CHAPTER V

READY FOR A FRESH START

TURNING to Dick and Roger, Captain Lewis told them to follow him to the shack where he and Captain Clark transacted whatever business they found necessary for the conduct of the expedition. It had been built so that the severe cold of winter might not interfere with their comfort and such was the success of the experiment that other cabins were even then in process of construction for the remaining members of the party.

Here they found the military head, busy with his charts. The leaders knew so little of the mysterious country which they were bent on exploring in the coming spring that notes were carefully kept of every scrap of information obtainable.

Often this consisted of fragmentary tales related by some wandering Indian concerning the strange things he had encountered far away toward the land of the setting sun. Allowances were made for the superstition of the natives when a record was kept of these tales; but often there seemed a shred of truth behind it all which could be made to serve the purposes of the daring explorers.

So deeply interested was Captain Clark in some work on which he was engaged, and which seemed to be in the nature of making a new map of the country through which they had already passed, that he had actually paid no attention to all the shouting outside.

When his colleague came in, accompanied by the two boys, Captain Clark realized for the first time that something out of the ordinary must have happened.

He listened intently as the story of Mayhew's strange loss was unfolded, asked a number of questions that put him in possession of all the known facts, and then gave his conclusion.

"I am of the same opinion as the rest of you!" he declared. "It must have been the work of the men who would profit should that paper fail to reach the Armstrongs by spring; this French trader, François Lascelles, and his equally unscrupulous son, Alexis."

"But to think of them following us all the way to this point! It seems almost impossible," urged the other captain.

"Why should it be considered so?" asked the soldier, who appeared to grasp the salient points much easier than the President's private secretary had done. "We have encountered no difficulties that a party of hardy voyageurs and trappers might not have overcome. Besides, it is quite possible that this same trader may have been in this country before now. The French were in possession of the great Mississippi Valley all the way down to the Gulf many years before it came into the hands of the United States Government. They must have had trading posts far to the west, and their half-breed trappers have taken beaver and all other fur-bearing animals from the streams of the Far Northwest."

"You are right, Captain Clark," said the other, warmly "and, after hearing your reasonable explanation, I can well believe that these men are no strangers to the region of the headwaters of the Missouri."

"I also agree with Mayhew regarding the camp having been watched," continued the soldier, gravely. "They suspected we would be sending back a report of our progress, and surmised also that these brave boys would either themselves carry their paper to their homes or else give it into the keeping of our messengers. Just how they knew that Mayhew was carrying their document, and not either of the other messengers, I cannot say, but it seems that they managed to do so."

He turned to Dick and his cousin to say:

"I am sorry indeed that this new trouble has befallen you, my lads, but throughout your long journey you have shown such fortitude, and such determination to succeed, that I feel sure you will not be downhearted now."

"Thank you, sir," replied Dick, for Roger could not say a word, since a lump in his throat seemed to be choking him. "We have been brought up by fathers who never knew what it was to despair. I was just wondering whether François Lascelles would immediately destroy that document, and then go on his way, resting under the belief that he had ruined all our work of months. He may have forgotten one thing, which is that Jasper Williams still lives, and can duplicate his signature, with both of you for witnesses."

"Just what I was about to say," declared the soldier, with a smile of satisfaction, "and it pleases me to know that you have hit upon the same idea. Yes, while this Lascelles may think he has won his fight, the battle is never over until the last trump has sounded. When you again secure the signature you require, we will see to it that another messenger is dispatched to your home bearing it."

Roger managed to find his voice then.

"But how are we going to reach Jasper Williams," he asked, anxiously, "when he has gone off to find that wonderful valley where the game is so plentiful, but which the Indians are afraid to visit on account of the spirits that guard it?"

The two captains exchanged glances. They realized that difficulties indeed lay in the way of accomplishing the plan they had so cheerfully laid out.

"He may come back in a week or two, he told me," Dick explained, "and then again it is possible, if his companions agree, and the place suits them, that they may not return until late in the winter."

"And it would be too late then to get the paper to our people at home," sighed Roger, looking exceedingly downcast.

"I think I voice your sentiments as well as my own, Captain Clark," said the private secretary to the President, "when I make this suggestion. We can place one of our trusty hunters in charge of these lads, and send them off to try to find Jasper Williams and his party, whose general direction we already know."

"I am of the same opinion, Captain," added the soldier, promptly, showing that he must have been thinking along similar lines. "Indeed, if an immediate start were made, they might even overtake the others on the way, for I do not fancy they will be in any great hurry, since they have orders to make notes of all they see by the way."

At hearing this Roger brightened up considerably. As usual, a way out began to appear when things had become almost as gloomy as seemed possible. As for Dick, he eagerly seized upon the chance to be doing something. Like most pioneer boys, these Armstrong lads had been brought up to strive to the utmost when there was anything worth while to be attained.

"Oh, thank you, Captain Clark, and you, too, Captain Lewis!" he hastened to say, "that is the kindest thing you could do for us. We will get ready to start in the morning and, if our old luck only holds out, we shall expect to come up with Jasper Williams inside of a few days."

"You will need a good trailer to assist you," remarked the soldier, "and among all our men I do not know of any who is the equal of Mayhew if only you would not have any ill feeling toward him on account of what his carelessness has already cost you."

"Why, it was hardly his fault, that I can see, sir," declared Dick, "and I have always liked Benjamin Mayhew very much. If he cares to go with us, tell him we will be only too glad of his company."

"Yes," added Captain Lewis, who knew his men as few commanders might, "and this I am sure of--Mayhew will strive with might and main to retrieve himself. You will find that he has really taken his bad luck to heart. He will want to prove to us that he is capable. He will do wonders for you, lads, and I believe you show the part of wisdom in wishing him to accompany you."

"Then consider that settled," said the soldier. "I will have Mayhew in here presently, and talk with him. You can make your preparations for an early start in the morning."

"And both of us trust success will crown your gallant efforts to serve your loved ones at home," said Captain Lewis. "I well remember your fine old grandfather, David Armstrong. His name is familiar to all who know the history of the early settlements along the Ohio, where such valiant pioneers as Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton and Colonel Harrod led the way into the wilderness, and lighted the torch of civilization."

It was very pleasant for the boys to know they had such strong friends in the leaders of the expedition making a track across the newly acquired possession of the young republic.

When they left the shack they somehow seemed to feel anything but downhearted. Indeed, with the buoyancy of youth they now faced the future hopefully, almost certain that they would quickly find Jasper Williams again, and bring him back to the camp, where he would make out and sign a new document, to be witnessed by both the captains, whose names were sure to carry weight in any court of law.

"It might be a great deal worse," admitted Roger, as he accompanied his cousin to their quarters in order to make what simple preparations they thought necessary for the early morning start.

"Many times so," Dick assured him. "Why, after all, this may turn out to be one of those blessings in disguise our mothers have so often told us about."

"You will have to explain that to me, Dick," admitted the other boy, "for I own up that it is too much for my poor brain to understand."

"Listen, then," continued the other. "What if that scheming François Lascelles had delayed his attack on the messengers for days and even weeks, until they were almost at St. Louis, and then secured our paper? We would never have known about its loss, and could not send another!"

"That is so," assented Roger, nodding his head as he managed to grasp the point his companion was making.

"Then again," continued Dick, who could follow up an argument with the skill of a born lawyer, "suppose the three messengers had been killed in that night attack, we should not have known a thing about it. Our paper, as well as the valuable reports sent to the President, would have been lost."

"Yes, and, Dick, we would have gone on enjoying ourselves all through the winter, never knowing that we had failed to save our homes."

"As it is," continued the other, "Lascelles, believing he has cut our claws, may take himself out of this section of country, so that another messenger would have nothing to fear from him or his band."

"You are making me ready to believe that, after all, this may have been the best thing that could have happened," laughed Roger, as he began to examine his bullet-pouch to ascertain just how many leaden missiles it contained, and then pay the same attention to his powder-horn. For it was of the utmost consequence that in starting forth on this quest, that might consume not only days but weeks, they should be amply prepared for any difficulties that might arise to confront them.

That was destined to be a busy evening for the two lads. They molded bullets, replenished their stock of powder from the stores of the expedition, talked over matters with Mayhew, who seemed greatly pleased at the confidence they expressed in him, and even managed to lay out something of a chart for their guidance.

This map was made up of suggestions from Captain Clark, who had talked with Jasper Williams before the latter and his two companions left camp, and knew in a general way what direction they expected to take.

Before Dick and Roger allowed themselves to think of sleep, they had everything arranged for the start in the morning. It was a great undertaking for two boys to think of venturing upon, but certainly not any more so than when they left their homes near St. Louis, and headed into the trackless West with the intention of overtaking the Lewis and Clark exploring expedition.

And both of them had faith to believe the same kind power that had watched over their destinies thus far would still continue to lead them by the hand.