In the Current of the Revolution 99 



long through deep mud or breast-high water. On 

 the i /th they reached the Embarras River, but could 

 not cross, nor could they find a dry spot on which 

 to camp; at last they found the water falling off a 

 small, almost submerged hillock, and on this they 

 huddled through the night. At daybreak they 

 heard Hamilton's morning gun from the fort, that 

 was but three leagues distant; and as they could 

 not find a ford across the Embarras, they followed 

 it down and camped by the Wabash. There Clark 

 set his drenched, hungry, and dispirited followers 

 to building some pirogues; while two or three un- 

 successful attempts were made to get men across the 

 river that they might steal boats. He determined 

 to leave his horses at this camp; for it was almost 

 impossible to get them further. 26 



On the morning of the 2Oth the men had been 

 without food for nearly two days. Many of the 

 Creole volunteers began to despair, and talked of re- 

 turning. Clark knew that his Americans, veterans 

 who had been with him for over a year, had no idea 

 of abandoning the enterprise, nor yet of suffering the 

 last extremities of hunger while they had horses 

 along. He paid no heed to the request of the Creoles, 

 nor did he even forbid their going back; he only 

 laughed at them and told them to go out and try to 

 kill a deer. He knew that without any violence he 



26 This is not exactly stated in the "Memoir" ; but it speaks 

 of the horses as being with the troops on the 2oth ; and after 

 they left camp, on the evening of the 2ist, states that he 

 "would have given a good deal . . . for one of the horses." 



