“Come here. Listen.” “What?” “To-morrow you go with Lieutenant Wilkinson.” “No,” answered Stub. He had been afraid of that. “Yes. You go with him, to the United States. That is best.” “No.” And Stub shook his head. “Why not?” “No go. Stay with you.” “Don’t you want to be an American, and see the towns of the Great Father?” “Be an American here,” answered Stub. “We do not stay here. We go on, a long way, up the river, to the mountains.” “Yes,” said Stub. “You will be cold.” “Don’t care.” “You will be hungry.” “Don’t care.” “We may all die.” “Don’t care.” “The Osage were afraid. The Pawnee were afraid. You are not afraid?” “No. No Osage, no Pawnee; American. March, hunt, fight, stay with you,” Stub appealed, eagerly. The doctor medicine-man laughed, and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. Let him come, lieutenant.” “He may come,” replied the lieutenant. And Stub’s heart beat gladly. Baroney and John Sparks and Tom Dougherty and John Brown and others of his friends were coming, too. Had he been sent away with Lieutenant Wilkinson, in the boat, for the United States, he would have run off at his first chance and followed the Pike trail. Right after breakfast in the morning camp was broken. It had been a very cold night, with snow, and ice floated thickly down the swollen river. But by help of the Wilkinson boats Lieutenant Pike moved his men and baggage across the river again, to the north side which everybody said was the American side. The men worked hard, to load the boats and swim the horses, in the slush and ice. Then Lieutenant Wilkinson made ready to start. He took with him, in his two boats, one of the head soldiers, Sergeant Joe Ballenger; the soldiers John Boley, Sam Bradley, Sol Huddleston, and John Wilson; the Osage man and woman who had come this far, and corn and meat for twenty-one days. Head soldier Sergeant Bill Meek marched the Pike men up-river, but Stub stayed with Lieutenant Pike, the doctor, and Baroney, to see the Wilkinson men leave. He had no fear of being put aboard, now, for Chief Pike always spoke the truth. Lieutenant Wilkinson shook hands all ’round, stepped into the boat, made of four buffalo hides and two elk hides, and with his crew pushed off, after the other boat. The floating ice did not matter. Lieutenant Pike watched them out of sight, in a bend. Then he turned his horse toward the west. “Come,” he said. He and Doctor Robinson led; Baroney and Stub followed. “Now to the mountains,” cheered Baroney. “Huzzah!” “Huzzah!” Stub echoed.