The Expedition of Clueless and Dark
    
It was a cold, windy afternoon in St. Louis, and Meriwether Clueless and William Dark stood at the edge of the Louisiana Purchase with the rest of the expedition.

Clueless scratched his head. “What are we doing here again?”

Dark snorted. “Thomas Girafferson sent us here to explore the Louisiana Purchase.”

Clueless nodded his big bear head. “Now it’s all coming back to me. That giraffe—Mr. Girafferson?”

Dark grinned a sharp raccoon grin. “Now you’ve got it. Let’s go.” Clueless blew a kiss to his girlfriend, Maria, who batted bearish eyelashes at him.

The group marched into the woods, Clueless in the lead to clear the path. Dark quickly tired, not being used to traveling long distances. He hitched a ride on a deer named Whisper, who wearily accepted his burden.

They hadn’t gone far when Dark exclaimed from atop Whisper, “Those fish! I haven’t seen them before!” He quickly pulled out his journal.

Dark’s Diary
A new kind of salmon I’ve never seen. I hope they’re edible.

    
The expedition trudged on. Finally Dark called for them to set up camp. They had dinner beside a roaring campfire. Dark ate roasted fish (the salmon were quite good), while Clueless dined on fresh berries. They poured water on the fire, reducing it to smoking embers.

That night Clueless and Dark lay side by side, wondering what tomorrow would bring.