l, argued the Indians. To do
well was a matter of time. The most that Lewis and Clark hoped for was
to establish peace with the natives, to prepare the way for confidence
and trust. Meanwhile they knew that they would need to be constantly
upon their guard.

On August 19th one of the non-commissioned officers, Sergeant Charles
Floyd, was taken ill, and on the next day he died. This was the only
death to occur in the party throughout the course of the expedition.

The entries in Captain Clark's journals for those two days are
thoroughly characteristic of him:--

"August 19.... Serjeant loyd is taken verry bad all at once with a
Biliose Chorlick we attempt to reliev him without success as yet, he
gets worse and we are much allarmed at his situation, all attention to
him...."

"August 20.... Sergeant Floyd much weaker and no better.... Died with a
great deel of composure, before his death he said to me 'I am going
away I want you to write me a letter.' We buried him on the top of the
bluff one-half mile below a small river to which we gave his name, he
was buried with the Honors of War much lamented, a seeder post with the
Name Sergt. C. Floyd died here 20th August, 1804, was fixed at the head
of his grave--This man at all times gave us proofs of his firmness and
Determined resolution to doe service to his countrey and honor to
himself after paying all the honor to our Decesed brother we camped in
the mouth of floyds river about thirty yards wide, a butifull evening."

Upon the death of Floyd, Private Patrick Gass was made a sergeant,--a
wise choice, determined by the votes of the men.

Besides the death of Floyd, but one other incident occurred in the
twenty-eight months to affect the integrity of the corps. A man had
deserted on August 4th; two weeks later he had been recaptured; and for
the 28th there is this entry in Captain Clark's journal:--

"Proceeded to the trial of Reed, he confessed that he 'deserted & Stold
a public Rifle shot-pouch Powder & Ball' and requested we would be as
favorable to him as we could consistently with our Oathes--which we
were and only sentenced him to run the gantlet four times through the
Party and that each man with 9 switchies should punish him & for him
not to be considered in future as one of the Party."

So stanch were the men in their allegiance, and so trustworthy in the
performance of their duties, that in only one other place in all the
journals is there mention of an ac