me, among other things,
that the General was there. Louisville was deserted, the tavern porch
vacant; but tacked on the logs beside the door was a printed bill which
drew my curiosity. I stopped, caught by a familiar name in large type at
the head of it.

"GEORGE R. CLARK, ESQUIRE, MAJOR-GENERAL IN THE ARMIES OF FRANCE
AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY LEGION ON THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

"PROPOSALS

"For raising volunteers for the reduction of the Spanish posts on the
Mississippi, for opening the trade of the said river and giving freedom
to all its inhabitants--"

I had got so far when I heard a noise of footsteps within, and Mr.
Easton himself came out, in his shirt-sleeves.

"By cricky, Davy," said he, "I'm right glad ter see ye ag'in. Readin'
the General's bill, are ye? Tarnation, I reckon Washington and all his
European fellers east of the mountains won't be able ter hold us back
this time. I reckon we'll gallop over Louisiany in the face of all the
Spaniards ever created. I've got some new whiskey I 'low will sink
tallow. Come in, Davy."

As he took me by the arm, a laughter and shouting came from the back
room.

"It's some of them Frenchy fellers come over from Knob Licks. They're in
it," and he pointed his thumb over his shoulder to the proclamation, "and
thar's one young American among 'em who's a t'arer. Come in."

I drank a glass of Mr. Easton's whiskey, and asked about the General.

"He stays over thar to Clarksville pretty much," said Mr. Easton. "Thar
ain't quite so much walkin' araound ter do," he added significantly.

I made my way down to the water-side, where Jake Landrasse sat alone on
the gunwale of a Kentucky boat, smoking a clay pipe as he fished. I had
to exercise persuasion to induce Jake to paddle me across, which he
finally agreed to do on the score of old friendship, and he declared that
the only reason he was not at the barbecue was because he was waiting to
take a few gentlemen to see General Clark. I agreed to pay the damages
if he were late in returning for these gentlemen, and soon he was
shooting me with pulsing strokes across the lake-like expanse towards the
landing at Fort Finney. Louisville and the fort were just above the head
of the Falls, and the little town of Clarksville, which Clark had
founded, at the foot of them. I landed, took the road that led parallel
with the river through the tender green of the woods, and as I walked th