seen by the company, he had been dressed in new clothes—white man's clothes! Of these he was very proud. He strutted more than York had strutted among the Sioux and the Arikaras and Mandans.
"An' why shouldn't he?" demanded Pat. "He's better dressed for polite sassiety than the rist of us!"
Seventeen miles to go! The start was made soon after an early breakfast. All eyes strained ahead; the men pulled lustily on the oars. Houses and small settlements were passed. People ashore cheered. Toward noon another large river was sighted, ahead; its course was marked by lines of trees. The Missouri emptied into it.
"The Mississippi!" cried the men. And then
The captains stood up in the white pirogue. Captain Clark looked back, at the canoes, and waved his hat, and smiled. Before, on the right, was a great collection of houses set amidst trees—and at the river bank, near where the two rivers joined, loomed a huge (at least, to Peter it seemed huge) whitish stone fort, flying the United States flag. Many boats plied the current. St. Louis!
Captain Clark lifted his hand and called an order. But already every rifle in pirogue and canoes had been leveled, on every trigger was a tense finger—and "Bang!" spoke all together.
"Hooray!"
Before the boats had touched the landing, the people of St. Louis had gathered there like magic; they were
