we come it over 'em proper?"

The wind was blowing a gale, up-stream, and the Ohio was whipped into
white-caps. It looked like a stormy passage.

"You fellows tote our fixin's over on a raft; I'll swim with the
hosses," bade the nimble Simon.

They worked; made a raft of logs and branches; loaded the guns and
blankets and ammunition upon it; herded the horses into the stream, and
while his two comrades threw stones and sticks at them from the shore
Simon himself forged into the stream, to swim just below them.

He was a strong man, but the high waves choked him, the current carried
him down, down in spite of his efforts; pretty soon he and the snorting
horses were separated. They had had enough, and turned back to the
shore. Montgomery and Clark could not head them; out they all
scrambled.

Pshaw! Around turned Simon, and staggered out, too, for another try.
The same thing occurred. He could not keep up with the horses, and
they refused to cross without a guide. In fact, they wanted to go home.

He sank exhausted upon the bank.

"Plague take 'em! I've got to rest a spell."

"What next?" queried Montgomery. "Shall we leave 'em and ferry
ourselves over on the raft?"

"The Injuns are hot after, you can be sure of that," said Clark. "But
I for one hate to lose a bunch of hosses as fine as these are."

"Lose 'em we sha'n't," Simon asserted. "I intend to risk my scalp by
stayin' with 'em. We've twenty-four hours the start."

"We can't cross 'em; that's sartin, in the state o' the water; hoss or
man either can't swim it," Montgomery declared. "I vote to stay with
'em, myself. But we might keep goin' up or down stream, and mebbe
throw the beggars off the scent. It'd give us distance, anyway."

"We've twenty-four hours the start," Simon repeated, "and we're dog
tired. This wind'll fall at sunset; we'll still have time to spar'.
Then by crossin' and travelin' all night we'll be beyond reach, for
good and all."

They agreed. They had their rifles and plenty of powder and ball, and
each was unwilling to let the others out-brave him. So they lolled
about all that day; dozed, laughed and joked. At sunset the wind
increased. The water had become so rough that even the raft would be
swamped; and to try with the horses was beyond reason.

"Well," proffered Simon, lazily, "we can wait till mornin'. The pesky
wind will have blown itself out by then."

And so it did. The river was smooth and peaceful