled the up He had not been called, no hand had touched hiuard relief; but he had felt a presence, even as he slept

He stared up at a tall anddown With a swift movement he reached for his rifle; but the next instant, even as he lay, his hand went to his forehead in salute He was looking up into the face of his commander!

”Shannon!” He heard a hoarse voice coest of the party, sprang out of his bed half clad

”Captain!” He saluted again ”What is it, sir?” he half whispered, as if in apprehension

”Put on your jacket, Shannon Come with me!”

Shannon obeyed hurriedly Half stripped, he stood a fine figure of young ed strength by his years of labor on the trail

”What is it, Captain?” he inquired once more

They were apart from the others now, in the shadows beyond Lewis's fire Shannon had caught sight of his leader's countenance, noting the wildness of its look, its drawn and haggard lines