“Clark! How many times do I have to tell you to stop playing in the river?!?! We have important things to do, and I am NOT in the mood to jump in if you start drowning again!” I vociferated impatiently.

“Hey, that wasn’t my fault, the water was really deep there!” Clark sputtered indignantly.

“Clark, the water wasn’t even up to your chest…” Lewis stated with a lopsided smirk. Clark turned as red as a sun burnt tomato, sheepishly climbed out of the shallow river and muttered “shut up Lewis,” embarrassedly as we continued on our journey.

“I swear Lewis, that boy is dumber than a bag of rocks. I don’t know why you had to pick him, of all people, to travel with us.” Lewis simply smiled and mounted his horse, instructing the rest of us to do so also, insisting that the horses had had enough rest. I sighed as my question was left unanswered once more. No matter how many times I attempted to uncover why Clark was chosen to accompany us, Lewis would always respond the same way, as if he knew something I didn’t. I couldn’t understand what he saw in Clark that could possibly make him choose Clark as the mapmaker over any other more sensible person. Louis certainly wasn’t volunteering answers though, so I suppose my question would forever remain a mystery.

Hours passed as we galloped along the dusty plains. The comfortable silence was only broken by the gentle thudding of the horses’ hooves and the occasional cry as Clark nearly fell off his horse yet again. I sighed deeply as Clark’s familiar shout of alarm echoed across the open sky. I couldn’t wait for dusk so sleep could rescue me from Clark’s foolish shenanigans. One could only handle so much of such folly at a time before becoming impatient. Even the calmest of men would no doubt be as frustrated as I in Clark’s company.

Submerged in my own thoughts, I hadn’t noticed the sun, sluggishly edging away so that it could sink into a peaceful slumber. We slowed our horses to an indolent trot as we came upon a patch of woods and began the search for a place to sleep. However, it seemed that a safe place to stay was an evasive fox on this particular night. Just when you think you’ve found it, it sneaks away from your clutches again. Lewis sent Clark ahead so we could allow the horses a much-needed drink while he found a suitable place to sleep. After a few minutes we heard a muffled shout in the distance. Lewis and I looked at each other and muttered “Clark,” simultaneously.

We shimmied between trees and sticker bushes, our horses galumphing behind us as we searched for our lost comrade. We soon spotted a hulking mass hanging from a tangle of branches, with a noose slipped around its foot. “Oh, hey guys,” the bulky object said with an attempt at bravado. “ I found a great spot to camp!” I rolled my eyes as Lewis and I assisted Clark out of his predicament. Clark grinned nervously at us as I crossed my arms and shot him an icy glare. This was going to be one long voyage.