y CIHM Microfiche Series (■Monographs) ICIMH Collection de microfiches (monographies) Canadian Instituta for Historical IMicroroproductions / inttitut Canadian da microraproductions historiquaa ©1994 Tadimciil and BtMograptiic NoM / Nein ttdinisiMi tt TiM IntiiiHi* hat ^ncmpud to obuin Um bMi eri9iiMl copy a«ailliO||i«phtcw/ Ca documant att f iima au taux da raducton indiqua ci^aitou*. 10X 14X 1SX Z2X MX w^ aox p^^ ^^^^ y ^__ — __ _ 1211 tiX aox a«x 2ax Ji* The copy filmed here hes been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada L'exemplaire film* f ut reproduit grAce k la g^n^rosit* de: Bibliothique nationale du Canada The Images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les images suivantes ont 4tA reproduites avec le plus grand soln, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de l'exemplaire filmA, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sont filmte en commen^ant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'Impresslon ou d'illustration. soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fllmte en commenpant par la premlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'Impresslon ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — »> signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols ▼ signifie "FIN ". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre fllmte i des taux de rMuctlon dlffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film* i partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche k droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'Images nteessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MICROCOPY RBOIUTION TBT CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I |2j8 Vi iii. |a2 |3j6 U£ itt u Mim 1^ if.: i.8 A ^IPPLJED IN/MGE inc BSr^ 1653 Coat Main Street gy— Rocheeter. New York 14609 USA ^g (716) «2 - 0300 - Phone (716) 268 -5989 -Fox S)Om Hy\>-^ ,C/\THERIKl CROWLEY %JL^ "*?^^S^'^ /"l _^ . :>o V 4 yL I '>)1 i^A-V. /• /r < ^ •« •. • . #^ 4 <> ^^# rp«^ The Heroine of the Strait \ :-..iM'^m The Heroine of the Strait A Romance of Detroit in the Time of Pontiac '' ■M c/x. By Mary Catherine Crowley Author of "A Daughter of New Fra nee," etc. Illustrated by Ch. Grunwald TorontQ '^^m^ n. Morang and Company, Limited 1902 * Hi ">a" i .". ' The Heroine of the Strait ^ Ro*nance of Detroit in the Time of Pontiac Mary Catherine Crowley " ^ Author of "A Daughter of New France," etc. Illustrated by Ch. Grunwald Toronto George N. Morang and Company, Limited 1902 ■ i Copyright, igoa. By Little, Brown, and Company All rights reurwd Published April, 190a iraiVERSITY PRESS • JOHN WILSON AND SON . CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A. " To the dear Home-folk " <>t Preface ^EARLY three-quarters of a century ago. a time- ^ ^ faded diary, written in the French language and the neat chirography of the early missionaries, was found in the garret of the old St. Aubin house of Detroit, where it had lain unvalued for fifty years The manuscript proved to be the story of the Siege of Detroit by the Indians under the Ottawa chief. Pontiac. told from day to day. with a close regard to detail. ** Antiquarians suppose it to be from the pen of either the Jesuit Father Potier of the Huron Mission, or the RecoUet. Monsieur Bocquet, cur6 of the church of Ste. Anne. The carefol record became the basis of Francis Pontile"'' *'""'^"' "History of the Conspiracy of Now. fifty years after the publication of that great work, the writer of the present unpretending novel has sought in the old diary a background for this narrative of love, adventure, and war, into which are woven several historical incidents that have come to light since Parkman's day. The author wishes it understood that, although she has read the latter historian with attention, and has occasionally quoted him. other quotations, which might be considered as from Parkman. are cited by him from the original manuscript. VIII PREFACE The translation followed is the one preserved in the collection of the Michigan Pioneer Collection. Among other authorities consulted may be mentioned Schoolcraft's version of the Pontiac Manuscript ; the short diary of the Siege, thought to have been written by the secretary of the British commandant ; General Bradstreet's Report ; the correspondence of General Amherst, Sir William Johnson, Major Gladwin, Cap- tain Campbell, and others ; Farmer's " History of Detroit;" Ross and Catlin's " Landmarks of Detroit;" Mrs. Carrie Watson Hamlin's book of legends, and the register of Ste. Anne's Church. To the researches of Mr. Clarence M. Burton and Mr. Richard R. Elliott, the work is especially in- debted ; also to the latter's publication of the Account Books of the Huron Mission, and to the traditions of the old French-Canadian families. Ang^lique Cuillerier was a veritable character, as was also James Sterling, who stands forth from the pages of the missionary's diary a strong and heroic personality. Other personages who once lived figure in the pages of the romance, but in all cases the reality has only served as a foundation for the creative work of the author's imagination. Dated from "Thb Sparrow's Perch under the Eaves," January the first, nineteen hundred and two. Contents CHAPTtR Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter. Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter First. A Meeting in the Wilderness . Second. Strangers at Le Detroit . Third. "Heigh-ho, for a Dancing Frock ' ' Fourth. On the River at Sunset . Fifth. Sir William Johnson .... Sixth. The Black Rain Seventh. Indians and Flintlocks . EiGHTf. 'For the Mastery of a Soul Ninth. In the Miision Orchard . Tenth. An Awkward Encounter . Eleventh. A Message to Major Gladwin Twelfth. A Cluster of Fleurs-de-lis Thirteenth. The Great Ottawa Fourteenth. The Envoys of Peace Fifteenth. A Noble Gentleman . Sixteenth. A Daring Adventure . Seventeenth. Courage Breaks lU Luck Eighteenth. The Ottawa's Hour Nineteenth. Angclique's Scheming . Twentieth. The Price of Vengeance Page I 12 27 39 52 67 84 96 III 122 •34 »45 158 •75 186 200 217 234 248 265 i CONTENTS 381 Chaptir Twinty-First. Love Thrivei in War . Chapter Twenty-Second. A Bold Sally .... 299 Chapter Twenty.Third. "Give Love Good- Morrow" 315 Chapter Twbnty-Fourth. AMcMenger toSirWilli«ni 329 Chapter Twenty-Fipth. Jacques Godefroy ... 343 Chapter Twenty-Sixth. Conquest in Surrender . . 357 .•Y • • "^ * . ./ s* " # ! %: Illustrations From Drawings by Cb. GrunwaU " Were those tears for me. sweetheart, I would bid you dry your eyes" . _ Frontufeec* " I cannot say ' yts, ' you wiJI not h c me «iy • no ' ' • As he spoke these words. Pontiac turned to his host with fierce inquiry . . ^07 ' Every Englishman in the to^. v ^ kjij^j^ ^ut not . l-renchman will lose his-scaip Pontiac interposed his powerful figure between them .»=^ the door .... Drawing a knife from her belt, the girl placed hersdf be- fore the mother and the little one ,^a • • • . 308 THE PHOl»E«Ty tF SCARIOR* PUBLIC LtlRARr. hrf r The Heroine of the Strait CHAPTER FIRST A MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS JT was the Indian summer of the year irfio tk- «nd,ng its silver arrow, deep into Zhtrt °f ^k'" .nd. w2d by 4^e '^ l^l"- "' 'P"'t canof neath fh- u ■ , °' *"'*'• disappeared be- c^^tut d' hr„-g VatL" *: -iTr' *•« "-«' *-wa,a,o„,.tir"r:?t;'^'?:rrJ:™f was It becoming overcast with clouds. ^ ^ 2 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT framed with shadows. A party of sturdy men clad in leather jerkins and trousers, and armed with hatchets, knives and guns, they might have been mistaken for any ordinary company of boatmen and adventurers • accustomed to traverse these waters. But, at a closer view, their larger physiques and fair complexions would at once have shown that they were neither French-Canadian voyageurs nor half-breed coureurs de bois, while despite the wood-ranger's garb of the tall, muscular man who stood in the prow of one of the boats, his military bearing and air of command as readily proclaimed him to be a soldier and an officer. Presently the rowers, seeking safety and shelter, with strong strokes swept the foremost bateau around a point of land and into the harbor afforded by the entrance to a little river, toward which they had been steadily making for the last hour. With muskets levelled at the neighboring thickets or knives in grasp, the weary travellers awaited the moment when they might leap out upon the beach. One of the men, fancying that he heard a stir in the bushes that overhung the stream, and saw the branches move, fired into them. His companions jeered i an owl hooted mockingly, and he execrated his senses for the trick they had played him, wondering if he might lay it to the draught of " fire-water " he had shared with a comrade but shortly before, the last in his flask, as he regretfully recalled. No one but the abashed fellow who had been so ready with his firelock felt the presence of the shadowy figure that, 'creeping noiselessly through * the underbush, soon passed swiftly on to carry through the forest and beyond the news that an Ottawa runner had crossed the trail of a party of A MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS 3 IhTZt^.'T^" '"°'^'' '°"g"« t'*^" the French; that the British were coming up the Lakes anH ;„? the fastnesses of New France. ^ '"'° Rash in the easy self-confidence that belongs to those accustomed to dangers, hilarious and active after the long day in the boats, the torch bearers a fire. Several of the men quickly cut the ereen saphngs near by and added them to the blaze others brought water from the river, and prepared a meaT to which all did ample justice, the lake breezes hav- rz/trn^r '-'-' «- - - ^^'per Then before long the soldiers, all but the euard contentedly cast themselves at full length upfn. he fhtX- T. *'" *■"' '" ""= «■•« ""d. enwrapped ta to m,ght have suggested some great sacrificiS Of the officers, a lank lieutenant, in his first cim- pa.gn, had succumbed to slumber also; butThet^I leader of the expedition, his captain and a liSe young man who v.as habited in cloth orEurepea^ make, appeared in no haste to avail themselves of tje opportunity to obtain a few hours of rest Having thrown down upon the withered grass a Pile of bear and buffalo skins, they half rfchned fr/„ ^ '""Old" men kept themselves warm by EnS-whrcf ?. 1 !!'°" "^"°"S waters of the be/„„ M fi ^ *^ '"'''^" ^"^^ °f the French had begun to find as potent as the Canadian " eau de ure' 1° mth"t1,f "V ff''^' ««?» '" "'h m«s. ure as might fill a lady's thimble," exclaimed the ^Mm^m^m^mmm!^'^'f''m:'TWT^':s^x!m 4 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT white chief, clapping a rough though friendly hand upon the shoulder of the young man beside him. " Zounds, before the winter is out you will find a man cannot live in this climate without something to warm his heart." Sterling laughed, — a careless, boyish laugh. " I fear I am not so abstemious as you would make out, major," he answered deprecatingly. " But I am not a soldier, and, should a party of redskins arise of a sudden from amid the desolation of this wood, I would fain not see each warri. r double." The leader threw back his head, and shook with mirth at this sally. " Did we think them five times as many it would but make the fighting brisker. Is it not so, Captain Campbell ? " he said, addressing the third member of this his immediate company. " The warfare of the aborigines counts for little when matched against our ammunition," returned the captain, a thick-set man in the prime of life. " As for your not being a soldier, Mr. Sterling, that is all gammon," continued the major. " In the en- counters we have had with the savages, you showed that you can handle a fusil as well as any man in my troop, while with a rapier — " "Oh, I was wont to practise at fence with my father, and he learned the art in France, as also the use of firearms," was the careless response. " Then why, by all the Indian gods, do you not join the service? Come, I wih obtain for you an appointment in my regiment." " I thank you, sir," answered Sterling, as he rose and bowed with the respect of a subaltern to his superior officer. " I could ask no better commission than one under Major Rogers, whose brave deeds m^M£mr'^m^m^smF'w.:^*^f^.;^Mmmss''^.f^- A MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS j sTdt ta1hL"^.f ""'""»"' '""""''^ "y ""y fire- side m the Colon.es. But, you have forgotten, I am ^fnreaaHfe..^'*" """'' "' ^''"°'"» f<" ^'^^^ "Humph, the cause of the Stuarts will not be re- v,ved m our time, young man," said Rogers "U us dnnk to your advancement as an offi^of Ktag ca^lT,?'' T'^" '•'•^-S'" <■<" hi-nself. and the ^orth K , r'u !""• '^y'-S he too was from the S'';f''a"'so';die''r!' ^"" "° '"«' "^'o- h™ -e' Sterling, however, shook his head. he in'sLTed ' '"" '"'^^^"^^ ^° ^^^^^^ °^ "-over," iVresSfbleX?'^ T'^ '' ^'^'"^^ ^^ ^ ^'^^ «^ore irresistible than is this ferment of treacle," suggested the captain m bantering fashion. "The sSess of a maiden's smile, the -vitchery of her glance S McZZ' :l:''^'''V'^'^' Ah, SterlitToua'd Mcuougal, who is sleeping so audibly yonder had lat r 'r • 7'' ''I' ^°" '"^^ ^^" v^<^«-'to the ^'y^ end n r^ '"«-»«^ when we reach our jour! ^.ys end. Unless, f a truth, j^«r fancy is alreadv caught by some cl .rming demoiselle of Mont'eat But no, you rest and eat too well to be in^Lve to this I will testifv V«f :r j ^^' '^ soldier wh^lo ' ^°" "^^ "°^ wish to be a soldier, wh> have you come into the wilderness?'' cap tar ThTf H ' r """'" ^^"^ ^^ odds Xthe to thTh ^^^^"^^ °<^ annoyance that had mounted to the brow of the civilian died away at this ranierv and he answered with frank, good Lmor '« I W my fortune to make, and I hope to tradTL furs as some . f my people did in Prince Rupert's land a hundred years since. Being neutral, I U' be 1,: . 'Mi^'^ 'wmEwsm?''!mm:^ -'^^^i^^BHBaHi Htmnammtam V 6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT to deal justly with all parties, French, Indians, and English." " You are not wanting in the canniness of the Scot ; I marvel it did not occur to you that you might bag two birds at once," laughed the major, closing one eye and nodding with significance. The captain stiffened perceptibly, and a look of haughty protest passed over his usually amiable coun- tenance. Thereupon Sterling bethought himself of a rumor he had heard that Rogers, dauntless soldier as he was, had not been above using his authority for his own pecunicii^ g^in. He reflected further, that, but for the strong ferment of the juice of the sugar- cane, the tongue of the leader had not waxed so free " In any event, your sword is not like to rust in its scabbard," pursued Rogers, flinging away his drinking cup. " As for these strong waters, in faith at times they do steal away a man's judgment, and make him rash even to foolhardiness. A fine signal would this camp-fire be to the savages, for instance, had I not intelligence from my scouts that all the Indians who spend the summer hereabouts have gone northward for the hunting." Scarcely had he ceased to speak when the sharp report of a musket ringing through the darkness aroused the sleeping men, causing them to spring to their feet and look to the priming of their weapons, while, with drawn swords, the officers stood ready for whatever might ensue. Presently, the Irish sentry O'Desmond, whose shot had given the warning, appeared out of the gloom, and beside him there strode into the light of the fire an Indian youth, straight as an arrow and slender as a young birch tree. ''■^•:Mf#; iM^^m^iL'^W^^. I* I I A MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS 7 " Sir," said O'Desmond, saluting the commandant, •• I walked up and down among tjie trees, keeping me eyes glued upon the dark beyond, and thinking what an omathaum I was to expect to see anythin' there, with the night that black you could cut it with a knife, and even a witch's cat could spy nothin* out of it — Whin, lo and behold! I heard the whisper of a sound comin' through the tangle of small wood. ' Ho, ho, 't is a fox,' says I to meself, • or a thief of a wolf! By good fortune it might even be a bear cub to fur- nish a breakfast to the major, with a bit over and above for the men.' Well, I let fly a charge of bul- lets, thinking it safer to shoot first and ask an explana- tion afterwards. By the powers, at that what should arise before me but this red naiger, with his hatchet upraised. ' Me last moment is come,' thought I, « me shot is fired, and I cannot say I like this spalpeen's way of explainin'. A gun is a gun though, even if it is not loaded, and the red naigers have much re- spect for the same.' " • Your 're me prisoner,' says I, thrustin' me blunder- buss into his face. So I 've brought him to you. sir." Despite the self-satisfaction of O'Desmond over his supposed capture, it stfaightway became evident that the Indian had accompanied him not as a captive but as an ambassador. The right hand of the savage grasped a glittering tomahawk, but in the left he held a branch of por- celain which he offered to the white leader as an assurance that his errand was one of peace. The re- doubtable wood-ranger accepted the token and then inquired through his interpreter,— " Young brave who are you, and from whom do you come?*" mm^'^'k^s^:^^m^^w^m^m^ • THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ii ' «(' ' I come from my father," answered the youth. •• A band of warriors attend me." " And who, by all the manitous, is his father? " ex- claimed Rogers, sotto voce. The Indian eyed him with unflinching coolness, and, having as imperturbably surveyed the group of armed men who surrounded him, proceeded as though he had understood the query. " My father is lord of all this country; he forbids you to advance further into his territory until he has had speech with you." The bluff provincial major swore under his breath. He was too well versed in a knowledge of the aborig- ines, however, to give grave offence at the outset to a tribe through whose country he was struggling. By means of the half-breed interpreter, he replied with formal ceremony, and in the picturesque language to which the Indian was accustomed, — "Son of the Great Chief! We will gladly hold council with your father." '• To-morrow at sunset he will come," announced the youth laconically. And therewith, passing boldly through the group of astonished men before they could stay him if they would, he vanished amid the darkness as mysteriously as he had appeared in the vicinity. The aftermath of balmy weather called by the pro- vincials the Indian summer, and by the French the summer of St. Martin, was now passed. The next morning was cold and stormy. It would have been folly to set forth again on the rough lake. Moreover, Rogers decided that, however annoying to his pride as a British officer, it was the better part of valor to await the interview with the sachem, whoever he might be. .^••^^ A MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS 9 The company remained encamped on the margin of the nver a 1 that day, therefore, the woods affording them a partial shelter from the rain. In the afternoon the skies began to change from a dull leaden color to a softer gray; then the wind veered, and at last Mil *''/''ti :^'^"^ ^^^^-'" *^^ spectral aeial'ba^' so dreaded by the habitants of New France, the light the west, for a brief space shone forth as with a new rJ\Z^^ *^^ ^r yP°'"ted by the mysterious chief for the council, and the white men held themselves brXh'. '" ''Tu' ^'"- ^^^°'^ ^°"^' their scous brought in word that a number of Indians were ad- named^ TT^""' '''''''' ^"^ P^^P^^^ ^^ the hour named a band of warriors entered the camp It was a startling picture. On one sidef a step in advance of his intrepid followers, waited the New f^a't3 in r "'"^'^^'j"^ Rogers, tall and heavy featured, in his pioneer dress of buckskin, with a ^n resting in the hollow of his arm ; and fadig he pa^v r.Tnt TrW"' ^°^'^ "' '^^ ^--*' without' wl^ paint, but still impressive in their tunics of buffalo pelts and gaudy ornaments. nZV^l^^^"" ^^^^ °^'^^ ^"^'^^ ^°^diers took small uoon 2 r ^f^^y'/^'lth^'^ attention became riveted ZZ with 1' v'^ '^" '"'"^^"- ^ ^P^^"^'^ bronze hgure, with flashing eyes, and straight flowing hair crowned with eagles' feathen, as he stood in mfjest^ di-nity against the disk of the setting sun. he might wHdernr T'^'^'^" '^ ' superstitious native oTfhe Tnlr tJ?' 'T^ ^"'^'^^ S°^' th« fierce Kabibo- nokka. or Manabozho. the Great Hare Manitou the Hiawatha of the Ottawas. *«»"iiou, me " How is it that the white chief comes into my ter- ^.WV"^!aF>^^5' I iB^K^^^? lo THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ritoty without invitation or permission?" he asked, stretching forth his hand as regally as though it held a sceptre. " Is the stranger's mission one of peace, or war?" When his words had been interpreted, Rogers replied, — " Great Chief, I wish to be no longer unknown to you. I am come in the name of the King of England to take possession of this region." "This is my country; it does not belong to your king," answered the sachem in haughty protest. " To me and to my people belong all the lands bordering upon the Lakes, from here even to Michilimackinac, the dwelling-place of the Great Spirit." "We have not come to take your hunting- grounds," answered Rogers calmly. "We want to trade with you, as we trade with the Iroquois in the east. We will not defraud you of your furs as do the French." "But the Onontio of Montreal and Quebec?" queried the redman. " Our king is greater than all the Onontios that ever lived, greater than the King of France. Our troops have conquered those of the French, and received their submission at Montreal. When our people come to settle here you will be glad." The interpreter again performed his office, but the chief did not at once reply. At length, ')y an imperious gesture silencing the murmurs of oome of the braves, he said, again addressing Rogers, — "White man, I will stand in your path until morning, and will protect you from harm. At day- light you may proceed on your way." Thereupon, gathering his blank*;! about his shoulders with the T*: i^HW'^M^^z A MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS n air of an emperor, he passed into the wood, followed th. Jh J'°'''' ^""^ *" ^^'^ '°°" ^°«' ''^Sht of among the shadows, now growmg deeper at the approach of the early November twiliglt. Dazed and in wonder, the soldiers looked at one another, some half believing that the proud warrior and his braves were not living men at all ; others in- clmed to jest at his extravagant pretensions. T . °.""u'' l^^ ''^'^^^'" "**^^ no surrender to us Instead, he has taken us under his protection, as though he were the commander of an unconquerable army, cried Rogers, nonplussed and angry "I would give up a guinea to know 'how his majesty is called," avowed Sterling rashly. "A second Lucifer, he seemed to me," reioined Captain Campbell " Could one imagine a haughtier bearing even in a fallen archangel ? " ' Shure, 'tis the devil himself," O'Desmond was at the same time declaring to his comrades. " In truth, it is better to have this strange person- age for a friend than for an enemy," dryly observed the practical Lieutenant McDougal. " ^^''" »"^Pif d Rogers. " Though I prefer a good fray o the rdle of diplomat, we have been wisfr to conciliate this red king of the forest than if we had continued the expedition yesterday, as I had half a mind to do, notwithstanding the storm. To-morrow we will take to the boats betimes and press on The fort of the strait must be ours by the end of the month." I l\ CHAPTER SECOND STRANGERS AT LE D^ROIT npHE Moon of Beavers, an old moon now and ■■■ growing pale, looked down upon ^ strange commotion at the isolated military post of Le Detroit As the night died, and the light of morning strength^ ened, bringing the hour of reveille, the garrison, usually so listless and heavy with sleep as they turned out in response to the stern call of trumpet and drum, were wide awake and eager, as though under the influence of some extraordinary excitement. The people of the rude town, too, were nearly every one astir, both those who lived in the small bark-roofed or straw-thatched houses within the en- closure of the fort, and those whose honjes were along the river bank, each dwelling protected by a palisade of its own. At this early hour of the morning, the habitants * outside the stockade flocked to the gates and beat upon them, noisily demanding admittance of the sen- - try. Those within, traders, voyageurs, coureurs de bois, half-breeds, and Indians, women and children, ♦ thronged to the Place d'Armes, whereon fronted the barracks and the quarters of the officers. The garrison lined up for morning drill, but with a •* cry of protest the populace took possession of the little square. " The commandant ! Where is Monsieur de Bel- lestre?" they called, in French of cou- je, for it must « I I \ '■'P^.'^. iim^jm"! I % I I 3 \* STRANGERS AT LE DETROIT ,3 be understood in this narrative that the Canadians always speak in their own language unless the con- We would fam have some explanation of this report brought in during the night by Ottawa runners." The shouts continued and increased in volume The disturbance had become well-nigh a riot, when the door of the commandant's house was flung open and there strode out upon the gallery, in quick, fear- less fashion, a handsome man of about forty years of age. wearing the bright blue uniform of an officer of King Louis, his three-cornered hat set firmly on his head, and his peruque as faultlessly curied and pow- dered as that of any chevalier in the army. It was Francois Picot^ de Bellestre. beloved by both gar- rison and townsmen as one of the bravest soldiers one of the most courteous gentlemen of New France. People of Le Detroit, what means so unseemly an uprising?" he demanded with severity " This news I " they reiterated hoarsely. •• Are we to see our lands confiscated, - are we to be turned WK f °"': ^^'"".fnd cast forth into the wilderness? What of the intelligence that our foes the British are approaching to take possession of Le Detroit? " Monsieur de Bellestre shrugged a shoulder. " Eh bien, If the redcoats come, what matters it? We will chllance ^^^"^ ^^""^ ^^^'"'" ^^ ^^'^ "^''^ "'^ "°"- LJ^"" characteristic gesture, his air of careless indifference, did more to reassure the volatile people than would have been effected by a long harangue. A wave of laughter swept through the square. Ay, they repeated one to another in jocular humor, "we will send the redcoats home again, even as the gallant Beaujeau, though but captain of a gar- €P^ ii!iwr*sz«wiiTt"<;« '^r I I 14 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT itno. K"*.r* ***'u ^r''^^' ="^ ^~^« »«»ders and troop, back over the border, only five years since." But the savages," cried the sharp voice of old Cmpeau. " will the savages side with^us now. or w l1 they go over to the English ? " frie ^l!""'" ^^TA'''^ "°' "P°" *hat score, good fnr Is. answered De Bellestre with official dignity re^en'T'^'r ^^^-'""^'^ ' Proclamation ^otJ^ redmen. Go and read it. where it hangs upon the forest gate of the palisade." "H^n me So saying he turned upon his heel and passed agam ,nto the house, while, satisfied for ?he nonce and w.th curiosity aflame, the vociferating to wnfoS^ trooped away to the gate. There they encountered the crowd outside, - a company of merry-makers now who roared with mirth and cracked many^ests "t the* expense of the British, as they viewed^ ^thc clever S::tHr 'V5' '"'T allies of the French. Fo Hf.4 L^ f ^"^^i^ ^'^^' ^^^'•^°" ^^«« roughly panned the figure of a crow pecking at a mans J'hJll ^^ I ^^.' '^^^ '*^^'^'"' themselves could do Antornrrnl,P-''"r,^f"^''' '"'•^^^"">^ exclaimed ^ his l^^^^^^^^ half-brother to the commandant, as his glance fell upon the glaring effigy. "Tis &.? '^1"°'" u" °i^^'^ ^^" '^'' *he c7ow is De BcUestre. who, with a single blow, will destroy these daring southerns if they presume to come so far in o the wilds of New France." bor?K W^"^^"^"^*^ continued i his neigh- bor Charies Parant, as a yell broke from a party of Ottawas who now bore down upon the fort '^he rwi7rir^ """'.f "^ that whoop pleasant to their ears. 1 will risk a pelt on the surmise." T* 1 ^.yr^.T*.!- *"•::;:,,■;•. i.^?^mM i STRANGERS AT LE DETROIT ,5 noon, a .entiC^r/rom ,?- \ ?" ^'^^ ^0°" after the river gaTr niJce of ,L ?'°" ""e' o'"'""''"' from 0.e ircctr^f fh. La^e^'onL^F " """' canoe bearing a wh:t<- flag "■" E"es,-a .hru^htX-eVt'sStflt'''' ■■' ^"""""^ to the water-pat*. L r^ soldiers were ordered i« iiic wacer-gate, to form an escort fr»r fK-. * Kr-jtri»3;^;r horv:^t%;:ivra:.he^'aV'?' 'r'"^-'''-- although the visitorJere EarbL Til- %KT '""'' rangers, their leader Jore a slrrfK^"^^'^ ""'°''- ..cppcd ashore he resH^rs hTnd" upo ' rg„"de': «n Wete?n:;ce"''r°" ?.""' "'^ °*" "* '"■"' Jacques cZlhoy "Tm v Z R v'k^°""« "■'■* "' incr 't:» j!^ ^ '^"v'*ne British are well-Ioolc. oy ner bright glances, no doubt. T^e, THE PRt^ERTY tF SCARIOR* .w. PJILIC LliPlARY, i6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT why do you shake off my hand, Ang^lique ? Were I not married, I might also grow tender-hearted at sight of these handsome strangers. Indeed, I fear my Jacques will not like it overmuch that T hncY:? ,un out to see the brave showing they make. He is ever wont to say that the people of position i . t le tow.i, the descendants of those who obtained liieir bads from the Sieur de Cadillac, should hold somewhat aloof from the newcomers, and keep in their houses when others rush out to watch the sights and gather news. But, misericorde ! it would be dull were I at home and all this going on. Besides, it would not be fitting for me to leave a maid like you alone in this motley gathering, Angelique, my dear. How is it your father did not bid you remain within doors ? " '• In truth he did enjoin me not to come beyond the wicket of our own palisade," responded Angelique coolly, " but let us make haste ! If we delay thus, discussing the wisdom of our elders, we shall neither hear nor see what goes on at the Place d' Amies." That lil^le squib about their elders was " good cat, good rat " (tit for tat) for Clotilde's pinch ; for Gode- froy, a fine fellow whose age a glance at the parish register would have shown to be thirty-eight, was some twenty years older than his wife, and had been a widower when he married her. On this account, she was, on occasion, twitted by the merry demoi- selles, the companions of her girlhood ; yet more than one, perhaps, envied her good fortune. In the present instance, however, Jlotilde let the jest pass. She did not believe Angelique to be jealous of her because she had obtained a happy settlement in life, since the beauty had ever a string of ivaliers from among whom to choose a bride- goom. But, although Jacques often averred that, #-■' l^TTT? tZW- /•''■" T' STRANGERS AT LE DETROIT ,7 before he led Clotilde to the ahar h^ u.a . u Clous friend, ^was content that Angelique should consider her ^sband as old and stafd aT!t S please her to do. Clotilde was blessed with rfair n-l^th^f^a/^^ -^ -^^ ^^^ - P-d £r When the two girls arrived at the square it pre- -*.ed and emb Jdte^'tit^Latto™ ^ \t voyageurs, the gay jupes and head-dresse" of h^ women, and the blue uniforms of the earrison Lh- a picture of varied coloring. g"n»n, made The door of the commandant's house stood a!,r and the great fire of forest logs burnrng in the w de chimney of the council room, to the S ^fTh. row hallway, so lighted the interior ,h!? he lutlfnt ^^d^Td-tinctsfen''^'^ "--'" '"'^-^ -^i:hV^r c;mtv.\^ tr^'ii-txr voys thinking perch, ce they were sent^to!', « wkh them, and presently they had gained an excdlem 2 'wtj^^'mst^it'if'^^ismiw^*ipmiaM3m7^'mw^ wm^-^'m 1 8 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT point of vantage, where they could hear as well as observe all that went on. The two strangers who seemed %| occupy posi- tions of authc'ity had now stepped upon the gal- lery, leaving their little guard of un-uniformed men below. " Monsieur de Bellestre ? " interrogatively said he who wore the heavy sword, as he saluted the French officer with formal courtesy. " I am Monsieur de Bellestre," returned the com- mandant graciously, by a wave of the hand inviting them to enter the house. But, at a sign from his companion, the other of lill|||[u newcomers came forward. ^ " Monsieur de Bellestre," he began in French, " this gentleman, Monsieur Campbell, captain in the service of his Majesty, King George of England, hav- ^ ing been commissioned to present to you certain communications, has selected me to be his interpre- ter. He judges from your evident unpreparedness . that our appearance here is a surprise to you, and i therefore would not take advantage of your courteous invitation to pass beneath your roof without warning you that he is the bearer of intelligence that will be in no wise pleasing to you. Nevertheless, it were better this message should be delivered in the seclu- sion of the council room." The commandant bowed with hauteur. "Accept my thanks for your consideration, mon- * sieur," he said satirically. " You have my leave to state your mission here before all the people of Le Detroit. If of importance to me, it is of much more moment to them." As he looked across the square, the sea of expec- tant faces told him that the multitude would not await ,€- r'i,l' ■"--'". SMd^"^ awL-fi^^maM^SF^'Mm .^^r^-dBBOoxw^' wms^LS^T^ t STRANGERS AT LE DETROIT 19 calmly the result of a conference with closed doors The hberty-lovj|g French-Canadians of the strait could not alwMe governed according to the rigid rules of civil W military etiquette that obtained in Montreal and Quebec. "The youth essays to speak French ; but parbleu ! heard any one ever such an accent ? " exclaimed An- gghque in a low voice, as she hid her laughing face on Clotilde's shoulder. t> & ^^ "Chut! would you expect a barbarian to speak as one but now out from the court of Versailles > " re sponded her friend. " He does not ill, to my think- Pjr though, to be sure, compared to the readiness MTsh - " ""^ ^'''^"'' 'P''^' '^'^ ^""Suage of the Ange'Iique laughed again. Godefroy's monosyl- labic knowledge, picked up from a trader at Montreal and . prisoner at the fort, although regarded with re- ?.T^J ^u ^°"f^^'-^«' mounded to her shrewd ears httle like the speech of the southerns. She speedily forgave the stranger interpreter his flat vowels, how- ever, for he certainly was a pleasing representative of young manhood as he stood before the commandant, his strong, well-knit frame shown to advantage by his civilian's garb of brown. ^ ^ n" ^J'll^ ".""^ ^°" ^^"^' - *^'^ o"^ o»- the other ? " queried the irrepressible Mademoiselle Cuillerier of her youthful chaperon. ' "The other is taller, and of more commanding presence." hazarded Madame Clotilde. ^ felfrf ' i^l '' pompous and over-robust ; line of feature, perhaps, and amiable, but of too rubicond a complexion, and his hair is touched with gray " argued the coquette. " Now. this one has an ^^/.l able carriage, and the red that burns upon his smooth- «AfnN r:.vk-«^ .1 v-fAWRfeT?* s.")i«««aafc>-^ viir..^ k 20 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT shaven cheek is like the blush on the Normandy apples of good Father Potier acrosa^e river." " Fi done, Angelique ! to compaflHie visage of a heretic to the fruit of the toil of the^oly father, the matchless * pommes de neige 'which grow nowhere so well as in the enclosure of the Jesuit Mission," cried Clotilde in horror. " Mis^ricorde ! the apples are not holy because they grow in the orchard of a holy man," rejoined Angelique, with a toss of the head ; " and how do you know the stranger is a heretic? Mayhap he got his faith where he learned his French; though, if 't.is no better than his French, I pray le bon DidHJH have mercy on him. But do you not like the ghnt his brown hair has in the sunshine, and — " " It matters not to me whether his hair be tawny, black as an Ottawa's, or crisp like that of the Ethi- opians brought in the slave ships from Africa," an- swered Clotilde indifferently. " Of a verity I am glad I am not married ! " said Angelique, with a sigh of content, as she pressed a trifle farther to the fore of the spectators. The encircling arm of the youthful matron quickly drew her back. " Have a care, ch^rie," pleaded Clotilde anxiously, " or your uncle. Monsieur de Bellestre, will notice you ; and, later, your father will chide you for min- gling with the crowd. Also, there is Godefroy on the other side of the square. If he catches sight of us, he will make his way hither, in dread lest we meet with rude speech; then I must needs carry myself more sedately, and there will be an end of this innocent frolic with you, sweet one. Also, be silent, I pray, else how shall we hear the news ? " Meantime, Mr. Campbell had begun and finished a STRANGERS AT LE d£troIT „ long address to Monsieur de Bellestre in the Enelish language, whereof no one, save possibly Jacqu„ Godefroy, und«.tood so much as a single wor" But now the interpreter again took up his task and all m the throng bent their ears to listen the' iTrZ'/',^^^''"'" *■" P'-<>««ded. handing ,o the commandant a paper which the capuin oassed T' i? '"'"; ::.""■' '" ">« «="' of the document that .t add the translation duly written out. It?, you hfsTu^TA'T '''''" ^°^"'- ^"owas depu'^:d Dy bir Jeffrey Amherst to ascend the Lake«! Ho :„ aitiyed at the mouth of Le Detroit, and herfwlth sends due notice of his coming to you as commTn? ant and to the settlers at Fort^Ponfchartrah^ "'" Eh bien, what care I or the people of Fort Pont- chartram for the vicinity of your Major RoJers'" returned De Bellestre haughtily, '• except thTit behooves us to give him a warm reception?" At h's scornful words a cheer, followed by a chorus of laughter, broke from the crowd captam. He disdamed even to look toward the clamorous rabble; but Sterling's clear eyis lent aXe of^hdr'"'"'^ '""'Tj'"' ^ glance'^mS ative of their ignorance of the true state of affairs Monsieur de Bellestre," he said quietly " t is manifest you have not been informed tlat th; powe hL felle^'^S '' 'I ^" ^"^ '" the north. MontrTa Vaudrif l' "!f ''"° "^^^^^^^ ^'"^^ the Marquis de Vaudreuil surrendered Canada and all its dependencies to the troops of King George " pcnaencies tho^^ll"""";'"^ ^^ ^^"^^t'-^ stood motionless a^ hough turned to stone. Had he been called upon^ to combat singly for his country, like Horatit"s^o? 22 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT old, or to lay down his life for New France, his noble heart would not for an instant have quailed. But to be told of her humiliation, and yet be unable to bid his sword leap forth for her defence ; to listen to such news and not run through the body the man who had the temerity to bring it ! The cry of rage and incredulity that burst from the populace aroused him. " Sir envoys, do not try my forbearance too far," he threatened in wrath. " Depart with your men. I would not wreck upon you the consequences of my just indignation, and the anger of the people of Le Detroit because of the trick that Major Rogers and this Sir Amherst have sought to play upon them." " But, Sir Commandant," protested Sterling, " you cannot be ignorant of the fall of Louisbourg, Quebec, Niagara, and Fort Frontenac? " " And if these good fortresses have been compelled by the hardships of long sieges to yield to the force of your superior numbers," admitted De Bellestre unwillingly, " when spring comes again we shall win them back for his Majesty Louis the Fifteenth." *• Sir, the articles of capitulation are signed," inter- posed the captain hotly. " Major Rogers brings with him not only a copy of this document, but a letter to yolf from the Marquis de Vaudreuil, late Governor of the provinces hitherto known as New France, direct- ing you, as commandant, to deliver over this post to my chief, in accordance with the terms agreed upon between Monsieur de Vaudreuil and General Am- herst." When Sterling had duly translated this speech, Mon- sieur de Bellestre drew himself up to his full height. •' Messieurs," he said, " tell your commandant I am not to be decoyed by any ruse of war. Louisbourg 'k\WM'iM'\ riir^^mf^iM:<: STRANGERS AT LE DETROIT 23 may have fallen ; Quebec may have fallen, and even Montreal; but if one military post of New France remains to King Louis, it shall be the fort of Lc Detroit. My soldiers and I will struggle on to vie tory or death under the banner of the fleur-de-lis. Go, you have my answer." Cheer upon cheer from both the soldiers and towns- people greeted his spirited words. To them neither the captam nor Sterling made response. Having exe- cuted the commission whereon they had been sent '^lU^T-"^ '" '"u"""' ^"^' "^'^°"gh '^^y had with them but SIX or eight men, fearlessly marched through the menacing assemblage of French-Canadians, es- corted by the squad of soldiers whose hostility was thevT.H ° Ir by "Military discipline. Even when tZ f^^^^'^t'f >^fd, and the boatmen pushed out from the beach, the irate inhabitants stood upon the after tit' -'"f '^"'' ^'^' ^' '^' ^*^^"S^^«' ^nd calling after them ,n terms of imprecation and derision. The following forenoon, however, Major Rogers sent up to the fort, by Captain Campbell, the papers n whose^ existence De Bellestre had scorned ?o be! lieve, and the gallant commandant and knieht of ^e Order of St. Louis was forced to declare himself' and his garrison at the disposal of the English con- querors without so much as striking a blow for the cause of New France. The twenty-ninth of November, 1760, was a fair lt„r ''^- A- "^'* ^"°" '^y "P°" *he meadows and Itin L"rf •°^"^' *° '^^ ^'^^"^^' *h^ broad river was fn iln^ '"'^t^Z^'' '^^ "^^""g'"^' ^"^ 'be sun shone m glory upon the blue waters and white fields. Yet char?^^fn"''w /"'"'" \'°"^^' "° j°y *° F-ort Pont- chartrain W,th angry hearts and grave faces, the soldiers of the garriso . and the people of the colony t^YW^^ '='^/"«kf">ri«-™V*k'lliBj --SW"^ ■■«"ssr- H THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT watched the long boats of the New Hampshire rangers coming slowly up against the current, be- tween the prairie margins of Le Detroit. Nearer they came, past m rsh and woodland, and the small white farmhouses of the habitants on either shore, on the right side leaving behind them the village of the Hurons, and on the left the settlement of the Pottawattomies. On they came, until they arrived opposite to the bark-roofed town above which the standard of France was still proudly flying, while to the sorrowing Canadians within the palisade the sunbeams seemed reverently to kiss the folds of the white banner, and the north wind to flaunt it in the faces of the victors. Landing on the south bank of the river, the rangers pitched their tents upon the frozen prairie, and Major Rogers, with Captain Campbell and a small escort, crossed the strait to take possession of the post. With roll of tambours and a salute of guns, the golden fleur-de-lis, never before lowered at Fort Pontchartrain to conqueror, civilized or savage, sank slowly from the flagstaff", never more to wave over Le Detroit. SaHly the dauntless little garrison de- filed out of the gates of the fort, and laid d' .vn their arms. To triumphant music of drum and flageolet, the British marched in, and the crimson ensign of St George was raised aloft, while the Indians, until now the allies of the French, quickly transferring their allegiance, greeted the new government with a wild shout of congratulation, and their late friends with yells of derision. "A memorable day this has been," exclaimed Major Rogers, as, having supped wJth his official family in the house of Monsieur de Bellestre, he !i !| STRANGERS AT LE DETROIT 25 sat with Captain Campbell before the fire of the councl room; for the late commandant being o^ mnJ" J"*^"*^'-!^'*^ day I Yet, zounds, there had been more honor m fighting out the quarrel with this French commandant. He would have made a ga ant resistance, by the manitou of the strait and the.l trea^. surrenders are but tame affairs " "" JewL"J'V^'ll"'!; V^' ^°'''^^"^' ^^' a «»ost rude gateway, laughed the captain jovially. " There hal been overmuch ado about a weatherbeaten palLd^ and scarce a hundred houses " pansade Lieutenant McDougal. who. at the farther end of !,/!i°'"' ^^' '"S^S^d '" burnishing his sword nodded assent but said nothing. ^ ' Sterling, too, was silent. He had seated himself upon a settle in a shadowed corner, apart from he major and the captain, that his preien^ce 4h^ fot be a constraint upon them if they chose to con- verse in low tones regarding the happeninV of °he stTH • ^°.r ^?^''"^ ^'' P'P^' ^' *°°k to absTracted^ studying the fire. Although in the camp of the con querors to-night at Fort Pontchartrain, he had " Sement^? h. F '^k^'^''^"' °^ '^' ^"^bub and the chTer. of P ^^'"^ '"''^""^ '"'^ ^^ ^'"^^ town, the cheers of Rogers' rangers, the mutterings of the mhabitants. the many visages bent upon hfm as he marched in with the troops, visages sa^d or rowning hfrS" °;-Pu^' ^""'"'"" °'- ^''^^' there arose before him the frightened face of a girl. his^^TLn'i?'"' ' P"'' °^ "PP"^""S black eyes met his. Then their owner recoiled, a look of pride flitted over her charming features, and, snatchin^at a curl -'I*?; 26 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT of the soft dark hair that hung loose about her shoulders, she drew it across her brow like a veil; while, with a vague longing to see those eyes again, he had passed on. •' Larron, who is the most beautiful demoiselle of Le Detroit ?" the young Scotchman asked the next morning with affected carelessness, of an obsequious coureur de bois, who, since resistance was useless, had hastened to take service with the new masters of the fort " Ah, monsieur, it is without a doubt Mademoiselle Ang^lique Cuillerier, the niece of Monsieur de Bellestre," replied Larron readily. "I have heard our French officers say there is not a ' grande dame * of Montreal or Quebec but might envy her beauty. Yet the lady is not like to be soon seen abroad now; her father loves not the British, — pardon, monsieur, — and she will, I dare say, remain closely indoors for some time to come." Sterling smiled quietly. " I have seen Mademoiselle Cuillerier," he said to himself. \ CHAPTER THIRD "HEIGH-HO, FOR A DANCING FROCK" T™ foT °^^"'°'"\C"i"erier was outside of f • J I- *• ^°^ y^^" he had been on term* of o7t"hf sTraf 'h'^ ^"''^^ ^^^^^^ °^ all^^frTgiol foresTjn ?•' *^°"''^"" ^^ bo« traversed the riv.rl H *^^*'>'J^>';«^^t'°"; his boatmen paddled the river and coursed along the shores of Lake Ste Clair! and ar away, trading for furs with th^ redmen and supplying them in exchanr^e with euns and hnfA ? blankets, scarlet cloth eau^de 111 k !^ Ratchets, hawks' hVll« \m! L . '^' ^^^^S' paints, and ml^r.u ^^^" *^^ sachems came to the settle- S h / ^'yi^'' ''^^'' ^"^ sometimes sleTt a night before his hearth-fire. ^ Having no fear of the savages, therefore, and may- had ::±7^: ^^^^ ^- p-p-« of barLT ftad settled beyond the palisade. like several rival 'commergant voyageurs." Antoine's farm Hke aH those of Le Detroit, stretched far back into the fores but had only a narrow frontage on the Ter Thus he was not isolated from his fellows. Campeau's house was but a short distance away, and t^e ^ews friend'. ". "'' ''T'^^'^y transmitted to him br^s friends, and passed on by him to Casse St Aubri du nord "^ I '" u"''^^^^'" ^^°"S the whole " cdte du nord. Even when Dame Godefroy below the fort wished to inform her dear friend Ang^rqurthat her godchild, the Godefroy firstborn, ha3^cut\ tooth N ItfMMIF^mi a8 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT or taken his first steps on the pathway of life; or when Madame des Ruisscaux, sister-in-law of the late commandant, Monsieur de Bellestre, desired to ask her charming young relative to an assembly at her house within the stockade, — the invitation and the weighty Intelligence were in the same manner conveyed by word of mouth along the river bank. The house of Cuillerier, built of squared logs and clapboarded, was one story high, but in the long sloping roof was an additional half-story, which re- ceived light and air chiefly from two dormer windows on the front. The main door was painted green and divided horizontally in the centre, the upper section being kept open in fair weather and the lower part closed, lest perchanqe some vagrant fowl, guinea pig, or mongrel cur, straying from the roadway that followed the margin of the river, might find refuge in the dwelling. Indeed once, when Ang€Hque was a child, this door being inadvertently left ajar, a roving bear cub had crept in and awakened the drowsy little maid from an afternoon's slumber in the hearthroom, by poking his inquisitive nose into her pretty face. The building was covered with a coat of whitewash, and across the road was a small wharf, supported by stakes driven into the marsh. To this point the Pani women slaves came to fill the birch-bark buckets with water for use in the menage. Here, too, was tied the canoe, so indispensable in fishing and trapping, and as a means of getting down to the fort in the spring- time when the road was bad, or in summer when it was hot. Within doors there were several small apartments beyond the hearthroom, and from it a ladder-like stair ascended to the loft, where Ang^- lique had chosen a corner for herself. Often, during the leisure hours of a summer's day, with the river w m ^■^■ii^^iS^mS^^ ■'■'i^.' M'-ji h.i " HEIGH-HO, FOR A DANCING FROCK" 29 breezes blowing in at the window, or in winter when the heat from the hearth below tempered the air above to a pleasant warmth, here in her nest under the eaves she spent many happy hours and planned many splendid *• castles in Spain." Here she might have been found one balmy after- noon m the early part of September. 1761. seated near the recess of one of the dormers, before a plain chest of drawers, a testimony to the rude skill of the town carpenter. The young girl had pulled open contents "' ^"^ "^^^ critically inspecting its " Ma foi the result might be better." she said to herself, with a laugh, half of fondness for the feminine frippery about whose folds lingered recollections sweet as the fragrance of the withered little prairie roses strewn among the simple finery, half in disap- pomtment that the gewgaws necessary for a " grande toilette " had already been worn many times, at the informal levees at the stockade or the ffite-day danc- ing parties given at the homes of her kinsfolk and acquaintance. " Helas. this jupe will never more make a brave showing, she sighed, shaking out a skirt of red gauzy s^uff; "that rent is past all mending. I got it at Dame St. Aubin's birthday f<&te when I danced a gavotte with Robishe Navarre. Ha. ha, ha ! I cannot but laugh when I recall the merry romp I And that bodice. — misericorde. like our old dog Trouveur. it has seen its best days. This other which was sent to me from Quebec by my cousin is well enough, but, having been made for her, by ill-luck it is small for me, and will not meet at the waist. Now this blue petticoat might serve; also. I co'uld make for my- self a bodice out of the red jupe, with a sash of the 30 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Irf same. This string of corals is fair enough to set off even a plainer costume, though I have worn it a hundred times. And the little lace handkerchief, — , phouff, Robishe Navarre stole the handkerchief for a keepsake I Well, there are the lace mittens. Helas, Monsieur Sterling kept one of the mittens as a souvenir of our tate-^-t^te in the moonlight on the gala night at the fort Mon Dieu, did the gallants but know of the annoyance they put me to by pos- sessing themselves of these bits of my belongings, to wear next their hearts, — so they say! Tis verily provoking. I have scarce a bright riband left, never a shoulder knot nor a rosette; but the mitten is a serious loss. T was most audacious of this Monsieur James Sterling thus ^o make off with it. I must see that he pays dear for the heft. What is to be done with the other? Shall I go to the ball wearing one mitten — so?" With a pout she stretched forth her hands and contemplated them in comic despair, one half hid- den, save for the finger-tips, by the dainty white lace, the other shapely and dimpled, if a little brown, like her rich olive complexion, and showing a strength that could guide the home loom or paddle a canoe with skill. " Does not this Scotch monsieur know that a demoiselle at Le Detroit is fortunate if she possesses one pair of lace mittens for the evening? Fortunate am I that at our f^tes they are regarded only as an addition to the costume, ' a bit of pride,' as Xante Josette says. Parbleu, I must have a care, or presently a bold cavalier may purloin one of my dancing slippers, and then I should be put to ab- senting myself from all routs, — which, no doubt, would please good Father Potier well, since he Is ever chiding me for my frivolity. ■^■.^mn^mm "HEIGH-HO, FOR A DANCING FROCK" 3, "Eh bien, the sum of this inventory is that h„t i oe neld at the house of the Eni»liQh ,- j to-morrow evening what an, r 7^ ? 7 """"andant The and ha„ ^t ^p^^ t Sir°^^S sucWcr,'"" """' ^"'""'^ -^ attended'^ ,„;i'!^ 'f*""' '^"'°'"= Cuilierier, hates the British and so, of course, do I ■ but «iii i 1, ''nt'sti, ma foi, since the days o the sTeu; LrZT"' '"'' has Le Daroit seen a finer Da«,„/T,.'"f "'"" ^V! ^-^t"'^"^^^ <^°->'e""tt^ rmeturl'-^fta^irmtif :hr t'.!r "7 l" fromTh" "'": '""" g-ba-lst d 'a he^d" tk from the swords and epaulettes of the officers And nyeLra'nd^r""? "'"' """^ "«'• » '"-n yott m years and somewhat austere of visao-e h,,t L.^". a splendid mould of manly beauhr ^t' he !^f '" more personable than is M^onsieuTste'^Sg"' " "'^" by the pta±Ta!t*'V"'"''l'^ ""^' ""^ «™rted wLt trd, i se^mrof'alf ^V- ""^ ^'" J"""""' English hav; omr Heieh ho!' ~'"'"^' ?'"« the £ror'tfei!^lTh:^«rmrtotr'^^^^^^^^^^ me„t'':ntr;o no7°""'; '-"^ «"■""• -" -" "AnV *f ' • °* "'" f"' " "«' J"Pe and bodice ki„H r ''':"'°"°"' "'S'" *"« " «<> be a ball wWch fend Captain Campbell asks the French ladils o^ 32 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT the post to honor with their presence. Where is .t I put the billet ? Ah. here it is in the little Wrch of thiMr M?' '°" °^ '^^ P^<^"^ ^"d'-" chief rlni . A" ^^''^ P"""'^"*"^ *° "»« ^'th as much scenic uu!"'"'' ^?"" °^^^^""- Yes, this sweet scented b.llet .s most legibly writ and in fairly proper French by Monsieur Sterling, who has made much improvement m the language of late, having paid diligent heed to the lessons of his teacher." note of invitation with a smile that told in what quarter the young Scotchman had prosecuted his studies with such commendable assiduity " Ah, but it is difficult to hate these strangers " she continued to herself. " Moreover, it is a sin to hate any one ; so say our ^ ure at Ste. Anne's and the mis- su>nary Father Potier, across the river. Thus, in this matter. I am not bound to yield obedience to my father. Antoine Cuillerier. No; Father Potier says we must love our enemies. Love ? Oh, it s very well to be loved at a distance; but to love Monsieur Ster- ling and the handsome newcomer Major Gladwin, and dear old Captain Campbell, and Jphouff. tha ^too much to demand, even of so sad a coquette as Mamselle Ange'lique Cuillerier de Beaubi^n. N^ Angejique, love thy neighbor, but pull not down thy She laughed again in a soft, murmuring fashion, as she thought how shocked the good vicar and the missionary would be at her frivolous interpretation of the little homilies wherein they counselled their ^rench and Indian parishioners, and the English dwellers at Fort Pontchartrain. to mutual forbearance that, despite their rival interests, the people of Le Detroit might live in peace. ^£!.^i^-> sftcli 'W-Wr^--M' "HEIGH-HO,FORADANCiNGFROCK"33 finger and resumed h«'rcfic!"i%v°:;' ""' '°''- When a young demoiselirh!! ■ '""'""8 ^'oud- the house: it is pleSant foA ? !"' """P^-ion in voice debating t&n dnemn,l°s 'ra^ ''"" "=" her decision, even tlioMoh ,t ■ "'""' "P for "A pretty plight am ll' t\lT: "l "" °«"- wealthiest trader of the "irait, M f "^""^ °^ "•= fabric to be bought in th- •' ™ *" °'' «"« eveo^stuffof beauty is "naoLr"' ^'""' "^ '='»'™. demoiselles as soon as Th/ J ""^ *^ "="»" «d Montreal. The autumn a J'^"^'"' """ve from until the end of the mon^ ' T" ""' >>= h^e stantial cloths trX^Se' tt"' J,^'"k •"' ''^ ^"''- Marianne de St Our, nr^.l j S '" '"""£■ Ah, ersa marigold cr"d^!,^^ "^^""l rf^*"'' buy! the same, since L brother ii",'/."", """^ "=''='• *»"• "I might buy ft of her y1 f r " ""'«'• n this reticule, and could make unT 1°?^ '"™' lengths of linen, or some Trtket "^ Bu't """r" '" not buy it, for Marianne hJ. 1 "' ""• ' *'" ladies of quality in a' °«w. f '"'"'" '' "> »» the fair it might ^k some 1"™ l"" "°"""" '•°«' ' There is Angfflque c„ilt "°'". ^°"'^ """W ^"X. fineo- of Mam?e;?e de S Ou". "f 1 °"' » th^ for it a score of times N„Tt t ''' """"eh I paid dimity overstre«-n with i^e 1 ?"TT*= *hite my father brought 1^x1 1 If*?"' """'S"^' *« will let me have 1 1 w^U^n^'l''^ l^siye^rl If she gown of silk so heavy Aat it ^11 r T ^^ '°' "^ " morrow I will sew until ™r ■'°."'' ^'°"«- All to- a^ft her for it whek she rT 'r " *"'"'"'• ' "M vi.t to my siste?,'"D:f?rnVK;e"''""°°" She rose, passed beyond the deertk^-'c^rtain that ■f^^T. 34 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT divided her own especial nook from the remain- der of the loft, and, after a moment of hesitation, raised the lid of a green-painted chest, where were laid away in lavender the treasures of the spinster aunt who idolized her. " The dear Tante will not be vexed if I just take a peep at it," said the precipitate Ang€lique, as, after some search, she drew forth the gauzy fabric. " Never has it even seen the shears." Throwing a fold of the cloud-like drapery over her shoulder, and hastening back to the window, she peered into a small mirror that hung upon the wall. "Yes, mademoiselle, you could not have a more charming costume," she decla:* d to the piquant face that looked back at her from the glass. Then, with a qudm of conscience, hastily restor- ing the stuff to the chest, she returned to her low chair in the recess of the window, took down the mirror and, resting it upon her knees, gazed critically at the bright reflection that had so promptly decided the question of the " toilette du bal." " Ah, it is good to be young, — and not ill-favored," she exclaimed with a sigh of content. " To be gay, and dance, and sing, and laugh! To be loved, — and to love, — sometime ! What tales this old mirror might tell, had it a voice! My uncle, De Bellestre, gave it to me. It was found in the loft of his house among some effects left there long ago by the erstwhile commandant, Hugues Pean, knight of St. Louis and Lord of Livaudiere. 'T is said, little glass, that you once belonged to the wife of this proud chevalier, the beautiful Ang^lique de Meloise, and he brought you here as a keepsake. He loved her to the end, although she declined to come with him, having no mind to hide her beauty in the wilder- "HEIGH-HO, FOR A DANCING FROCK 35 ness. Ah, show me for once thaf ^i,. • framed by its aureole ofLu^^ u- J^^^^'^g face as the he'lvens. ^e exqulte wh^f "' ^°'' .'^" ^'"^ '^ M matchless complexion r*' ^''' ""^ ^"^ ^^ '^^t y g Angehque renewed the studv nf i,^. nance with manifest disLSon " iTouTd""'" visage was not so brown thaj ™,. u • ?"''' "^ u^ent::«:sercrp3 - ' a.' gi^d":;; far:^d' :;:st^ S' "t-*'^- ■■ ^ brown after all An^^iZ !■ ., , '' *"'' ""^ ^^in is woman, and I tou^d ?' Toot ^u°'^ ""' " "'^'''d in the ^orld.' ' '°°'' " ^''^ *<» fo' anything ha^^h^rfed^'lr'Th? T '° *' "P» "^ *e giv« to innoce„Tcoqnetr7 A„"S7 '"' '°"'=*''=" less litUe demoiselirwh7de1kfd ri^hT " ^^If" shrines of Ste Ann«v j1 with flowers the strove to keep ht Tfe a1 fa r w^Tr""" ''^''' """ within, as wefe the appt^rat Tr^"" '"u ="'"■""= orchard: theaDDl«fW 'T'e?" 'n the mission over with such care J/° ^^"'" ^°"" "^'^h^d years she had eveTshow'"""'"' ''°'" ''" ^"^'^t danger. E«n when aTa f"' ~"™Se in face of and found the tear cub V^^ "'"""' '"* ^''°^' of his growline she had „ t ^' u? """ ''"' heedless him frfm till f ouse wift'a stk ^^'IT'- '"f ''"^'" an Indian who had imbib d too freelyT &." pa„aSrretnXotTr T-- lusee, and compelled him to leave instantly. [i 36 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Humming the lively refrain of " Malbrouck," she descended the stairs to the hearthroom, where her young brothers were taking their simple supper, at- tended by a Pani woman. Dame Cuillerier and Tante Josette had not returned from their visit, and Antoine and his older sons were away in the forest. Ang^lique joined the children, and, after the meal, wandered out with them along the river bank. Like a great flaming rose the sun was setting away down in the direction of Lake Erie, for here, from the many windings of Le Detroit, the points of the mariner's compass seem oddly changed. Near the shore the river was a swift current of opalescent tints, and afar off a gleaming sea of silver. Now from the tower of Ste. Anne's rang forth upon the soft September air the calm tones of the Angelus, while across the water came the answering antiphons from the bell of the Huron Mission. " Ave Maria," sang the fresh, true voice of Ange- lique, the lads adding their shrill treble. " Tendre Marie, Reine des cieux, Mfere chdrie, patronne de ces lieux ! Veillez sur notre enfance, 4 Sauvez notre innocence, Conservez-nous ce tr^sor pr^cieux." Scarcely had their tuneful chant died away when, with surprise, they heard its melody borne back to them upon the breeze in the clear notes of a flute, sweet as the fabled song of the dying swan. Not a skiff was to be seen on the placid strait, but still the dulcet s unds came nearer and at last, around a point of land, appeared a canoe paddled by an Indian boy. It was not he who produced the music, however, but a young " paleface " who sat in the centre of the 'W ^ •.HEIGH-HO.FORADANCmGFROCK"37 "Her eyes so brighUy beaming, V Her look so frank and free '^ In waking and in dreaminif Are evermore with me. Hiro, my nut-brown maiden. Hire, my nut-brown maiden "•;;°''"yn"t-brown maiden, Oh, she 's the maid for me. " With her fair face before me w"°^ !,\«% fle'v the hour. When all her beauty held me A captive to its power. H>ro, my nut-brown maiden, «»re, my nut-brown maiden. Hiro, my nut-brown maiden, Oh, she 's the maid for me. ""hV^k^ ^jth kindness glowing. Her heart that hides no guile The hght grace of her going, ' The witchcraft of her smile. Hire, my nut-brown maiden, «>re, my nut-brown maid-r. 'A°u' y ""'-brown maiden, Oh, she 's the maid for me " " l^f^iau ^ wnari with noisy welcome* Weigh, my canty friends'" cri*.H Qf! •• leaped ashore. " Jaco hJrl ' u I ^'^'"^'"S' as he bows and arrows." ^^ ^"°"g^t you new of ttfattn Ind hTs^'" ^^T^^^"" ^'^P-<^ both gracious as to favo me whh hTr c """'"'"^^ '^ ^° n-de on the river .> " he^sLH u ^^^^ '" ^ ^^"^^ head and bowed forma^^y ' ^ ^^ ""covered his % i! 38 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT The teasing demoiselle hesitated only so much as that he must need press his invitation. At Le De- troit the liberty enjoyed by the pretty French maiden would have aroused the envy of her sisters in more conventional surroundings. The young Scotchman, as an interpreter and trader not in the service of the English, occupied, in effect, the position of an intermediary between the con- querors and the French-Canadians of the strait. His ingenuous face and courtly manners had won for him a degree of favor with Antoine and the good Dame Cuillerier, and Ang^lique was free to go canoeing with him now, if she chose. ** The twilight is long, and we will return by eight of the clock," he urg^. " Eh bien, by eight it must be then," she answered, and stepped into the canoe with agile grace. " Am I to paddle, or will you, monsieur? I know not whether you would fain be musician or boatman?" W#- *» VA »^' CHAPTER FOURTH V ON THE RIVER AT SUNSET S^Ji^^n^i.'T''^ M^"'^"^- "^^ Charming de- •Mt ZT" ^^ '''"'i: "''''' tantalizing humors. It may please you, mademoiselle, to make a iest of . my want of skill with the paddle." kc sa^aloud " yet even a poor boatman performs wonders when his heart ,s m h,s work, and with you to smile upon my STik" '' ' '"''" '"^^"^'^^ *° -pro'vemen^ " In faith. I am certain to smi/e upon them, even though at the same time I may be imploring th; pTo" mgly. I fear me it needs a clear conscience an adventurous spirit and a kind providence to risk the overturnmg of the skiff in a canoe ride with you Monsieur Sterling." y°"' f1,r!"'i!"^°'^ ""/''" reconcile with your conscience the unkmd speeches you have been making for the light and dexterous stroke his paddle dipped into the limpid waters, now on the right hand, now on the leit, and the canoe bounded forward fleetly as the fawn of the forest. For the young Scotchman was no such novice in the management of the Indian's fairy- like craft as the perverse Angllique sought to pretend. As for the boldness of your spirit," he continued after a few minutes, during which they had glided mto the current of the river, " I admire it mightily ! 40 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Ever have I noted that a woman's courage mounteth on occasion." The scene was tranquilly lovely. The broad waters outstretched before them, still rosy with the glow of the sunset, and on either side of the strait green prairies extended to the horizon, save where a grove of hickory, birch, or maple lent variety to the land- scape. In the foreground, bordering the shores, were the lodges of the Indian villages and the habitants' white farmhouses. The latter half embowered in trees or standing alone, as though they courted the sunshine, were surrounded by a high palisade of cedar pickets, here and there overgrown with the wild honeysuckle vine and the clematis, whose small snowy blossoms were at this season giving place to a cloud-like furze. Within the enclosures, the carefully tended parterres were now ablaze with the flame color and red of autumnal blooms, marigolds, zinias, and the purple and rose china asters. Behind the homesteads lay the orchards, the branches of the sturdy trees now bending with the weight of the maturing fruit; and still beyond, for half a mile or more, the fields of grain and vegetables extended to the edge of the forest. In the marsh land, tangled growths of pond lilies edged the river, — a fact whereof Sterling had been mindful on his way from the town, for now a cluster of the white star-flowers rested upon the knees of Ang€lique, as she sat in the bow of the canoe, smiling into the frank eyes of the young man, who, as he plied his paddle with half-indolent ease, bandied merry words with her, and answered her shafts of raillery with flashes of wit or a well-framed compliment. There were other canoeing parties this evening also ; in the summer and early autumn the settlers of I ON THE RIVER AT SUNSET 4, U Dftroit took to the river like a covey 4f „«,., birds Now a long bateau came up the ,tr«m fabled charger of the 5ea and manned by a crew of red^ ^^^ '^^ ^^^" thinking of him that she had paid small heed to his words '! P^'-don. I was regretting that the lilies have folded their petals over their golden hearts." she faltered, bloomf "^ *^ ^'""^^ °^ ^'th^red Ah, yes, full well I remember; it is near unto a year since the Enghsh took possession of Le Detroit Major Rogers is gone to Michilimackinac. and Captain Campbell is commandant here. He is only to be second m authority, you say? This young officer who came yesterday, - how is it you call him, - Major Gladwin, is to be commandant? That is news indeed. What is that about a parley the English had ^fEries?^?'' " "^^^ "P ^'°™ ^^ L^^ °^ Steriing repeated his remark, and then went on to tell her of the Indian youth and the escort of warriors W^y'^'f ON THE RIVER AT SUNSET 47 sent to Major Rogers, while with his rangers he was encamped on the borders of the forest, the haughty message brought by the envoy, and the coming of the unknown chief at sunset. ur"^^ ^?"*. "^^^ "^^ *° Panigwun, 'the Strong Wmg-Feather ; and of what appearance was the lord- her savage?" inquired the girl, who had listened with parted lips to his strange recital. J'^^rZ^ "°* ^ *^" "'^"'" continued Sterling thoughtfully, "but his muscular figure was distin- guished by remarkable symmetry and vigor In complexion he was darker than the other warriors, darker than are the Indians here at the strait: his features were stern and bold, his bearing imperious, nice that of a man accustomed to sweep away all opposition by the force of his determined will. He wore his crimson blanket with a native majesty, and his feather head-dress could not have lent to him greater dignity had it been a crown of gold. He was willing, he said, to live at peace with the English: he will suffer them to remain in his country so long as they treat him with due deference, forsooth. In fact we heard later that four hundred braves lay in am- bush at the entrance to Le Detroit to cut us off, but the mfluence of this king of the wilderness was hap- pily exerted in our behalf, and they were turned from their design. " And not one among the English was able to learn the name of the powerful warrior who gave them so .^^SnaU proof of hb queried Ang€lique rl'^l'u ^fj°f .Rogers and, after him, Captain Campbell asked it of every brave who came to the fort. As one neutral in regard to all the rival interests Here, I was requested to make inquiry of the French • 48 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ev"e/r sat:"' ''t"' '^"'^f*^' *^^ '^P'^ ^^^ »-en Chi J' ^ ' " ^' '^^^' ^>'hout doubt, the Great Chief. Moreover, this remarkable man seem, f^ have utterly vanished. At the councils whh the looked for, but he did not aooear f''" ^"'^ *°"^^y ^'th all the selle f „ '; ^' ^^' "°* P''^^^"^ Mademoi- selle can you explain this riddle? Who is this mysterious savage,-do you know?" ' Angeljque nodded. "It can be no other than the mighty chief of the Ottawas my father's friend," she rejoined at once in at the H^ T.t''°"; " ^^'^" ""^^ he warmed him;df atjhe hearth-fire of Antoine Cuillerier and sat aTht Jlt'}'''^ u^'^t ^* ^^' '" ^^^"^^ amazement, for asjhe spoke she raised her head with an air of He had seen in Britain, in France, in Puritan New England, many fair and modest damsels, bu neverl^ seemed to him, had he met a young maid of sweeter nature or more natural delicacy than w^ thi7w C.OUS, naive little demoiselle who had been born Ind S[e worldV/ f' '^^"''^^ P°^^' - ^- -moved from the world of elegance and refinement. Any belle ^f the old world or the new might envy her exquisite Doasted of the familiar footing whereon her father utT^ a redskin of the forest. """' What anomalies are to be met with here in fi,« J«ld«n«C' he reflected. " How I wT h I eo"ld tat thu capfvahng Angllique away from so rude a We " 5rc#Ti^ 'XW^M ■ft ON THE RIVER AT SUNSET 4^ '• But, mademoiselle," he said aloud with nn of tempt to conceal his surprise •• it is no/ J^ -k, u^' The g.rl broke into a peal of musical L^hter Oh. no monsieur." she answered. "Whe„ th. Indian warriors visit AntnJn- n n • ."'"^n the She laughed again at the ease wherewith th. ^tt: .,'.' ^'H" y°" ^"°^ **»e name of the Great Chi^r nrng. how could sh« dXelo "ns^rX""- "7" question, especially when he hid tusTlln h 'Th greatest proof of his confiH-n^. k .^ . '"' *''* trust her th huyr° .*^"B "''• "« "M willing to Z'X. :" Shi'tjuuT'oVh""'^'" ?' "°'^'' less; nothing , , inZe tht Frt„ 'h^ ™.^ "T'^'"=- allies. trench or their Indian rnqXtunde^Med"" '° '"™ '"^ *'"Ss'"shc ae'SLt^ctf b'^pac^-'^ir '"= '"'■"■'"'■'' <" Mcure a lone neace IV^ nl P-"'"''' *"'' ""us -MfainaidSC<-i:.^p„^^:'-.---^; 50 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT cement this peace unless they know in what part of the forest he lives?" " Ah, yes, it is peace we need, above all else," im- petuously exclaimed Ang^lique. "And it is well that the English should propitiate the Indians of the strait, for, I will tell you something, — the red men are not well pleased; they think the English esteem their friendship as of small account. The Great Chief IS now away in the north, among the Ottawas, the Ojibwas, the Pottawattomies and Hurons, yet his warriors keep him informed of all that goes on at Le Detroit." " But when he is in this vicinity, where may a mes- senger be sent to him? " insisted the young man. "Turn the canoe across the stream, and I will show you his haunt," returned the girl. So unexpected was her answer that Sterling nearly dropped the paddle as he hastily complied with her request. •• Now look yonder," proceeded Ang^lique. " Be- yond the Isle au Cochon you have often remarked that other lonely island in the river; how black its groves appear to-night! We French call it the Isle au Pfiche, because of its fine fisheries, but to the Indians it is known as the burial-place of the Prophet. When the Great Chief is in this region, it is there he has his lodge; there he holds council with the mani- tou of the strait." "And his name?" reiterated Sterling. " He is called Pontiac," replied the girl in a fright- ened whisper, as though the very utterance of the word aroused her fear. " Ma foi, monsieur," she added with a shudder, " paddle swiftly, I pray you. The air has grown chill, and I would gladly be at home before the dark falls." ON THE RIVER AT SUNSET j, Sterling dallied no more, but applied himself ardu- ously to h,s task. The gloom of evening »Lf«t creeping over , he river; but as they rLlTd tte mle wharf before the Cuillerier farm, there came to them agam upon the cool night breeze the song"rom th': toir- ' "" "="'*« ™^»8eurs returnU to " Fritaine, friton, fritou, poUon ! Ha, ha,ha, — fritkl'huile, Frit au beurre k. Tognon." ■^"T^-'^.'M'' CHAPTER FIFTH SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON 'T^HE next afternoon, a glance into the living- -■. room of the Cuillerier home would have shown a typical picture of life at Le Detroit in the year 1 761. The room itsfelf, with its many contrasts of light and shade, presented an interior that would have delighted the eye of Chardin, the peasant pamter, who, with his charming genre pieces, was at the time winning fame in France. The sunlight, shinmg in through the open door, brought out into relief the dark rafters hung with yellow-seed com, dried pumpkins, and hanks of unbleached yarn, an effect of color splendid as a golden tapestry. It fell m a broad stream upon the puncheon floor and the huge mat of plaited river grasses, the work of the Pani slaves; it burnished the flintlock muskets crossed upon the wall, and touched lightiy the great mass of golden-rod, reed mace, or " cat's tails " and sedges, wherewith Ang€lique had filled the dark cavern of the chimney. It peered also into the faces of a group of men who, from force of habit, had drawn the rudely made' chintz-covered chairs up around the hearth, where they sat in a half-circle, smoking their red clay pipes, and chatting in the inconsequent fashion wherewith a group of idlers discuss the affairs of the hour, pojitical or social. SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON 53 Antoine Cuillerier. a small man, past middle a^e w.th a swarthy shaven face, restless' black eys. and a thm straight nose; there was thick-set Bar^tSc M^loche; Charles Parant. hale and jovial; shrewd Jacques Campeau; besides St. Aubii, the !?urdy handsome Jacques Godefroy. and keen-fitted Jacques Baby,» from across the river K..«i, . ""** *"* *^o"» and leave vou th*. husks; nevertheless, let us be friends' A nH t wiU find «,a? we have"^"', J^t^dTu'r dL""^ .^^«:^ ''"■°"«'' "« """ '«' *« -l-'ion r«. S the drt,^ Vr . ■"" '■'' "•* <"■« 8°« back to * Pronounced Bawbee. ^cC#'«i.- 54 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT u- I I ''. *^ran-e, Here at the strait" broadly. To ot ga^™;^;'™'""/ «"? Baby grinned ever, or questioned ,he.Jf'°'« '" r"?. ""ow- other title than hi. r,f=£ L° "" *='''""«' ^y no amused or too careless ' P*'""*!"- «oo long King LouTs wUl «nH ^ *"' P^P'"' ^^f"" I unde^taLTcrm^Vrda";^^^^^^^^ ^ ^°" -"• the ball given to-night by the Enl^^K « *"'^'*"' ^* request of this Sir WilliL t.k ^ ^ ^Z^*'^"' ^* '^^^ h«e .^^ngthen T-J^'^rS:^^^^^:-^ "wtrthV^onafe:^;^^^^^^^^^^^ atsoXx'^Ln^ivr'n'""^^^^^ Campbell?" ° '^^ **°"se of Captain " Parbleu I it is because he buys from ^. u corn meal, and eau-de-vie," reSiTbywii^^; ^^' 'yfm SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON 55 good-natured laugh. " No man smites the hand that puts money m his purse." aai7*'^*l-^°"u ^*''* '*'" '*"°"^*^^ Antoine; "one gams nothmg by quarrelling with the redcoat until will bl%Yr-- '' "' '° ""' *"^^ "'^^^ '^^^' they t^aLr,^W t ? ««;"'««• numbers their own lawless traders. We hate them, but there is no reason why we should despise their gold. Yes. the true ruler of the world ,s gold; they who have it hold in thc° fs ?heVe /""' °^ P°"" ^' ^°^ '^' »>^^ to-night Iw ""^^ ^"°"S y^" ^^° ^*><^« not know that 'what a woman wills. God wills '? My daughter is t mren"'""^ '° *'' '^"' ^"^ ^^^ " --"<>" hav^fK •'*'^"'" ""''"''''^^'^ ^^''^"*' " the demoiselles L wVh\TerrsT'^^ °' ^^"^"^^^'"^ ''^ ^'^'^'' -- ^hl' Jr "^ ^rT'^r^!'^ Campeau. " I think it well that t^ theT,? v' ^^*;f .«h°"Jd accept the invitation to the festivities. The r sharp eves anH ft.m;«;«J intuitions will disce.n for us wi?t ^Taler of mT^e ctuld?eTrnT'""' ''4 '°^ "°^^ speedily than we a man. t ^ uf™^' • ^^ust a woman for finding out a man s vulnerable point. - ha. h.i. ha ! I made no ado when my wife announced that she would tto " Paran?To'lJLcr. "" ' ^'"^^ ^^"°-'" ^^^P-^ "I think not with you all," Godefroy broke out brusquely. "I will have nothing to do with Sie for.gners. even in pretence of amity, and my w^e shall not attend the ball ! " ^ * A laugh went round. JJ^^ ^'^ '^^^^'' ^ P°""^ °^ tobacco there will be Jacaues " cH r T"" '* T"*" ^°^^" *^"'ght, friend Jacques, cried CuiUerier. clapping his knee. S6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT 'I No, no, my word is law, and my vfiL most duti- ful, retorted Jacques, as, vexed and impatient at their continued laughter, he rose, pushed back his chair with a jerlc, and flung himself out of the house. Could Captain Campbell of the fort have heard this conversation, he would not perhaps have so con- fidently assured Sir William Johnson that the people of Le Detroit had accepted the English rule with good grace. As it was, sanguine that there was no trouble to be feared from the French, and satisfied after his great powwow with the Indians that they were glad to be allied with the party in power, when evening came Sir William was in the most genial of moods. . • "Adzooks, captain, you have transformed this council chamber, erstwhile so dreary, into a most festive ball-room," he remarked approvingly, as he glanced about the main apartment of the British headquarters, once the residence of Monsieur de Bellestre, who, at first sent a prisoner to Niagara, had been released and permitted to return to Montreal Captain Campbell smiled, gratified by the cnco- miums of his chief. .1. " ' ^^^^}^ presents a rude appearance compared to the splendors of Johnson Hall," he answered politely •• Some day perhaps, we may be able to bring fine furnishings from England; at present there is little of the sort in the town, save a few pieces in the houses of the French, brought from France during the old regime; but we have done what we could " "And the effect is excellent," repeated Sir William, as he raised his eyeglass and again surveyed the long, low-studded room, the sombreness of whose age and smoke-darkened walls was relieved by cur- ^' ..'W^- ^¥ * M»A.^ SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON 57 ? oair^hiff **". '"*""f*^*»^«' - B'-^^at clkskins tanned nin. « -11 ^'^J"!^*"? ornamented with dyed porcu- were ii! f hK *^."^'' ^^'^ ''^" ^^ the aparLent were st.l I further decorated by the antlers of giant he buffalo, fl.nt-headed and feather-tipped arrows. and strings of wampum ; the rafters with festoons of the red cotton cloth which the traders were wont to sen to the savages in exchange for their furs. The hall was lighted by hanging lamps of bears' oil. and the floor, in other times worn smooth by the feet of the councillors of the commandant of the French King, had now been made smoother by a coatine of wax for the gay tread of dancers. Now the band of the garrison struck up a spirited air; the guests began to arrive ; and as the ladies with their cavahers. some French, others English, were presented to the gallant superintendent of Indian affairs, for each dame and demoiselle he had, on the spur of the moment, a special compliment or word of flattery. "Truly •• exclaimed the captain, when all had been made welcome, " I congratulate your Excellency upon the popularity you have already attained at the strait. Here are twenty ladies, all of the best families of Lc Detroit, come to grace this happy occasion." tgad, and handsomer women it has never been my fortune to meet," returned Sir William. " With whom will your Excellency open the ball? " continued Captain Campbell. "Shall it be with Madame des Ruisseaux, the white-haired dame who has the air of a duchess, or Madame Campeau ? The first lady is connected by marriage with the late r rench commandant, and " " I depute to you, captain, the honor of dancing VH^M.: MO'. KrV-^: ;-:it SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON 59 affection the "white dimity bestrewn with httle pas- toral designs. As clearly, too. the girl had sewed with di igence all day. and now in her fleecy draperies she looked not altogether unlike a white cloud over- sown with tiny garden-plots. Sterling mentally likened her to the white river- ilies with golden hearts that he had plucked for her the evening before. He too was happy. Ang^lique had come with Madame des Ruisseaux, but she had promised him her hand for the opening dance ; and since she ha. not answered him " nay" on the river last evening, he began to take on the air of an ac- cepted lover Already he was looking forward to thTh/n t tf' ^!'\^'' "P°" '^' ^^"^'•y. when the ball should be at its height. " A handsome pair they make." whispered Madame bt. Aubin to Madame des Ruisseaux. •• Monsieur sterling is most personable, clad thus in silver gray and I esteem well this new manner of wearing the hair unpowdered and tied back with a riband As for la belle Ang^lique. never has she appeared more engaging. Where got she that frock ? In vain I tried to buy a new one in the town." "Let us stand aside a moment," said Ang^lique to her cavalier. " Before I meet his Excellency llould fain see. to better advantage than yesterday, what manner of man he is." ^ They drew back against the wall, and she darted a quick glance at the noted personage who. among all the English, was reputed to have the greatest influ- ence with their terrible Iroquois allies. " He is tall and erect, if somewhat heavy of weight " she added, well pleased with her scrutiny; "and his features are. to my thinking, strong and manly. He IS near unto fifty years of age. you say. Monsieur '^,^i-^^si«'^^si^^mBH^mgssrmp'iif^^eimt: J » 6o THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Sterling? I„ truth, he does not look it in that ruby colored coat, so richly guarded with gold lace. SurelT too, and vastly becoming to the wearer " «i^^^^"^^'.^°"^'^"'' ^^ Capitaine," she replied Monsieur Sterling has just offered t^ conduc me to pay my respects to his Excellency " Sterling threw back his head ' proudly, but his satisfaction was £,oon dashed. /• ""' ms "Pardon mademoiselle, if I still beg the privilege " continued the officer. " Sir William has depute' me to request you to open the ball with him " As he concluded, the bright eyes of Ang^lique grew brighter with surprise and pleasure at so marked a compliment, and, vouchsafing only a smile of apology to the Scotchman, she suffered the colonel to lead her away. "^^ Ja"t man^'^"" WMp' '^' ^"^ ^^^^''^Y'^^S before the great man. Sir William in turn bowed low over her hand, as he took it in his own. "You will pardon me. midemoiselle, that from among all the fair women present I have singled you out as the most beautiful." he said impressively. The girl blushed rosy red. mirS"' ^''""^"^^y '" "^°«* eracious." she stam- " And you will do me the honor to tread the hTsJm r^Sn^d.' ^^P--^'P-'ng the little hand he^^eJ;onif '"°" '' "^"^' ^^"^ ^^^^"-^^•" -- SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON 6i Forthwith, to the music of " Rule Britannia," al- though the prettily confused damsel knew not the air, nor did the other French among the company, he led her to the top of the room, followed by the other officers and gentlemen, who had already engaged their partners. To simple little Ang^lique it seemed as though the ceremonious court dance could never before have been so stately and graceful. Her uncle, De Bellestre, was the personification of courtliness; but this Sir Johnson not only bowed to her as though she were a princess royal, but as though she were a princess royal for whom he entertained a most respectful but hopeless devotion. When the minuet was over. Sterling pressed for- ward to claim her for the Sir Aoger de Coverley, but he presently muttered a forcible epithet under his breath, as the doughty baronet declared that Made- moiselle Ang€lique must again favor him for the reel. By the time it was finished Ang^lique felt on terms of old friendship with Sir William. He laughed and jested with her now, an J she grew vivacious, spar- kling. She even told him the story of the odd silk mitten, and confided to him how, when presented to him, she had worn it on the right hand, although It was meant for the left, and had tried to conceal the mittenless hand in the folds of her frock. Thereat, he pretended to have detected the ruse, but vowed she should have, by an early English convoy, a pair of the finest gloves to be obtained from London, as a souvenir of this evening, which he would always remember. Yet the other ladies were not neglected. While the gallant superintendent was making peace with 6a THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ling secured fron, her bat a " «^ol .•TU'"^, • '"j deux," wherein he acquitted hiS u, "IVh"? ^ ^n..I«r with these French gamMs/'t surellyTe? dared. His heart was hot with anger. ^ se-^^JSeThTarS'-ht::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ strangers, of distinguished position though thevw.^ her apparent forgetfulness of himself ellledT' almost to madness. Whv even ulk- 1 J """ two dances with her ,n T • '^"■"she Navarre had de Me««, who had len ^-r'-l-"". Archange seemed .'out "ofttras" htl'jl? '"' "-"""- ."ed^.^3;M?e":atcKr •^?^i:j'\7r r !' ,f ^ "■"« " P-«y. white wood pig"on b : when the p,geon ventures out of the wood rt'i. • ^ °:ho^t«Un \:-z:JtB itir..*r h?r^ xr ::;' j'f^^^ ^ he^^S^: -- q ^e «ve minutes the moment disengaged, he abruptly checlT^ W, morose medtations and hastened to her side gaiie'^^;^-^^^.-" ^- ''^^ ^ '-ton the almtf t™. '°°''"' "•' '■"" "" f-^ ''- grave. __.^M.-^E ^m-:'- ■r\M THE BLACK RAIN 7, ence, she can feel deeply. To the cavaliers of New th^mM • '' P?^'" ^"°"^^ ' ^^'^^en herself and them there is an innocent camaraderie that has noth- ing to do w.th the heart. But this flute-pCng Scotchman must make an ado over a slight quarrel talk a?'a" '' '''' ''"' '^ '^^ "^ "^^^ *°' ^^^ -e to Ang^lique was uneasily conscious that she had swept away his sweet illusions regarding her. 1 she who would not ruthlessly brush aside a spider's web I TAl '^x!"'^^' ^""S ^'' misfortune. But she deeded that she would trouble her head about Ster! hng no more. "No, not while two such courteous chevahers as Colonel Du Quesne and Major La Mothe resided on parole at the strait," she soliloquized :'°not while the officers at Fort Pontchartrain w^ere so agree able and friendly." ^ Time slipped away, giddy pacea as the feet of summer fT'' "°°'/ '"''^'' ^°°^ ^ their luxurian sTrnd fl '^'' f"^ P'-^l^^tly were ablaze with crim- son and flame-color, as though the whole forest were some mighty Indian council fire, kindled by the t^rch of the autumnal sun. Beneath the ripplfng tide of gayetyat Le De'troit there had been^all flong a„ the fort of discontent among the older settlers and disaffection among the savages. One day, in the first part of October, pretty Ane^- Llotilde Godefroy. set out tc return home. She had some distance to go, but the walk along the riVer bank was usually attractive. To-day the skies Tad h:rberb"' ^'^^ ^^^^ "^°^"'"^' and Lt hour Had been becoming more overcast. Angehque. however, little minded the "sullen :« fointly the call of the be of the mission chapel. Like angel vote the« bells also warned the inhabitants of L I^^roii, dv" ■XSf THE BLACK RAIN 73 shells from beneath her kerchef;h^K ""P"™ the beads devoutly, gaining^fur/g/l-^p^:^:;! '^^;« stood directing the work otT'p.T ^ '''">'• loon,, while sight and'grlmi'T n^Wt^: fof the tToffhVstie""'""' "^"^ C-'-'^-arrestef r m''^", !I° '°"S" see," she said. ;.ri'wt\;M-ra;'Jr/z,nit^^ the wool upon the distaff." ^ aiscern 76 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT tII^^T' \^ "°' '° affrighted, madame." counselled Tante Josette, seeking to control her own fcars in order to calm those of her sister-in-law "m" brother Antoine and your older sons a^e at th^ su,ckade and will stay with some of our fr ends '• Toussaint," interrupted Madame Cuillerier turn- appeared forthwith. Aoussamt dis- th."^' li^^ searching party passed out of the eate of the pahsade, a horse galloped in AnnluT ^ and he stood before the door n • ^?°^''^'^ moment, • ment. while a yoZ trader flutT"^ Z''r '"'''" saddle, threw tL ^i^l^.^ ^a d e'n^eJed " M77;irnd^rir"^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^"^- "is my mend, you have come in nut rxf fi,» ^ , ^^"'^ "» the chimney-corner " T #»f tuJ^j> • take your cloak • amncr^f. -j , " '"^ ^ani cider! will u »""& ^^ c»dre au charbon ' [mulled ciderj will keep you from a chill. Or shalMf hi rather, a 'petit verre d'eau-de-vie ' ? " ^ ^^' Joined'X'?'' ^°"'' ^'"^ hospitality, madame," re- Son^oT^LTd' .t't I r ^^^""^"^ ^^^ speak a word to J^ CuUler l rT thrUt o? some furs for which T u/.cK f u . matter of redden .efo.e t!;;'' iep^ f^. fen.!;* '^ THE BLACK RAIN ^^ them." " """"^ ' "'" <<"' justly with Iherc irtomc exSlent ,1 "' """L *"' '«"™- .'fo r =""*«■ excellent tobacco on the sh^lf -,«j ts fragrance is not unpleasant to u Jean" it added to another little slave who crc.rh^^' • corner, "a pipe for your master's gues"'"" '" ' " SmilT^.-u "'^"'' y"" ^g»'»'" --'Plicd the latter SstiiriiTttxrht'^vr ?! G^lf S ft wS""!"": "'^ "^ °"' '" "•« storm , exclaimed ^° *' °"" *° »«k her," he n.o'f;ri::retc&''te:rd"' - r---^ stdrer;- -- - - "- ".n- " Why has not some one been .jpnf fr^«, u meet m<»>" o»,^ uu 7 7 ^"' "^<*"™ home to f«ra„Tfatigt "Xdtl"'"" """"""^ '"■" sue. Why did I remain so long with ii 78 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT c;>.e the ,a.p^ musVhatlt "n^h.'';r"& *« ooking Indian ' I may be able tn ^^ ,. '^^P« ^^ glow of some friendly hearth nol. ^'.'*'"S"'«^ ^^e to reach it." ^ "°' *°° '^'stant for me friend w/o -nighrtrX Iff o"^ t plain" ^r""^." were enabled to announce th, , •'^ , ^'""^ ""y Ws before be ^p^^^.^:: XlT^^^Lt '"^'""• A^^enlSr,—^^^^ hearth-fire or a torch? ""^"^ °' » ^'gnt ; was it a H-VTaf%r^°^-rrc£|f" Indian would guide her home ^^'^^' ^" beside her Was it tht t a "''"^ Presence close tall grassP IZ^^^ ttZ^lt-'l'^'r''' ^^^ stretched out her hTnl? "^"/^^ fS^'^st her. She object, and now a hef^ '''^^'^'^ ^ «oft. furry apoeared r1 "^ "^'^^ ^wo burning eves rtre:^istt^rarcv" ^ ^^^^ ^^^'p'- '^" terror, and stumbled on T^l^^^^^^^^^^ ^ f''^ <^' she had seen, or was^t tZV T' *^^ ^^^^t was It the flaming glance of the i THE BLACK RAIN y^ w-irrU .ifK ^ u '• ^""^ ^^'^ "ever traced after- wards, although a coureur de bois averred he had me among the woods a wolf dressed in the clothes some'h""^'""''f ^^^"^^^^^^- "-- another vent re some hunter moulded a bullet from a silver cob and lT:tor:i^f''''- ^"^ -^en^t rit he fnstead nf 1. .. ^°"P ^"'■^"' '^^ ^^^'"^^^ bullet shiooed hv th« T J- ' ^"^ ^v^s even wor- sniped by the Indians as a powerful manitou frightened neigh of a horserMcrcifuTH " *" "•" the musion, of one. d.ir/ho'^r:;:: in"T;o";r Angehque ! Angelique ! " "Here! Here !" she called. So THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT •• Monsieur Sterling." she faltered, and weak and trembling sank to the ground. ^ sto'rm' t"' ^'^'"' '*"? *°'^ ""' y°» >^<^^c out in the storm. Toussamt and Raphael are scourine the farTeld hT' °^ ^^I"- ^^"'>'' ^^^ »»-ve wTndered far afield, but you will soon be under the shelter nf aTh^t'd^Ve^lr ^'"r '''' thtLt hma as "e knelt beside her and put to her lips the cruse f,„l'""i5 f if '''/' ■" "'™"' *« ho™ toward the wav ^rr?r t-aaar ^t^faJlT. t'^ ,'• ^ arm,, he se. her light weight upon theVtt dJ 1?^' and,^pr,„g.„g up b.hi„d her. gave it the coZZdt •• You will pardon me, there was no time to be l™t m parleying for your permission." he declared L he would have humored a child A„Li- exhauUoH =-j , ij . Angeiique was too cxnausted and cold to reply. He drri, hi. _i ■ ^uritvTs^T"""' ^' '*"' '*" f"' =" happy security m Sterling's protection, in the knowledge ,„ " V^ he who had fou Id her. ^ besW^tLem," tl ■"'""l "" '""'P'"^ ^•"' shining h!n.?V J • . ^.'"''"B Changed the rein to his left scarcely had he drav^n it forth when the crestur, w. h a sharp bark which was succeeded by a c™e! ydp leaped for the horse's flanks. Nom de D™u it was the mother-wolf, or else the r^„„ r >' Angelique feltthe horse 'staggf^.'h'L^-sL'^Sk ♦^ THE BLACK RAIN 1 »' Closer to her preserver buf ~:.i. mind, soiothered th^sc ream ,h '"1 f"'"" "' her, for she was aJarc th^t h • "'"'^ ^'°'"' f™-" upon hi, attention b"ng»Lnr„"''"*' i'"""'''^ that must ensue ^ ^ 8""" "» 'he battle «h]i'ri.^r ^,<,":,t "tr t;v° "- r- '"^ "-« only wounded, it m ght fe,"^"-' ^^i;' '! 'h-""" he cate flesh during fh, \.„7 } ■ ^"8' '" her deli. Byapowerful bfow :i,h''^X^ e°nd'of1,""' """'''■ beat the wolf dowr and ,L? ,, ^" ""=^P°" h» At the shot the bruteVel" Jh ''« "" *"^^"- pain. The bullet had evM.„M .u ' """ '■°"' ^' heard nothing more fZThU '" '"'"'• '"' "■<>' only the sound of he whTnlnJ frs\P"""", and .hem as they rode on ZrH '"^ """='P '""-"J Ster«,:'g"."'"' "^^ '•"™' "■-demoiselle," whispered « W chf^Ta'nfprserf to'"i °t '-•«<• ;hought She had faint^ed, ^^d L' wi-sVa^lat I door':rht^^^::,LX":^!•,«-^«rth^ Tante Josette, rushing o„th t """ '"^" " -nd into the hear hroom and ;or ''" ?""'>' '">•" him bright Indian blankets Th. '""'' 'P'"'"' *'"' he had taken care of ierl^ "' "'°""'"*' *hen the realization, even wWleThe T"' "' ''^^"' « him volubly, and LZv *° *■""«" tanked coherent woVsoftf^ilur ""'""'"''' =■ ''" "alf- Dame Cuillerier. " When . ^' ^^'^ Practical niarrowofhis bones as voa -""^'^ '\"^'"^^ ^° ^he Dones. as you must be, there is nothing ^h 82 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT nkeagood dinner, with a 'petit verre' to begin it The Pan. boy will conduct you to the sleeping oo^* rLr t'' u-^r^ >^°" ^'"^ fi"d ^ change of di^ ^f K "^; J '^""^ y"""" ^"^ "^y fi'-^tborn. Alexis, ar^ of about the same height." -^tcAis, are fl,r ' w ,'""^^^1 °^"sed to you, madame. for your tha might wart upon further drenching. I may " weU coohnue on to the town. Good-day, mesdame? good-day mademoiselle." And he wi gone ^1 fore Ang^hque could collect her wits to urfrhlm to This adventure momentous as it was to those o t^^r"™*"' "" •"" °»* "f ""^y incide?^ ? u el?'"^'/i°.'"- , Throughout the winter, " ll PIme de Suie" (Ram of Soot) was the favorite topic of fireside stories among the people of the strart ; «d to^ r° n" *'^ '^°''"' ** Writer, having c". letted a small quantity of this •• black rain " in a dish had wnt w,th the fluid a letter to the King of Fr^ce' W,at was the purport of the letter no one could exllr^S'i"'" *"'■ *' '"' °f ** English strove to explain the phenomenon by various theories. "The sS'd™ 0?^""'"*^^ */°*" ««P«of the sun," some sa.d. Others spoke of distant forest fires, and of the burnmg of grass upon the marshes; of the vaoor^ and^of gases possibly set free by the digging of n^' i^:Am THE BLACK RAIN g^ scornful '■ Ugh ! " '""°'"' ^nd the Indians by a a P^°r.S':f disaster T/f " "t I""' "^ ^"'^ " -« evil Jay h^4^TLt^'Tlf °' ■■"P'"'""« setUement. ' "^ "°"'e'i of the CHAPTER SEVENTH INDIANS AND FLINTLOCKS 'pHE Indians have a saying, " When the beaver v^r T?fi? f^' ^°"''' .'P""^ ^^' ^<^"^^-" In the year 763 the young " Aumick " must have gone a-woo,ng eariy, for by the first week in May^the forest about Fort Pontchartrain wore a tint of green the pra.ne where the long grass had been cut !n th^ autumn was hke a soft emerald carpet, dotted with violets and "bouton d'or;" the air w£ sweet wUh the odor of egantine and arbutus, that came fortfl ke the spirit of fragrance from the woods It was on one of the fairest of May mornings that Toussamt. who had been sent by Madame Cumerier upon an errand to the home of a neighbor, on Ws re urn brought a message for Ang^lique. The Dame St. Aubin has ordered her Pani rowers that .h '" T'' *^' ""^^ *° *^^ Ottawa Xge laid " .n';;'^.^"^: !?"" ^""'^°" °^ *^^ Indians,- he said, and she bade me say she would be glad of her S" "^ °^ "mademoiselle if the excursion is to halflf'lt'V''" ^f ^•'"f'^ *e girl, as. from the open half of the house-door, she looked out upon the clear tTevToo "-' ?^^-'\dancing in the su^nshlne i i ZX ^T \^Pr '^^' '^^ '°"& ^»»t^r was past. nl^^''\^" ^"'^-^^^^ Ange'lique had take^n her place m the strong elm-bark canoe with Madame INDIANS AND FLINTLOCKS 85 St. Aubin ; and anon, guided by the two dark-skinned boys, who were as much at home when strugXe agamst the current as if it were their nat„r=.r .u 5 the little skiff shot out upon the strait ^^ """""• cried *L "J^r? \r ""l' ^°" '""' '"' "«. d^-ne," X'ht strSCetbtttaf '■" '"''^• ^ with his great ^..r^^lt^'SZl Because of the mildness of the air she \,,A . donned her scarlet cloak with ite caoouch T wore upon her ntPfH, u^.j .u capouch, but thi h,d come to her "aftJ'rT^,."'' "?"'h>''dise from the St. Lawrence a„H ^ P""« ~"™>' his storehouse The r^'Z-KK'" "°" °" ^'= »' trasted wellTith Sl^Tue of't^e litV^H "'f ""' rgi^i'tttar '■r*^^-^^^^^^^ s: -^'he^^ r;;u^°gt°Xr°r:h''- ^'••'""' =■' face the kisses of^he l^^^^rlt^: l^^ x„ciir^^°:--'.^™fi?'»^^^^^ father has just got from Montreal " *" """"^ "^ thi^nd o7thtr:5iS;:nt;Thir ""dT i^^'-^ th« she might feel theTexture " r fo^Snger, to procure fome of thVC^o. beTo^ irS ^i.tj! 86 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT li ll'i !ho . T^u ^."^ ^'^ ^^'^ ^"^°"& ^^ g^ods other shawls/ The blue color is just suited to you. ma belle, but for myself I would choose one of a more sombre hue; a soft brown or gray would give ser- viceable wear." ^ " My father has them of all the tints of the rain- bow and the shadow colors as weU," was the reassur- ing answer. " Ma foi, but you are looking as sweet as a spray of eglantme this morning," continued the older woman m a low tone, so as not to be overheard by the servants. " I would that some of your cava- liers might ;iee yoir. Major Gladwin, who, in spite of his a^ue, had such an admiring eye for Campt^71" ' ''"* ^'^°"' *^^ ^^^ °' ^'P^^ ar'J^'f ^^^^ *=^P**»n'" interrupted the girl lighUy; I think he must be the most amiable of men. And he IS ever so courteous and gallant. But you mis- take ; Major Gladwin gives me not a thought, and Mr. Campbells heart is bestowed upon la jolie Ma- thunne at the red mill." ^ "Eh bien, there are Robishc Navarre and Jasmin de Joncaire ; though in truth, my dear. I once sup- posed we should see you marry th voung Scotch * wu Vr*"' S^"^'"&'" P""ued the ^cious dame. What have you done to him, chferie, that he still keeps aloof from you? His rescue of you on the awful day of the Black Rain should have put an end to the estrangement between you and so faithful a lover." "Phouff! a fig for your romancing, madame." exclaimed Ang^lique, suppressing a yawn. " Mon- sieur Sterling and I are on the best of terms. But If he prefers the society of Marianne de St. Ours, for INDIANS AND FLINTLOCKS 87 instance, and I incline to the company of Major La Mothe. each is better pleased, that is all." If the flush in her cheeks deepened, perchance it was because the breeze, balmy along the shore, was while the dame took to considering how she might best secure from the Ottawa squaws the choice pieces of venison. *^ "Entre Paris et Saint-Denis II s'^Ifeve une danse ; Toutes les dames de la villa Sont alentour qui daiuient. Sur la feuille ron-don don don, Sur la jolie, jclie feuille ronde," trolled the girl, with an air of careless gaiety. " II n'y a que la fill' du roi D'un c6t^ qui regarde. Eir voit venir son messager, Son messager de Nantes. " * Beau mesas^r, beau messager, Quell's nouvell's va k Nantes ? » • Les nouvell's que j'ai apportdes : Que votre amant vous mande, -- ♦♦ ' Que vous fassiez choix d'un amant, Pour lui a une amante.' • Est-elle alors plus belle que moi. Ah, est-elle plus savante ? ' " « Elle n'est pas plus belle que toi, Mais elle est plus savante ; EU' fait neigur, ell' fait grfiler, Ell' fait le vent qui vente. "♦EU'faitreluirelesoIeU A minuit dans sa cbambre ; 88 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Eir fait pousser Ic romarin Sur le bord de la Manche.' Sur la feuille ron-don don don, Sur la jolie, jolie feuUle ronde." » defend*' """^ '^" "'■ *'= """ "<""»" ^'" ^■■The pr.-tty coquette is heart whole," reflected Madame St. Aubin. Then she returned to her c^ eulabons as to how much of the deers' meat she *"^*«t Paris gay and St. Denis The dance was up one day, And aU the ladies of the town Looked on in brave array. Sur la feuille ron-don don don, Sur la joUe, jolie feuille ronde. " A? '*r ?* P."??"' P™"^ -*ho watched Afar the broad highway, To see her trusty messenger. Ride from where Nantes lay. "'9^"«^«n8er id messenger, What news from Nantes, pray?' •The only news I bring, ma belle,— Your lover bade me say, •"Choose you another gallar t now. He has a sweetheart rare.' ' Ah, is she wiser far than I, Or is her face more fair? ' " 'Her beauty is not like to yours But secret lore she knows; She makes the snow, she makes the hail, She makes the wind that blows. ** 'a^}" ^^^ ^^^ '"" *o sWne again At midnight in her bower ; And on the borders of the sea The rosemary to flower.' Sur la feuille, ron-don don don, &ur la joUe, jolie feuUIe ronde." J \} I INDIANS AND FLINTLOCKS 89 r«t»f H 1 "'■?'"■,'" ""■*"g« <■<" «•= homespun brought " ""'^' ''""' °' '«^''' »>■= h"d Nevertheless, despite her affected indifference An- &:r:r""°^=' K ^'"""^'^ induct si;^ce *at alone uL^^hT°°" •"''™ ""^ '■"""'' ^" ^""'"'"e alone upon the prairie, was as inexplicable to her a! t appeared to this kindly friend. Instead of profit Z.^ «■« °pportu„ity for a reconciliation wherewith fortune had then favored him, he had avoided her s«mer,h' "'' '"""^fo^^- Like a dream now seemed the moments when, with his protectins arm about her and her head pillowed upon his breS sh^ had prayed with all the ardor of her cure ^Ifn heart that God would keep him during lo'ng years ^ H^r' M k"^"*'' •"■■ '° 'hink of the adventure How cold he must be, forsooth, or did he regard h~ lect'ion "h "k°!; ''r"'"-"8 •» "" was the „col lection. He had taken Angelique Cuillerier in his arms,_Angaique Cuillerier who, with al Iher c" of holdmg her hand. And she had clung to him even <^ a g,ri who fears a cruel fate may Mrt W from her lover. Yet, notwithstanding, rt^ were agam upon no more cordial terms th;n those o7 pohte ceremony. ■• AUons, if he does not wish to hl^ .. . ^ "°' ''"" '° *"'' and chilled when LI fh r"' ' "^u" """^ '"'^^ "•" he seTme ^^sit "Cthf wt^A^'^"'"" ^""^ '- *^ -0 "X It was usually at this stage of her meditations that ^m^e ^allL;??" '° t^ "' '""^^ "' '" '-"'l- «P0" some gallant, if any chanced to be near. J 90 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Now the slave boy. who paddled the canoe ran ,. op on the beach of the «,„thern .hore oTthe "e Angehque sprang agilely out on the strand, Msi«ed' Madame St Aubin to alight, and the two ^ml„ a,cend,ng the steep bluff, passed throug" tr° e«e of th^well-budt palisade that surrounded^the Qti:^' " I am always filled with wonder and curiositv when find myself i„ one of the*; UduT,^^ ments, whispered the girl to her companion "How ingeniously constructed are these long lodeaZ spUlt^gV"' "" "™^" *' ■»"■« » a"'^/ "Chut," sniffed Madame St. Aubin. "Even this P«smg glimpse of the lodges suffices to shTw AaJ Zt'T^J"' l"J""" """'^= and I have heard of fh, H 'J'!"' "«"<"«> well tilled asthMe S.e hut^fThe'oM '"" '"'/r »■" '«' "' '""'"^ tne hut of the old squaw Okeemesemaw ; she who i. fte^ mofter of seven warriors. It i, with her IZst Obediently, AngSlique kept up with the H,™- y«W bright eyes took note^of ^.i^J^W^^^ At the entrance to one wiewam thr«. «, r trnM/haT"' ""T, *'~- O^hedt: tween his hands a roughly moulded bowl of red clav wherein were some six or eight small pebbles colored yellow on one side and black. on the othe? S he tossed up in the air with fierce JJ, La i. they fell back into the dish, all the mfn'be"'o«ri; ^?fr^*KKrr'"*"^*'' ■>'«•' <" the yeloHMe Tn J ."n". "r "'" '■^''" "PP""-"", and begarSk! ■ng all together m angry tones. They were pfa^ng INDIANS AND FLINTLOCKS „ "bowl." the Indian gambling game, and a di,pnte had arisen over the result of a throw. °"P»« Farther along, the white women saw the saoawi tretehmg upon frame, the hides of the dee? th" o^Auh'e fire°'k^"' """S'-'e ■•■'-od f^om'tt lorest. At the fires before some of the lodees women were cookJng chunks of venison, and thfodor o? burnt meats pervaded the vicinity In one arbor hut a number of girls were dancing wVhisrof ifo: " ''''""-" " "^'^ «' ^o"^' was the sp,r,t of unrest abroad in the villagl^xre the braves lounged upon their rush mats, o^ sXd about, arrayed in their blankets, with an Z^lf ru"|h :^the?ndia*%hta«r:o f^Z^L'^'Z nerself and her companion. She caught a Elimose wa-^ior to°Jfrr"" "!;° r' •^""S" <*« ""S wamor to wamor. As he spoke a word in the ear ofllT'rir °' "°"'"' '"« '^i"> that the ^ of each kindled; and although in no other way did he Z^dde^lS^'^K^P'"''"" "' ■"•» visage Zngl She shuddered with an unaccountable sense that he had rec«ved some ominous communication were AevnoT": !" "'! "-e party of dancers, - were they not busied as they were wont to be he. » «n?;r^ °"' °' '"'" '"■'» '»' 'he hunt <^upo" an «pedit,o„ against their enemies? What coJdTt Iod« ofV"" ""^'""' ^'^ '^-''in. she reached the lodge of Okeemesemaw. The old squaw was nowhere 9» THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT in sight, and the dame was ahmif ♦« ,«~ i. the opening into the hu? at "cU oTwtn AnT/ lique laid a hand upon her arm. ^"^^" cried^th.^'LirT )"'*'''"',*"^ "°t« what they are doing " cried the gir^ m an alarmed whisper. ^* 1>= grasped the barrel of a mu,Z; J! K °"\ '"';'' the leig* of about ,'ylri £'.'•"'"' """ "J"' '° a bear skin, was a„« h^ you„g""rar'.rr T" t..ea,edf r^^Ll/IlITels*''"' ""'^ '-O lod^fn sel^h'of tlif " 1""=- *"". "^-ehter enter the £.„anrl1:.rher1-^^^^^ St A^^:.:^^^^^^^^^^^^ Madame ^ghl I was talking to mvself" r»vni,:«oj r^i mesemaw " Vnn «r;cK * l ^ ' ®^Pla»ned Okee- I will sen* vn.. ^ *° ^""y ^^"'son of me? Yes skinned Tt^' ^°' ^"''''^">'- 0"^^ °ow have I ' • INDIANS AND FLINTLOCKS 93 While they were bartering for the flesh of the deer. the son of Pontiac, whom the white women had noticed in the cabin, stalked noiselessly around to where they stood His erect figure was almost enveloped n a gay blanket, but as he for a second flung open the lat cr in salutation, Ang€lique caught the gleam of steel, and knew it to be the shortened barrel of the gun. The next moment he thrust close to her face his own grinning visage, smeared with vermilion and ochre, and said in the halting patois half Canadian. half Indian, — "The White Song.Bird is Fre .h; she need have no fear. Her father loves thv .reat Chief Pontiac: and Panigwun loves the White Song-Bird." The girl pressed closer to Madame St. Aubin, and was only restrained from shrieking aloud by the '^ ri'i^f'i^r *^^' '° *^° *° ""'S^* '"»P"" their safety. Old Okeemesemaw promptly interposed, for she (rum) ^"''*'* ^^^ """^ drinking English milk "Has Pontiac a son or a daughter in Panigwun?" Wing-Fea^Jier nothing to do but to stir the silly fright of a young maiden, when there is the grand game of lacrosse at the fort of the English for which to prepare ? Ugh, he will never make a warrior I " Panigwun strode away in disdain, and the squaw insisted upon conducting her customers back to their boat, after the demoiselle had hastily bought of her a mocock of maple sugar. As they again passed the hut where the music had been, a girl came out and placed herself in their path. She was beautiful as a fawn of the forest, straight as an arrow, and of a fairer hue than her Indian com- m 94 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ptnions, although now her fitt-t^ ^m. a l j i. ••omping. Her eves w.~ k • u 'L""***** ^'^'n «»»« two long, shining braidl ^*' •^°"'***" '" " Catherine I" exclaimed Anjr^linn- »:»i. , recognizing i„ the charming apoaHtinn' P'*-*!'^' ance whom she had been wont to ™. "I •^*J»»*n'- " I am not Catherine here," she said •■ it i. .. Iwasbaptiiedat»h»mi-.:« "'""a""- It is true, so am .till NVdaw^i* A^Jf," V.""' ^.""8 ""' P"?'' I "Your peo^er *k„!,^w'5 °' M^katfpelicW." tHbe^^nte^nf;;^; ^:::^ '-!°sf - r I *e Indian shrugged her shouldera with fK- „ of some ancestral coure-r de bol, ."d * ,t ~'"' No, I do not go; I think of other thine," •nd pray for him: I would if?,?'', "ot'^^""' >P"J,V INDIANS AND FLINTLOCKS 95 wL?>*" '""*' ^^u^ ^'^ ^'^'^ '"*^" ^y th"«^ strange ine Indian. What has angered you? Well von tTi A* 5' u**"'. ***" " ''^ b« » ganie between o fi^ k'Tk" ""^ ^^"^ ""'■°"»' '» '^ "°t? Make haste to finish the moccasins, for the commandant wil pay you well for them. And — and — FafK-., p V- -^ m-plea.ed .h,t you do not ,o .^^,71^ h'Z:. rd,«J o„ you to lead .he choir of IndiaS girl, fn .h" Catherine laughed harshly, and, before Aneflion. :r.oTheTo':i "'"'"'' '• ••-^■•""-'•^■fe'r'r paddled swiftly out into the current. lio?.^ ! -^ «P"ng games." weaiJy responded J. Iique, strivmg to argue away her fears ened gun barrels." pursued the dame, with a degree of asperity. " I shall counsel my good man to cf ^ new. to the stockade of what we have seen Z 6^' a^eed ;if.""f ^^ *""'' ^^ ""* '° ^^j^'' Gladwin." agreed the girl, now grave again. "Those dark words that Catherine let drop v ere. I believe but the promptings of a childish jLousy The commit dant has bought bead trinkits of her. alS beca^ he' onr.:l^.' '^[ ^r '"^^'^ ^"^ ^Poi^- kindly Ther an?rdenraS/h ' '?'"'^'' ^°^ ^•'"' '* «^^"^^' -the not wS ^^T'^ll °'' ' P,^^'°"^'« hatred. I know •ee to It that the major is warned, dame ? " " I will surely see to it," was the decided reply. p 4 CHAPTER EIGHTH FOR THE MASTERV OF A SOUL QN the first of May, the Chief Pontiac had ao «»"ouc cne town. When the ceremony was over fh«« all returned quietly to their village. ' ^^^ It was to a continuance of these festivities that fh^ vtrofTh:"v/^°°'^' '°^^^^^ ^' the tSe oVt' visit of the white women to their squaws. Notwithstanding Dame St. Aubin's assurance th.f a messenger should be sent to the fort w.^i J r what she and Mademoiselle Cuilerierharse^^^^^^^^ came in her way with nervous energy. ^ FOR THE MAS PER Y OF A SOUL . - 97 b^!:%^r^ :t:ry '° i"' "«'^ "««" that Carer on the road above "^ """"^ "'J- She wanted to be alone to <,^ -.„ she had already recal ed a?.„^ r ■ °"" "«"■»• « cidents of the vi"t to thrnf. °^ '"""• '" *e in- ponder again the allul* „? Zn'f''^"'''''' '° strive to determine whethe, thert w^s't'th' ^'^ '"" Ffr"'°'V,'''V="^ feminine malke *"" ''"^■ "VS: e4 1 *etirsr;^„7:'i^,^^^^^^ ^^ ^e mood to pick UD a flat n.kM ^ of from her serious the surface of the wa ef^Sd ' ''?1". '""PP'-g ^'°"g depths, wishing she mrrtf?K T"* I' ''""^ '"to thl Again, she cas^t ntlThf cut"nt s7 "f. •■""«'™e'- brushwood, whereat h! m ? t"" **'» <"• "t of after it. with a sp'^Vets" lat^M"^^" ^'""^"^ P«sed by .„ yLn;~^^ t cX" "^ ""' ' PafanVsTreSc-a :S'l?.- ^ " *' ^'^ °f minutes lIZtL ?^°' '"'" ""e river, and a few the btix^s nrLTof' the"? ,f "^ "p - sands. "-^^ °*^ '"« stroller on the had^"S":S'n^!;^ 7°"tft^ « her thoughts Ojibwa maiden ' ^ ''"^" ""^ ^tood tte A growl from the dos save nr^r i. her visitor was no emh„H^ /T ' '"'"ever, that " Catherine! "she Tried rr ' ""'"'=" ™^«^- thatycu come byThe creek HadT'"'' " """^ " " all, I should have looked 1 expected you at ming across the strai? fro™ ?>,'''^ ^°'" P'™g"« ^™- j ;Mycanoeisrib°d :h?Lts.'^„r/' • I fly; .t swims the Rigolet des^ ^utrampTa?: p^ 98 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT rivulet, and this clear stream, as well as Le Detroit It and I are free as the air and the swift-flowing waters," answered the girl, with her scornful smile We are lovers, my canoe and I. On the prairie, my feet are his feet; over the waters, he carries me in his arms." " Oh, it matters not at all to me from what direc- tion you come," replied Ang^lique. "But if 'tis I whom you are come to see, what is your errand?" "No, it matters not, unless mayhap I come from the direction of the fort," continued Catherine mock- ingly. "Yet, be not so brief, mademoiselle: there is much I might tell you." "In God's name, what do you mean?" exclaimed Angehque, exasperated. " If by speaking you can save another, or others, from harm, speak, I implore you I She laid a hand on the arm of the savage in earnest entreaty. * #*^ A wave of em^on swept over the usually im- mobile face of the Ojibwa; two natures seemed to struggle for the mastery of her fierce soul, the one noble and the other evil. At one moment she ap- peared to soften almost to tenderness; as though moved to some heroic action, she darted toward her canoe, evidently intending to depart in haste. But alas, she turned back. Coming close to Ang^lique,' who had followed her every motion, first in wonder- ment, again with quick sympathy, and now with horror, she peered into the beautiful face of the French girl, laughed gutterally as she had done earlier m the day, and cried, "Bah, I will not do it. Gitchie Manitou, let him die with the rest." Ang€lique caught her by the wrists. "You shall tell me what you mean," she said, "or I will cry out for my father. I will keep you here > ■■"■.; i^ '^^^fi^'' m M^^mm--m^^^fwmsm^^ FOR THE MASTERY OF A SOUL „ "itil he sends me aid. I mav not h. y°" are, but Tronveur willhei ml '^ """S as At the mention of the ^aol fh^ • i , that discordant bitter TauXwhereS'A^'"^^!^'^ ^^^'^ veiled that her voice had ev^^r K * ^"g^lique mar- "If you would havetrtldinrr"'''^^^^ '^'''' returned the Indian. IhaSL^ffS' ^Z^' '^"'" 'hen," white antagonist, as tSul fh ' ^'"^ ^""^^ °f her touchofa',e;oodpteon '^^^'^^^^^ as the that you, a French girf dare no. ^ ^1^ ^'^^ ^"°"^ finger to give warning to those .^ """.'^ "^ '"^•^^ ^ tection of the Great SoUh.! 1^^°'" '^e pro- you attempt to warn tC' LS-p''^' '°^ '^ pluck out your heart and e'at it" °"''^" ^'" Ange'lique felt the blood i„ her v.' and A tremor ran through i r ?'"^ ^'■°^ ^^Id, f^^ But she be Xed to ; ^^^l^"' ^'^^^^'"^ chevaliers to New France L '^'^ '^"' ^ad given by the threats of th,ssava' Th"""' "°' '" ^e cowed "mother, Madame Trot^r^de Z"'J'"'''^r^''Srand- Picot^ de Bellestre, Sa^ed in if ''"' ^'^ ^er uncle, unflinchingly.- ' ^^ '" ^er eyes as she said "Tell me." hisle? N^d\trJ,^7n a"''" '"^'^ ^'"^ -^ People." white warrior? es't die IITZ' *^P^^- "The guns gather rust, the roods'" the stockade; their bards. They th nk bv Z t ^'T ^'"^ ^'^ '^e scab- to make slaves of L'^edr^^^^^ ""^t ^"' P^^^^erings the King of the forest s awaT; m '^ "''" ^'^^^P' ^ut the sun risen and set since P ^^^ ""any times has down at the little river Ecors^fK^' ' ^°""-'^ eyes of the red-coated does whnT ' f' ""^^" 'he niats. Not for a necklace o7fh T^ ^'^^^^ «" 'h^'' necklace of the finest beads of the I( 100 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT French would I have missed the scene. There were warriors, women, children, and young maidens shin- ing with bears' oil and ruddy with vermilion, like to Red Swan the bride of Singing Sands; handsomer than was ever milk-faced woman. Stealing from bush to bush on the newly green prairie, I saw the council; many chiefs seated in a wide circle upon the grass. The face of each was changeless, as though pictured on the cliffs near the Father of Waters,^ or carved from the heart of a forest tree. But I who am of their blood, — I know what fires burned beneath those visages of stone. Pipes were lighted and passed from one to another. Then I saw the Great Chief Pontiac rise from his place ; one might have thought the war-god himself stood before the nations. He spoke in a loud voice that stirred my soul, and at every pause there broke from the warriors deep mut- terings of assent, like the bay of the wolves in the wilderness." "And what did he say?" interrogated Ang^lique, catching her breath, lest a sob of anxiety should escape her. " I heard no word," answered Nedawniss, abruptly breaking off her recital. " You know why the council was called," persisted the French girl. This much I know," pursued Nedawniss evasively. " I would not give a wampum shell for the lives of the red-clad dogs at the stockade. There is one among them whom I would save if he loved me. But my heart has lain at his feet, and he has trodden upon it. Another white brave has found the breath of an Indian maiden sweet, her heart warm. My father is an Ottawa chief, my mother's father was a Frenchman, * Lake Superior. I \rm-rsm'' FOR THE MASTERY OF A SOUL .o, skin the beaver the a,Z ^f'J^J"^ "n more deftly stretch them more nea.iV " „I %r"'^' *»" '• »' should not .hi, veHowSed ^r "" '^'"""- ^hy the alur of Ste. Ann"s oTfh, '"°' "«■ "«= ''^''<'« said Captain Campbel Zml ""°^ ""P'^'- « " " Whom the French tu\rl,re''MUti„^?^ ^""" Despite her terror a««^i- ***'-""nnei' pity "Ti;: tXu^o^Z'"'"''' ^^^ -^« half in La jolie Mathurife Ts nJZ "'^'7- ^"^'"" "^^'^ens. has been reared by Dame C^aba'/'"r I' ' ^"'^ ^he La Belle Fontainef andTou ^re 1' » °^ '^^ -^ mill at addeJ forTe"^' '"^ ^^^-"- Passionately sla^y^'nornoa'^T..^^^^^^^^^^ «toop to be his Great Chief. But if he wo^H f ' '°""*='"°^ °^ '^^ fain be loved -ah then T wo t^°^^ "^ ^^ ^ ^0"W baqueti kiss. Yes llLaf ?^' '^ ^'^ ^ ^•^«<'- has never even dreamed t '"'^.'^'"'""^ ^s he my breast and soothe him S^' ^'"°" ''^ ^^^^ -" caresses and sings to herTh.'M !^^'' ^ ^ "^^^e** pigeon, cooes to^he^maJe^" '^^' "' ^"''™^' *^ ^°°d The voice of the daughter nf fU- r musical cadence as Anal- r ^^ ^°'"^^' ^^^^ on a But all at once the sofSTi'''^^ '" ^^^^ement. of the Indian gwtrhlf light. ^ ' ^""^ '^^>' hurned with a fierce vehem ancestor, No, he does not love me," she lence inherited perhaps fro '^•" "He loves you — you, » Sireet. exclaimed ^ her pale- Mademoiselle with a faced Cuil- i^B^k:r ||_.; 102 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Major GUdwm you speak," continued Ang^linue in the pato.s ,vitl. wl,icl, tl»y were both so famSur But your words are strange indeed to rae. You say forth ^^°L ""i"'""' '""'' >"' y" »"• not s°reeh 1 French', "m '° *"" " ^'''^- " '^ »<" «"■ *at En^lfr ^!^ '°''^'; "°' y'* I <>'"■< •>«="•<) does an lovel herlnTt ""^ "°" ''" heart, whether he loves ner m return or not. "She may do it; but not if /«> heart is eiven to another woman," said the Ojibwa vindicHvil/ "The pale-faced maiden may be gentleness itseTyet her over had best beware the jealous anger of the do" I shall be revenged. I have told yL °„ part thS your soul may be plunged in anguL; you?; to know enough to help him, even if you shou°d risk ?he thi^''^%^""^ *^'' *^""* ^* *^^ Shrinking demoiselle bark ^ '"''^' ^°""^"^ ^°^^^'^ ^'* an angiy picltd .^.n"^'""!, ^aI ,'P;^"^ ^'^^^^y ^•^^' however, tn^ ?M ' 'P^.!.^'"& across the little beach with in mcredible swiftness, leaped into the cani .nH wjth^a stroke of the padSle drove Itl^Tfr^rnt. wate?s°ed^?^ ! "oh"^ ^""^uT' ^"""'"^ ^<'-" ^o the water s edge. Oh, come back ! I do mt wanf ft,^ heart of Major Gladwin ; he says not a wo^d To me of love. Go and tell him what you know T'the ^^Tde- * ' FOR THE MASTERY OF A SOUL ,03 signs of these warriors. Thus you will win his grati- Li K ^"^%^""' ^"d I will pray that one da/you may be loved, even as the fairest and purest of white women wish to be loved ! " «i 01 wnite Like the call of •« Kawyawshe," the soft-plumaged gull, her voice rang out over the water; but Nedaw- n.ss, the daughter of Makatepelicite. looked back with L'!!^i'r.T '' '"r^^'"^ mockingly, shook her head, IrLl^f fu^^^'hT""^ Ange'lique to wonder dis- tractedly ,f she would heed this last appeal, or whether she was stonily resolved to keep locke'd'within Lr own hZ: Z it '''' '"'^'^ "^^^" '^ '"-^ *° '^^ E"^- me" In^T ^^•"' ^"' ^^*^'""" only wanted to frighten selleTo herTel/; " ""*^' '' ^"'" ^^'^ '^^ "'^^ ^-- As she started to return to the house, a snow white pigeon from the wood winged past her, so near that she could almost have caught it in her hand. Angl u^in ^""^ Tt' '^' ^'^" °^ '^' ^ross upon her breast; she shared the Canadian superstition that a fr iendT'" V^"' u 'l^' ^' '^' ^°"^ °f ^^'"^ departed friend for whom she had forgotten to pray. ^ ^"""g the evening she could not shake off the spell that the Indian's visit seemed to have cast upon her ; and when she retired to her own little nook under ^.le eaves, ,t was to dream of the Chase-Galore -that phanton. barque which to the French-CanTdian t dearto'hT't'"^ ^^'t^'""^ ^^ ^'"^-'f - '^osc dear to him. Scarcely had it vanished than, in her troubled sleep she saw black, rough-coated Igs coursing as if in the scent of game upon the wa^frs of the strait,, and running up the cdte to evade them! she found that the clear stream of Parant's CreS flowed red with blood, ^ 104 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT From this uneasy slumber Angdliquc awoke rouwd by some subtk ,ub-c„„scious„efs rather thanby any fhe "^M Tt "'u"S''- *"" » Preliminary grumU^ the old clocl^ ,n the hearthroom presently spokran nouncng the time to be two hour? past m'^dnTght The oft was dark, but in the angle opposite to her Tante Josette was sleeping the slelp of The just A few moments elapsed, then it seemed to the gir Uh^ oom'bet'ilt^r "' "' ^"'''"«' conversation „ the room beneath. Yes, a strange man was talking to her A visitor at this hour? What could it mean ? ITn o ""T " m"P''" ""^ '•"''^ "' Lc De tr^had b«n so simple. Now some hidden seheme might lurk under the most commonplace incident oTfhe day fcrence held .n the heart of the night I The Chase- GalSre the hunting dogs I Was this straLer the en,bod,ment of still another warning of calamly tje sohtajy spectral huntsman with gaunt, browed face somehmes seen in the sky after funse^ rifleYn hand W >^^"' ^^ ^ P"'' °f "o'fi^h hounds ? At this •..n,e ,t behooved every one to know what was going oa Noiselessly Ang^ique rose. Like a shade of^the n ght m her dark woollen robe, her soft curls falling in cmaf„"ar" ^f """e"- ^Xe raised the deeS n curtam and entered the outer apartment of the loft Here ,wo of the younger children lay in a sound sleep Passmg them, she crept to the opening from wh.ch the stair led to the first story of the build ng The a>r was cool, and, as she expected, the remnaS of a small fire, kindled to prepare'.he belated suppe anoth' T /' """ '""''=• ^^^ *>«" "ked out and another brand cast upon the embers, but for the pur pose of givmg hght rather than heat, the blaze being ^^■=,-%«i^rv**fj FOR THE MASTERY OF A SOUL .05 nril/ror ""'""*"""'>'«•"««•« hanging, her ey„ caused her .0 shrinkiack „uX and T by a rare presence of mind did she refrah; f "'^ exclamation of amazement '°'" '" heat m° "^ l^^^'^'J-] "-« «"«- °f the that usually stood^'tsld fth^tarth""' T""'" S ^^nc^-sjsvtd ^:i^-^^^^r-:^ his wontfdTHirt^h'norr^e'cll-ror'™ miJr"'' °^ of azure color ho,„:i *s'="»s wore a military coat from theTer;hould^r ZTsT'l! "'* «°""'« h"- d ugrraltnte*!* """" °'*'« -"' ^^ "'^ ing belongtfVlCsle rr'^eUet^'l^e" '/- inclined ?„'te^'.' WastotlhT"' '"' "" ""^ evidence that his mind h^H *",!»«q""ading an fading away o(i:'llit1,f%Z%:iT^''' °^" *' had sometimes feared w"uld''b:"therer"" " "'' pas^ntm MmT t^ht ^^TXha'^r ^-"i -°" expected, yet of whose^resele S.^ . : 'J'"'^' the household were imor^nt %, * '«""""« Mv- -ould have biin St wt^'l''''^" *«««.. he this covert council? Why did hi r"^!''- ^"' *'•/ b'«rre and pompous slat^;. =?", '^,"'" »ff«t th,^^ muscular form of the indL i^!"' '«>''«' again; ,he cloth *a, finer in ts phyS o^rf" f- '""''= "' "«°n the .plendid bronzes in K^'L P,"'^''"'" ^^n any of Versailles. AngZ'e „« if °"" "reat palace of by its strength. Afif^r' ''°"'""' ""P«ssed only dark features were in ^ih"''' *"' ''"<' «° that h s the fire, she '^"'ut^ZTnT"^''' ''^""^ was thrust a single eagle's fcltherl'"'' ^"- *''««« "■as intelligent and ' bo d the n^^'. "" T-P""'*' f'" eyes remarkably keen and pLS "'"''"'=• *»" *« «altrKr:erLr'^-«'-'^"tPo. Wilderness and AnS CuH *"" *' ^'"5 °f the ' Wit'h L""'" --"^P-anr """' "- «'- was speaking. "* intently, for the chief and '^/:T.:^::,'v:^iTr "' -^ f«-. ers of the redmen " h,7,-^ •"'* ""'^ a« the broth- * she had convened tltrteL^.r " l" ^^^^ of the beaver, the FrenchmanT, J^°' *<> »Wns eun that speaks with fire and S"!.*"' "" ''"*er a food for the gun H^"' 1.^°'^''" and bullets as Once the refman "ult'Z d™ w",? ""' "''-''«" «"th jasper, and knew no meat cl^;? ""*' '""''='' other than that he found in th, f ^"^x °' ""P°ns 3o, and these new people give ul V^ ^"^ " '' ""t fenngs, and deathstare us Ith, r°*'"°«' ""»'• '"f" ' "s '" the face. When J and sea: i FOR THE MASTERY OF a SOUL .07 my warriors paid visits to the posts of th^ v u were treated with resoect I «? 1 ^'*'"*=''' ^^^ but fallen aslcfp, and This ,U |nH,",S . '^"'I" *"" fort, and the lands oh", red alH f m *!,''" '''' not wake him? Tell Z BlLcZ, ''^° >'°'' r. h™ he„ the pucrof'^t ?arha:r°j2 As he spoke these last words in a fnn- «r pre,.d pa„l„n, Pontlae turned t 'IVZ^^I.^ ions of tik« . , ^^' conceit that they made himobhv- ;?£:.ed^^^^^^^^^^ The Ktng of France is so rich he cares n^t if he loses many forts while he sleenQ " »,« . it IS well, returnc ' Pontiac sullenlv " Yef T ^« no care to await the pleasure of the French k1 1 W.11 begin the work, and when he sends hU^- canoes to the strait and to the Lake. h(= i^- ^^' finish it I am h^.^ f l-akes, his soldiers can fhlr^'u T ^^"^ ''^ "'^ny tribes. The Ottawa, the Ojibwas. the Pottawattomies, obey my will S delay only until the time I have namedT ^ ^'r-Mrr-s»{fjmu sf^^^r* •I..,,, io8 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " And you have held a council, I hear," said Cuil- lener. w.th a gracious .od of the head, ;hicTnWght have been becoming in a prince, but was somS ludicrous from a man perched thus upon the tTb^ H,s ostentation might have impressed other of his forest friends, but Ang^lique's quick eyes read be neath the imperturbability'of the'creat^h ef at^^^^^^ she fe t h! ' t"L' P^^^^-'°-' -nd in the darkness she felt her cheeks grow hot with mortification that savaie '^°"'^ '^"' '°"^^ ^^"^^^^f before die "Tie Blue Coat has said it," replied Pontiac " I spoke to many warriors at the Ecorse. The moon now shows but little of her face; when she shows al" her face the English will have vanished from th's rhea^rd it^?;^'- But. what is that? Once before 1 heard ,t! Twas like a bird stirring in its nest or:,X^;:'''''' ''''^'" -^^^ ^^^ ^'^^f, breaking leaves fn';het'^*t ^''"'' l^' '^'^^'''' ^"^«e of leaves in the forest, had caught the sound of some slight motion of Ang^lique's. " One of the pappooses in the loft has no doubt grown uneasy in his sleep," answered Cuillerier wiUi a shrug of the shoulders. ' Pont^ac"^ ^"' pappooses are there?" demanded "None but pappooses." responded Antoine- and JoLte '"' ^"^ ^' ^"^ ^°'S°"^" Tante The Great Chief eyed him for a moment with nothing to lose by the splendid conspiracy planned by the masterly brain of the Indian ; and Anto"ne FOR THE MASTERY OF A SOUL 109 Cuillerier professed to hate the English as bitterly as did Pontiac himself. It dH not seem possible, there- fore, even to the wily -iv^agc, tliat, under the roof of the man who assumed be the rev./esentative of the French power at the s rat, tliere ,ight be listening one who would wish to iliwait his bold design to banish the intruders from the region which his fathers and the nation of the fleur-de-lis had for so long gov- erned together in peace. At his inquiry, Ang^Iique lay motionless upon the floor above, scarcely daring to breathe, and expecting discovery at every moment; discovery that would mean, as well, the loss of all opportunity to warn those agamst whom the Ottawa was maturing his plot with such remarkable sagacity, opposed only by a lukewarm expression of deprecation now and then on the part of her father. "Angel of the night, shield and hide me beneath thy protecting wings," she ejaculated mentally. But Antoine had met the glance of the visitor so frank y that the latter's momentary suspicion was dispelled. In a species of exultation, as though he verily believed himself chosen by the Gitchie Mani- tou for a sublime task, and rendered rash by his indomitable pride and a generous draught of eau-de- vie which Antoine had hospitably pressed upon him, he went on, revealing to his friend the French trader more of his scheme than his customary caution would have permitted him to do. In the gray of the early morning he left the house as silently as he had entered it. Antoine Cuil- lerier had long since descended from his chair of state to join his guest in a potation. Now, at the departure of the chief, being in a heavy stupor, he sank upon the settle. When his regular breath- "o THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT »ng, punctuated at intervflU k, gaique ventured to seT^^u f """"'' '"'■"' An- bones and a chill of terr^rA I"' *'"'' "'"' "Wng back to her alcove at 7h?l„r^"^' "'''<'= '•""V sleep, however, but to remafa ,h "'' '"''• N°' '° praying, „„«,', he XTof ,t V''"l.'''!"e ''"'' astir. "^ °' the household were ^^m^^mrmm^'f^B^uz'w CHAPTER NINTH IN THE MISSION ORCHARD A^ Fafhl^p" "''"'xi '*?"'" ^'^'""" b^^°^ the fort. six feet in height, and l^lcllTnr.Tl:'^^^^^^^^ a Jesuit s gown of rusty black, was strong as irin He Lta'th ht Ir/T^,^ '''''' ''' gra/hair showed beneath his black skull-cap; a thin fringe of beard outlined rather than concealed his chin; and h's gat trtVori' ^T':r ^° P-etratiigTn the gaze that both French and Indians often felt that he read their motives and actions as though their hearts were a printed page before him ^ of The 6tf nf^lr'' ' t'^'^f 'P°' °" *^'« afternoon of the 6th of May, 1763. Seen from afar, it resem- CrL" ^?"1 :f' ^^^^^"'' N^*"-'« offer ing^othe Creator, laid before the door of the mission chapel even as the children of the forest were wont to s^eV ittif ''^^^^^ ^' ^ "-- ^^-' th: Whirls resolved itself into a score of apple and pear trees offshoots of orchards in old France, planted here some thirty-five years before, when the mis^on wl! founded by the beloved Father de la Richa d'e As Monsieur Potier paused occasionally to con- template now one carefully nurtured tree Tnd agafn Tue ThTfi T"''l' ^" ''''''' '^^' - beautiful boT ?u.u J ^/'^' P^'-'^^Ps. white as the snowflakes that had so often rested upon its branches durrngThe 112 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT long winter ; the last pink-tinted, like the modest flush ,„ the cheeks of the little French maidens when they came across the strait to kneel beside the Indian girls ,„ the chapel, and, awaiting their turn with the latter to kneel at the feet of the missionary, and con! fess their simple faults. For he was thought to be more forbearing with his penitents than was the zealous cur^ of Ste. Anne's. Among the blossom-laden boughs the birds chirped and sang, busied with their wooing or nest-buildfng f~"'Th' "'' ^"-Pj-^^-S. the very air wfs iragrant. The grass under the trees was soft and green and dotted with violets. White and yelW would ralf'1? *'^ ^°""^ F--h -a "e- would have called them the souls of little children would h"' K° ""''' •" *'^ ^P""^ --l^^ne! bu they would ha. e been gravely chided for the pretty super^ stition by the good father. The bees. too. sa^g the r spring song, as they flew about thdr v^ork Was honey ever sweeter than the honey garnered from the blossoms of this orchard, and store^d in he hlve^ beyond the mission house? The quiet spot was indeed a peaceful retreat T„«f eZl ''f^H"^°' '''' •^^"^^ '^'' extends along^the edge of the stream sinks to the water's margin and ends m a crescent bay. with beautifully sanded ho^es If M 1 1^ ^'"^"'■'''^ ^^^ «»ed the place PoTnte de Montreal; and as the latter's successor walked to and fro. repeating the psalms from the brrvTart he commanded an extensive view of the river. boTi in owarH^'l. T f '^'}'^^' °^ '^' Eries, and upward the^fiL^of T" '^''^''' waters.-yonder. blue as the Bay of Biscay across which he had looked for .■^U^yV ?^cy ^^ffr^w^ytiff|n^ fT ^i^.^^wE^^BW|F J* IN THE MISSION ORCHARD ,,3 the last time upon the land of France, and in the distance a gleaming flood of gold and sJlver So tranquil was the afternoon, so folitary the Environ *Xd°™r '? ,""= ""'• '""S'' ""<• plain, but well buUded as forest logs and honest toil could maJit that ,t m.ght be for many years the headquarters of any Jesuit missionaries who roamerf th. , m south of Michiiimac.i„ac.''°B::;:,rtL'^ir rod the Huron chapel, also constructed of squared nine ^mbers upon solid stone foundations. Near by were a forge and a storehouse, the place being a fur! trading centre Here the Indians could sdl their pelts, and obtaip supplies by just barter, without fea vL or" w'h''"' °' *"^ '"'' ''y " '^^^'"" of «"-de- they dealt^wfthZ' "V '° "''"^ "'^ '^ "hen mey aealt with the ordinary traders. On this bright May afternoon, all the building often to the personal exertions of Father Potier To tt'atnf'herrr t^'^.^ "-«' '"-^^"-'^^ ine care of their souls, but the friend who tauoht them, as far as they were capable of lerninlrt. agricultural arts of civilizatioS. The m'sZ farm was intended to be to them a model, as we 1 as J ,av up a store of food for them in time of famine LcT fertile as was the region, the frequent warraming ti,^' hrnge-r^nSr """'''" '"^ "^^^^^ It was the hour of the " sie«!f^ " r^,- ^a pose which the French.Can:dia:'ob:e^rwirhex: treme conscientiousness. The accustomed sound of O "4 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Itnii??""!!^ ""S'"& "P^n the anvil of the forge was stilled for the time being. L'Esodrance th^I- ^ about many tasks since early morning. Even the eves of Father Pofer gre«r a trifle heavy, but his alert nef vous temperament scorned the .. siite/'andtht hoi; he was wont to keep free for a walk in the o cLd 'Great are the works of the Lord; exquisite and tfIT u "^."' "" "^"'g-'^" '-"d he prie from n.s book. Then fc, looked up, meditatingon T Tce^A^r'"'',!-"* "=^ ^" forcibly exempHfifdh^ the a smaU °dark""v'^ "'^ ^"^ '"'=" "'»» '"erijer! a smaU dark object on its surface recalled him from h,s P.OUS abstraction. It was a little canoe, and thAf/ .T"'" °f oh^n'ation sufficed to ;how the mtfo;"""" """""2 '"' *' "'-'h ■■» fro"* of concealii TTt/ u"^ '^'"'^' *' "=="««'■« ^^^ "ow «ncealmg the hght sk.fT among the high reeds of the Who was the visitor? A messenger from the town, a hab,tai.t or Huron come to buy anTxe or some farm implement at the forge? So'^ tardy wL Tn,.lT^" '." "PP'^-'S *at^ Monsieur Poti^ .tr:&f',:^Tjr - '"-''"• -' — -^ - green trees a young girl, whom he presently reco^ CuiUerieV"' ''"^'"" "' "■' -" 'rader.^S IN THE MISSION ORCHARD ,,5 "Little Ang^Hque!" he exclaimed paternally when, anon, she came up to him and bent her head for his b lessmg, " was it your canoe I saw on the river awhile ago?" " Yes, my father," she answered demurely It was not necessary to explain that, fearing le.t water-soaked moccasins might attract attention ^o holt !, u ''?' Y' ^'' ^""^'"S' '^^'^ ^ff shoes and ho e and, having beached her boat, had stopped to put them on again. ^^ nnnn^"* ""'A ^u""^ """^ '''^•" '" ^^^ ^^^P^^ t^''^ after- to Z n ' "^^^•^"^ry' " and you should not come to the southern shore unaccompanied " " That I know, Father Pierre," she stammered in a low voice ; " still, I had to come." "Tut, tut," continued the holy man, with a shade o impatience, thinki .g she had brougit to him some girlish matter of conscience. " Say your oravenT try to do your duty, and wor^. not U^Lrrt with' foolish scruples. Remember. God is not a stepfather and come to confession on the regular day - P'^'^^'' As he concluded, looking fixedly at her for the first time he noted with surprise that her round face usually glowing with color, was quite pale; ur eyes' so quick to light up with merriment, were g aveTnd quiet; and her red lips, ever so near to smiHng wore a determined expression that betokened the presence of a stronger character behind the charming youthful sTpoTsL?^" ""' ''' '^' '^- ^^^- '^-n thai "Angelique, my daughter, what has happened?" he mqu.red. with his habitual kindliness, hifconcern being at once aroused at the trouble he aw mTrmre™ m hor earnest ga«. " Go into the chapel, and before the altar you shall tell me if you wish " '^im^^: ■T^m?r-w^^*c'sai ii6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT •• No, no," cried the girl, " even the walls of the church might have ears. I will tell you here under God's own sky; here, where the river and the land can be seen on every side. Take your place on the bench under this apple tree, my father, and I will kneel by your side and whisper it to you. I have not come to tell my own sins to-day, yet what I have to say should surely be ^poken on bended knees." " Child, you cannot confess another's guilt. But if there is some wrong that in charity or justice I can right, tell me where we stand. If you need the counsel of the missionary, speak without fear." " My father," began Ang^lique, " from before the light of day until an hour since, I have been praying and considering, seekjng to know how I had best act, and at last I decided to ask advice from you. On the one hand. I am a French giri with all my heart, and I would not for the wealth in the King's grand palace of Versailles do anything that would put off, so much as by a day, the restoration of the power of New France. Would you not like to see the white banner of the fleur-de-lis floating again above the fort across the river. Father Pierre?" "Ay, that I would, if God so willed," answered the priest, his eyes kindling with enthusiasm as his thoughts went back to his native land beyond the seas, and dwelt upon the glories won by her armies in the days of the Sun King. '* ^Vlany times have I petitioned that Providence would give back to Canada, the youngest daughter of the Church, the possessions she has lost." " Yes," sighed Angelique, casting down her eyes and clasping her palms together dejectedly. " Yet my soul revolts against the means by which, it is said, this ascendency of my country may be brough* fti-fwrrr «j IN THE MISSION ORCHARD ,,7 about. To a woman all wars are cruel ! How can she judge of plans that, coming to her ears, seem bar- barous, yet may be a paying back to our conquerors of what they have done to us? " " My child." replied Monsieur Potier, "you speak in enigmas We are no longer at war with the Eng- hsh; only the Kmg can fim^ down the gage anew by Montreal. Th.s. however, I have good reason to believe he has no intention of doing. His northern provinces of America must, therefore, adhere to the terms of the capitulation. Ah, little Ang^lique, our people love the fleur-de-lis, they love their cour^try but more than the flag, more even than their freedom they love their own faith and honor and the faith a^d honor of New France." "Yes that is it -the faith and honor of New France, repeated the girl, as if his words made c\Z her own confused thought. "The fair fame of my country which must remain as unsullied as the hearts of her daughters. Listen, then, my father " q. A *v f l^"*-"?dly told of what she and Madame .f^ZTu /i-f ^" '" *^^ "^"^^^ ^'"^g^' Father Potier started, but did not interrupt the story. " The dame told many of our neighbors," concluded Angehque, " and M^loche. the blacksmih, said thai of late Indians had visited his forge and tried to bor- row files^ yet would not say for what they wanted to tl f^^r f ''"'" ^"^ ^°--- Guyon w ;1 to the fort and repeated the tale to Major Gladwin but he only laughed at them. He is so brave that he makes light of every danger." The priest shot a keen glance at the youthful face beside him ; but the girl returned his look of shrewd inquiry with one of perfect simplicity and candor ^^ttK,- ''■■■ jg>aT»fi iiuiii iiin afWimtvm'Mr^ T^aHBffiiF'hHiw^^r frww?.^-'^' -^ivast^fSh' ': ;^v~]Rv>aaur'v iib'^^^'M''' ■■ _^ -m J . _.idii ■ #" n =; ^^^HBi ■^■^ ^^hI' ii8 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT "It is well fc a soldier to have unflinching courage, but foolhardiness is a fault," he said grimly. " I must look into this matter. Is it possible the files could have been bought at thr» mission forge ? If so, C6- cille, our smith and cutler has been most remiss in not having informed me of the transaction." He turned about, and started for the forge. •' But that is not all, Father Pierre," cried Ang^- hque, stretching out a hand to detain him. Immediately arresting his steps, he asked with gentleness, — "What more, child? Make haste; this matter must be sifted without delay." "It is only the beginning," gasped the little demoi- selle, faltenng for a hioment in her excitement, but presently recovering her former quick intensity, as she went on to describe Antoino Cuillerier's midnight visitor, and what she had heard iu the hearthroom " I heard the Great Chief say," added Ang^lique. pausing only to take breath, '• that in the Moon of the Maize, while he fasted and prayed to his manitou beside the bones of the Ottawa prophet on the Isle au Feche, in a vision he saw marked out for him a wonderful and awful plan. Before the snows came he sent runners through the forest, and his messenger canoes upon the waters, to the north, far beyond the Sleeping Bear^ and the Straits of Michilimackinac: to the borders of the river Ottawa, and south alone the river of Le Fire Marquette. The time was set for the Moon of Flowers, - this moon, Father Pierre. The tribes are to rise together; each is to destroy the English garrison in its neighborhood, and then, like a whirlwind sweeping over the prairie, all arc to turn against the settlements of the frontier." » Sleeping Bear - a point of land on Lake Michigan. f^m&'i •wiMimv^K'^: IN THE MISSION ORCHARD 119 "Grand Dicul what a retribution the savages would fain visit upon the conquerors for their rapacity and injustice," exclaimed the missionary, palirg slightly, despite his well-known intrepidity; for he had more than the courage of a soldier. His was the fortitude that upholds the martyr for faith or duty. He was ready to lay down his life at any moment in the performance of his office. "Grand Dieu ! To think that such a diabolical scheme was hatched under our very eyes, yet we have known nothing of it ! Is it not possible you may have misunderstood the patois of the chief, my daughter?" " I am quite sure I heard aright," was the sobbing answer. " And what said Antdine Cuillerier of this plot?" " Oh, Monsieur Potier," faltered the girl, covering her face with her hands and sinking upon the bench under the apple tree in an agony of emotion. But after a few moments she grew calm again, and, look- ing up. replied, — " My own father, Antoine Cuillerier, said nothing in approval of the plan; indeed, he counselled delay. Still, I grieve to tell, he sought but weakly to dis- suade the chief, his friend. Perhaps he saw that all argument would be in vain. He broods much over the downfall of New France. The misfortunes of our unhappy country have unsettled his mind, I fear; and Pontiac humored him, saying he shall be gov- ernor here when the Indians restore Le Detroit to the French. He, on his part, told the savage that the armies of King Louis are advancing up the St. Lawrence and the river of Le PSre Marquette, to drive the English from the hunting-grounds of his red children." "Juste ciel, it is false!" cried Father Potier, in ■iH: Via', w""T*'-v» ; « ^r^vi "o THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT great excitement. - A missionary came in from »h* forest yesterday and was gone This mo m^r He had been at Montreal, and brought news that h^^! Majesty King Louis is like to sign a treaty wh^ thl EngLsh ceding to them his provinces of nIw F anc/ all save Louisiana in the far south AnJlv '^"""' . ."^j*"' '' sagenesS in what you sav child" ,. joined the priest; " nevertheless, we Au« .gite "h evil as we come to it." ** it all^o.,?'^T ^ "'"!' *° *'" y°"' ^^^ I have thought It aU out she continued ardently. "From here I he SL;T^h'"°^ "P '^^ "-^ *<' the'luth of the R golet des Hurons. Paddling along the stream hfn'c ?: the V' '°^r ""' '^^ -fthern^po'ternT^^ eat IhI ,rf °^ ""y ^""*' M^d^"^^ des Ruis- seat who will despatch a servant for the cfnoe She W.11 also send and invite Major Gladw „ to su^ per a her house During the evening I m contrh^ to get a few words with him apart. Thus I shaU tel! him. and no one else will be the wiser." leather Potier glanced again at the demoiselle !m pressed by the readiness of her woman's Tthit' h^d" found so facile a solution of the difficulty Was her courage m wishing to go to reveal this p^i prompted by a more than ordinary interest in th^rr^^\ *'V^"'P^^° commandant, It had^bTerrep'or.*.,^ Sng trthaf the latter would gladly gain the favor of the French IN THE MISSION ORCHARD ,21 by a marriage with the daughter of the wealthy Cuillcricr. However matters stood between the Englishman and Angdlique, her project was the best that could be devised. If he, Pierre Potier, went to the fort now, his Hurons would, in the light of subse- quent events, suspect him of having learned of the conspiracy and disclosed it, and his power to hold them in check, if ever so little, would be gone Then he could neither aid the French nor the Eng- lish m the coming struggle. What could be more natural than that the girl should go to the house of her aunt? And, since no Indians were permitted about the fort after dusk, Pontiac would not be likely ever to learn that the news had been conveyed to Glad- win. Still, the missionary hesitated. " I am going, my fath:r; do not seek to dissuade me," repeated Angdlique, with decision. Father Potier sighed. Yes, for the sake of those whom he would fain save, he must refrain from going himself; yet he was loath to let the girl have her way ^^ " Well, if you will go, my child," he said at length, may God protect and speed you on your errand of mercy. Say to the commandant that I regard this as a matter of no common gravity. Tell him I will restrain the savages as far as may be, and — may the Fair White Mary be your shield." CHAPTER TENTH AN AWKWARD ENCOUNTER A NGfiLIQUE, fearing that Father Potier might -^ A. yet recall and, in concern for her safety, forbid her to carry out her resolve, sped away forthwith. Indeed, he did cry out after her, " Angelique, Ange- lique ! " But, like the flight of partridges that, hav- ing alighted for a moment upon the reed, jf the swamp, presently floated over the strait in a small black cloud, her little canoe soon shot out from the land and floated down the stream. She met with no obstacle in carrying out the first part of her sim- ple programme. When she reached the residence of Madame des Ruisseaux, a Pani boy was at once com- missioned to go for the boat, which she had left at the north gate. Within doors, however, a disap- pointment awaited her. " Madame des Ruisseaux is gone to pay a visit at the home of her brother, Monsieur Jacques Gode- froy, where Mademoiselle de St. Ours has been stay- ing for a few days ; they will not be back to-night " the slave woman Agathe informed her. " But a com- fortable supper will soon be ready for mademoiselle The house is lonely with only the two Pani women and the boy here, yet there is madame's own room ready, and it will give us all pleasure to wait on Mademoiselle Angelique." Yes, I will remain until to-morrow," answered the giri, as she threw herself upon the settle. She " ' « Crosl» tt"""' *' If"''^ y"' I »"1 do it." <-rossmg the room, she steonprf ;„*„ .u and, opening a door that 1p5 , ""* Passage, called io thi Pan" ^" °''*" ■""='"=■>, street^t:yL?&„''",r ^!l°" '^'^'-« "P «>e me when the nexriseX'^' ^^ ■^"''"= "" *"' will be bacic betoes " ^ ^ "" '^ '° •>= "-"d. I The commandant of tli*. f«.^ * * - ' to avail himself of Sie bustlT *»« frequently merchant James SteriL • ? l^nowledge of the people of^the towrih" J.-%''=«""g' wi'h the the afternoon of the firi, „f J happened that on for the cleve? &o and f„/ ^T *^'^<'"'" ■>»" «nt principal room of 'the i U sh"he:7 °-'"°'=' ■■■ *= men had been engaged in 1- '"'"'^"^rters, the two which had to do t1* he^S°T'?^'""P"P*« length the comn.anJantt.f^ral'i'Vr*-. ""' upon the coarse oaoer !nT. ^ ^ '""' """en of Le Detroit """"^ *« merchants the'r"er! who'hasTeT. °' ^■°''""" ^^''y «"- hogs. co™,td'lau!de"re?!"rfaS^ ^frtd^ ■tems correct and the prices high '^ei no , ptLps" ■f-- .?^, AN AWKWARD ENCOUNTER ,jj wm,"r Iniiat" '^ " °" '"■"' °' "°« «<"■-•»"« "That may be," answered Sterling; "nevertheless he has suffered through this comJadesl^p The young Hurons stole hogs from his farm, unt*^ finally he complamed to Pontiac, who therewith lay in wak for the thieves. He had no weary visil- LlZll plunderers came creeping through thf ric^m 1 ^ X.f?^ .,. ^° ^^""^ ^° y^"*" village, you Wyan- dotte dogs,' he said sternly, • if you tread again upon this man's land you shall die.' They slunk awav and fro that time the Canadian's prop^ertrh'asTeTn' because the^'or'^T J' '" *'^ "'^^^ remarkable Decause the Ottawa had no authority over these Hurons; ,t was his powerful spirit that commanded their respect and obed\ nee." ""imanaea '•And Baby?" persisted the major, liaby ,s, I am persuaded, a man to be trusted tho^fhtm:jn;g::^^sf-Snhr- gufrded'thTI*° ^°' *^" '°^^'"^ O'Desmond, who ^.f A T • '^^^'^^y' entered the room. An Injun maid is without. She asks the favor of after sXin? r"' ^'^\y-' -'" ^e announced cLL ^ ' commandant with military pre- unldcomr^' "" '"''^"^^^^^^ '^^ -°-"t -o^t ;; Who is the girl? " inquired Gladwin curtly. of her form t1^ k'"' "*'' ^"* ^^^"^ '^' "^heness of her form, I judge she may be the maiden whom I msf^A^ . '^6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT have heard called Catherine ci,- . b^ike she ha, .o.e gewf^L'^to !«'«."'"""= ""^ '°"' here not Cgsi„'cfbr'.t-"'t'' "•"'' °J'''"» ""■« moccasins. I Coueh tt"^ beautifully embroidered take another pair No douht .''?' \"'' "^reed to no«r." '^ "° "^°'''" she has brought them n.|.:r ^^^;^ -"- -•«». for the saj;iLt^SUt^1,oS^he "' "''• r •"^"-'' "' and that the notion gaSfd the '"-P"'!" =" '•°">^"«- Captain Campbell might havr?o°rK-'",°'"^'P'"'- I"dian girl, but Gladvvh wincid ITI %^'^1 '° '" thought capable of such foHy 1^,^"'^.°^ ^/'"S situation. It was an eiccelle„; ,W -^ "J°^"' *= whom in truth he kne„ ^ bi 'fT'"'' *'' "^J"''' proud a nature to b^ r7,j-i • '°° *"*tere and of a daughter of the forett^ T.""-? "'"' ""= <='>«">s been interrupted by the ret„i^°'■u^ ''"'""*•'•= h^" by a custom'^aUn/f om tl? "^ "W/ ""' ^"- ""'' diUac, no redskta wasT 't.LT "' **?"=■■=•>' "e Ca- after sundown Few ofT """*'" '■» "«^ town now at all Miffht „H r J""°" ""'^ admitted thus excluded^Lte c'mm!.^""^' """'"S^emselves cute their wo k for them p'n " f""" '° '«" instructed her tl ooen rt f ^^P* *'>' ^^d «en the false Ishkodah^o d„ • ^f "i"' *"'' ''^'' '""den de la Mothe! More™; '?'^r'*=<=''^^»"" heard somewhere thar.h/n'^ ^% ^'"""e' h^d but was scorned by GladwL''w' ^''*"'"' '°^''' that she had been sent oTL^ , ",?' P""'"* cord, to assassinate h m ? The ab^riLl^" °"" "" known to foreive a sliirhf '7f'*'"g'nes were never WfX AN AWKWARD ENCOUNTER „, ling, yet the latter was of too generous and noble a d.spos,t,on to harbor petty malice when thought of dt:dU"d "'''""'',' *« "oiSfhafr::^ It was with these reflecUons that Sterhne strode the commandant. presence of blatketTo fta'ttr? '■™"' ''^^'* '° <"«' '" -" Indian ■auKet, so that her face was entirely hidden Never .hat.^e»r«.Trhfd?4^;i':aTa,r agit rwra3ri"jrst\d-£^!: away out of his siVht Th« • ^'" ^"""'^ PulAr Tr u "'*^*'S"** The circumstance was sin- gular. If she had come simolv to «;p11 o r.^- r casins, why should she fear ^hJc I ^^'^ °^ "'°*=- their embroide^''^anh;r.l;p;reSd'rr "' a weapon eonceal^l^^Ir fo d'tf te' t' l'" that so completely enshrouded her? '''^'"' ■•^?!_ >.^ »»i "» ™E HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ^^z z^r^'-'^^^ Ho. i, , »de?" he demanded S^L" "'''«""'"• ">e stock- her in the p^oiso{lh^''"\'^°"-^-'^ addressing through his mtad tL ^f"' "'''"* *«« «ashed that.Lsecre.:;Vfte sTe :ca°d"„°' '"^ •""'"o" same q es«„„ .^,,^ *:ir/sht1i ah" """ "■" "'^ 1 he girl raised her heaH ri.c^ • r n he had no right tol^^^tt ht"'fc "V" ?^ ng, however, she attempted to si „ bv ? J^^'^" the door of the council room ^ ' ""'' ^ain " VniTfJf. "'° ^''« f" her. must undema„d° thT/'ha: ""''" ?^'""" ' ■^'»' this matter. I have blet"'!, '"T!?'"^ '° 'V in tionaiy of the town an^ °. appointed a civil func- its laws are enforced '"LJV"'' "".^ '° '« that that she should not pass „„T. t™'''' ''^"■"'"ed him that she was not f„ . ''"* """ P™"* to people. °' *" *""«»0' of her disaffected it is the' ScVrf a''w:ndt' ttV Tl '"''^ '"■^" Still the girl ifephe t Ssa-mo^ffl^H' "'^P^'^'^d. thenfen/a--- to ="' --. hut termined to ^compel her obeSence "Fr """^ "" they tacitly challenged eaVh ^?^ \^^ * "o-nent dogged and^ullenrrcooT jdti:;'ti: ; ^"""^-"^ continued, bej^n" gLfth?" ''^'■"''^•" "* erine after all but ?nm. *'^ "^ ""t Cath- the maiden, perha'TmetT." ^°"*' * '°^=' <" White Chief f^. ,^-ZZ^ S^eTh-e*^ ^1?^ ir.W^.' AN AWKWARD ENCOUNTER .j, would not rfveal ht identV '"" " ' """ ''" .;vrj^dn.Lr:,:H^^^^^^^^^^^^^ he proceeded, s.mchi„g forth his ha^d '"' It grasped the air, however for fh« • i coned in amazement an A ?. ^-, r "'•'-' ""s *e- through his breast P^.u ^ "^ °' ''"=""'"= ^h"' the dusky feaTu's Z "•f«.~"fronted him, not lique CuHlerer th. ' • ?' ^' ^"'^ ^°''"» °^ ^nge'- his wife inH \ \ ^""^ '^^^'^ ^« had wooed for 'k".?P^ '" ^^^'"^ »»««" <=^°"" to tive that^hJ / r ulT' d'«t'"g"»hed representa- Now «t h,H "J^ "\^'^ '^''' *° ^°^t Pontchartrain. As^^'rh^M '"f"^ ^f <=f«ons this room had for her I ther! . i '^"^ ^^"^ P^^y*^^ ^^*^"t its hearth; and bent ov! V '^'"'' ^^^! ^^^'^ '^^ Englishman now .teur de Bellestre, reading documents written in the sutely language of Versailles. -documents that some^tHnes bore even the seal of the great King of ^Zt!''' i^'^ui^'' ^"^^y' '"*"^ " to the errand upon which she had come, a French commandant, per- haps her own uncle, might once more preside ik?his a^in Hh t"""^"'', ^'' ^"J"*y K'"e Louis might again send his royal mandates to Fort Pontchar- And if she spoke if she thwarted the scheme to which a number of the French settlers, among them her own father gave at least a tacit assent, iif sh^ sco™!r ^^k"'';^!.^"'* P"°P^«' ^°»^d «he not be scorned and branded by them as a traitor to the cause that was dearest to her heart? It might never be known whose voice betrayed the plot to drive the English from the fair provinces won from the wil! derness by the explorations of Champlain. Cartier. Marquette.andother3; by the toil of themis ionaries the wisdom of Frontenac. the courage of many proud nevefb?/-"" ^^^ France. Yet. though it'^should never be discovered who gave the warning to save the alien officers and garrison, would not her own i i' J*. I . . AN AWKWARD ENCOUNTER ,33 heart ever proclaim her false to her country? There was time for her to slip away. Major oidwin was still unaware of her presence, and the ui"nter r ;'reorpli"/ °' '" ^^" ''^-'' ^'^^ '^ «^«-" n Yes she would go. Why should she, an inexpe- rienced g,rl, oppose her pity, her fears, against the opinions, the sagacity of her elders? When there was a prospect that one day the golden lilies of the Bourbons might again wave over Le Detroit, was it h"nd Taf " "'/^" ''^^"" *° --»» wither wak shnl fl f''""^ opportunity, to choose v/hat ban«» should float over the fort of the strait? With these thoughts surging in her brain, Ane6- hque retreated along the wall of the room. ^ iK' .^ mr CHAPTER ELEVENTH A MESSAGE TO MAJOR GLADWIN S^^M.H^^-^'r, ^^^ disguise against recognition. . Mademoiselle Cuillerier reached the doofof the council hall, resolved to go away as silently as sh« had come; but when about to cross the threshcJd The?.'ir;'' ""r'i'l^^ ^'^y^^ ^y«" invisible hand ?r' TJ. .^^l"^*^" *»»™ standing under the bloom- Agaifshe behead h"'"' °' *'^ ""^°" ^•-o"- ^gain she beheld him. erect as a soldier, his head nZT ^^'^'^'' .^y" ^•"d""^ -'th ardor, his count<^ nance suffused with emotion, as she pictu ed the rIo^ nous white standard of the Sun King floating once row'tSri";'. ""fT- ^"^ '^^" ^^« reSbered how the light of that enthusiasm died out of his strong face, and its expression changed to horror and contempt for the few traders who had ienra andhin ^^.^'^^Plftt-go^ their Indian neighbors! and had deceived the latter with rumors of an army to come to their aid from beyond the seas And how his ascetic visage shone wit'i the splritof a hto the spirit of the old French chivalry, of one whose oinlr- ''f^'" " "'^ "'^- Once'^^^ore S s^ord sounded in her ears, like the notes of a trumpet voicing the general sentiment of the Canad Uns^l^' opposition to any ignoble plotters there might"; In coun?,!!.' T?^ ^^''^ *?^ fleur-de-lis. they love their country; but more than the banner of St. Louis' 'ts*Si»» \ .j-JkTtA^ A MESSAGE TO MAJOR GLADWIN 135 more even than their freedom, they love their o- Frincc " '"'' *""* ^^^ ^****' ^"'^ ^''"°' ""^ ^ •^^' thi^J!^ ^^^^ fragrance of apple blossoms, borne in by the breeze through the open window, conjure up the I lusion that she was again in the quiet orchard? Was It the prayer of the missionary, breathed for her in the chapel across the river, that strengthened the wavermg French girh and determined her to carry out he project which had brought her here? She musfnot falter. Father Potier had bidden her to speak; and had she not given him her woH to d^ ShoJn r7 M T"''* ^'^" ^^"' ^"^'^^^ messenger. Should she fa.1 h,m now. it would be too late for him to warn Major Gladwin. To-morrow was the fateS day named for striking the fatal blow at the English. She must speak at once, for the honor of New France was m her keeping. Stepping out from among the shadows into the tell. Angghque coughed softly. wrilinr^T^^'^u"* ^°°^^^ "P abstractedly from his writing, and as h.s eyes fell upon the slight figure enveloped m the Indian blanket, he frowned wiS impatience. h." ?'%?Pr ^ ^''^ " *»«^"t''f"^ With the mysterious beauty of the forest; her voice is sweet as the song of the ortolan her manner fierce and innocently amor- reflicir- -f M '' ^";"'' y^' ^^" ^^^° destroy." he reflected irritably. "But the music of that sweet voice fails to awaken so much as a parsing thrill within my breast; I turn from that glowing fife. Ah I am put to more pains to banish from my mind one P.q-nt. radiant face! Still the little FrLTjana dian giri fascinates me by her loveliness and her 136 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT native charm, strugg'^ against their power as I may It IS folly, aye worse tuan folly, therefore I will not me w^th r k"' "5^ '°^^ *^'^ ^"^-" maiden pester, me with her abject devotion ? " ho^e^''^'^''''''' ^" *^" ^''J"^* °^^" ^^d^"t' though hopeless femmme passion is seldom altogether un- pleasmg to a man, especially if he has suffered from the apparent coldness of the woman who has rejected h.s addresses. The knowledge that the forest m'aTden well-n,gh worshipped the ground he trod upon ren- dered the accents of the young commandant unusu- l^^'^Vu^"'^'^ ^" ^'^ ^^^^'"g French,- Well Catherine, where are the moccasins I com- ^r'r?/°" '° ""^" ^""^ "^^^ I P'-^^^me you have brought them, since you are returned so soon " cut th? ''^^Xff''^ '^^ his tone that xvouid have b^L • /'■^'^ ^i;^'^" *^ *^" ^^^^^' h^d the words been, indeed, as he supposed, addressed to her Angelique was for the nonce disconcerted * She had forgotten Catherine and the moccasins, and had not meant to personate her. It was no uncommon circumstance for a squaw to go from house to house selling bead-work or maple sugar, and she hfrl athTn^R'"?'^" 'T'^' becau'se'it^'as te fir^sl at hand. Realizing that she must presently make d" spTk"' ^'^ '''^ "^^'^^ ^° *^^ -^"<^-""t m::?edVo:: "urtly.""^'' ^'^ "^°^^^^-^" ^<^ <^- "No "she answere'd, so softly that he did not dis- tinguish her voice, notais- "And why not? » he continued inconsequently as ^K u?u"? '^" ""'" ^^"^-b<'^ fro«» the table S shook the fine sand over the letter he had been wrh:! ing, m order to dry the ink. J i A MESSAGE TO MAJOR GLADWIN ,37 "I had no suitable skin wliereof to make them " rejomed AngJIique. with perfect truth stiU speak- blfni"et' '""' ""^"^ '"""e" *-= fo'ds oTtt "No? m,y, I have a skin somewhere about" he began, nsing from his chair and searching amo^'g me wail. Here is a piece of buckskin thaf u,;ii serve excellently well, will it not?" " Ho tossed it to her across the board, hopine she would now be gone. Instead of taking up the^sktn however, the gi.: remained motionless. ' It would be useless for me to make the »««.., sins for the white chief. I should not be abrto dehyerthem to him in the spirit land, ' she said W ing low, and for a se .d throwing back the blanket a few inches, as is the Indian form^of salutation * not nnfT^-r^"°"' T'^'- '^^ ^^'^^' unrecognized yet Yet^°h?1l^°" ^'^ "°* **^^ OJ'b^«' Catherine! yet, who then are you.?" he exclnim^A ^ • «rhefb;t^:£-----^»Urtf cteo ^5uo%r^oTnr "''"«' -" "-''' stepl1racSf''"f "" ' " ■="=" *« ""-".andant. roots of hr,h.-- ^°"" P*"=" ^-x^ "'"ring to the no^ed eve^tuL^T"'''"'"'• "'"-^"'""S e'»« iuoe of hZk. M "l" »PP«>™n« ■• the trimly short stas ll tLoseof",^' 'tV""^' f«t. encased inmocca- Te whit kT *f '""^'^" e'"'' he had thought her- tne white bodice and red kercliii.f- fh» J 1 », ""' lav careaninoi^ ™- '~°.'^"'^'"" ' the dark curls that lay caressingly against her pretty neck and divided r 138 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT in little ringlets about her brow ; the expressive eyes now strangely serious. * Why had she come ? More than a year before he had asked her to marry him, and she had answered htm nay. Now, if there were no other gulf between them, would not his invincible pride, his self-concen- tration and reserve be enough to dissuade him from agam laymg his heart at her feet? Was he a man to risk havmg his suit twice rejected? If there were only the differences of faith, of nationality, of early prejudices, surely these would be enough to make a man hesitate to sue again. But above and beyond all this there was a sweet English girl across the seas. He and the latter had been betrothed by the parents of each ,n their childhood. For years he had thought little of the engagement made for a boy by others. Yet this girl, grown a woman, had waited for him, and now, since his recent visit to England, was he not bound to her by every consideration of honor? Ang^lique did not know of this, however, and— what if she had discovered that she loved him after all, and had chosen this madcap fashion of giving him a proof of her con- ndence and liking? Gladwin's brain seemed to reel. If those who thought him cold and unfeeling could have looked mto his heart at the moment, how astounded they would have been to witness the emotions raging there But he controlled the storm by a great effort, and Angehque only noted that his glance was gentler than It had been of late, and his tone even more respectful than usual, as he said,— "Mademoiselle Cuillerier, I know not to what good fortune I owe the honor of this visit; yet do not, I beseech you, presently fade away as a vision. Be assured I appreciate the bit of pleasantry that led A MESSAGE TO MAJQR GLADWIN 139 you to assume this Indian disguise, and to favor the old council house by stopping at its door a moment upon your way from the river. Will you accord me the privilege of escorting you to the house of Madame des Ruisseaux, whither, I dare say, you are bent?" ^^ Angelique flushed red as a rose of the prairie. " Ma foi, monsieur, you must no*: imagine I would do aught so unbecoming as to be, by design, the herald of my own arrival at the stockade, or that I find it necessary to drum up my cavaliers after so undignified a fashion," she answered, with a proud toss of the head. " No ; I am here because, having something of great moment to communicate to you, I had no time to reflect that my coming might be construed as unmaidenly." She faltered, remembering with a sense of disquie- tude the stern inquiry in the eyes of Sterling, which, coupled with the amazement of Gladwin, was most embairassing. " Maden.oiselle, it would be impossible for you to do aught unmaidenly, and I know you have come in kmdness," responded the commandant, with grave def- erence, as he drew out from before the table one of the high-backed chairs of the old councillors and begged her to be seated. •' No, no," she said, '* I must give you my tidings, and return m all haste to the house of my aunt. Madame des Ruisseaux is absent, hence I could not send to ask you to come there, without giving to some one a clue to what had best be kept secret. Know then. Major Gladwin, to-morrow the great Ottawa chief Pontiac wi come to the fort with sixty of his warriors. Each will be armed with a gun cut short, and hidden under his blanket. Pontiac will demand to hold a council with you and your officers, and this request being 140 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT granted, at the council he will offer you a peace belt of wampum. But beware, for. if all goes well from his point of view, but most ill for you, he will present the belt m a reversed position. This will be the sis- nal for an attack. The warriors will, at the instant, spring up and fire upon you and the other officers, and without, in the street of Ste. Anne and in all the streets, the Indians will fall upon the garrison. Every Enc- hshman in the town will be killed, but not a French- man will lose his scalp." Gladwin started. At last he was aroused to the danger that threatened the British at this fort of the strait -a danger he must avert, or it would not only be fatal to h.m, but would cover his name with dis- honor for his rashness in not having been more upon his guard against it. ^ The warnings he had hitherto received were only rumors and suspicions, but this news brought by Cuilleriers daughter was something palpable. It gave the time and the details of a definite plot : a plan to wipe out the post as a British possession, to slay tnghsh blood at Le Detroit. fK^^ ui^ P^'""^^ P^"^' ^^^*^^'" t°°k not a second ^Z^ \ ?-^ ^^i ^ ^"^''^ ^°^^'^'-' ^ver ready to fight or to die in the service of his country. But his responsibility for his command, for the royal standard which symbolized the authority of Englan 1 in this new province, her supremacy in the Northwest, — all these had been committed to his keeping as an officer in the service ot King George, and by his imprudent boldness he had jeopardized them. It was with con- flicting emotions that he glanced toward the girl who had brought him the tidings, in defiance of the malice of the town scandal-mongers should they chance to i n ■ ■ isr* ■ I I A MESSAGE TO MAJOR GLADWIN 141 get report of this apparently hoidenish escapade; the girl who had saved him from the consequences of his own folly, since "he who is forewarned is also fore- armed." " Mademoiselle, it is idle to attempt to thank you ^ for bringing me this intelligence," he said, with deep earnestness. " May I ask how such important mformation came to your knowledge?" " No," cried Ang^lique, putting a hand before her eyes, as though to shut out a sight that seemed ever before them. The scene between Pontiac and her father in the Cuillerier hearthroom, while she crouched in the loft above, afraid to make the least motion lest the next moment might be her last; in which case all hope of saving the strangers whom she pitied would die with her. " No. no," she reiterated, "I cannot reveal how or where I learned these things, but they are true beyond the possibility of doubt Moreover, the plot is no ordi- nary one against this isolated garrison of the strait All the English posts from Du Quesne to the north are menaced -Venango, Presque Isle, Sandusky, bt. Joseph, Michihmackinac, and Green Bay The attacks are to be made when each of the forts* is too busied m its own defence to render assistance to any others, and while their commandants are off guard fancymg themselves secure." ' As the girl spoke, fervidly, excitedly, even Glad- win, brave as he was, felt for the minute appalled, as the magnitude of the savage scheme with its probable train of horrors arose before his mental But the bent of his mind was eminently practical, and had been rendered more so by his military train- ing and experience. Might not Mademoiselle Ang^- 142 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT lique. with the ardent imagination of a young maid. u^Toubt^^waSf "^"^' '-' '-'-''' -''''"y - '^ J':f' ff?** conspiracy." he said, with a shake of the m^cH K '^^ K " ^P^P'-^hend that it can amount to so much, the abongmes have never had a leader who could plan an extensive campaign." Ang€lique recoiled haughtily. Was it because she was only a girl that the commandant now a^ If Vh^ ,r^* i!f' "'^' "^^*^>'^ She turned awa^ If this self-confident officer would not credit he; Kl'' -^"fif ^ ^"^'^ '° '^^'^ °-" preservation Out of the pity of her woman's heart, with a woman's horror o war and bloodshed, she had spoken If tlTl^ w *^'"r ^^'' "^y ^h°"^^ she not leave them to their fancied security? Once more she took Ln J ^ ^^" 'f:^^ '^' ^°°^- ^"* ^S^^ -« invisible hand seemed to restrain her. and the message of the missionary flashed upon her recollection. Ang61ique turned and faced the Engfishman. ^«geiique ^A^^^l't ^IJ*" ""^"^^ ^ y°" ^'"' monsieur." she said with hauteur; " nevertheless, you seem unaware of the resources, and the great power of the Ottawa's chief Pontiac. You will soon discover that not only his nation, but the Pottawattomies. the Miamies Shawnies. Ottagamies. Winnebagoe . Massag^J^^^^ even the distant Senecas. are in leagJe agSn^Tu; people I will only add that I have disdosedX matter to no one but Father Potier. He would have come himself to warn you. but I implored him. for the sake of the many lives at stake, not to do o The missionary bade me tell you the plot is one of no common gravity; but he will re traiS the Indians m so far as is possible." "Father Potier sent me this message?" ejaculated I. I , I -« i t A MESSAGE TO MAJOR GLADWIN 143 Gladwin. " Ah, then, indeed the situation must be serious I " The officer knew the priest's judgment to be cool and calm, and that no one understood the nature of the aborigines as did he. All at once, too, there came to Gladwin a fuller comprehension of Ang^Iique's heroism in hastening to warn him of this tremendous conspiracy. From whatever source her information had been obtained, it was detailed. Thanks to her courage, the plan might now be frustrated. She had come so quietly that it might never become known who had thwarted it; but, should the secret be discovered, could even the authority of the Black Robe save her from the persecution of the French conspirators, the cruel vengeance of Pontiac and his savage warriors? That she had done this act knowing her peril he felt sure, moreover, as he glanced at her again, for her face,' which he had ever seen dimpling and care-free, now wore a look of quiet resolution, and her usually smil- ing lips were grave and firm. " Mademoiselle," he said, bowing low before her, " forgive me if for a moment I failed to follow the full significance of the momentous news you have brought me. You have saved the lives ol the Eng- lish at Le Detroit, and of many others, I doubt not, smce I shall do my utmost to send aid, or at least a warnmg, to the nearest British forts. In the cause of humanity you have put your own life in jeopardy, to insure the safety of your enemies, who yet can never know the name of their preserver; since, were it ever revealed, your life would be sacrificed. A heroine, you yet can never reap your due reward in the admiration, gratitude, and love which are the recom- pense of those who do generous deeds." 144 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT nrl'*^? TJ" 'Jr"" " "^^^^'T- ^ ««> no heroine." vo?. ?K t "^.I^^^'.^""' ^'*** ^"™^^ carelessness. •• Do you thrnk. Monsieur Gladmn. that I could ever aga^n skep peacefully had I remained dumb a»d suS th.s massacre of the English here at the fort to take a'^rod les^hTl" '''h^h ^°"'' ""^^•" "^ '" ^-^ '' atrocities that I might have prevented ? " ever known rejoined the commandant; "and I swear never will I utter or in any way mention your name a^^connected with the revelation you have made to me this evening. Never will I confide to any one "retchTJ ? 1'' 'r.' "'°' •" '^'^ ^-^"' »»--' has stretched for^h a hand to succor the strangers at the S- r a"*'^.' "^^^^' ^ ^^^^^ G°d that it was the hand of Ang^ique Cuillerier." th.^' *• '°^1-'u. *° ^'' sovereign, as a brave man to the savior of his people. Gladwin bent a knee before the French girl, and raised her brown fingers to his But Ang^lique had no liking for heroics, and his fervor embarrassed her. With a return of her saucy spirit, she withdrew her hand from his clasp, caught JSde/ .f "k'\''.°'^ '^'* ^^' ^°^"^^^ her disgufse II • if ^.''"' ^" °"'^ "^°^*' a"d' her mission accomplished, was gone before Gladwin could say a word to detain her a moment longer. ^ -4' CHAPTER TWELFTH = A CLUSTER OF FLEURS-DE-LIS ITT-HEN gallant Major GladwJn found himself ^^ alone, he sighed heavily. Grave as was the exigency of the moment, in his heart concern for the safety of Ang^lique domina^'-d even his other great anxieties. Now that she was gone, he was oppressed by an mtolerable dread that perhaps while she dis- closed to him the plot against the English, some lurkmg savage might have heard, and marked her as a victim for a swift revenge. If he could only keep her under his own protection ; if he could set a guard about her, even as a posse of regulars are set to guard the crown jewels of England I But no, and he smiled bitterly as he realized the truth. The only succor he could give to the demoiselle was by silence She must not be seen speaking to him or to any of the British; It was unfortunate that she was in the town at all. Good Father Potier by his prayers could help her far more than could the commandant of the fort with his soldiers, though he would gladly lay down his life for her if need should come. "But 'the help of Heaven is always good/ and surely the God of armies will protect so generous and brave a girl, he said aloud, as with his signet ring he tapped sharply on the small gong on the table before " Request Captain Campbell to come here at once, and do you carry to the sergeant my order that all to *4 f I ' 'f?i^^ i 1*6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT «.Vo„"dl"»''^^°'"""'-" '"' '"'«"<' 0'D"">ond. who responded to his summons. Captain Campbell reported without delay. There was a hurned conference, and he left again to issue commands right and left. Gladwin present y went out. made the round of the garrison and the httle own saw that his directions as to the patrolHng of the streets and of the inner wall were Sbe^d ?hat to thV.'H'"" m''°" "^^^ ^'^*^" °"*' ^"^ ^h^"' ^etuining inglwe""' '''°"'' '"' ^^^^^ °"'" "^^""^ '^ ^'^ ^"'- thl^ZZ ^'f^^ P™^^^^*' *^^^ ^^^ ^°"Id not survive for S^r T.V '^! T' ^'y- "^ ^^^ ^"^ ^"te out for Sir Jeffrey Amherst a description of the conspi- lh7:I "^""^^t '^. 'Z '^'^ ^^^^^ ^'' oppressing only the name of his informant, and transcribing also a copy to be sent in warning to the nearest military retimed "'"'*"'^''"* "^^ '*""" *"^^^*''* ^^*^" ^*^'^'"g "I was so careless as to leave upon the table some ftiffly ""^ °'^"' ^""^ ^ ^"^ ^'^'"^ ^°' *^^"''" h*' said Gladwin merely inclined his head. ^ The Scotchman, having taken the papers, was about to make his exit. when, by a curious ^^ incidence. O'Desmond threw open the door and an- nounced, — •• Sir. the Injun girl is come back, and is bound to see jou again. She will not be turned away at all° "Admit her at once." replied the officer brusquely. The guard disappeared, but Sterling paused . _^ n/'^ ^V^!''^'^ "^'^^ ^'^'ts from the fair sex to-day. Major Gladwin," he said, with bitter irony IT'^fim^/i A CLUSTER OF FLEURS-DE-LIS ,47 ••You call an Indian maiden //" inn uired ♦»,- commandant, ignoring the sarcaW ^ ^ '*"" • Ay such an Indian as was here not lone sine*. " retorted the other, with a forced laugh ^ ' Gladwin's brows lowered ominously.' His soul haH whn"e TAc't r' ^""'^^'^^ cluring\hr;rio:r' while the Scotchman was still ignorant of the danger r^mam and witness this seconf V .::;e "b^ \. ^ Ang^ique and Gladwin, he stood .nn.:Z^^ TV major swore mentally. What di - ..if the demoiselle have alreadv In. ^^ ^ **"^^''' "'^- ko^ f J "c iidvc already encouDt.^re j ^', r^ eh*. had found .t best to return? But perhaps »; T 1 forgotten some important detail, or ha > ' ^ some meditated treachery within the f« > l ''' win could not dismiss the trader J-o* ..u • an air of „Su„"« 1h7 ,1.'"""* ""^ '° """'« itself. Perhaos thrf»A„^ ""'"'' '^'" ""= <>' that, seeing themer^h,?/ T'" "'^» ''^'" '"?"'«' await a better Lnl-' '""^ "°"''' withdraw, and After an n^P^r"-*^ '? communicate with him. 'aBRB?f!^'^«?:MF^-^K^.l^ -.^^^ , 148 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT back, indeed, but did not retire. The guard went out and closed the door behind him. Sterling breathed hard, but Gladwin seemed almost to cease all res- piration. The one man was anxious, the other en- raged. Both knew that in another moment they would be face to face with Ang^lique Cuillerier, the woman whom Sterling acknowledged to himself that he still passionately loved ; the woman from whose fascination Gladwin proudly sought to free himself. Each saw in the other his rival; each disliked the other for any success he had achieved with the demoiselle. The muffled figure drew nearer. She threw back her blanket and stood before them, erect and motionless. The two men started in surprise; Gladwin laughed shortly, and Sterling muttered an oath. There con- fronting them stood, not Mademoiselle Cuillerier the bourgeois' daughter, but Catherine the Ojibwa. The mirth of the commandant grated rudely upon the ears of the Indian, and with a sullen scowl she said, — " You are merry, monsieur, but it may be you will not be merry long. After sundown to-morrow you may never laugh again." Here, however, her voice lost its resentment and grew pathetic, as, with earnestness and eloquence she proceeded to pour out to the white chief some- thmg of the same story which Ang^lique had told him, although she clearly had no knowledge of the details whereon the French girl had dwelt so explicitly Sterling stood by, aghast at what he heard, but Gladwin scarcely appeared to heed, and went on with his writing. When the maiden, perplexed at his apparent indif. lerence, paused and silentiy gazed at him, seeking to li II Ml ■ I IIIMI I A CLUSTER OF FLEURS-DE-LIS 149 read the thoughts behind his stern visage, he looked up and said, — " Catherine, I thank you for your wish to save the English, but you should not have remained in the fort after the sunset gun. Return at once to your own people." Thereat, summoning the guard by a stroke upon the gong, he directed him, — •• Soldier, conduct this Indian damsel to the gate and see that she goes out. She is no longer to be allowed to enter the stockade." The sullen expression settled again upon Catherine's face, yet not daring to show any insubordination, she turned away with a smothered sob, and followed the sentry. "Egad, Major Gladwin, you but ill requite those who would fain serve you faithfully. Though dark- skmned, the girl is a heroine, yet you vouchsafed her not a word of commendation for what she has done," cned Sterling, with heat. " As to the news, — which you scarce deemed worthy your attention, — are all the British at Le D^roit to be slaughtered because you hold m contempt the prowess of the most blood- thirsty savages on earth?" Gladwin smiled in an exasperating manner. "My dear Mr. Sterling," he rejoined, "do you think It would be a kindness to the girl to permit her to remam within the stockade and be ferretted out by Uie spies of Pontiac when he comes to-morrow? Pardon me, for I must leave you ; there are matters which require my attention." So saying, he passed out of the room, to go upon the bastion and look abroad upon the lands of the strait, as they lay tranquil in the starlight. As Sterling went home, he noted that soldiers were wsmsfm^mm^^m^ 150 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT being already stationed in the streets- anrf wl,.i« u supped alone, Jaco. the Pani boy cam; fn wkh ' to be in a aJZot^'^Z. "' '"'"" *"' ''-»" Scotchman. '"PPosed, soliloquized the He was in no mood to lineer ovir rt.. ~.,i from the wall and saw to it that the lock was in order Then, proceeding to his sleeping apartment he ^ot down upon his hands and knee! on tirfloor and knew but himself. The lieht from So * «»^ii u ,. . "s"^ "On^ the sconce on th*» wall above shining into the cave revealed a r„n„ .ron-bound chest. He threw back thetd- the hn*^' was not the repository of golden treLure'butt W " good store of ammunition. From it Sterlioi^ fin»S k- ponch with bullets. Then he ca eMyS the ^Mo?r ""• ''''""" '° *« "-- ~ 't "I am no Englishman, nor yet an adherenf «f King George •• he said aloud, " but if Ponti^ les the concerted signal to-morrow, I will fi^ht to Z last m defence of my friends he e at the fort n the cause of civilization against the savage " __* • The night of the 6th of Mav 17^2 L.. ' watching and activity within the^old sS^klde Tth^e margm of Le Dftroit. Arms were primed that th'; A CLUSTER OF FLEURS-DE-LIS 151 might be ready for use at any moment, powder and shot dealt out, and the officers walked through the town directing all preparations for the expected con- flict of the next day. The skies wore clear, and the stars, looking down upon the river and woodland, beheld a scene of peace- ful beauty. As the sentinels upon the eastern bas- tion peered through the semi-darkness, however, they caught the gleam of distant camp-fires in the forest, and discerned from time to time darker shadows upon the waters. When day broke, they reported that many canoes had crossed from the southern shore, landing warriors below the Isle au Cochon. The sun rose in its springtime splendor on the broad strait, on the newly green, flower-dotted prairie and the budding woods; upon the rude farmhouses of the " c6te du nord," thp buildings and blooming orchard of the Huron Mi sion, upon the wooden bastions and cedar pickets of the little fort and the Indian camp, a mile or more farther up the river. Still there were no signs of hostility. Rations were served to the garrison, and the town breakfasted; even a hero can be more heroic when properly fed. Angllique Cuillerier had spent a wakeful and rest- less night at the habitation of Madame des Ruisseaux. One thing she saw plainly : she must get outside the palisade and away from the river road as soon as possible. She had told her mother that she was going to the town to visit their relative, and would return ttfe following day. She must now hasten home, for •<" any of the Indians should come to the farm of Cuuierier and note her absence, the suspicion of Pontiac might fall upon the household when he learned that the English had been forewarned against his masterly though cruel scheme. 'Sa THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT to Iz tensr z f r' '" p-"--'- whom ,he founda, ft; eate .• •'""'". ^'"P'""' •"tries. Exact as hewS t ?'• "^•,°'''''" '^ *e ftill held the report ofX Lr- ""''?^ ''"'>'' h' lightly, and esteems! the nr,rr'"^ "«*='' hut "andant as a wise but h^SiP""""' "' *** ""•- Moreover, he Z too good'a'rjr'^/T''"''"'"- equanimity ruffled by the rumot, nf J" *" ''^'" ^" he was of opinion that 7™ °'/*"e"- I" fact, would rou the ™-n r ?"* ''°"' «he savages period of action and r™- 't' "*"ey of a lo% excitement f"r the office""' ' "*" "''""'' '""« he wh:"ell!:rar:l':?'^ ?'"• «■'-'»-• fat and b ed to he^ wittL^'f^tTiT '"'""'"• h<.ue"r„"C;h'":Sshe f'"'^--" i-'^an Ang.. English acquainUtS'tfuVdeXd'he^' 'T' "« '" m-ght, " will you be so good S t ,1 "/' .?' "'"'' the gate? I came into th. . ^ ^o through the night with mTaunt a'nd ^c^ntf ^ '° =^^ evening with mv frJ^n^ expecting to have a gay find bat the whTe place ^ T """ '''"'' "'■^t dW I at all or use for he da„c^„rr'"°"°"' "° merriment -d n.y gloves. cl^rdZ'T-Z ' ,'"'"^^'- Wilham Johnson ordered fo. I ^'°™^ Sir Ciel! instead of musfcanH ""^ "■°" London, patrolled with soM^e^s ^1 th^'^' '^ ^'""^ *"« and French think of nothi u "'^'" '°"S- English firelocks, rriike r h, ^ ''"' '° ■"=*'= "-"dy Aeir hemselves were reported'a?^'"" T" *« B"tish prepared to .,ve them a » "" ** """■ a"d *« would have b«„ the c^e ind,""^ r"/"°" • ^^'^h capitulation of the Marquis de Vaudtu."'"^' "■""" 1^1 I IS A CLUSTER OF FLEURS-DE-LIS ,53 " Have a care, mademoiselle," replied the caotain entering m.o her humor. " Some day you also'^^lv capitulate to a gallant Englishman. La Nouv^He France was like a beautiful widow, so fair that F„„ land sought .0 wed her; and in turn each"o!"ff fnf V\"''t "T, *"■*" «"">"• »« '""rs to win one of her beautiful daughteis for his wife " ' cou.^sv-'^o~7'™""-" '"''' Ang^Iique. with a s r';hrou7'the''^^r' '"°"'''" "= """=■'-• safefi^'ilfp^-V'"'" *''"""' Canadian bobolink hecred an^,?"" ''^'' ""y should I set it free?" tre:t;s:riit^^rrrat"v^ttd''"'™*^ request^ Withthe^own a^tlng^,' iXtTbS' « .s «rta;_nly not safe for you to set out alone 'across .__ Angflique paled a trifle, yet she persisted entreat- -.r.?*' '.„''?""='' yo"' Monsieur Camobelll Mv ptt:rt^e<''«-r-r'£:"i pf^^z^tthVc^rar-^Lt vtnf I shtlH r*'"^ happens^'And-and- the riad the irfn -"7 '" ""«' =" '«"<' <>' '"d'ans on c.a:;r;orAn^to?„?c sr Trhr° "••"■' ance against the French ,„H 1,= ■ "° ^""^ 154 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " Very well, you shall go, mademoiselle," he an- swered, " provided you accept the escort of young Jasmm de Joncaire, who has also obtained permission to return to the ' cdte du nord-ost' " » Ang€liquc pursed her red lips in pouting protest, but the officer was firm. "You must have a protector." he explained, "and Monsieur de Joncaire is well armed." The girl flashed from a leather sheath beneath her belt a long knife, such as those used by the coureurs de bois. "So am I," she cried, with sudden vehemence. Jasmin do Joncaire was already at hand, having stepped forth from behind a group of by-standers, eager to assure her that he would guard her safety at the risk of his life. " I will intrust to you. then, monsieur, the duty of conducting this demoiselle with all speed to the Cuillener homestead' enjoined Captain Campbell. It was expedient o yield gracefully. " Monsieur de Jo aire is an old friend and neigh- bor, and I shall be glad of his company," Ang^Iique said, with a toss of her curls. The next moment, . ^ signal from the captain, the guard threw open the pc.ste n. the 'wayfarers passed out, and the wicket was dosed and barred after them. Choosing a by-path across the prairie, they con- tmued on for half an hour without adventure. An- gehque s spirits rose ; the sense of danger thrilled her with a nervous excitement, which was mistaken by De Joncaire for an irrepressible gaiety. The air was rftL^i" **'%*'»*'i!.°" *''° "°'*^'"' "''O'-" °f the strait was called '• la cdtedunord." The locality above the fort was sometimes more nar A CLUSTER OF FLEURS-DE-LIS 155 sweet and fresh, and. as they walked along, the purple eyes of the early violets looked up from the grass, the dandelions offered them a harvest of golden coins and m swampy places the fleurs-de-lis raised their stately heads. The French girl plucked a cluster of the latter, and kissed them passionately A^ ^°y^^ the fleurs-de-lis," she exclaimed, with ardor No blossom that grows is so beautiful, to ray thmkmg." ' Jasmin smiled in proud approval. The journey of the two young people together was nearly over- a few rods more, and they would be at the Cuillerier farm Anon they reached the gate of its strong palisade. * Give me the fleurs-de-lis to wear in my chapeau," pleaded the youth tenderly. He remembered th^t Ang^hque had kissed the flowers. For this reason however, the captious demoiselle was unwillmg he should have them. He argued the matter and while averting her eyes from his admiring gaze Angeluiue chanced to glance up the river bank Uh, look, look. Jasmin ! " she cried aJ^T'^ them along the road approached in single file a hne of Indian braves, wrapped in their blankets. As the redmen came nearer, the young man and the giri recognized in the leader the war chief, Pontiac crested with eagles' feathers, and arrayed in all he savage finery that pertains to a mighty king among ^eat fcast' ^"^^ ^^ ""^'^ '^°"' '° participate in a Now he was but a few rods away, his followers coming close behind. The two Canadians could dis- tinguish his fierce features, rendered more terrible by the daubs of ochre upon his high cheek-bones, the tracery of indigo upon the beetling brow, and the shaven head bright with vermilion and bear's grease J •J6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ,r/)!^^'^'t' "I""?" ''""*'""' »'<>'"' '■" terror, but by lips. Her first impulse was to run to the house h..> her hmbs jrew so we"ntry of the strait wish to show you their good will and to smoke with you the pipe of S"f manv^K °' f' '"'^"'^'^'P' '' ^-^'^ ^h a[ tL r ^ I nt f r y^" *^'^ b^'' °f wampum." beUfrom hr-5. '^^'^'" *° ""^"^**^" *»^^ ^l^'t- belt from his girdle, the guards in the hall clicked the locks of their muskets, the officers half drew the^ •HS' -'IMpTr'- 'rt^'.-TfatS MICROCOPY RfSOWTION TBT CHART (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 \2S u& Z — 3.6 u |Z2 ■ 2.0 1.8 ^ APPLIED IN/MGE Inc "~^ 1653 Eoit Main Stre«l ~ Roch«iter, N«w YorV U609 USA (."3) 482 - OJOO - Phon« (716) 288 - 5989 - Fox m i6o THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT swords from the scabbards, the sentinel at the open front ofT"'V° ' ^°"^ ^°^ °^ -^^-" stationed!" InT/ m'"*'^""' '^^ ^••"'"^ '•°"^d the assembly, and the soldiers made a noisy clatter of arms. ^ nes? HuT!? i".'^" "''"' ""^ ^°"*'^^ ^^^^ '^ "^^r- ness. His hand did not tremble; the belt was un fastened; he retained it an instant'in he^tation AU present seemed to refrain from breathing. Then he Del '' ^° ^^^-" - the usual fafhion,-and Death passed them by. It was now Gladwin's turn to speak. uo^nT^^'"''^''!,'^^' ^"''' ^'^^ "°^^ '^^'^ he poured re^proach ' ^°"°^''"' ""'''*= ^°«^^ °f "False redmen. you have sought to deceive me with 1 es and to slay me by treachery," he cried. Uut I know your baseness. You are armed, every warrior among you, like this brave by my side " He rose from his chair of state, stepped to the neares Indian and, snatching open the Ms of his bhnket. revealed the shortened gun concealed b" "My father does us wrong; he does not believe ; ' then we will go," replied Pontiac. getting upon hi^ J' ^^l" ^°" ^'^^^ *° hold a council with me I Clemency, proceeded the commandant. " Howbeit treacherous dogs, you had best make your way made 1'"' .°V'^'°^'' '''' "^^ ^^"^ ^^n, being you, and cut you to pieces." rn5ri-^''/^^°" ^y" S'^^'"^^ ^'th anger, but with royal dignity he gathered his blanket about kis broad ^^^^l' W-'kl THE GREAT OTTAWA i6i shoulders and walked slowly from th ^ r«„„.M to^^^"VK "^ '""'"' '^^y ^^^^ °"^« ^ore through the favorably disposed toward the Enjrlish SterlincT^ .? uuon ne caned at headquarters to offer him«if c, whatever future service might be requtd ^ht «:;Mrhrtrrcrt°^""''-"-^^^^^^^^^ " Mr ^f. t f.^'^ ^^' "° ^'^'"^ to forbearance" up t^Si^ h^^^^^^^^^^^ ^r'"^ H.reir to explain my nosiflon ? '"^un^bent upon me war-cloUTirsUr;";™: •"• "■" '"^ ''"'''"'' Wh,Ie they were speaking, O'Desmond entered. i62 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT as she is, shure the creature 's a woman, and 't would S,t H J'''7 °^ ^ ^'^"^ *° ''' '^' ^-y they bran- . Sh^ ^1;T« t^"'T °^"'" ^^^' ^'^^^ «° many fiends. Shtop that,' I calls to them in Irish. 'She's now w.thm the gates, and if you hurt a hair of her head f^T^n' ".'"' y^ "P ^' '^'S^^ an' have ye riddled with bullets. Well, the Irish is a most commandLI language an belike the tone of me voice had in i? a thwack of the shillaleh. Whether or no? Ly a"touch o?"" ','''' '"' ?"^ ^""^ '" ^'^ jibberisi, with a touch of parlez-vous,' what I made out to be that they d hunted the creature out of the village of the Foxes and fetched her here for you to say. sir, if h^. Pn f ' '°^^ ^" '^'' '^' ^^" One himself,'an' Th. \^.°f,f' ""^"'^^ '° murder us all without shrift, f^r t^^v '^2 ''^ " "" ''''' ^'^' '^' l^^^^kest of lies, WH ^/'k ^^l'"^'' Peaceable creatures that eve; s a mo^. H^ '^' '•,"?' '°^"" *^'^ M'^'h^r Pontiac IS a most dacent. mild-mannered man." Here O'Desmond unmistakably shut one eye. and gnnned at the commandant. "^ Gladwin impatiently shifted his position. He was sometimes inclined to overtook the garrulity of the snfnHlT f; IT'' °^.*!'^ ^^""'•'^ fi^^J'V and his splendid fighting qualities. Besides, while in im- t^hT."'K^°?^ ^ '*"'* disciplinarian, he had learned tftat to be too much of a martinet in regard to small matters ,n the wilderness would have lost him the good will of his soldiers. . rj "^'1!."°' '^''^'''^ *^^'^ savages," he said. Then a thought arrested his refusal. If he denied them admittance, would they not wreck their anger upon the squaw with barbarous cruelty? "Stay! You may conduct them here," he ordered. Ihey came, pushing and jostling their prisoner. .-I^^:' m'^m THE GREAT OTTAWA 163 urging her forward at the points of their kniv« nn^ finaHy halting before the oLer, as he st^od X th h"s back to the ch.mney of the council room, conversing thus coolly with Sterling. ' ''""^^'^^'ng With darkening countenance he saw that the woman was the Ojibwa Catherine, or Nedawn ss The trader was scarcely less shocked. •• What woiTd the major do ? " he asked himself " How wa le o tr^tlt^^sp"' "^ ^^''"^ ^-" "'"^ ^-- ^'"^^"y mifr ^Her'a^"' '"t".^' P"-"^"'^^ ^ ^P-^^tacle of ZeZollInf^^"^ ^^'' ''^' "°"^ dishevelled, her With a low moan, she fell forward on her face be fore the commandant. ^^ " Kill me, white chief." she prayed, " but do not dehver me again into the hands of L bttawas ' Gladwm stooped, and raised her to her feet. Even coutge'"'^ '' ''^ '^"' ^^^ -^-^^ 'o gain new He summoned the interpreter. La Butte and through h.m addressed the braves with stern upiraTd- asked^^^M^ ^°" ""^l""""* '^^ y°""g ^q»aw?» he asked. It was not from her that I learned of the dark designs of your chief Pontiac. It was the Ah Seemg and All-Knowing God who revealed to me the treacherous conspiracy." The Indians wavered, puzzled and amazed. mentfLrv ' ^r '^''"" '' off well." Sterling com- mented to himself, noting the unflinching Raze where with the major cowed the savages. '4fadwi^ wa^ I 164 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT bound, in common humanity, to shield the girl from the fury of her people. But, forsooth, he can beat the aborigines with their own weapons. Had I not myself heard the Ojibwa tell him the tale, I would not know him to be lying." " Release her," continued the commandant, as the braves still hesitated. "She shall leave the fort by one gate, and you will go out by the other. But first, soldier, you will see that these men are fur- nished with beer and bread. Provide also some refreshment for the girl." The prospect of being regaled with the white man's food and drink, especially the latter, rendered the Indians tractable for the time, and they agreed to let the young woman go. " Shure, to fill them up with lead would be far bet- ther," grumbled O'Desmond audaciously, as he led them away to the kitchen. The next day was Sunday, and the little military post lay tranquil in the sunshine, as though protected by the truce of God. Early in the afternoon, Pontiac came to the fort with three of his chiefs, declared that " evil birds had sung lies in the ears of the English," and asked the commandant and Captain Campbell to smoke a peace-pipe with him. It would have been madness to decline. Both officers therefore smoked a few whiffs '^f the pipe, but when the captain would have returned it, the Ottawa said,— " No, Eagle Heart, I will leave this sacred calumet in your hands as a pledge of our faith." An hour or more later many young braves and habitants gathered on the common to play ball. At dusk the garrison was startled by a burst of loud, shrill yells, the drums beat to arms, and the troops ^•^" i i THE GREAT OTTAWA ,65 were ordered to their positions; but the alarm was only caused by the victors in the ball game, whi a^ nounced their success by these discordant c^rs • It was early fn the morning of the* 9th of May - so early that the sun had not yet shot his go^ien arrows before him. as a signal that he was cf^ng from beyond the dark forests stretching for leagief back of the Ottawa village; so early i t alMhe settlements on the banks of Le De'troit were sUll wrapped m slumber. " The sky was cloudless, betokening the awakening of a perfect day ; the blue waters flowed on in ma!eT as they had flowed since the first dawn of their crei' "Th. V ?'^'^u ^?,''^"'^'' called by the habitants the Virgin's web; " a flight of gulls passed over the river; with joyous tranquillity Nature awaited the coming of her lover; the song-birds called to one mebd *"' *" '^^^ '° ^'^^' ^'"^ "^'^^ ^ ^""* o^ "How fair and beautiful is the world, even as if fresh from the hand of its Maker," exclaimed Father Fotier, as. occupied with the points of the pious medi- tation prescribed by the rule of his order, he walked beneath the blossom-laden trees of the mission or for .H. kT • ""^^ l^l "^^y '^' ^°^" '" the calendar for he blessing of the fields. In another hour he would begin the Mass in the chapel, and his red! skinned congregation would gather about him; but at present not a soul save himself seemed abroad on either shore, though, in the mission house. Brother Regis and Brother La Tour were already at work. Before long the good father finished his devotions for the nonce, but still he lingered, lost in thought i66 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT beneath the blooming apple trees. His mind was troubled about his people. The history of Pontiac's visit to the fort with the sixty warriors, and his anger at findmg the English prepared and wary, had created much excitement in the vicinity of the mission ; for he Ottawa chief was seeking by both promises and threats to induce the Hurons to join his conspiracy. On the day before (Sunday), therefore. Monsieur Potier had preached to them most earnestly upon the blessings of peace, and significantly warned them that vengeance was not to be taken upon guiltless individuals for the injustice inflicted by a govern- moit; that massacre was not war, but murder. Ihe heart of the missionary was filled with a deep pity for the aborigines. Daily he prayed that their wrongs might be righted; yet he was far-seeing enough to discern that even should Pontiac succeed in driving the strangers from the Country of the Lakes, It would be only for a time. Sagacious and clever as was the chief, he could not permanently re- sist the power that had sent the redcoats into the wil- derness. He might slaughter the garrisons from Michilimackinac to Niagara and deluge the land with blood, but from this seed there would arise new soldiers, even as in the old fable armies were said F°tSrp'r"u^ ""Pu^'T '^^ '°^" ^^^g°"'« teeth. Father Potier knew that the Ottawa's scheme, bold and brilliant as it was, meant only ultimate misery to the warriors at the strait, suffering, peril, and destitution for the women and children. He was resolved to keep from this misery those who would listen to his words; the Hurons of his mission who had been en- ticed away from the north by the Sieur de Cadillac; the redmen whose ancestors had greeted " Le Pgre Marquette " with " the heart's right hand of welcome." 1 THE GREAT OTTAWA 167 Yes he. Pierre Potier, the Black Robe, was their friend, their father, and he would save them if he could. Thus he continued to devise how he could best insure their welfare, when suddenly a footfall almost beside him caused him to stop short in his walk: and as he turned abruptly he beheld, well-nigh at his elbow an Indian maiden. * •; Catherine ! " he exclaimed in astonishment, recog- nizing the girl as the Ojibwa whose sweet voice had until recently led his mission choir, and was as the notes of the thrush in a chorus of woodland birds Catherine, you have come early for the services • see. it IS not yet sunrise. But why is it. my child', that you have absented yourself of late from the holy Mass and Vespers, that you no longer join with your sisters in singing the praises of the good " Oh, my father, do not reproach me," cried the girl, throwing up her hands and swaying to and fro in sorrowing fashion. "I have indeed had a bad heart, — an evil flame has burned in my breast I have had revengeful thoughts and prayed wicked prayers. I have forgotten your teaching, and raised my voice in incantations to the heathen gods of my people. But I have been greatly punished, my father I have been beaten with rods, -I, the daughter of a chief I have been humbled before the man in whose eyes I would fain appear with most favor And now I am come to you, my father, to acknowl- edge my fault." " Go. then, and kneel on the step of the chapel, daughter. Brother La Tour will open the door be- times. Prepare to confess with the other penitents before the Mass," said the priest gently, i68 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " Black Robe, I will do so ; but as the friend of the poor Indian, listen now also." she entreated, falline on her knees at the feet of the missionary. •• My father the Indian girl has a heart of fire; to her the white man appears as a god." Father Potier sighed and raised his eyes to Heaven How often he had heard the story; how tirelessly had he striven to keep the lambs of his fold within the boundaries of the mission villages; how rejoiced he was when the forest maidens married with the warriors of their own or the neighboring tribes! "A Frenchman has won your love, my daughter?" he asked. " Tell me his name, and I will speak to Father Bocquet, who will see to it that your marriage IS duly solemnized." ^ " No, no, Black Robe," she murmured, with a chok- ing sob, crouching lower and clasping her shoulders with either hand, so that her arms formed a cross upon her breast. " It is not a Frenchman; it is one of the strangers." " Then, giri, you must tear this love from your breast as though it were a viper," exhorted the priest with vehemence. "The English marry not with the Indian, as do the French sometimes. Strangle this viper love, or 'tis your own soul it will feed upon." " My father, I cannot. It is the white chief at the fort whom 1 love." Father Potier's start of surprise was scarcely per- ceptible, yet it did not escape the acute senses of the Indian. "Yes. the yellow-haired, pale-faced commandant. 1 love him as the summer loves the west wind. I love him more than man was ever loved before. But the Holy Virgin folded me in her fair white mantle; she THE GREAT OTTAWA 169 held her holy veil before my heart, though I was un- worthy. He does not know the fierceness of my love. The glance of *he forest maiden is keen as the eyes of Pawpawsay, tu woodpecker. I soon came to hate a French dem..iselle, because upon her the paleface chief bestows the love which to me would be more precious than many bracelets of silver, more than many strings of silver half-moons and necklaces of wampum beads, more than all the jewels in the crown of the English King. Report came to me of a plan by which my people hoped to rid the country of the red-clad dogs who have stolen the hunting-grounds of our warriors. I thought I would go to the English chief and warn him. Then the vipers in my heart aroused themselves. ' Fool,' they hissed, ' the Eng- lish chief does not love you ; let him die with the rest.' " The girl buried her face in her hands. Father Potier waited patiently. Presently she raised her head, and continued in a harder tone, — "I went to this demoiselle whom the white chief loves To torture her I told her something of the plot, but not enough to permit her to save her lover. I knew too, that being a French girl, she could do nothing' since if she tried to warn him by word or signal the anger of Pontiac would fall upon her. I saw' her tremble and grow pale with fear. Then I sped away in my boat, my beloved ' Nedjemon.' She called after me in her proud white beauty that she wanted him not for her lover. I hated her more than ever at the moment; to think she so lightly cast away, as though It were ' apukwa,' a bullrush, the love I would have prized more than ' Ketegawn,' a blooming gar- den. I laughed at her. She besought me to tell him iiil /-pwsa 170 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT what I knew, saying, if I did so. she would pray God to give me much love r la..„i,-j ^ ^ ^ The girl looked up into the face of the priest It c^..er ur. tjz ,ih„tT, ota: of savage revenge. Ang^hque stood forth swee InH ^or counsel, had da„d after ,U ^3^^ n^ °o " But the last words of the demoiselle ..^h^j ■ 2 ears, n,y father," pursued the Sn uf^s^'i my charms and incantations, and prayed to the Great Spmt whom I had forgotten. The Master of I.1?i took p,ty on me. He sint the Holy WeS to Li' • tJ^r. -■"^""••ed thevipe^tmXrt She T^e fi" "i*" "P"" "^ """"e head, upon my breasY flai":f";rcW;:„t"v?"™"°™^'*"*« heart to be .'voXl oSg iife^l t"h "t' ""? silver hung before the sS i , . '"""' °' knowing tfe love^'f-^hf^e ch rrl^ne'vt Te -rrhKrer tre^r-*^ ^- -^^^ Fa*e:V^«:r.''' ""' '"■ "'^ '""'e''ter," queried toI^!,'r"r" °^ "'f-P'^ervation caused the eirl to peer cautio- y around in all directions. iLfpt THE GREAT OTTAWA »7« for the twittering of the birds, the orchard was absolu dy qu.et; upon every side extended the sh^rt grass hke a carpet, and she could see beneaVh ever^ ree. Cran.ng her neck, she looked up among th^ lurking anywhere about.^ she ttt Le^tLe"," Satisfied that no one was listening, she sorana to her feet, and answered in a tense whifper J^^ '"^ *^ IcnJ'l'f^"^ ^°^'' ^ *°'^ '^^ commandant all I stockad. T. '''"'" ^' ^^^ ""' '^^'^ outside the lie a b?;d y •' ^"' \^'''' P^'" •" "^y heart. bu\ like a bird smging in the wood, there was w.>K «. a gladness that I had spoken." *^* ""^ l,o?'I;^'' u^:, u' N^^^^"i«. then went on to relate how she had been apprehended, accused of having betrayed the scheme of Pontiac, and dragged beforf ^vTe^^'l"'/" "f •" ^^^^^ condemned to Heath by the man she loved. And how then, to her amaze ment the commandant had declared it was not fmm her that he had learned of the dark de^Hf P^t and thereupon the Ottawa, after beating her on the head with his ball stick, set her free, desoii the damor o the warriors, not daring to reck iis vengeance u^^^^^ f. ^ J^^^ '^^ commandant had said. ^ lo Major Gladwin I owe my life. Black Robe " he concluded. " but he spoke falsely to shield m; It was Catherine the Ojibwa who warned hS, and when Pontiac discovers this I shall be put rdeaSi T will be a just punishment of my wickedness I am^come to ask the forgiveness of the M^rr'of What a wild tale it was. ranging through the gamut of human passions. Yet Father Potier could not 172 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT but marvel at the victory the Indian girl had achieved over her own fierce nature. He saw rewarded, in such manner as earth could reward, his years of patient and often apparently fruitless toil among the savages The gentle lessons of Christianity had triumphed ; in a spirit of renunciation and atonement as sublime as any he had ever witnessed, Catherine the Ojibwa had not only risked her life to save a man who did not love her, but was ready to yield it up in atone- ment for her sin of hatred and revenge. Could peni- tence approach more nearly to perfection? The girl must not be permitted to sacrifice herself. Yet on the other hand, Angdlique's secret must be carefully guarded. Remorseful as Nedawniss now was, should passion once more gain the mastery of her nature what might she not do? If by any chance her sus- picion should turn upon CuiUerier's daughter, might she not betray the girl to the Ottawas? " Catherine," began the missionary, " God would be angered were you to throw away your life and I doubt not, when this emotion is past you will wish to avail yourself of all just means to preserve it You have no right to say that the commandant did not speak the truth." "Could it have been the demciselle who told him? " exclaimed the Indian abruptly. It was a critical moment. "You have said, my child, that you did not tell the demoiselle enough of the p^t to render possible the chance that she might reveal it," observed the priest quietly. „nn Jfi!" i^ Tu^m''*'" ' ^°' '■°'* *^°"Sh he fawns upon the English like a tan* fox, I believe he hates them in his heart." she continued. "Or do you think It was Mahigan the Ottawa, my father? Ma- THE GREAT OTTAWA X '73 higan is dead. This morning he fought with Wasson on the bluff, and Wasson stabbed him." "Mahigan the Ottawa is dead?" echoed Father Potier. " Of a surety they cannot say it was not Mahigan." If Nedawniss was bent upon fixing the charge upon some one, surely it would do no great harm to a dead man. " Daughter, accuse neither yourself nor any one else of this," added the priest. "Pontiac is not like to have you again apprehended. If he does, show him this sacred symbol; say I gave it to you and bade you tell him to send for me before he dare condemn you. Although not a Christian, he will respect my signet, lest the Almighty God send ven- geance upon him." As he spoke, the missionary took from the breast of his black robe a crucifix, which he placed in the hands of the girl. "Now go, Catherine," he said; "collect your thoughts, that presently the peace which is above all earthly happiness may comfort your troubled heart." The Indian sped away as silently as she had come • and anon. Monsieur Potier saw her kneeling in devo- tion on the step of the forest sanctuary, as was the custom among her people. Other women joined her there; dusky children and a few braves followed; and soon old Brother La Tour came out of the mission house, and went down the walk to open the door of the chapel. Over the primeval woods the sun rose in unveiled splendor; the swivel gun upon the water bastion of the fort boomed forth its wonted salute; the drums beat the reveille, and, at the same moment from both il 174 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Father Potier uncovered his head, and repeated in a low tone the prayer they chanted. ThenT passed beyond the orchard, to minister to his httSr^ gation in the rude log church. ^ ^ CHAPTER FOURTEENTH THE ENVOYS OF PEACE A^fn^J'^u" ^^'^'' ^^"" ^^'^^' Potier invoked u J ^[' ""''°"' ^"^ th« neighboring tribes an abundant harvest, on the northern shfre of Le Anne s led a procession of the French over the ee?thrtTmi.t'' M^'^f^ °" *^^ "^^^ --« seea, tuat it might yield a thousand-fold. Scarcely had the townfolk returned from these exercises, when the common behind the fort w^ Pontile. '^"°^'* ^* *^"''" ^^^^d ^^ to thesentfn\'k^'*^^ '"^ ™' ^"^ "^^ P^°P^^'" ^^ <^"-ed with thl K i ' r/'^ "^"'^ *° ^o^d ^ great council w Mhe E^ntltnt'^ ? ^^""^"^ -y friendship smoVe':f^thf c^^^^^^^^^^^ ^" "^^ ^^^"- *° -«" th? .n!!!^"!.''^.^!'^'*'"^^'^^ ^"^ «*»0"ted, Major Gladwin »,.« I- • , ^ ^^^. ^"^ "^y *^"*" w'th half a score of h.s principal warriors, but I will not have this red herd ins.de the palisade." said the officer to his i4trrp^^^^^^^^ •^A^d r" r^*!^.^*"^-"-^ the proud Ottawa f« ;/ "^ ^^'^^JO'ned, with a threatening gesture av'to the' vT'rT' "'° y°"' C»^-- L- Bu«e! say to the chief of the redcoats that all my warrior^ r 176 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT While Th;« b^'°"ged to my fathers." wnue these momentous events were har.r^-«• before the stockade, at the " cflte du n^ d " A„S"uf MaSe'"defRuLfar,„d t' '" "^^ ""^" ""^ were absent. ^^^Z'Z:;fZT:Z£/L°Z ^tuwT"' '" "r P"«y "-O beyond a'lth b^rrpM^rtrad^rr Z" '"" "■ '"^ """ '^ bt^'bXrt r^ ^"-"h-^;: St!™ Metai sho^uwtrk ove^L^Slt^^""^ °' *' Angfhque was a child of the wildprni.cc .he summoned her resourced kr a dffilult Mle "' -^ THE ENVOYS OF PEACE 177 She dared not hide away in her Uh1« 1 stood so perfectlv fh^ nJ t ^^^^^?^^^f ' who under- "cochon 'af 1:11^ tuc'lg ^^ "\f ^'^^"^^ flower seeds gathered ii^the Autumn ' '°''' *^" planted; and all this she mLf J "^^'^ *° ^« h.s sixty .^rriors sweep back dow„ L °""" *"'' :?v;r„e^'^xr'^''''''''^^-*'^^^^^^^^ ^:°rs^X:.t;rf-Fsf-^^^^ scheme against the fort^ i ''"". ''»"«'' '" "><=!' had beenV:* 'n'tite.' a^^ hrheSt'L?'"'*'" or th:t™cr Si^h't"^'' '° ^°^^*" 0:°; her, andr; Wm^het^ildXt r'p' T' "'* forward to a new era of ^^,,? J* ^™'='' '<'°'''<' next day the sra shonrK"^ l? '^'' ^ °^'™''- The ij f 1 'I 178 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT awful night in the loft when she had heard the Great Chief talking to her father. While vowing her harvest of flowers to the good Ste. Anne as a thankoffering for the fete of the saint in July, she sang to herself snatches of a song brought by the French across the seas, even as the stately pear tree whose praises she rehearsed had been brought from a famous orchard m Normandy, — " Par derrier chez mon phre, — Vole mon coeur, vole, Par derrier chez mon p^re I ya-t-un pommier douz. Tout doux, I ya-t-un pommier. "Les feuilles en sont vertes,— Vole mon coeur, vole, Les feuilles en sont vertes, Et le fruit en est doux, Tout doux, Et le fruit en est doux. Vole mon coeur, vo — " As r' , knelt upon the ground, patting the soil above the seeds of her carnations and china asters as though they were her little brothers and sisters, and she was tucking them into their soft beds, the girl's heart was in tr :th ready to fly away with happiness, to fly to the lover whom she loved, whoever this for- tunate personage might be. But at the last words of the chanson she rose to her feet, brushed the earth from her hands as a bird might flutter its wings, and, tossing back her head, trolled the "vole mon coeur" with the joyousness of the meadow lark. The final "vole," however, died upon her lips, as the sweet notes die in the throat of the lark when the sportsman's shot pierces its little singing breast. For r\ r\ THE ENVOYS OF PEACE ,79 at this moment there burst upon the air of the tran- quil afternoon a horrible din and tumult from the dZV'^""' f°^' ' "^°°P'"S as of a horde of demons broken loose. Running to the river edge she looked toward the town. The prairie was black with people who from their yells must be savages ^k"'^ '^ the frightened giri fled to the house, where dre'n °an"d th^P '^"■""•"' ''^"^^ J°-"<^' ^^^ '^S- Untn' TV ^'" "^T"" ^' ^^^••'"^d ^ herself, ^et L h K•?^'^T^*^^^"^ '■^j°'^'"g^ continued, ^r^h'a^ht'S^^la^c': '''' ^^""^^"^^ - ••^--" All n.ght long from her window in the loft of the Cmllener home Ang€lique watched the Indian camp- fires on the southern bank of the river, and heard 71. "V^' '"'' ^^'^^ proclaimed Ihat the war dance was bemg performed in the Ottawa village When toward morning she fell asleep upon a p l7on the floor of the dormer, the whole bizarre picture rose before her in a dream as once she saw^it as a chjld. when earned into the redmen's camp by her ur.nntu-^^^ ^^^^^"^ '^^ "^''^^^ ^^^^'•k warriors seated upon their mats, and so hideous that they looked the mcarnate spirits of evil. She saw Pontiac leap into Z centre of the ring, waving his tomahawk and Imp! mg upon the ground, as he chanted his past exploits and swore to exterminate the English. Now the warriors closed in about him. They caught his wHd mood; oneafter another joined in the dance. ccHng rurd"er"'' ^'' '^^^^ ^^^'"- -^ ^^-^ wis^hinl"^^^''il^'^"^^'''?"' "^°^^ ^" ^ ^'•^"^or of fear, wishing she had not closed her eyes. Turning hei^ gaze once more to the window, she saw with dismay i8o THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT that during her sleep, brief as it was, a change had taken place in the aspect of the banks of the strait The inhabitants of the Ottawa village were crossing the river, evidently with the intention of erecting their arbor-like lodges at the mouth of the creek, hard by the house of Baptiste M€loche. "Juste ciel, so the redskins have come to live among us," she exclaimed a quarter of an hour later, as she made her appearance in the hearthroom, where Dame Cuillerier was directing a Pani woman in the preparation of the morning meal. " Yes, truly, and fine neighbors they will make for the young wife of Monsieur M^loche," replied the dame, in French of course. " Poor woman, she will wish them farther away, even though her husband and the chief are such fast friends." While it was still early, the Pani boys brought in word that the Indians were gathering in a great horde, and suddenly a war-whoop arose from the plain and re-echoed from the woods and waters. Not only the Ottawas, but the Pottawattomies, Ojibwas, and dis- affected Hurons had joined in the assault. Ang^lique rushed again to the gate. The air above he fort was thick with flying arrows ; at intervals the swivel guns upon the eastern bastion with a lion-like roar belched forth flame and sent their fiery balls among the enemy, but with what effect it was impos- sible to judge. After some hours, the din of the conflict ceased, and about mid-afternoon, Tante Josette descried three masculine figures trudging sturdily up the road. " Madame I Ang^lique !" she called, " who are these Frenchmen coming from the town?" In a trice Angelique was beside her, to watch them with her younger eyes. THE ENVOYS OF PEACE ,8, "They are my sister's husband, U Butte. lacouM Godefroy and Clotilde's father, th^ old sur^on "\he announced, and straightway hurried down the gjen r'eturn^d.^"'"' *' "'"""' "'* "■«"" '"' ?««""/ " Bon jour, Madame Cuillerier," began Maior Cha poton, "we have come to the cflt^ atX reoue,^ oT Monsieur Gladwin to arrange a peace with Po" iac "th rhrotula"""," *'= '■'■P °f Antoine's .nfluer^' ' -A . ^ ■ "• ^'y°'" eood man within ? " in /. 1 " ""'• ■"^J"'"'" "•'joined 'a bonne mire ma tone that said she highly disapproved thrab: sence of ner spouse. "He took his gun yesterday and went mto the woods after saying hf didC know ^ZZ^^ " T" ^ '^'y- B"t be seated mo* sieur, and you also, La Butte and friend Godefrov Hows Dame Clotilde? The ' petit enfant Ms thriv: ing, I am sure I Plain have I seen in him from th. first a look of his grandsire, although oreantell at " ^^'i""-*^' •« « J«ques Godefrt/s b"y " "* Thanks, dame, but I fear we cannot delav " nr„ tested^defroy awkwardly, as their hostess raSed'^^T Maircye":!: "'"*" °^" *' co-tenance:"- a h^rjt":""^^^'- ^"^ y" •>«" » zealous " A frrlrt??^"^"?'" '^' "»""'■«' ■nockingly. A friend to them I am not at all, madams " K. IT'k^/ 1* ™''^'"^"«- "It is bCseTc'ouU not ab.de the atrocities of the savages yesterdav «.atyou see me willing to essay the f^t Tftice': ing™;'ored^:„rjor«: *?. 'w" t"- -t that when Ltiac visiud^"^; Glad^nT t^t from h.s speech bag a belt of white wampTm ilTd ^^ I II i8a THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT sented it to the commandant. Thereat Major Glad- wm was angered, and, catching hold of the bag. drew from It a red wampum belt, whose presence there was a token understood among his warriors that the white belt meant war. and not peace." "Eh bien, you have the gist of the matter," said r *?"**i?' ''T°'^^y^^^ «-edmen set fire to the hut ,] mT"^'^^ ^^'"^'^ ^^° pastured her cows and sold milk upon the common. Having murdered her, together with her two sons, they went to the Isle au Cochon and slew the settler Fisher and his wife: you thTrnr.?K ■"*'*' ^^' ^'^'hile since, sergeant at the tort. The woman they would have spared, 'tis said, for she was yourig and comely, but she pitcously bewailed the death of her husband, and almost thrust herself beneath their tomahawks." "A strange tale is being repeated, too," chimed in Godefroy, in an awed undertone, as he crossed him- self and glanced over his shoulder, as if he half hf.^"*" V.^- *'^^°l'* ^" apparition standing behind him. Pettier, who lives across the strait and is married to an Ottawa woman, - Pettier went over to the island, hastily buried the dead, took the two children to the fort, and gave their nurse-maid as a servant to his squaw. Later, going again to the place, with horror he beheld the hands of the mur- dered man thrust out of the earth, as though in entreaty. He covered them, but when he returned past the spot they were once more thrust forth Then he knew the poor wretch was pleading for Christian burial, so in great fear he went and brought Father Potier. who blessed the grave, and now the unfortunate farmer rests in peace." This gruesome history was received by the women with expressions of consternation. THE ENVOYS OF PEACE 183 '• That is not all," said Major Chapoton. " Des- noyer brought in news this morning that the savages have slam the English officers who went up to the river Ste. Claire to sound for a channel deep enough to permit them to send their schooner up to Michili- mackinac. Also, the Sauteurs from the shores of the Bay of Saginaw are on the war-path, and com- ing to join Pontiac. I love the English no better than my friend Godefroy here; but since we are bound to keep peace with them. I think it the part of honorable Frenchmen to prevent their being mas- sacred. Moreov-r," he continued, turning to Ang^- lique, "madero .selle, you know the White Fawn the adopted c ild of the Cabaciers at the red mill below the fo.c, the maiden who has s'- aptivated Captain Campbell that he is minded to m. / her not- withstanding her dash of Indian blood?" " Yes, yes ; as sweet a demoiselle as any to be found at Le Detroit. And she has given her heart to the captain, too," responded Mademoiselle Cuil- lerier. " I would almost forget she is of the Indian race, she is so fair, and so well taught in thrifty ways by Dame Cabacier." There is one who has not forgotten her Ottawa blood," replied- the surgeon sadly ; " the chief Was- son, who wanted her for his bride. Enraged that the White Fawn would not accept his savage love, he turned his anger against the maiden. This morning she was found on the prairie, killed by an Indian tomahawk. Wasson is named as the assassin, and It is said he alleges 't was she who thwarted the design of Pontiac by revealing to her lover the plot whereby the Ottawa hoped to gain possession of the fort. Angllique could not repress a start, and the color II 1 84 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT faded from her face. Had Mathurine died for this She covered her face with her hands, for before her Zh ^^"Ju" '^"^ P'"'"''^ °^ ^« White Fawn lying dead upon the meadow. ^ ^ kneJ^hetir"/'"'' .'*~''' **"l *° J"»*^^y '>'"»»«'f; he La Bu?./ T '^"r"i °f Pon'iac'» scheme." said sh^^'wa. '* '^°"8^^' h^^'^^ver. that when attacked, Camn^i. ? ^K ' ^*y ;° ^" ^«^' t° ^^rn Captain sa?Z h! .^T'' °^ ^*''°"- Thus she may be "avenla..':? '^'1'";"*^"'°""- ^"^««« "^^^dens already les beneath the flower^otted sod of the praine. birds to be released with kisses and caresses by these forest sisters when they begin to sinTth^t wmgmg their way to the spirit land^ they may bear ^vuT '^^ '°"^ ""^ ^^ J°"*^ Mathurine." th bien, my friends, we must be going," declared M^or Cbapoton, starting to his feet. Madame CuiUerier had scarce begun to lament anew the absence of her lord, when who hould sdf Tfv' ""^^^ ?' house^oor but Antoine him- Si n,^ "Tl ^"""'' ^" "Sreed to accompany the party, and they set out forthwith. ^ AltZJ^^'T. i''" '^\*^''" ""^°y^ '^t"r"«d with Antome. La bonne m^re. with the assistance of her slave wo^en. had ready for them an excellent supper and Ang€l,que helped Xante Josette to wait upon the SthTflt"^ 'k ''^ French-Canadian c'listom While thus flitting about, she gathered from the con- versation that Pontiac had replied by fair messages to the commandant, and sent a splendid peace-pipe to Captain Campbell, asking him to go to the Ind an camp and treat with him and his warriors. THE ENVOYS J¥ PEACE ,gj ^^o„"'»l""'"^u °?''''^°>'- ^ ^"««' »"«' »h« old «ur- Bcon were ,n high spirits over the success of their n .„,0D the demoiselle ncted that Cuillerie took ■ttle pat in the clamor of their Creole voices Did hr k^o. this plan to be another .ubterfuBTrshe^c'uW not believe so. She remembered how, durine Pon- tiac . midnight visit to the hearthroom, her heart had SloTd ofT?''''^ "" "■V"'""' " ">« Great v-nief told of their wrongs. But again she saw the A tl^h'^h"'?'"'"? ' "asteryo^ver the mndof Antome by hi. flatteries and false promises, lulling hiscon cience even as a snake charms and deaden! the will po- ,r of its victim, and coil, itself "bo" fte unhappy ,a„, for whom there is then no escaw No ; Pontiac was not -incere in his apparent readine'; to cement a peace. What was that? The OtS„" had appointed this veor house as the place for the Cl"^ ^T:" "" ""™" ""^ CapWn CampbSr should not; no, clever as he ^ he a mrl m„.! once more ^ to outwit him. ; «/u,d S clt age, had she not heard Father Potier say that God sometimes sets the weak to confound the strong? CHAPTER FIFTEENTH A NOBLE GENTLEMAN "IVr^ ^^^^ '* ^^^^' *"^ the air of the room J-VA stifles me. I will go out and walk in the twilight," whispered Angelique to Tante Josette. As she slipped away, "cette ch&re tante" and Dame Cuillerier exchanged glances of smiling sig- nificance. Perchance Jasmin de-Joncaire awaited a tSte-^-t^te with the demoiselle upon the strand; or . mayhap, if Robishe Navarre was able to get outside the stockade, he had come in his canoe to take her upon the river. The two older women had noticed with satisfaction that of late the young Frenchmen were again in favor. Gladwin was not liked in the Cuillerier house- hold ; and though the Scotchman, James Sterling, at one time stood in the good graces of "la bonne m^re," the latter acknowledged that she would prefer for a second son-in-law a man bred in New France, as was La Butte, the husband of her older daughter. There- fore, when Tante Josette repeated to her the girl's excuse, she answered, — " ' La pauvre petite,' no wonder her feelings are overwrought after the dreadful tales we have heard this day. The evening air will soothe her, and if a neighbor's son appears to turn her thoughts to oth? r themes, so much the better." Meanwhile Angelique had passed beyond the pali- sade that surrounded the house, and, avoiding the rm^sss^^mm^^sfum^i^fiM. .■<,\ ■ A NOBLE GENTLEMAN 187 river road, had entered upon a by-path leading through the fields. At first she strolled as if aim- lessly, but, when well away from the vicinity of her home, screened by the deepening twilight, she began to run. True, she was a French girl, and the Indians were friendly with her people, yet she knew well that when the fighting spirit of the savage is aroused, there is no telling against whom it may next turn. At any moment a dark form might spring up from the long dry grass of the prairie, which had re- mained uncut for many seasons; a relentless hand with knife or tomahawk might mete out to her the fate of the gentle White Fawn. If there had been time to consider all this, perchance her resolution might have failed. But a woman is brave by impulse ; hers is not the calm, cool intrepidity of the mind, but rather the ardent courage of the heart, — a courage which finds its strength in self-forgetfulness. One thought possessed the brain of Angelique as she ran on, faster and faster, for by this time La Butte, Godefroy, and Major Chapoton must have started on their return to the fort. She must arrive before them with her warning, otherwise Captain Campbell niisled by their representations, false, although offered in all sincerity, would go out with them to meet Pontiac on the "cdte du nord-est." Now she was almost at the stockade; the lights in the houses of the town glowed softly beyond the pickets. Suddenly she stopped short and hid behind a bush; she had caught the sound of some one approaching. Was it an Indian? Her heart seemed to stand still with apprehension. In another moment a stalwart soldierly figure strode past her place of concealment, and she recognized Cap- tain Campbell himself. =«' ^"^ rt^h^. 1 88 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT He was walking with head bowed and arms folded across h,s breast, his whole air betokening a deep d^ jection, all the more marked in one ufuallv iLw hearted and genial. An exclamation Leto her t" He looked up quickly, and his hand mechanicaUv went to h,s sword. But when she stepped ou? from behmd the laurel shrub, he dropped the blade aeata mto .ts scabbard, and fell back a pace or two ^ Jl^^^^T ""l' *' S"' "O" » frock of lieht. a^H L, T°" ''f- "^''^ '■" 'he dusk looked white and gave her perhaps an unearthly appearance Tshe ofX Wh- " f •"'*• •-"' •"= *i"k herthel rit strfd^ft was^relTtr"'^-- ^** '*» "' *- ishZt" h^:'LT';at' r^'- - "'°"- alone on the ^^ \^ .f CndX Z foTtf tXrzirz F^"* r'"^'' ""- "een tbtrde: to let any of the French go in or out, but I will pass you and give you a written order that will enrWe v^ to re urn to the cdte when you chooseT '^ " No, Captain Campbell, I am not going to the town a Is tt Se-;. stfL^eTer^- '° -""'^ ^ ^^' •'For my sake ? " he repeated sadly. Yes, my good friend." Thereupon she told him of the envoys who had re- turned m high feather from Pontiac's camp becaus^ " Ha T H '^^',^^^"'"g t° treat with the warriors. Ha, I have always had the good will of t'le red men" exclaimed the captain, Jth a d^h of 1 ofd" spint, except indeed of the black-hearted W^sonl" f^.^MmmMm^p A NOBLE GENTLEMAN 189 He clenched his hands, and his face hardened. " I shall be rejoiced to extricate the gallant Major Glad- win from an awkward predicament." " No, no, you must not listen to the envoys " en- treated Ang^lique. " Like many others, monsieur, I look for the time when the fleur-de-lis will wave agam over the stockade yonder. But, I said to my- self, this good Captain Campbell has ever been pleasant and kind to me. He has not been harsh either to the French or the Indians ; the Ottawa chief will cheat my father and his friends; he will cheat you, monsieur le capitaine. I am only a foolish demoiselle, but I feel this in my heart." With grateful emotion Campbell heard the plead- mgs of the girl, who had come alone across the prairie to put him on his guard. "Mademoiselle," he said, a bit unsteadily, "from my soul I thank you for your brave friendship which led you at the risk of danger to yourself to come to tell me this. I shall always remember it with the live- liest gratitude. But a soldier must take chances of peril in order to achieve important ends." " Oh, do not go to the council," she persisted, in excitement. " If you do, it will be but to fling away your life." ' " Again I thank you," he returned, and presently added, with fierce bitterness, "My life! What if Pontiac and his warriors do take it ? Have they not deprived me of the only object that could make a continued existence in this desolate country tolerable to me .' Condemned by military duty to spend my best years in the wilderness, I sought to conciliate it^ wild inhabitants, and also to make friends of the gentle little creatures of the forest; the hares and squirrels, the bi.ds and young fawns. This w-s no ■'T" 190 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT pursuit for a soldier, perhaps, but sometimes a soldier wearies of strife and wars ; because of the very stern- ness of his trade he loves the relaxations of peace. " One day in the early autumn, passing down by the Spring Wells, I was overtaken by a heavy storm. During the rain, the thunder roared like a battery of artillery, the lightning played about me. With a crash it felled a tree, not many rods from where I walked upon the open plain. The next thing I knew a white man was bending over me. Before many minutes I was sufficiently recovered to seek with him the shelter of his home, the red mill. By the hearth- fire stood a girl, the embodiment of the mysterious, captivating beauty of this region. Her appealing hazel eyes, the brown tint of her hair, showed that she was a child of New France; only the deep flush of her cheek proclaimed her also a daughter of the forest. After that day, I often went to the red mill. My heart was stirred by Mathurine's shy welcome. I grew to love her. At first I thought only of how her timid affection cheered my solicitude. I had always fancied my bride would be some sweet English girl. Yet, what woman accustomed to the comforts of civilization would be content in this re- mote place, even were she willing to follow me here ? A French girl would be too loyal to the fleur-de-lis to love an Englishman. But the White Fawn, whose heart was pure as the forest spring, I would make her my wife and find happiness in her caresses. Forgive me, mademoiselle, I have taxed your patience with this tale, but you have a warm heart, and when a man IS stricken with affliction, the sympathy of a good woman soothes and strengthens him." Without speaking, Angelique impulsively laid her firm young hand for a moment on the captain's arm. A NOBLE GENTLEMAN 191 She had often said to herself that it was well to be neighborly with the strangers, and no great harm to coquet with them a little ; but to marry among them would not be fitting for a Cuillerier de Beaubien, a niece of the commandant De Bellestre. Neverthe- less, she knew of more than one pretty Canadienne of Le Detroit who would have listened kindly to the suit of the agreeable captain. Still, no doubt pretty Mathurine of the mill would have pleased him best, and Angelique was conscious of a deep pity for the strong man who was withal so kind, and who had loved the White Fawn with so tender and honorable a love. "But," he went on, "you have heard, mademoi- selle, how the Sauteur chief dared to raise his eyes to Mathurine, thinking to make her his squaw and drag her down to savagery ? How, because she would not heed his wooing, he murdered her upon the prairie ? " The captain broke off abruptly — almost overcome. " As Wasson killed the White Fawn, so he would destroy you, monsieur le capitaine," faltered An- gelique. "Whatever comes, I must meet the warriors to- night," rejoined Campbell steadfastly. " If this Sau- teur is there, I will charge him with the murder of . the girl, who traced her lineage from the tribe of Pontiac. I will demand of the chief the punish- ment of this criminal in the name of his own nation. He dare not refuse it. As for myself, I am willing to lay down my life if to do so would insure the suprem- acy of the standard of St. George over Fort Pont- chartrain. Mademoiselle, I need not ask you to pardon the loyalty of a soldier to his cause." Angelique saw with dismay that she could not dis- A' pt '■X:' 192 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT suade him from this desperate expedition. His last words, moreover, droused in her the antagonism of her people against the conquerors, and she was about to make a sharp retort when the sound of voices an- nounced the approach of a number of men along the river road. " Listen I " she cried, with a finger on her lips. "That is Jacques Godefroy," said the captain carelessly. "Yes," whispered the girl, "the envoys are coming now. I beg you once more, do not go with them." For answer, the captain took her hands in his, and pressed them in thankfulness for the service she sought to render, him. But as she hurried away across the prairie, he shook his head, and walked toward the road to meet the Frenchman. Major Gladwin was reluctant that his first officer should go to treat with Pontiac. Unfortunately, the garrison depended largely on the Indian hunters for their supplies of meats; the stores sent from Niagara were getting low, the fort was in no condition to stand the threatened siege. He therefore at last yielded his consent, and the cap- tain set out, accompanied by a junior officer. Lieu- tenant McDougal, and attended by La Butte, Major Chapoton, and Godefroy. As they passed through the town, Robishe Navarre, who had come in from the c6te, hailed the party, and said to Campbell, with tears in his eyes, " Monsieur, I pray you to abandon this enterprise ; even though • Pontiac may be acting in good faith, I doubt if he can control his warriors." But the feariess captain, whose spirit chafed like that of the war horse at the scent of battle, laughed : . 11 ,dr:zwm^^!:^^mmmiMJ^imm^: K-r- V' 'wm*^^?'%m^^^'^^^mi^ A NOBLE GENTLEMAN 193 caution to the winds, and pasned on with the others in the direction of Cuiilerier's house. As they drew nearer to the Indian camp, however, he reah'zed that he h9d been overrash, for a band of savages sprang up the steep bluff from the strand below, where they had landed from canoes, and attacked the party. This, assuredly, would have been an end of the expe- dition, had not the commanding form of Pontiac at that moment loomed up out of the darkness. In the tone of one who would brook no resistance of his authority, he ordered the braves to fall back, and they forthwith slunk away, like curs, before the lash of the master. " The English chief is come ; it is well," he said, saluting the captain with stately dignity. " Pontiac will hold the redmen in check ; the chief and his friends may go on in safety to the place of the council." When the officers with their companions arrived at the house of Cuillerier, they were greeted by the latter with an elaborate show of courtesy. So droll was his appearance that at another time the genial captain would have burst out a-laughin^:, for Antoine was arrayed in his parti-colored finery, as Ang^lique had once seen him, and looked not unlike a tame domestic fowl dyed and tricked out in bright plu- mage to imitate the bird of paradise. Scarcely were the party seated when a door, lead- ing to the pantry, was thrown open and a Pani woman entered with a tray of pewter mugs, each filled to the brim with home-brewed beer. After her came An- g^lique with a flagon ; and, beset as he was by serious anxieties. Captain Campbell started when he saw her. "Zounds, the girl must have run all the way home," he said to himself. • 13 :^STi^m- 194 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Such was indeed the case, yet being an hour in advance, she had gained time to compose herself. If the color glowed in her round cheeks more richly than usual, she showed in no other way that she had fled swiftly as a hare across the prairie. With a gay laugh, and a word of pleasantry for everyone, she passed around, refilling the cup of each man from the flagon. After a few moments, Antoine turned from Mr. Campbell to duly impress the young lieutenant with the dignity of the Bourgeois Cuillerier of Le Detroit. Ang^lique seized upon the opportunity to exchange a few words with the captain. " Why did you come? " she said reproachfully. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders, a gesture learned from the French. " I shall pray that no harm may follow your ob- stmacy," she continued, holding high the flagon to screen her features, as she poured the simple brew for him slowly. "It may be that all danger is averted, for Father Potier has brought back to their senses the most tractable of the Hurons by refusing them the sacraments if they lend their aid to any outbreak." Having given him this information, she passed on, and presently disappeared from the room. Before long Pontiac arrived, with his principal chiefs, Maka- tepehcit^, Panigwun, Chavoinon, Ninivois, chief of the Foxes, and Takee, of the bad band of Hurons. At once the gray eyes of Captain Campbell swept over the group, and involuntarily he half drew his rapier. Wasson the Sauteur was not witn them, however. ^ And now occurred a most extraordinary proceed- mg. Two young braves placed an armchair on the table, and, mounting upon the board, Antoine Cuil- A NOBLE GENTLEMAN »95 ener seated himself therein. I„ his tawdry state h. hel. ".u'^Tf representation of authority Neve^ theless the Indians saluted him with respeTt The two officers, Major Chapoton, La Butte and Godefroy stood at one side of the dark firTni. " wherein lay a heap of cold ashL LVh. i ^ f ' cotton wicks, floatfng in beUtt sm'oV'd Sd C'd fitfolb.. . It was a bizarre and cheerless picture, stepping out from among his followers P«nf:,^ sembly, and began to speak sends Monsieur de Bellestre back to us I nH " s'raTt'bdo"" '^'^" r- *^^"' ^^^' ^"« lanV"o? th^ bur o^ ^^ T *° '^" ^"g''^*^' "or to the French but to the redman. as they belonged to his fathers' The French are our brothers, and we will sLre with akeVthli'^v'"^ ";*' "^' ^"**^^ Ength rst take to the r sh.ps and go away, leaving Their euns and provBions for us, and the fort to the French T an their'' T^-"/or myself and for the chiefs of When the Ottawa leader had finished, little Cuil S^: ^i^' °^ -^ '""'^'-- i« sei'sz« ■ *«^^>*\'i^iWi-*v"i-.v®#:r ■' ■sw^.,^-? SWJ^-.c »■?„-!' ■It-ZSSBSW"'.:? 196 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " The wrath of the Indians smouldered like a hid- den fire. It threatened to break forth in a terrible flame, like the conflagrations that sometimes sweep over the prairies. But I, messieurs, I poured oil on the troubled waters," continued Antoine, getting hopelessly confused in his metaphors. " I dared not expect my friend Pontiac to be so lenient. All you have to do is to sail away peaceably, — to go down to the Lake of the English,^ or even to Montreal, if you will." " I thank you, Mr. Cuillerier, for whatever good offices you have done myself anci my compatriots," rejoined Captain Campbell, scarcely able to repress a grim smile. " But you do not know the English well if you think t^ey will so readily abandon what they have won in a fair fight. The soldiers of his Majesty George the Third never retreat, sir." "Bah!" exclaimed the little habitant, in disap- pointment, as he snapped his fingers in the face of the officer. " Your foolish old King must be crazier even than they say, if he'd have his people scalped rather than surrender a rotting stockade in the wilder- ness. As for retreating,' ma foi," he added, with a gleam of prophetic insight, dropping from the French into a dialect which he considered to be the Eng- lish tongue, " eef 'ees foolish Majestee's redcoats go not now, still will Antoine Cuillerier see them fly away gueek enough from Le Detroit, un jour; oui, sans doubt. Ha, ha, ha ! " Campbell disdained a reply to what he considered a preposterous prediction, but, turning to Pontiac and his warriors, he answered them with soldierly frankness and dignity, — " Chief of the Ottawas, you and your braves have 1 Ontario. 'sr; i A NOBLE GENTLEMAN 197 done well to trust in my wish to deal fairly witli you," he said. " It is well that you and the English should be friends. The English need the pelts and venison obtained by your hunters, while you need the hatchets, knives, guns, and cloth which we bring to the strait. What would you do without them, now that you are used to them? You would suffer and die. Is it not better to be at peace with those who bring you weapons and clothing? The King of France has forgotten you. Without our consent, the French can bring you nothing." The words of the captain were not without effect. The chiefs took counsel among themselves, and pres- ently Pontiac put to him questions regarding cer- tain points that he desired to have specified in the treaty. " Not being commandant of the fort, I cannot de- cide upon these matters," replied the captain. " Since it is growing late, I and my companion will return to the atockade. I will explain to Major Gladwin the terms you desire, and to-morrow I will bring you his answer." So saying, he strode across the room to depart, and Lieutenant McDougal followed. But Pontiac interposed his powerful figure between them and the door. "That cannot be," he said in his French patois. " My father will sleep to-night in the lodges of his red children." With a almness which compelled the admiration of his captors, the gallant captain drew back, and the junior officer strove to emulate his imperturba- bility. Nevertheless, despite the information Camp bell had received, it was with amazement that they found themselves prisoners. 1 198 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT -he captain shot an angry glance of inquiry at Cuillerier. The latter shrugged his shoulders, and spread out his hands in Gallic fashion, as though to say he was not to blame ; he had done what he could. From him Campbell looked toward the other French- men. Surprise and genuine chagrin were depicted upon their countenances. Plainly, they had not been par- ties to the ruse whereby the English officers had been snared. Major Chapoton and Jacques Godefroy pro- tested hotly that the gentlemen must be permitted to return to the fort, but Pontiac haughtily bade them be silent, and if they would themselves go free, to be off at once. " Go, my friends, ' said the captain curtly, " you do us no good by staying, and I depute you to carry the report of what has taken place to Major Gladwin." Downcast enough, they took leave of him. Pontiac, however, began to survey his captives with some uneasiness ; he had not decided where he would be- stow them for the night. After all, the English might regain the supremacy of Le Detroit, and in that con- tingency, he and his braves would fare better if they now showed Captain Campbell and his aide the con- sideration which white men paid to officers captured in war. To keep them among the savages would not be wise, for should the warriors chance to get at any English rum or French eau-de-vie, he could not re- strain them. No, the French must lodge and feed his prisoners, and he would see to it that they should have no opportunity to escape. '• My father, the Blue-Coat," he began, turning to Cuillerier. " As representative of his Majesty King I.ouis, I am forced to remain neutral in this ma:ter," said Antoine haltingly. '%.^-^mm''rZiMm ^m^^^- '^^ "II AHlii. . ^ A A NOBLE GENTLEMAN 199 Uncertain how Major Gladwin would act upon learning of the detention of the officers, he did not wish tr. ,3,: the enmity of the English by becoming the £■ ulcr of Fun'^ac's captives. H« c was an ur '.ooked-for turn of affairs. T..:- Otta^^'a chief glared at his old friend for a mo- ment. Then he said to his followers, — " Take the Englishmen to the house of Louis Cam- peau, near the little chapel on the bank of the river, and tell him the white chief is to be treated with all the respect due to so brave a warrior." By this time, Pontiac and his horde had the entire c6te so much in awe of their power that he com- manded the French at will. In any event, Campeau and his wife were disposed to receive the gentlemen kindly. When they arrived, no guard was stationed within doors, but a party of Indians camped outside. Dame Campeau and her Pani women had just pre- pared a neat apartment for the officers, however, when Pontiac entered the house. He promptly decided that it was too near the town, and accordingly had his captives removed to the home of Baptiste Meloche at Parant's Creek. " I am sorry you come to us perforce, monsieur le capitaine," said Baptiste, in his soft Creole French, as he greeted them, half an hour later. " But you are welcome to the best my house affords, and it will be better for you and your lieutenant to be with us than i * the village of the Indians." " We will do all we can to make your stay endur- able, not to say comfortable," added Meloche's young wife, with her bright smile. Her womanly sympathy went out to the white men, who had been so shrewdly tricked by the Ottawa, THE Kh^-iL^TY OF SC A k.B ^i)R« PgiLiC LIBRARY CHAPTER SIXTEENTH A DARING ADVENTURE ALTHOUGH Antoine Cuillerier and his compan- ion •' commer^ant voyageurs " of Le Detroit lived upon the " cdte du nord," or prairie extending along the margin of the river, they all had ware- houses within the palisade. Other traders had hab- itations in the town, the fronts of these buildings being taken up with stores and merchandise, while the dwellingrooms were in the rear, but under the same roof. Such was the log house of James Sterling; not so pretentious as some (ac^ ording to the simple pre- tensions of the forest settlement), yet commodious and well built, for the young merchant had prospered. Integrity was his motto ; he was as punctilious as to his reputation in matters of trade as was ever knight of old that there should be no stain upon his shield, as was ever chevalier of New France that no reproach should be cast upon his courage or honor. Accord- ingly, though a young man, he had attained a decided standing in the town, and possessed the respect of both the commandant and the people, while among the Indians he was known as " the paleface who neither cheats nor sells rum." In his fur-press were piled high the fine pelts of the beaver, the otter, and the silver fox, as well as the skins of the buffalo, lynx, bear, and wolf. These products of his barter with the aborigines he hoped to forward ■m- 20I I A DARJllG ADVENTURE by the next con^^y t6 fJiagara, whfe"n*\hey would be sent to England. ^ On the opposite side of his warehouse were to be seen the goods wherewith he bought the pre cious pelts, the iron implements and muskets, the blankets cotton cloth, and a few made garments in- tended for customers among the garrison; tinware, vermilion, ochre, indigo, and other pigments, besides quantities of bright-colored beads. Coin was scarce at Le Detroit, even at British headquarters; there was still less of it among the French, and to the savages its use was entirely unknown. Therefore almost all mercantile transactions were matters of exchange. Were the chest in the corner unlocked, so that the lid might be raised, a glance into the interior would have revealed a collection of more valuable trinkets Strings of silver half-moons, crosses, gorgets, silver armbands, wristbands, brooches, hairplates, hairbobs earbobs, calculated to attract the savages, besides other ornaments, designed to please the French dames and demoiselles. Surrounded by the evidences that he was laying the foundation of a good business, the merchant had. It would seem, good reason for contentment, save that beside his hearthstone sat no gentle wife to whom he might confide his hopes; who would rejoice at his successes and console his failures But It was Ang^Iique Cuillerier whom he wished to marry In her centered his ideal of home ; and Ang61ique cared not for him at all, else she would not have cast aside his love for the sake of a dance with Sir William Johnson. True, she had been gracious to him once or twice after the day of the Black Rain, when he had gone in search of and found her in the storm 202 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT But, doubtless, this was from a sense of obligation and the thought galled his pride as much as it wounded his affection. Outside his window was a vine brought from the prairie; the more he pruned and checked it, the more it flourished. The more he strove to control his love for Ang€lique. the stronger and more beautiful it grew. Perhaps it was because "love's anger is the fuel of love that he was so conscious of his passion during these early days of the Indian troub'es at the strait. For his soul was filled with a jealous rage against the girl and against Gladwin, the more since at this crisis he could not quarrel with the com- mandant, even had, Gladwin of a certainty won the |Ove of this fair demoiselle of New France. And had he? Confusion seize him, yes, it must be! Othenvise, why the stolen visit of Ange'lique, when he, Sterling, had compelled her to cast aside her disguise, and she had defied him in her youthful beauty? Otherwise, what could she have had to say to the commandant? Might there not have been a secret marriage? Antome CuiUerier would be like to refuse his as- sent to the union of his daughter with one of the hated foreigners; yet Gladwin was not a man to be thwarted by such prejudices. But no ac- cording to the law of the place, the consent of the bride s parents was necessary to make a mar- riage legal, unless she had passed the age of one- and-twenty. A betrothal there might be, however. He could imagine that some other woman might prefer Gladwin to himself; but Mademoiselle Cuil- lerier should have more discernment. Gladwin 'l^M-J?"*.^" ^^''°'^'^' "^^^ °^ S°°d "neage and fair ability (if somewhat pverrated, perhaps), yet he A DARING ADVENTURE 203 Sterling, also made a passable appearance, if the flattering asides of the ladies of Le Detroit were to be credited. He possessed fair talents. In a few years he would be able to give his wife everything in the way of jewels and rich dress that she could in reason de- sire. As for descent, did he not trace an honorable ancestry U back into the misty past? Gladwin in his cool fashion might swear to Ang^lique that he adored her; yet Angelique ought to know he could never give her the passionate devotion, the strong love, that burned for her in the heart of James Sterling. But thoughts of love and even of jealousy must yield to employment, and there was much for the young trader to do, since the officers of the fort relied upon him to show the inhabitants of the town that their best interests lay in making commcn cause with the English in the coming struggle against the savages. Despite his efforts, many of the French, alarmed at the prospect of an attack upon the garrison, asked leave to withdraw to their farms upon the cdtes, and went out, abandoning their homes and a part of their goods. One day at the noon hour Sterling was alone in his warehouse, engaged with his accounts, when there came to him from without the tones of a light bari- tone voice singing with gay abandon, — " ' Ma Mignonette, embrassez moi? ' ' Nenni, monsieur, je n'oserais. Car, si mon papa le savait.' ' Les oiseaux parlent-ils ? ' 'Oui, ils parlent frangais, latin aussi.' • lis parlent fran9ais, latin aussi ? ^^^f«:-.^. 204 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT H«o6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT long distance. She seemed „.; '?' ''^'' ™" » me. but I walked bVheT side Ln"""'"^! *° '« home. •U „a<.er iL "'"' "' reached her .;h-,-""^=e?isrco-^^^^ Angflique after a7?i„st"ad of\ "" T""^ '"'°"* the commandant, had she all ,M '"'"g^'™*''! to her father, who wa^^ known t^K^.t""* ""^ 'P^ f°' of Pontiac? If so this ^^^M *' '?«'*' ''"«<' interview with Qad^r st had "b ' '" "" ^"•''"^' With some message caLlattd to decete"oTdC ^ir ner and Pontiac h-^A o.,^-i j V "^*^^'ve, old Cuille- mindanfs fancy for he? oti^'f" °' *' "»- and nowagain^hey had L^r^/r '" ''" ^^"'• tain CampWl to attend tl,r^^''^ *"■■ *° ^S Cap- Cuillerierf OS ensiblvTn ,1/ ^7°"^ **,** '""«'« "^ envoys might Jaut^u?" '" "f^*^ "^ P«ce. The "ptlS„oth"d-'T''°"' ■"" ">= «="»•« pleading of thrbel fo^U 'StT""^-^J''' "^''« merchant siehed H^ 77 , ''^°'^- The young hrr aid to thTs Lobi? r" '^'° '^"' '^^ ^^^ ^^nt sion that sfe wrheloU'^h"''' """" ""'^^ ^^^ d^^"" Th«- M ^ '^^^P'ng the cause of New France These thoughts passed rapidly throu^^h hfc t "' but presently Robishe drew forth the ktter f ""' inner pocket of his blouse ^'°"' ^" A DARING ADVENTURE ao; Dutt^lnJ!f7h *' "\^'. exclaimed; and. having ftouse '" ^''^"""^ ^^^ '*°''' •" ^'^'^ ^«^e- of Srh^il' 'l''^'iT"''^'L"P°" *^° ^'"^"' th'" sheets of birch bark, and fastened together with fibres of the same, ...e «nk being evidently made of soot from the ThuT'rTnl^'' v'^'^ '•'^'^" "'"^'^^ -*h water inus ran the writmg, — " ^«- Ster^'ng - 1 beg you to send me the goods men- tioned m the hst below, since I do not find a supply in the packet brought from my quarters at the fort, and"^ know not Philadelphia, which I have ordered sent to me by the next convoy and out of this sum I will repay you. FThe list had reference to some clothing he wished to have. Then the letter continued.] "Young Mr. Navarre is here with a slave boy. He goes to town, but says he will return in the afternoon upon some errand of his own. He has civilly offered to have the Pani tri2tTh\'''r''' '^' "'^- ' ""'^ y°" '^ ^dI but one or two of thTrZCJ:!^^ Ihe captain shall have gratis evervthinrr fh,* « »/ f* ^ ^*^°^^ °^ suitors." ^ '^ Monsieur de Navarre " h* o^:^ -i j . «.e young man's .napec^^n'^/l'ttfitl^i:""''!!''^ do you return to the cflte? " "''• "'"'" .o Jr:™:r. '•"'' ""' ' '•■'" "■"= ""^ to .he knl^'yoTwiu'see'lhat'lf'' ""■" '^ ^"'^^' '"" ' Campbel"" *"' " " """"y^<^ 'o Capuin .£:^ffau/rr^^^^^^^^^ "Is it true. Monsieur de Navarre tU^t gentle disposition, too, koks it f f h "' ^ her skin is fair a^ the app e blo«oms V"" '^"' my sweet Archange has 'a' tovt^",. " '"""• Sfiy, ;.v .''^.ST^-,^ ..j^p"*;:" A DARING ADVENTURE 26g Cuillerier. After L^J,"1 *%''°"« °' Antoine bell I cannot go there !«,'• ^ ' ""'" ^™P- coldness that Ang^lLe h,^ ' ^ "'" ™»«"=d 'he devotion, since. otMtL .^ •■! .""" '" ""'^ f"™" to die is jealoisy '""'""" °' '°«. «•« last ScottLr'rersS ^'^^ ""^ '- «•« occurred to him that in nl ^"' "" """"gh' press MademoiseleCuinerrerrhr^""" "*'"'■ ference to her charms 1^^ h^ ' P'""' '"^if- messagefromanothriovlr ItLuMT"^ '" ''" » ■"'Th t ""'"^ t"'^ "'* her °"" ■•' "" "«""' .hathtdtSlJeS-^frf/nrsi'""^- ■"""'"^ *"= P"- >-;f .'a'^:;.„T:td"s';rnirr ''^>''"'' *'* » the mark, but the words of »/" "'°''' "°" *" broken fan of feath?„ tL ?'"", "« '*« » Cuillerier warms the heart iTl^e w ™e Ku°t •t^"^^"'"" poison. Nevertheless if U • ' ' " " * sweet billet." ''• '^ y°'' P"s.st, I will take the " ^he demoiselle and I hav»h, J >ng, and I would fain m/t. '' * ">isunderstand- we of the town are sh^tthT^JT "'* ^" ""fore Indian siege " exZ^^^A If""^ 'he stockade by an Two hour; Se'^'rten R ''"\''°"'^^'^'"'>'■ the warehouse ottCtJjJt'^ '^^ «P-'red to ^ortheshouldersofrp::;r*;,fsf^!^=;rSt '4 r -.'. 210 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT the young Frenchman a scented scrap of paper folded bille doux more mtercsting to one of the fair sex Therein the Scotchman had prayed his s„eeth«,no ?!"!„"" A" .;?'=""="'' "^'"e that he would go up away from h.s duties at the fort, and as a sienal he would blow three note, upon the pibb.gwin, orTii'n Meantime, on the southern shore of the strait brn"d"„'f H "" '"f**" ''""■"• "'"•"' 'h« "good' ioin the F^""': *"" "'°" '■™'" ""=■" " Promifeto next day '" "" '"'^"" "P°" ""= «°<=''»<'« *e '•Yet to-morrow is a high holiday," thev said "If we are not at the services, the Bla k R^be wui know we have this design hidden in our hearts, and he w 11 not let us go with you. After the Mass, therefore, we will go." The Indian girls were at the time decking the altar of the chapel for the Feast of the Ascension. Pon' tiac being a pagan, knew neither holiday nor Sunday, but he agreed to wait. In the morning, so devout was the bearing of the Hurons that theifmissiona^ obtamed no mkling of their intent. As soon as th^ services were over each warrior returned to his lodge for his weapons. The band then crossed the river in twelve canoes, were welcomed with cries of joy by the Foxes, and proved the most valiant of the savages m withstanding the rain of bullets from the stockade The battle continued for the rest of the day! Major Gladwin, seeing that the Indians took refuge h Ji\ ,T' ^""u ^^'"^ °^ '^^ habitants, destroyed these buildings by causing iron bolts to be heated A DARING ..DVENTURE III red-hot, and fired upon the thatched roofs The for. Z "": -e;'"'y''"ie6<-d^ the garrison rcraaiicd day and n.ght upon the bastions, hearth-firerwcre promptly extinguished after the preparatk-n of food and women and children were ord'ere'd to ^e^'wUhfn' tHi;>e"eh:t"fivtd'i„'xrr"a'„i '° '"-r"" of the redmen he volunteered to go to the X reconnoitre the enemy, and bring b«k if oo„ih !' some mtelligence of what was goinl- o^ti fhe^O^t' ?crwe-:ifra''rr^-?'dt^"£ rckade:asnl"ts!ile° C h"' ""i?^ '""" "•' to keep L lover' tr;It " "'"''"'"" "^ °*" '"an me^n'hlV''^^"^' "'•'" Leanderswam the Hellespont men have done many chivalrous deeds for love'stakel !^-^:^.-&mr: ->?;^ '%^ 211 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT and among them may surely be reckoned the daring feat which the young merchant was now resolved to attempt. For though only the breadth of half a mile of blue water lies between the site of the old fort of Le Detroit and the Baby lands, the current is swift and strong, and in the latter part of May still cold from the snows of the Northwest. Sterling was, however, unsurpassed as a swimmer, even by many of the voyageurs. Accordingly, an hour before sunset, he struck out from the shore, carrying the costume of a habitant, wrapped in oilskin and strapped upon his back. On the bastion of the fort a pennant fluttered for a moment, this being a pre-concerted signal to the ships beyond that' the c. nmandant was sending a messenger to the opposite shore; a necessary pre- caution, since otherwise the swimmer might be descried from the vessels, and fired upon as his head appeared above the water. After buffeting for some time with the current, he reached the small boat that, made fast by a painter, floated at the stern of the larger ship. Grasping the side of the boat, he rested a few minutes, called a message to the men above on the deck, and then continued on until, by alternately swimming and floating, he reached the southern bank of the strait. Half an hour later, a man in the guise of a young Canadian farmer knocked at the house of Jacques Baby. It was honest Jacques himself who flung open the door. " Ma foi — non — mais oui I It is indeed you. Mon- sieur L'ficossais " (Mr. Scotchman), he cried, as he recognized Sterling. "You are welcome as the flowers of May, but in God's name how did you come? I thought you were of those shut up in the "Hisi^ r-^^m. - ?-^f^wi^m^STP^-- J A DARING ADVENTURE 213 fort yonder, and harassed by the wolv.c r .u forest. You swam the river? nL di n u^^ plan put you to carrv nut- u °® ^'^"' what W4 libido ZrehTntM,rth'"'''."^''" much of his project as hi h?H^ ?i .** S°°<' ""»" «> •• Parblcu,'^ . i"fe^ce Se"«n !,i° "^""-'-"ge- k«n.' I will not seA t„ 1 , *''" '""'= ""ore die„„e you ale bent" po„ Z''ZtV°''' "^"^ My wife. Suzanne Resume was th^"'-^"'"?""- ^/^':tt.t^rnL££cWo- °e7on:*'^^^^-a-a:fo;FS"T-^^ sena^you awa^ afterrpU^l^^ra-^^r'^ tio^Tth'toitw^res-r fr i" *' p-"- stout, and con,ci;."°Eelur tbrtlT'""^' peg on the wall a wide-brimn.eHV.f7v.'' '^°'" * straw Which he was wont rr, faVe^rs"*"™" as tht:«ei%-r;rtttoiis:t-rwt s---- brow." """'"'"='"«' yo" have bound about your uu"\TcijThV?arbre tr- r^"' '^ ling protested. ^ '^^ ^°"s«' "^"t Ster- " Few should know wh*.n/.« t have gone." he said - wSl . '^'"^' ^"^ ^°^ ^ myself." ' ^''^ ^o"' leave, I will fetch it "As you will." was the reply, water, edge, ^n!!^!'^':--^^ ;^ ^l 214 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT river a short distance, and then make for the northern u "T. .P^ ^"" ^^^ ^^^' ^"^ he designed to reach the Cuillerier farm before the darkness fell, yet not until the shadows had begun to gather, since other- wise his canoe might be observed from the Ottawa camp. For a time all went well ; if the French of the southern cdte noted his skiff as he paddled steadily on, no doubt they thought the boatman Jacques Baby, bound upon a friendly visit to a comrade, or perchance young Morand dit Grimard or Rivard dit Maisonville, going to see his " bonne amie" Csweet- heart). On the shores were to be seen no indications of the Indian outbreak that had vented its fury upon the unfortunate settlers of the Isle au Cochon. The white farmhouses wore an air of quiet; the pirogues of the habitants crossed and recrossed the strait as usual, and the Scotchman found that though his boat was not likely to attract attention from the land, to avoid discovery he must keep well away from the other craft upon the water. For though the wisest of the French were eager for peace, there were others who sided strongly with Pontiac. Now a social Canadian hailed the adventurer as a neighbor, and the next moment called after him ." S,f /!!^/ imbecile ! " because with only an answering ham ! he paddled on. Again, and more alarming some redman, happy with his " Nedjemon " (canoe) a niate more beloved than was ever Indian maiden, challenged the supposed voyageur to a water race, and cried out in disgust when he paid no heed. Half a score of times he was on the point of being discovered, once by a warrior from Pontiac's village When Sterling recognized the savage as Wasson, the slayer of la jolie Mathurine, his hand sought the A DARING ADVENTURE 2,, pistol that he carried ; he felt an almost uncontroUable longmg to avenge the fate of the gentle girl But ,0 fer' ,f H^T" '"^1! *= '»°^ w„u!d be mad! hf^' '■'^'''^^^"8= °f his weapon would bring about h.m a horde of savages. As it was. there were fewer edmen than French upon the river, but over nllr the Ottawa camp the water was black with the heads of Indian bathers who yelled to one another, id sometimes ran leapmg and shouting along the strand. As the young man turned toward the shore a pomt of land hid them from his view, and preLmly «hi„I"^ ?" canoe close to a secluded sfretchlj shmgle, not far from the home of Antoine Cuillerier The overhangmg bluff rendered this point one of he inost secure from observatic. of any along the river tt^Oiih r "^it"""' "^^ -coun';ered Catherine the Ojibwa and been taunted by the Indian girl- to rt-sspot Sterling had asked the demoiselle tfcorn^ thai he might exchange a few words with her t„ 1^"^ '5\' 'f''""' ""•» of the gloaming sacred iaif h^ , ° °T' '"" ""W over, - the litchi^ Mf-hour wherem the young Night, with the eveninf star gleammg upon his forehead, impatiently waits a? strong, feithful arms about her in a lover's caress To the Scotchman the twilight always broaghT^." ollechons of his own country. Now again ta fancy he saw the heather-mantled moors and hflls he Wackh- ; ""•°' ""= "="=''°° '" *^ »Pring?and the blackbird singing on the hawthorn hedgf For a momen a touch of that worst of all maladies to the exile, a longing for his native land, swep over him; how often had he hunted the deer among Tte Z"?'-';,.^"'* *?■"" '" "' ^"" ^tony brooks! But, straightway, with a laugh of content he put away P-P^S^'^^ 2l6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT the home-longing. No. it was not there after all that Close at his hand lay the rude flute he had brought I.que he felt sure. Again he |ave 4 sXlt!^ seemed TT^" *" ^''^=''- ^he white-cUd 7™*" A third time he sounded the notes upon the mh- bigwin, hazardous as it was to do «:« c.-ii ,, ^ silent; the white figure did not r:a;;ear''nrw hque would not come. '^appear, no, Ang€- int^Thrl? ^"^"*' ?^ ^°""^ "^^" «h°t his canoe out into the s ream; after all he had endured to obtab itue'rur"' ''?^i'^ '^"^^" ^^ h-^ braved. An^ a stone' h"'' '^ ^T^''' ^°q"^««. ^ould not wa^k a stones throw from her home to reward him by so much as a pleasant greeting; „ot even to giv^ him a good wish that in the next assault upon the fort he might again escape unharmed. CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK CTERLING'S disappointment made him reckless. y and he paddled farther up the stream. Yonder just above the mouth of the creek, was the house of IJ^H. w .u^^' f '^ '^"'^ '" ^ ^'^^ ^°°«^ burned a hght Was this the ro.m which was assigned to Captain Campbell and Lieutenant McDougal. as Robishe Navarre had said? He took note of its position, hoping the knowledge might be of service in any plans to be formed for the rescue of the officers Then he proceeded, close to the shore. The Sauteurs had joined with the Sacs. Foxes, and Ottawas in one great camp, on the north bank of Le Detroit. Surprised at its extent, he estimated their number and remembered with concern that Baby had said food was abundant among them and they had plenty of ammunition, ^ ^ving taken nearly aU the store of the French. Darkness had now fallen and there was great ex- citement in the village. Behind the camp, the foreste gave to the scene a background of impenetrable blackness; the river flowed onward in a gray flood the few s ars to be seen shone but dimlyf as though they would fain veil their faces with clouds; and 1« I/e forms°of1 J' T^'^^^ ^^ ^^"^^ «^^ ^^e sav- age forms of Indian braves dancing the war-dance Round and round a post they circled, striking it with their tomahawks and knives with frenzied zeal, as msMmm ".■*5'i--v . rm^'« called hL hi, inflate" ^ev^SedV- 1'-"";'^' "'""*"«^ Here was anotherchalce '1 JnlS the merchant, back to the stockade ^ 'ntelhgence to car^r ' jolie fillette • T^n be htrdfa^h" ^' *'">" "^ « call to duty But of iM, f*"^" than the loudest flouted her love^ 1^ hi „. '! • "J."*'""' """^ » unwed like her auVtts'et^Tlthouth TdVr^" t.osme, the lover of her voufh «,K« e l , ^** H^d a hern,ifs Uk at L'oit et":!?: " " ""' ■■" the mo";', mV" frieTd'^'d Z^ l'^"' '"'"^c like them?" r^Sfed Steriina f ■ "°' ?*" »"" «th there not HvS^ =^14 fte X^'s ''"^''- :^" ing maidens as w^ mV5-,. ** "^"y charm- •^^■JR I 'l.fi.^ COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK 221 as heedlessly into danger when I was courting pretty Clotilde Chapoton. However, have a care, Mon- sieur L'ficossais, and steal not up again from the fort, or your demoiselle will of a surety lose her lover, not to any other fillette, mayhap, but to the fierce chief Pontiac. Au revoir, au revoir, until a happier to- morrow." Each had involuntarily dipped his paddle in the water, and now their courses began to diverge, Ster- ling keeping on down the river, while Godefroy headed his canoe toward the "c6te du nord." Presently he disappeared from view, and the Scotchman was once more left to his own cogita- tions. These thoughts might have been less bitter had he known that, after having so resolutely gone within doors at the sound of his flute call, Ang^lique Cuil- lerier had hastened to the loft and from her nook in the eastern dormer peered out into the twilight with the hope that she might gain a glimpse of his canoe upon the river. It might have been as a soothing balm to his wounded pride, his flouted love, had " the little Indian spirits who carry the news " whispered to him the truth, that the darkness found "la belle Ang^lique " kneeling upon the floor of the dormer, weeping and sobbing as though her heart would break. Godefroy had not told Sterling that when the prin- cipal habitants on both sides of the river received word that the missionary wished to confer with them, they went to him at once, and it was decided that twelve of these Frenchmen should visit the camp of Pontiac and strive to induce the Ottawa and his chiefs to end the war. "a THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT »wuac. ine ureat Chief would not li«»#.n ».«. rigines, he promised that th... j j°'^B the abo- «ase on condition .hi? i depredations should cultivate corn ir* J >, "'"*»'" '« P"n>itted to The next d™ the td.f °" ""'^ °' "■= ^'"^dians. jng thelo™rthe'ra[;t" ^Z," brXrr'" ":• did tr """^ *"• "y p-tuis ;rS " he ra«' did not even cross the fields of fh« t7 u f ^^^S®* .nforming him of the situation ahd asking his aid As the httle ship sailed down the rivef IL manned by Indians put off after her InH ^''f,^^^"°^^ cunning. Captain Ca'^pbelT wt;i'a:edt\hTbo7o1 the foremost craft to shield the redmen wu .u canoe was so near the " Gladwin »tT.?* fK^" *^^ Pay no heed to me, my friends; do your duty." <^>r.'. COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK 223 The next moment a shot struck the canoe, and a Pottawattomie fell over, dead. Thereupon the sav- ages paddied swiftly to the shore, to be greeted when they reached the strand by many jeers from the trader Cuillerier, who from below the fort had wit- nessed their precipitate flight. Satisfied as Major Gladwin was with the result of Sterling's solitary reconnoitring up the river, he became suspicious upon learning of the Scotchman's encounter with Jacques Godefroy in mid-stream. " I do not like it, Mr. Sterling," he said decisively ; " more than one report has come to me that Gode^ froy is in league with Pontiac. He is of those French- men who cannot believe the King at Versailles has yielded Canada to our victorious arms without contemplating another blow in its defence. He anticipates that this Indian warfare will result in the return of De Bellestre and the French troops to Le Detroit. Depend upon it, when he pursued you it was as a spy of the Ottawa. Only his special friend- ship for you, sir, prevented him' from taking you a prisoner to the house of M^loche. Yes, Jacques Godefroy is the ally of Pontiac." As though in verification of the assertion, just at this time Jacques Godefroy utterly disappeared from the neighborhood. No one saw him go, no one knew whither he was gone; not even his young wife, Madame Clotilde, who, to the inquiries of his com- rades, as well as to the teasing questions of her friend Ang^lique Cuillerier, replied that he had told her nothing, save that he was bound upon some business of his own, and would return before long. It was about this time that one afternoon, as Ang?^ lique worked in her garden on the " cdte du nord," she saw the savages from the camp above gathering in W^. mF^'"'^ >a4 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT l«rge numbers on the river bank .nA another in ercat evri.,™ . I ""'"8 to one object o^tfe .urflce "r ?l^'' " '^'>' P"'"'*" »» »"•« the fon. ''^" "' "■* «"" """ng up from against r current"' ''"«'J"'« "«"«" her way "c^rLt :h?,Sr ' The''?nH • "'" '"' ""P'-'hed little craft with veil. If i , t"' \™""' "•« "»«»' exulting I rhtx'pttaln'lKhfir" """' agro^d and thusL, into ther/ctcir'" "°" '"" mire^nhiXd- ''"' '^'" «"»'""d '» bonne Brt:sJ;pstrr„7Le;t^^— ^^^ s JraL"""' "f ""'"'' """' fro- "■ -de of the boot n^caronthr '"'''"''"'°-'^ '°"°-^ "^^ ing the camp of Pontiac Frorr. > bombard- a game of skittles. ^^ '***' P'"* '" ^^SWf'S ^'^ COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK 22s Cuillerlcr. He was still chafing v -xation against her. but a certain masterfulness po , ssed him, and he told himself that he would continue to go to the c6te until fortune should grant him the interview he sought. The Scotchman had been in command of the little ship that attacked the Ottawa village, and won the admiration of the soldier-crew by his coolness and temerity. On the second evening after this expedi- tion, he let himself down by a rope from the deck of the "iieaver" into a canoe which floated at the stern, and paddled up the stream as before. In this mstance success favored the adventurous, for, as he approached the shore near the Cuillerier house he saw upon the beach a girl in a light-colored frick. that fluttered m the breeze as she ran to and fro sporting with a great black dog, or casting sticks o^ stones into the water, and by imperious gestures ordering her playfellow to swim out after them It was. doubtless, la belle du Detroit and her trusty protector Trouveur. Instead of heading directly for the strand, he made a detour, and thereby shot around the point of land which made the spot so retired, and came up almost to the feet of Ang^lique before she was aware of his proximity. As out of the twilight there stepped this young habitant whom she did not know, she called the dog to her side and turned to climb the bank, intending to hasten home. But quickly beaching his canoe. Sterling sprang forward and, not daring to address the girl lest hf shou d alarm her still further contented himself with a soft whistle to the dog; a summons to which he had familiarized the intelligent animal in other days ~ «-,«-' -WK \- 226 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT t^'e call of a Highland shepherd to his collie. Trou- vcu/ recognized it at once. He stopped short 11^* few paces toward the newcomer, Sen back to hi^ hTS tn "^ *V°"*=' ^^^ hand, cathl^g' to tell h^r i . u'"^ ^y ^""^"y "^^"^ •« his power to tell her that here was a friend whom she was Puzzled by these queer antics on the part of her shag^compan on, Ang^lique arrested her steps ''A she'cH^H^TJ: ^ .''"' ^^y'^^-' ^"« thee, bouffon?^ she cried chidingly, as she faced the stranger The dog stood for a second, wagging his tail an^ panting with satisfaction at havin? pfeva^^ef Tht next moment he bounded toward the m?n !i upon h» with cv*ry de™S.toT , Jh",.'"""^ Who are you, monsieur, and bv what eL™, i,, J"™ »-/*« dog ttatnctr'blth™* deserted me?" demanded Mademoiselle Cuillerier The^„rr'"""' t' '•""«'">' fearlessness • The mtnider upon her solitude came nearer. " Par don me, mademoiselle, if I have frightened vou" 5.! "'"• f '"Soff h« wide-brimmed hi 4v' Trouveur know, I would not willingly do so • but ? have, sworn to myself that I will ^y, s^ih w!th ttriUerf^^l'" P"P'«'t)'- Her whole be'ng had' htra^^t-rvedtr """'■ "^ •^^ ^^-^ ^ a^M^'youSSchme^ordT"'''' """ '"'^'"^"^ that accent wf. if ^ *' """"y- ""^ '""iy. m»y toes! In rtVriT' *'"'^'' ^'«= '"«'' J"««d iar nor^nJ- f "f "'^ *"" "'»e« *" "°« famil- iar, now strange, framed as it was by the thick hair COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK ^^^ St r„« att^r "countering a lady masquer fngfn strange attire? Truly, now the lion and the linnet are caught in the same snare." "Forgetfulness is dumb, and I have tri^H f« .-k. i rwL'l'rrnTto'r"''!"^"^^""^^^^^^ A was not meant to be a witnee hospitality of I ruTd no", corn" ""' ^T""' ''" ■'"»'' '" fr^endlpl Orany orderTr the" !"'=\"';^='"<' ^ Xo- mention, have liWe f«r 1* "* "' >"""■ f""-" y" »«d wm overtook ail he r' i "\''°'"'* *e commandant Le Sit T V ^ ^°' *^ "•'= of «'» bc'lc of hero^^ •gale-'^s^airte^^^^ be-^^'^nrwrme^-eir" ^^^^-^ tiB THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT He spoke earnestly, with something of reproach, but more from the fervor of his love. In the gloom he could not see that Ang^ique was moved. Striv- ing to conceal her emotion, she answered with mock- ing perverseness, — uuraocK " In truth, yes I heard, though I did not come. Saw you ever a bird fly direct to the hand that would cTo TeV V •'''k' "'° "°"^' '^'^ P--^ '- - ™ad- Tt lonM h '''°'" \""' '"''"^ '° ^ '"^'^' ^° yo" think It would become her to be over-ready to catch up toLnM .""?''? ^""^' ^Wens to cast at her in c^W H^ • n P^'T' ^'' ^^""y • G^t you to some monsieu"' "^ ^°"'" P"^' ^"' ^^"^ "^'"^'-^^y* Had Sterling been better versed in the ways of a maid he might have read in her petulance a resent- ment of his former aloofness. As it was. the little wmged god that. Puck-like, makes sport of mankind, prompted him to an answer which in part disarmed "Forgive me if I have been too importunate," he said, with the pride that apes humility. " By the pibbigwin or flute of polished bone, the Indian wooes the maiden of his love." Angdlique relented. His persistency and reckless- ness in coming again to the cdte evoked her admira- tion, although she feared for his safety. Nevertheless she continued, taking him to task in the wilful man- ner wherewith a girl who is sure of her lover con- toTm*" ^'' ^"""^ ** ""''^ ^ ^""y ^""^ ^ '°'"*^"t When a woman begins to look kindly upon a suitor does she not ever coyly scheme and parade her pret- tiest coquetries to lure him to repeat over and over the sweet words "I love you." and plead once more COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK 229 for the love she hides from him only to lead him to ask for it again ? " For one so given to fine language, monsieur," said the demoiselle, with a fascinating pout, which, of a pity, he did not see, "you showed little wit in your choice of a bearer for your billet doux." " How so ? Navarre reported to me that you re- ceived It most graciously," protested Sterling, marvel- Img at this new humor of his sweetheart " Most graciously, to be sure. And did you flatter yourself that my complaisance was all for your hon- ored self, monsieur ? Ma foi, what but graciousness could a poor maid oppose to the spite of a for- brer"?"""" "^^^ '^°"^'* ^""''^ *^^' ^^ ^^''^ ^^' "° " Had I not supposed you utterly indifferent to Navarre, I should not, of course, have asked him to deliver my message," said the Scotchman coolly. Angdique tossed her head. He had seized his advantage. " A fig for such nonsense," she cried. " Indeed I do not care for Robishe as a lover at all; and 'it 7r°r!^lAT^r J°*'"S ^° ""^ ^^^^ h^ fifty times be- trothed to Archange de Mersac." nof ™/°'f' ^ ^^'*'^ ^"^^^^" ^^ t^^s^ yo" would not mee- and speak with me, although I was forced Ipr^oposed"!" '°""'^''' °*''*'*^^'' '' ^^^P *« ^^«t tr Ji*^ '^r^^'^ "^S?^^ Ang^lique that she had best hlld see T r ^^--^^^^"^ foretelling when she should see Sterling agam, and here she was. wasting he pnceless minutes they could spend together, in de cavilling She would not have him go aiay o applr "^"'' "^'^'P'^ '^' hJchosZ if H If 230 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " It was not altogether because of these passing grievances that I did not come to the strand." she began — broke off— and presently continued in a voice that shook with emotion. " Mon Dieu, do you not see, monsieur, my heart was filled with dread lest in your boldness you would fall into the power of Pontiac ? When I heard your signal, my one thought was.; If I go to the beach, he will linger and be taken captive; if I do not respond to his wood-bird's call, he will leave in angry haste ; thus he will escape those who he in wait for spies from the stockade ' Oh, I could not. I dared not come. And yet " she added naively, " I have walked on the sands' here every evening since." " Ang^lique. my dearest one," cried Sterling, taking the girl s cold hands in his. " I have never loved you so fondly as at this moment, when at last I learn from your own lips that I have won your love." "Chut, chut! how, Monsieur L'E!cossais?" she stammered in saucy defiance, attempting to shake off his clasp. "Do not seek to deny it. beloved." he went on. intoxicated with happiness. « Unconsciously, in your fear for my safety you have told me all. Your heart has spoken at last, and now I understand that the teasing coquetry which so vexed yet allured me was but a woman's shield against the shafts of love A real coquette would have kept the tryst ; did her cavaher rush into danger for her sake, his reckless- ness would be but another tribute to her charms. You thought, not of yourself, but of me. sweetheart, therefore I know you love me." He would have clasped her to his breast, but she r^l ^^ ^^""^ Trouveur gave a warning ^:'^^^7. At,M.'»\ Ji 'I COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK 231 "You have forgotten the evening of the ball given to Sir WiUiam Johnson? " she questioned, with down- cast eyes. " I was audacious to take the tone I did," he ac- knowledged, — a notable admission for one so un- yielding as Sterling. " Perhaps you were not altogether wrong," faltered Ang61ique, conceding a point also. " Have you con- quered your distrust of me because I went in disguise to the fort? For I must still keep from you what I said to Major Gladwin," she continued, with recovered nrmness. Sterling hesitated. It was indeed a test for an ardent lover. " Angdique, I would tell you everything that con- cerns myself. What secret is there between you and Major Gladwm which you cannot share with the man who hopes as soon as may be to make you his wife?" he persisted. Were we in a canoe on the strait at midday, with the sun looking forth from a cloudless sky, and not a creature nigh but our two selves, I might tell you," she replied. " But no, perhaps I would not. If you really loved me, you would trust me too." " Dearest, I trust you entirely. I love you with ill my heart," he answered. "Say you will meet me at the mission chapel, where Father Potier will unite us?" The demoiselle laughed again, but not unkindly, at his impetuosity. This was more like the gay flute- playing Sterling of old than the grave, stern man he had become of late. " Phouff, monsieur, " she said half tenderly, *' it is to the cure of Ste. Anne's you should go under such Circumstances. But, I beg of you, say no more to !| j 1 a3» THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ri ^i:^^ z^: ,.^'«^« of «>« fort i. The uneasiness of Trouveur continued. she ioyu^ed.' ""' '"' '^ ^°"'"^ ' ^°' --«eur," his' mrstrl'"' "^ • ? ^"* grudges me the attention of his mistress, insisted the young man. " Say at least that I may still hope?" ^ ^^ "Monsieur, you need not despair. Now go and ^^:^^}^' ' ^^^" - --- the fal^o? She started abruptly toward the house, but havin^r gone a ew paces, retraced her steps ti wLre ief lover still stood, motionless. ^ "" **''' T "'u}^^^l '^ ^"y P^^" *o '■escue Captain Camoh*.!! I will do what I can to aid it," she said in T P. "' whiqni>r «« T ^ .. ' **'"» '" 3 cautious H:nt' to he., he to.a heTC^I^ei/^f^reS " strliJd.""^ '""'^'^ ''""'^' '"""'"e "P »<> down the Sterling caught the girl i„ his arms and kissed her she ij/" ""?"""'" ••' "'<^ fe-ently, adding a, moment a mnsket shot, cris^ tL'S^ha^: ran'g"::;; X COURAGE BREAKS ILL LUCK 233 upon the air, and Ang^lique felt a bullet whiz past as, with Trouveur close beside her, she ran with all speed to the house. "Thank God he is gone," she ejaculated, when she had gained her nook in the loft. " May the great warrior archangel Michael go with him as his safe- guard I " CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH THE OTTAWA'S HOUR X"!!*"' "^^^ °^^^y' "th<^ Moon of Leaves" exhausted and bTfor SoLrr'""' *»"^ ""''^ plight would have bee„X JaVe"'' Bah ''''^' .*''' ranged with Major Gladwin th?,K ^^\^ ar- hog, and beeves to the stTlcade „S* *°'"'' ^"^"^ of the great need of he beSe^^ h* 1"'" "'"'■''«' a glowing lantern near the waS^.?f„?'r"F'",8 °' at other times by the dXTro?*e e^f' o'?'.';' George from the flaestaff Th.,! • ^ °^ ^*- signals, he often land:Hup Jt 'closeTS '"-^^ gate at dead of night. ° ^® "^«' Day after day the officers w^tch^A fK- i through their le'Ls in the hope oft '^UTh'''^' near Lake Erie Qom- ^i^ j *^spying, far down pthering^orrknTb^l Xhr^^^^^ *^.f' long-awaited fleet of barges from th? f .1 *' ^^^ cataract of the Niagar^ ^°'*' ^^°^^ *^^ Daily James Sterhng went the round of the r.m parts to make sure that th*. k..** j '**"" a. the corners were fc^^: fi ed't'^fcTateTfor"'" and anon report reachivl fK« f ' '^^ ^^^^ attempt on th'e parofpontcrseTfirtto ITJ On on. particular morning a,e Scotchtn loutd SI^ THE OTTAWA'S HOUR 235 Irish soldier O'Desmond doing sentry duty on the patrol-way of the flag bastion, which looked toward the river. " I see you are one of those who oppose a bold front to adversity, soldier," said he. " You manage to be cheerful, even on half rations." O'Desmond glanced along the barrel of his gun and grinned comically. He was a good-looking young fellow, with a shock of curling black locks, a round, good-humored face, blue eyes that had ever a laugh in them, and a reckless, dare-devil air. "Oh, 'tis not the scantiness of the rations at all that I mind, si-," he answered, "though I will say, a fare made up of a little of everything and not much of anything is like to give one confusion of the stomach. And that same reminds me of a story I 've heard me father tell many a time. Did ye ever taste olives, Mr. Sterling?" "Yes," answered the merchant simply, " once, at a dmner in London." " Well, I never did, but I have a notion what they're hke from what me father said. He fought with the l-rench m the Low Countries, and was servant to the captain of his regiment, as fine an Irish gentleman as ever lived in the ould land or out of it. Well, one evemng— 't was after the fall of Tournay — the cap- tain gave a dinner in his tent, and me father waited upon the officers. The dfnner was not so much to boast of. but on the table was a litUe dish of fruit of a beautiful green color; leastwise, me father thought t was fruit, but he knew well enough afterwards 't was a dish of olives, no less. " After the guests were gone, the captain said, You did well, Dennis; I'm proud of ye. WiU ye have something to keep up your spirits?' x?**' 1J6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT i^^k^yl^ylt y/thct""* """ '"'*'' "'• ' -"• "So the captain poured a cup of Flemish sack »d was just handing it over when he sto^p^d .^ort Oh, take one of these first/ says he, pointing to Ae green fru,t that me father had been eying 'Take ..A . r u?*" '"''""' »"'• ?'*« "X'« n.if-st.e.t: " See what is going on yonder I " or diriiMT'" !f '^' "°*^^"" ^^^ ^«»°Jved to escape nl Ji. • Iw*" ?"""P*- ^"'"K ^ *ho»gh to change f„ . 1 '•».,'*'*>"'•, ''*=^ '"'"^ ^'« Indian guard, and in a terrible struggle for life the savages and the iwte men grappled with one another «"° "»« w^^te " Lo^^tr^'V *r" "^^l"'" ^~^*^ °"* O'Desmond. Look. sir. one of the men has thrown his enemy into Denver andnowfallsuponthethird redskin. S^hLrl! he ia a giant in strength." ' rJ fi^*i"'r°'"''*'*! ^^ ^^"^" »'"*° *h« water and the As the first soldier and his foe gained their feet e sunli^t flashed upon a knife inVe gr ip'^f' 1' savage. The next moment like a sword in the sun- the wato. '""'' *' "''"' """ '■<=" '"■«'«« iMo I,.2" ItT'' '"L''!,"' ""^^'e hit the Indian on the head w,th h.s paddle, was swimming for the shore brought in the poor man who had fought so well- but the brave feUow had also been stabbed by hi. guarS ■^mm THE OTTAWA'S HOUR 239 ind lived only half an hour. Meantime the two soldiers who remained in the bateau pulled for the •• Beaver," shouting for aid. The Indians on the south- ern shore fired upon them, and presently the water was black with canoes, bullets whizzed about the prisoners, and their doom seemed certain, when from the sloop came the roar of a swivel j.un. The savages drew off in terror, a second cau.i >:; shot scattered the red- men on the shore, aad u<- tvo o'ci. fs reached the vessel. " Truly," exclanr od M ^j r ria^JwIi, each of those men is a living t>a. ip!c thai F^rt..ie favors the brave. By their good i^ht ti.ev .^a'. not osily saved their own lives, but brought wuh the ' o.it several barrels of pork and provisions f<^j :>u: hunory garrison. Un- luckily, the Indians lande.i uie otner prisoners below the " Beaver," and the watchers at the stockade sadly saw the captives led along the southern shore toward the former site of the Ottawa village. The next afternoon, as the Scotchman sat at the desk in his warehouse, he heard a commotion in the town, while from the forest came a weird sound like the cry of a pack of wolves. Going out, he beheld the eastern bastion thronged with townspeople and soldiers, whose gaze was turned in horror toward the woods, from which issued a long line of warriors each painted black and carrying a pole from which waved a pennon that the spectators knew only too well to be a human scalp. While they watched the awful scene a young habi- tant knocked for admittance at the wicket of the palisade, and Sterling was summoned to the gate, a part of his duty being to keep note of the comings and goings of the French. 240 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT the's^eet. """'"' ''^'' "'^'' " '^""'^^ *^^ P^^P^^ »" " Dire enough, but it is first for the ear of the com- "^^t'f ^^ '^*"T'' ^ they crowded around hTm asa^^lTorhrautonr^^^^^^^^ ril'7^"' r''' ^^** intelligence do you bring?" Major wtn^x^'r °' '''"' "'' '''^ ^-'ueness^of " Monsieur, your Engh'sh fort of Sandusky has been captured by the bad band of Hurons and thl fe^anVT'^K^'*"^ ^^"'^^^ ^^^ been 'scalped'" began the Frenchman. " Those brought here yeste;. day were taken across in canoes to Pontiac's camo shot LTh' *° ''wT'"'' °"^ ''y °-' -h"« the InS shot at them. When, to avoid the arrows, they threw tiiemselves upou the ground, they were forced by dlT n^u "P°" *^*1' ^"'^' °"^^ "»°^^' "««! they feH dead. Others were flayed alive with gunflinte or majmed; others still were tied to stak^es, and the ,wr ^r^"^ u'"^ ^''^ ^'°^ ««•"• Indian women joined m the barbarous sport, but some few pitied the pnsoners and. as their lords grew drunk from^he rum found among the captured stores, and fiercer from their cannibal feast, these women hid away the weapons, fearing a geneial massacre." ^ Gladwin averted his face. fate?^''^hr?„"' -^i^^ "^^'i' """^ "^^P*^ th'^ terrible fate ? he inquired hoarsely, with an effort to preserve his outward composure. "But one, a well-favored young man who was, I THE OTTAWA'S HOUR 141 surmise, m charge of the post. He is agile and strong. I should like to see him play at lacrosse, or run a race." " Lieutenant PauUy . He still lives ? " "Yes, monsieur le commandant, and is a happy bridegroom," answered the debonair Canadian, who found it difficult to be grave, even under these gloomy circumstances. " The lieutenant was condemned to be burned alive, and his captors had taken away his pistols ; but Cupid aimed a shaft in his defence. In the Ottawa camp there is a woman named Pah-puk- kee-na, the Grass-hopper. Pah-puk-kee-na's husband died not long since. Looking upon the officer, she liked his yellow hair and blue eyes. ' Ha ha I The white chief is too comely to burn,' she cried, when the braves, women, and children returned with the brush- wood they had gathered for the fire. ' I adopt him for my husband.' There was muttering among the savages that they were cheated of thei ^^ oort, but the woman's husband had been killed in oatde, and she had a right to choose another from among their cap- tives. The Englishman seemed scarce bener pleased with this new turn of his fortunes, but, by the « Red Dwarf,' they hurried him back to the river, and plunged him in the current, that the white blood might be washed from his veins. Henceforth he is an Ottawa warrior." So great had been the tension of mind and nerves of the commandant that now, as a vent to his feel- ings, he laughed long, though mirthlessly, as his imagination pictured the unwilling bridegroom. Ster- ling joined in his hilarity, yet the brain of each was soon busy with plans for the rescue of this new-fledged brave, while their souls were moved by the story of his sufferings. 16 jtacaB'jaiKiMJini— im t k Itsi^iin '-mtw --^i-^fm- .•ififlLir^l^tiMltM 'K9I » 242 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT thrf°i- ^^^ -^"'^P^ ^^ ^^^^ ^«"«^n into the hands of Cno^\- 7'" "^ "" P*"'' *e floor with hand upon^h,, sword, as though he longed to strike at the De Joncaire withdrew unnoticed. '■ Mr S i^ r*" " t?" ''"PP^" ^hort in his walk. AnnJ?s^s'r;e^, .rtt^sl^e'''" "Z ^'^• - longer lifts „p her sweeTv^icetl fetlp 'o"f Heaven upon our arms?" ^ ^'^ S-'-^^referr-S^^^ n?X=-ro„-£°[-3 them that we place our reliance in the God of a™Tes." t f THE OTTAWA'S HOUR 243 It was Sonday morning, a cloudless morning in mid-June. The blue skies looked brightly down upon their own reflection in the sapphire waters of the strait; and so abloom was the plain with " boutons d'ors" that Megissogwon, the Great Pearl Feather, the Indian manitou of wealth, might be thought to have oversown the green meadows with shining gold pieces. The forests were robed in the full majesty of their kingly state. Over all the region of Le Detroit reigned a tranquil stillness; a quiet that was yet me- lodious with the song of the yellow warbler, the thrush, the robin, and the Recollct bird, so called by the Canadians because of his cowl-like crest and his sweet voice. The bell of Ste. Anne's was ringing for the Grand Mass, aii ., in obedience to the summons, the French came forth from their houses; the traders in their coats of red, green, or blue cloth, knickerbocker trousers, silver-buckled shoes, and three-cornered hats ; the engages, voyageurs, and coureurs de bois, shabby, yet making a brave showing with their scarlet caps and sashes, each man carrying his firelock. The women, tricked out in such simple finery as they pos- sessed, were pleasing to the eye, though a second glance revealed upon the smiling faces of dames and demoiselles the wan look that comes of anxious days and nights of watching. At this the most peaceful quarter of an hour of the forenoon, an unexpected visitor knocked at the gate of old Fort Pontchartrain. He was a man of middle age, a stranger at Le Detroit; and, although he was fresh shaven, and the stains of travel had been removed as well as might be from his much-worn black robe, the haggard lines in his face told that he was still weary from a long and arduous voyage. It, ^44 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ••I am Pierre du Janois. Jesuit missionary to the Ottawas of the north, and I have business with Major Cjladwm," he said to the sentry. The latter, forthwith beckoning to Robishe Navarre who was on his way to the church, asked him to carry the message to headquarters. The young man returned betimes. criJV%^''l^ ^ *° "^f"*^ ^'^'^ "'^^ "^°" P^'-e." he cried, doffing h.s cap. " Major Gladwin sends you his respectful compliments, and bids me say he awaits an mterview with you." Together they passed down the main street, the soldiers on duty staring as though the black-robed figure were an apparition ; the townspeople round- eyed, the men uncovering their heads as Navarre had done ; the women courtesying and asking the blessing of the man of God. ^ When the priest and his guide reached the council room, the commandant dismissed Robishe by a sum- mary nod of the head; even in small matters he lacked the art to conciliate the French. Monsieur Janois he received, however, with marked deference You are welcome to Le Detroit, reverend father '" he said, grasping the hand of the missionary, '• al- though t IS a surprise to me that you are here.' When and with what expedition did you come? " " Yesterday at noon I was landed on the south- ern shore a mile above this place," answered Du janois the smile of greeting still lingering upon his rugged features, which, from exposure to the inclem- ency of many winters and the heat of the sun in summer, were almost the color of dried deerskin " I voyaged down the lakes in company with a band of " Ottawas and Sauteurs, and, having spent the night at the Huron Mission, am come to you with a letter THE OTTAWA'S HOUR H5 from the commandant at Michilimackinac. I regret to be the bearer of unwelcome news, monsieur. What is it your Shakespeare says — • The tongue of such a one sounds ever after as a sullen bell ! ' " Therewith he took from his belt the important paper, and handed it to the major. Father Janois had spoken in English, but with a quaint French accent. With the forced composure and natural reserve which renders the British soldier cool and self-possessed under almost all circumstances, Gladwin begged his guest to be seated, and withdrew to the window to read the missive from Captain Etherington, his brother officer at the post of the Upper Lakes. He needed all his self-control, for it told of the Indians' capture of Fort Michilimackinac under the ruse of a game of ball, and the massacre of the men ; begged for am- munition and provisions; explained that the priest had been directed not to land directly at the stockade of Le Detroit, and requested the major to speed the homeward journey of the missionary. " 111 news it is," acknowledged Gladwin, tapping the paper with his hand, as he came back to the centre of the room and took a chair facing Father Janois. "What you have not learned from obser- vation of our condition at Le Detroit, sir, has no doubt been told you by Monsieur Potier. You see that at present I can furnish no help to Michili- mackinac I will not ask what other affairs have brought you here. When you are about to return to the noith, be so good as to give me word, that I may intrust to you an answer for the commandant, de- scribing our dilemma, but assuring him that if he and the few of his men who are left can hold out a little longer we will send them aid at the first opportunity." .-■'. 246 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT "Monsieur " replied the priest, rising and bowing with a courtliness he had not forgotten during thf ' long years he had spent in the wilderness, " though you refrain from asking the object of my visit, I will ElLSn "'"' '° '""^ '^'^ ^°^^ ^-- C^Pt^- on!i K°"' !. J'^"^ ^"^^n' have voyaged many leagues and braved death at the hands of your savage com- panions, to ask succor for the English, your heredi- tary foes, men of an alien race and creed," exclaimed Gladwin in admiration. .u"u^ '!!''°.^^' l'""^^ ^°"S '" *h^ wilderness forgets the boundaries of countries, the narrowness of preju- dice, rejoined the missionary, with gentleness. " He oves his native land indeed as ardently as ever Like the two Lghts upon the altar at the hgly Mass his patriotism and his religion burn brightly upon the iltar of his soul. But he sees the whole earth as ods world; to him all men are brothers; and his mission IS to all with whom he comes in contact. One other aim I had in coming — " • '"^h''.', ejaculated Gladwin, raising his eyebrows. Ves, pursued Father Janois, " I cannot deny tha I came to try to lead back to Michilimackinac those of my flock who have joined in this war; to confront Pontiac, and warn him that the punishment o! Heaven will follow him if the atrocities perpe- trated by his authority do not cease. Monsieur, the Indians have suffered much through the lawless- ness of your traders, the degrading influence of your fire-water, and for this they have my sym- pathy. But in all ages the savage has been forced to give way to civilized man. And I believe the only hope of my people is ' to make friends of the mammon of iniquity,' meaning the English" he THE OTTAWA'S HOUR »47 hu- added, with a twinkle of his kindly eyes and a morous smile. Gladwin had absently remained seated, while his visitor stood. Recollecting himself, he now sprang to his feet. " God bless you, sir, for your eagerness to help our poor soldiers as well as those in the north," he said sincerely. " I have already spoken to Pontiac, and another conference is appointed for this afternoon," proceeded the Jesuit ; " but I am not over-sanguine as to the result. This evening I set out upon my return voyage ; therefore, I pray you, send to me at dusk by some trusted Frenchman the letters you wish me to take." " You go this evening? But you are not yet rested from your journey," protested the officer. Father Janois replied with a Gallic shrug. " That matters not," he laughed. " I must go back at once. I exacted from the Indians a promise that they would not commit any hostilities during my absence. I must go to hold in check the tribes of the north." Gladwin regarded him curiously. Yes, this man in the worn black gown, a man aged before his time, pos- sessed the only power that could in the least degree control the savages ; a power won by his devoted and self-sacrificing life in the forest. " Therefore I will bid you ' au revoir,' monsieur le commandant, although to say ' adieu ' were no omi- nous leavetaklng," continued the priest. " Let it be both ' au revoir ' and ' adieu.' Do not despair. Your little garrison still rests in God's keeping." " Farewell, sir," answered the major, with Anglo- Saxon immobility, though his heart beat warmly in response to the words of the missionary. y^ .V. CHAPTER NINETEENTH ANGELIQUE'S SCHEMING D^n^^r'*'''"!^? *"*^*^^ *°««"<^^ th« release sw^thett th. r^ "' and the assistance which his oromS *^%^°"'fS«°"» Ang^lique Cuillerier. had bv Td vet r '"J,^" ^«""^ P'°J^^'' » '"^"^h rdled u K ^^! **'*'. ^^"^"^ °^"' ^«« still a prisoner foil or " '"P^ss'We for the merchant and' his feir auxihary to put their scheme into execution Major G adwin also had replied to the haugh^ de-* mands of Pontiac. that he would make no terrns with Dack to the fort m safety. But to this the fierce Ot- tiwa returned the barbaric message that the ketties stoctdra^nrf".^f^^ *° '°'^ the inmates of the stare the fl'.''^''^^"' were freed they would share the fate m store for the garrison. Clever treacherous, and revengeful, the Indian leader never^ riieless showed to the French at times that he could be generous, noble, and even courteous. Thus it happened one morning that Mademoiselle Cuillerier found he«elf indebted to the Great Chief for a visl from her friend Marianne de St. Ours. Jl^!t '^- ^°""*' ?*'"''^' ""^^ ^""'^ ' I^id the manitou voi heZt' "" V^V^"^-^ ^«y. ^'' J Okeewaisee waft you here through the air?" exclaimed Ang^lique as mir. :^H T . T '^""' ^°"'^' "^^^'^ ^'^h la bonne mire and Tante Josette she was engaged in preparing ANGELIQUE'S SCHEMING 249 ^lyf"^ bcnit" (bread to be blessed) to be dis- tri^buted during the grand Mass of Corpus ChrisU Hitherto, each family of the parish of Ste. Anne had, in turn, furnished this offering to the church upon the^great festivals. Now, because of the siege, the people of the cdte must needs worship at the ml'r'^f '."'"I '5' *^°"^^ °^ L°"'« Campeau; yet Dame Cuillener had resolved that the little congre- ga^on should miss none of the observances of the The scene that presented itself to the eyes of Mademoiselle de St. Ours was one which would have delighted the artistic sense of a poet or a painter accustomed to look for the picturesque amkl the commonplace. Two Pani women were kneading the dough in Din^efnT- ? *''°"?^- ^nge'lique, with sleeves ftHn! "P- ^'y'^y'^g her dimpled arms, was plaiting strips of the dough into the wreath or "couronne" that was to adorn the top loaf of the pinnacle of bread to be sent on a great salver to the chapel. l^\T.r^ "?"'* ^^ ™°^* carefully fashioned, for after the Mass it would be sent to Madame St Aubin as a token that she had been chosen to pre- pare the " pain benit " for the next festival At a table near by Xante Josette was cutting the accessojy "cousins/' a kind of cake, into palm shapes, and with a feather brushing the top of each with egg and sugar, while, as they were ready. Dame Cuillerier p aced them in the wide over at the side of the fire- place. The blazing pine knots in the open chimney shed a pleasant light upon the faces of the women, caught a bright reflection from the burnished brass and cop- 250 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT per cooking utensils upon the dresser, and played in fitful gleams upon the rough puncheon floor. To Marianne, the motherless demoi -.elle who had been reared at the Ursuline Convent at Quebec, the simple scene appeared charmingly picturesque and homelike, as she stood smiling upon it. «J".T**'"u"'?T"' Ang^lique crossed the room and, takmg the delicate face of the young gues* be- tween her own pretty hands, kissed the girl with warm affection. '• How dared you come over the prairie, and how did you obtain permission to leave the stockade? " she asked in a breath, at the same time flecking away a little patch of flpur that she had left on her friend's satin cheek. "Your 'bon ami,' Monsieur Sterling, not only gave me a pass to go out, but deputed the inter- Marianne""^'^"'' ^*"''" '° conduct me," explained '• Larron ! I do not like his lean sombre visage and CO d gray eyes," interrupted Ang^lique. " He is too solemn for a Frenchman." " But surely our French-Canadians are not always laughing, singing, or dancing," protested her cousin True; yet the gravity of this Larron is not natu- ral ; he wears it as a mask." "No doubt Monsieur Larron has fallen into dis- favor with the French because he is so much es- teemed by the English at the fort. I hope he will suffer no harm ihereby," said Marianne Then afiecti.ig to take no note of Ang^lique's toss of the head and muttered remark thaf Larron would probably save his scalp, she continued, — " ^ut besides the company of this cavalier in com- ing hither, I had a guard of Indians from the camp ANGELIQUE'S SCHEMING 251 of Pontiac. and the two Pani youths that Madame des Ruisseaux sent with me." " You had an escort from Pontiac?" Ja VT ^^"^ ^^''^^^ ^^'"^^ " '^i«<="lated Xante Josctte and la bonne mSre simultaneously. " Yes, madame and ma tantc." Marianne's pale beauty was enhanced by a rosy flush as she proceeded, — ^ tnZ°R v"/*''"^^" *^^* '^'"^ *'"^<^ «•"« I sent to the British settlement of New York for a box of goods. It was foolish of me, but I had a fancy to secure some apparel from the grand town of London over the seas. I heard that the goods were shipped 1V^ f °"^°^ ''^'^** *^^ '^^*S" "P*"^«^d. Some tnend of mine mentioned the matter to Pontiac. and the Great Ottawa sent me word that I might have them and welcome; so I am come to see if they may M^Se^' '^^'^ ^'°"^^* '° ^^^ house of Baptiste "Well, well," cried Dame Cuillerier. "You need not grow so rose-red. ch^rie I We all know the chest contains the bridal gown that you wished to have of aro" °" 1'^'°"'"^: ^° ^^^^^ yo"r English bride- groom. T would be a pity were it gone astray, so near its destination too. We will put up a petition to le bon St. Antoine, the finder of things lost, tha" you may recover it. But, rest awhile ; you must be tired after your walk." '• l" L'S^K^ r"'" '"^^ Marianne, blushing still more. thtinH "°^ '*^^ ^°"^"' '^^ interpreter and the Indians await me at the gate " Ang^lique sauntered down the garden path with IVXT: J v°;, "' '^^^ ^""*' *"PP^d »"t° her hand a pmk-tmted billet. "It is from your 'bon ami,' your sweetheart." she i. ,A^- '-'■^WF^pm^' MKROCOrr RfSOlUTION TBT CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) |M IK lit u £^ > |2£ 116 14.0 ■ 22 2.0 1.8 ^ APPLIED IIVHGE 1653 East Main StrMi Rochetter. New Yofk U609 USA (716) ♦82 - 0300 - Phon. (716) 288- 5989 -Fo> Inc J52 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT rv''J^T''i""'' '■*' ">""'"•«« a"d a droll stumbline over the Saxon word. "Ah, i, „as not difficult fo? me to get the pass when I announced that after Pn'lr'T'^' "'■»' »°«°" fa this? No one among the Enghsh IS my -bon ami,'" protested the other de! mo,selle ; but she thrust the billet into the bo"om of her frock wth all haste, and her eyes brightened as Mananne promised to stop at the house a|a n on re turmng from the camp of Pontiac. In the course of an hour. Mademoiselle de St Our, came back in high feather. The chest was found Ponfac had delivered it over to her with the courtesy' to---^:t^r^zi'::t*te;r£ •Ce"::i;:2g^r;:.:^^-"-''^--j°-- "Ah, Marianne, you h,ipny eirl i " exrl=in,»j Angelique, as she drew her cousin^rom the khlen resran/o"°^''^rT I'"' '" P'^^r^^. ir^^ttt^ ness and quiet of the hearthroom. •• This Caotain Dakell whom you met in Montreal is so brave Ind Slat'lTa'n' T^'^'"'' ^^ '"^es you so devotec-'y that I can forgive him even for being English " "O^Su^dTjt""^;^' ^"^^owledged Marianne, ur at least I shall be when he comes to the strait slThere^°K^^ T'' '"^' ^^^'"S ■"= '''«> -ked t^Te trouble kndn' 7"'.^"'°'' ""'^ *"<"•"' '"d'a" trouble. And now, fondly as I long to see him I sometimes wish he had not applied^or Ws fa^ir has'iifbetrXd.^ ^°""" '°'-' '^"^ "^ -="-y DridJ-lr^'il"'" *' ■""''= ""== yo" have for pride, declared her sympathetic confidante. " Your :?JEr'^^ ANGELIQUE'S SCHEMING as3 hero will come with a large force of troops, and put an end to the war." " The soldiers of the King of France may come, and then the strife will be the fiercer," sighed Mari- anne timorously. " Ah, I fear I am a very wicked girl to have given my love to an alien." " Bah," broke out Mademoiselle Cuillerier, " cheer up, ma petite; Father Potier says marriages are made in Heaven ! Now if Heaven designs to favor this Englishman with so sweet a wife as you will make, why should you thwart the designs of Provi- dence? As for the soldiers of the fleur-de-lis, I fear they will never more be seen at Le Detroit. The neighbors who come to chat with my father — St. Aubin and others — have taken to muttering of late! They say King Louis cares not a whit for his loyal subjects of New France ; why then should these sub- jects remain the chattels of his Majesty? To be governed by the English would be as good as to be ruled by Pontiac. "Last Sunday, la chere tante and I went to Mass and confession at the Huron Mission. You know how the rich habitants are wont to have their easy-chairs rigged out with side bars, and, seated thus in state, are carried to church by their Pani slaves? Eh bien, as after the service we came out under the trees of Le Pere Richardie, we saw the Great Ottawa take his place in one of these chairs. Borne on the shoulders of his braves, he visited the farms of the southern shore to see for himself the amount of grain in the possession of the farmers, so said Jacques Baby. Before he set out, however, he bought corn and cattle of some Canadians at the church door, and we saw him give in exchange his note of indebtedness, as the commandant at the fort i 254 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT is wont to do. Only, the notes of Pontiac were bits of birch bark whereon he scratched the figure of a coon, the totem he has chosen. I told my father of It all, and he says Pontiac ever redeems his pledges in honorable manner. But truly, if your lover. Major Dalzell, comes, -well, I long to dance at your wed- ding, chenc ; and here is the answer to the billet vou brought me." ^ With some confusion, she thrust a folded scrap of paper into Marianne's hand. "Ah, for your ' bon ami,' " persisted the other de- moiselle roguishly. Angelique let the jest pass. " It is better Marianne should think I have accepted him as my • bon ami ' than that she should know the billet contains matter of importance," she said to herself. "But of course it is not so, and -and --though he kissed me — I could not help it. Last Sunday when I asked advice of Father Potier he told me if I had given my troth to this cavalier of whom I spoke, the kiss was permissible for that occasion. Shall I consider that I gave my troth, for the sake of thinking it permissible? The Scotch- man said by it he plighted his troth to me. But how can he be betrothed to me if I am not betrothed to him? Thus mused the perplexed demoiselle after Mari- anne had gone back to the town. In. the letter Angehque had begged of Sterling, by the love he had sworn to her. to come no more to the c6te She repeated that the voice of the whip-poor-will was mournful, and she would shut her ears to it, adding in enigmatic phrase, of which he alone possessed the key, that she could best effect the escape of the cap- tain by her own devices. If the merchant persisted ANGELIQUE'S SCHEMING 255 in coming, suspicion might fall upon her as one who favored the English. This last argument would, she knew, prove conclusive. Yet, after the message was despatched, the girl wept, and was beset by many nervous fears lest, amid the stress and danger of the times, she might never see her likely young gallant again. The cloud of discouragement that hung over the stockade was becoming loss dense, however. One night an English prisoner escaped from the Ottawa camp, bringing a letter found in the clothes of a scout killed by the Hurons. The missive, written by an officer at Niagara to the commandant at Fort Miami, conveyed the intelligence of the signing of the treaty of Paris; and having perused it. Major Gladwin ordered James Sterling to assemble the French of the town at the door of the church of Ste. Anne, and read to them the news that New France had been formally ceded to the English. When this had been done, a concert was given by the little band of the fort One sultry afternoon about this time, Angelique Cuillerier bent over the berry patch in her garden, picking the choicest of the red, ripe fruit into a china bowl, of a thickness calculated to withstand the rough usage of years. " Well may the savages call these weeks of June ' the Moon of Strawberries,' " she reflected. " Never have our berries been more luscious, and every time Pontiac has entered the house and demanded a meal, I have feared he would send his braves to despoil the patch. How good my mother is when the Ottawa comes ! She does not call me when I run away and hide. Heigh-ho, she little dreams, though, what cause I have to fear him." f 256 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Her task completed, the girl laid upon the fruit she had gathered a cluster of the dark green foliage of the garden pear tree, the "pommier doux" whereof she was wont to sing, and, returning, set the bowl on the table in the hearthroom. Then mount- ing to her corner under the eaves, she bathed her face, smoothed her disordered curls, exchanged her blue cotton frock for one of white linen, and, donning a white sun-bonnet, issued from the house, carrying the china bowl with great care. From the windo>v of the loft, Tante Josette looked sleepily after her. " La cherie is going to pay a visit to Madame Me- loche," she soliloquized. "The child finds it dull now that she cannot go to the town. Captain Camp- bell does not take a sieste, and although he still grieves for la jolie Mathurine, he obtains a won- drous consolation from the bright eyes and sweet sympathy of la che.e Angelique. Eh bien, if she persists in going out during the heat of the sun, she will get a row of freckles across her nose ; but she has a kind heart, and the afternoon is long for the pleasant gentleman. Madame Meloche has been appointed by her husband the captain's gaoler, but she says when Angelique is there the officer is sure to go no further away than the garden." It was not far to the house of Baptiste Meloche — a short walk on the river road where it crossed the prairie past the home of his cousin, Francois, and then over the bridge of Parant's Creek. Behind the Meloche palisade, under a pear tree which might have been the twin of the one beside the door of the Cuillerier homestead, sat the captain in a rude chair before a rustic table, writing upon strips of birch bark with a swan's-quill pen, which he dipped ANG^LIQUE'S SCHEMING 257 from time to time in an inkhorn, made likewise of the bark, and filled with the sooty liquid he had used in inditing his note to Sterling. " Ah, Mademoiselle Cuillerier," he exclaimed, rising as he perceived the demoiselle, "Madame Meloche is, I believe, within ; shall I summon a Pani to announce you, or will you seek her in her own apartments?" Oftei. as Ang^lique can here, this little comedy was invariably gone through with between herself and the good captain. His gallantry would not permit him to presume that she came to see him, while she shrank from appearing to remind him that he was a prisoner. And " to visit and cheer those in captiv- ity " was one of the " seven corporal works of mercy," so taught the zealous Father Potier. " Oh, it is too warm to go indoors ; I will stay out here where there is a breeze from the river," she replied, casting her sun-bonnet upon the table. " No doubt Madame Meloche is dozing, and I shall have to await her awakening. Here, Monsieur Camp- bell, I have brought you some strawberries. You should have had cream with them were it not that a certain warrior has left us only one cow, and we cannot save milk for cream. As for sugar, we have none but such as is from the maple trees, which you do not like. The berries are, however, quite sweet, and I plucked them myself" " Sweet they must be, then," said the captain, with a smile that thanked her for the trouble she had taken to please him. " Now will you not join me in the feast?" "Not I," she answered; "but I am going to sit here and watch you until you have eaten them all." Pleased as a boy at her kind thought of him, the 17 258 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT captain laughed, and raising one of the ripe berries by its stem, for Angelique had plucked them as though they were so many scarlet flowers, he threw back his head and let the luscious fruit drop into his mouth. Another and another berry followed the first; then saying gaily, " My faith, it will n;t do to devour them all ; we must keep a few for Lieuten- ant McDougal," he set the bowl upon the opposite side of the table, as though pushing away temptation. Angelique frowned, but quickly smiled again. Yes, the lieutenant was welcome to a share. She had seated herself upon a bench that rested against the trunk of the tree, and, having picked up her bon- net once more, was fanning herself with it. "Mademoiselle, you remind me of a beautiful white butterfly that I sometimes see flitting about in this garden," averred the captain, gazing at her with admiring eyes. Oddly enough, the girl was in no mood for compli- • ments and scarce seemed to hear him. A pause, which was not awkward, intervened ; for there existed between the middle-aged officer and the young French demoiselle as near an approach to a Platonic friendship as can perhaps be quoted. Now Angelique sat facing the house and covertly observing its windows, even to the dormers in the roof, though to any one scrutinizing her from the interior she might have presented a charming picture of youthful indolence as she leaned back noncha- lantly, and patted the grass with her moccasined foot in very idleness. Meantime the captain, lounging in his chair, fell to surveying the river, as it lay glittering in the sunlight fflce a mirror of burnished silver, just beyond the road and the bluff at the end of the garden. ANGKLIQUE'S SCHEMING 259 As the silence continued, he shifted his position so that he could look down the strait in the direction of the stockade. Above the bastions of the fort the standard of St. Georje was proudly flying, and. as his eyes rested upon the crimson banner, Mademoi- selle Cuillener. who had begun to study him narrowly saw that they kindled with the enthusiasm of a sol' d.er who salutes his colors ; then presently his gaze grew absent and sad. There being nothhig to call she noted how much graver and more lined was his bronzed visage than it had been a few weeks before • and although, lacking his accustomed exercise he had mcreased in weight, he appeared to have 'lost much of his former activity and vigor Ang^lique sighed ; clearly the captain would seem like an elderly man if he remained much longer in captivity. ^ Anon she glanced up among the branches above • ^h! '.% f ''""^ ^y '^^ "^•'■P'"^ °f the birds n their leafy bowers; a natural action, yet it was the same to which the girl Nedawniss had resorted in the mission orchard before she revealed the dark workings of her heart to Father Potier f. 'i'!;°/r'''^^^" P^^""^^ ^°^n through the sun- touched foliage, no Indian form clung close to the gray branches. Having assured herself that no one was withm earshot, the demoiselle said softly, retain- ing her careless pose, — ^ •• Monsieur Campbell, did you ever decline to aid a lady m distress ? " ^ Jhe captain came back from his reverie with a wa3h °' ^. n ^-"^ ""^ '?"> "° • " ^^ ^'^^^l^-'^ed. with warmth. "Durmg my life J have doubUess been 26o THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT derelict in many things, but unchivalrous to a woman — never ! " " Mademoiselle, if I can render a service to any friend of yours, I swear to do so. Yet, alas ! I for- got, I am a prisoner; " and he struck the arm of the chair with his clenched hand. " Oh, monsieur le capitaine, you can render the greatest service," stammered the girl, lowering her eyes demurely. " But, lean back in your chair, fill your pipe, and smoke it while I tell you." The captain laughed, resumed his easy posture, and with a protest took the pipe from his pouch. Angelique plucked a white clover blossom from the grass and began to pick it to pieces. " Monsieur," she continued, in a tense undertone, " I am the lady in distress." He raised his eyebrows inquiringly, and his coun- tenance grew serious. " Yes, I gave a promise, and without your aid I cannot keep it. I agreed to set you free ; the means are prepared ; you must avail yourself of them to- night." The captain was startled at her temerity, but by no abrupt gesture did he betray his surprise. A prisoner learns to guard his every look. " Ah, mademoiselle, how relentlessly you have en- snared me," he cried, endeavoring to pass the matter off as a jest. "You will not be foresworn ?" protested the girl, aghast. " For weeks I have awaited this opportunity.' Pontiac's camp was too near. Now he has removed his villages farther up the river, and only a few war- riors have their lodges here. Listen : after dusk I will leave my canoe moored at my father's wharf. In the dead of night, you and Lieutenant McDougal must ANGfiLIQUE'S SCHEMING a6i manage to escape from this house and make your vay to the wharf. You will find the paddle among . . bushes. Be swift, leap into the canoe, push out fr m the shore, and paddle in all haste to the fort. Bv good fortune the moon does not rise until late ; Uie stars w,l give you sufficient light, yet will not afford enough to favor your detection." " My dear young lady," interposed the captain, much moved. •• I am most grateful for your inleres m my behalf^ Your scheme shows a woman's clever ness, and ,f Mr. McDougal chooses to adopt it. I wish him al success tor myself," he added, in a lighter tone, by my fa.th. I am overweighted with flesh to make a good runner, and so short-sighted that in the night I am as blind as is a bat at noonday. Were I to accompany McDougal I should only hinder him from regaining his liberty. Moreover. I have given my word of honor to Pontiac that I will not try to escape I cannot break my parole." *^ In Mr. Campbell's reply Angelique recognized the same proud spirit of noblesse oblige " which distin- guished her uncle Picot^ de Bellestre. and the chev- aliers of the old r^gi„ie. Ardently admiring thL punctilious sense of honor, she sighed nevertheless. rJ^K;? *" ^^Pt"'-ed you by a trick. He had no right to exact the promise, monsieur le capita. »" she said presently. ^ ' will ^rm!^l"°!'/^'x'r^^" P^^" ^°"^^« the Ottawa will remember that I kept my word to him. Hav- ing thus had my small part in promoting amicable relations between the aborigines and our people, I shall have performed a soldier's duty to his country '' ev^TAnl4'''PP°!^"*"'^"' ^''^'^""^ '" the pretty Zlf^nTlT- K^'P/"'" ^"'"P^^" h^^ risen as h; spoke, and while she glanced up at him, she noted 262 THE HEROINE OF 1 1'E STRAIT that he stood in the centre of a long, black shadow. It was only the shadow of the M^loche house, but to her imagination the circumstance seemed ominous. Now he strode to her side and would have raised her hands to his lips ; but, hiding them beneath her apron, she faltered, — " I beseech you, monsieur, do not betray that we speak of anything more important than the time of day. There may be an Indian eye behind every crack and cranny of yonder house. The canoe will be at the wharf to-night; take it, and secure your freedom Hark ! " As she concluded, her quick ear detected a step in the passage within. The next moment a tall, lank figure appeared in the doorway, and, after a swift glance, she smi.jd a greeting, perceiving the new- comer to be Mr. McDougal, who showed some cha- grm at his tardy arrival, when he beheld the pretty vision m white, seated under the old pear tree. "Ha, ha, sir lieutenant, you have missed the op- portunity of your life by remaining indoors this after- noon, pretending to read the volume of Bossuet that Father Potier was so kind as to lend us, whereas you were dozmg over the book, I trow," called the captain rallymgly. in French. " Here have I had the pleasure of discussmg the weather and the crops with la belle du Detroit." "Verily, my captain, you have had a panacea agamst the ' dolce far niente ' which, in these parts creeps upon one unawares," rejoined the young offi- cer, with a bow to the demoiselle. " I am glad you have profited by the time of the ' sieste, monsieur," began Ang^lique, in a bantering ♦ ^ne. Then lowering her voice she added, " Because aen next this household goes to rest, you must act." il ANGELiyUE'S SCHEMING 263 McDougal's keen eyes searched her face, but he gave no other evidence that the communication was unexpected. Assuming a coquettish manner in strange contrast to her words she repeated to the younger office, the plan she had unfolded to the captain, and besought h.m to strive to overcome the latter's unwillingness to seize upon this opportunity of escape fh^'^^^'l ^ ."''"•" T""'^ McDougal, who considered the captains scruples most quixotic. "To-morrow mademoiselle, I trust we shall be in the fort; and ever after, during all th. to-morrows that come io us us%tr iid°^'' th*^ noble French demoiselle who lent •• Au revoir then, my friends, au revoir," cried Angehque. ,n high spirits. Darting a glance of en- treaty at the captain, and bestowing a kindly one upon the lieutenant, she ran lightly away to the house, to find Madame Meloche looking out at the two officers through a slit in the deerskin curtain of her apartment. The girl breathed nervously, and for a second a tremor possessed her. But reflecting that her con- versation with the gentlemen had been carried on in so subdued a tone that it could not possibly have reached other ears, she said lightly, — "Vraiment, mon amie, I am glad to find vou aroused. Why did you not come^into the garden" I stopped awhile to speak to your prisoners. Ma foi ! unLX ''"^^- ""^ ^'"^ ^^ ^ Frenchman would gaolor." '""' <^"-^"n^stances, if only to spite his "Chut, chut! what does a lively demoiselle know of such grave matters? " chided the young dame, with the superior condescension of a woman who Js a •• Y • .'^r- 264 THE ^*1I^E or thE STRAIT husband and a child! and a home'of her own " The tuZ ^r^^r^^J^ '"'^^ -^'^'^^ -^'^ «ne ^ your littl. daughter ^aLke ifthe'^^rdle. ""t^uII :he grows prettier each day." ^' "^ tinfwItTDam: M'f f' ^P'"* '^'^ ^" ^^^ '" <=^at. yea^r-od £b^ t^'^' f"^ P^"^''"^ *'*'* ^^e two- year-old baby. Then taking her china bowl and "a uTevoTr -'^^hf f '"^ ^"^^'^^ ^"^ "^^ ^-"- au revoir, she set out for home. 'w:ww~ THE PR«^E«TY ©F SCARB9R* PUBLIC LIIHARY I i CHAPTER TWENTIETH THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE IT AD Tante Josette been inclined to wakefulness, A X she might have discovered that her niece Ang^- .que slept little on the night that succeeded her visit to Dame Meloche, but spent the long hours kneeling at the window in the dormer. " Cette ch^re tante" doubly welcomed a quiet night now. however, and oZTJlVV^Tu''^'''' conscientious exactness!so often of late had the repose of the c6te been disturbed by wild war chants and savage cries. . ^" the morning the girl saw with delight that her canoe had disappeared from the wharf. It was nearly the wood" ^"'T ^"•"'"''' ^^^'"g <=°"^^ •" from X7I ""^'■' ^""°"""d to "la bonne ; Morbleu. what think you, ma mie, the English prisoners have escaped ! " ^"S"sn His daughter's heart leaped for joy i.ft I'"J '^ *' strangest part of it; they have not but the Indian guards have been drunk every nieht rtX'^s; •" "■' """ --"' ^" '"^ ^-•- Xante Jo«tte' ''"'°"'" ^"^ *''' '"«">"" ""J"''"' »66 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT So engrossed with her olan harf A„„ii- i that She had not taken into accou„t1hf^^^^^^^^^^^ of getting the M^loches into trouble Cht.*^ emotions surgine in her h.,lZ^ !' "^"^ awaited her fa^hfr's answer. ^'^' '^' '^^'"'^^'"2^^ "The lieutenant and a trader;, not the cant iJn" he began. "Meloche says Mon.;ieur Can,pbei7; joices over the escape of the others, yet declare • h would not go himself because he had "ter^" word to Pontiac. The more fool he 'ha h^? ^Jn itutfLXeT" '' l^'^y ap%at'd':Le;:;:^ MtbLrowid-f ^o::^^^^^^^^^^ -^i;^ one would think thd Indians had never bt^wL^ come m and out of our houses." anrf^^' ''"^ '" °^^^' "^^y *^^y ^^^'"e asking for food and It was never denied them. Now they take itTnH of o"uf p/-'^°" - *^^ bargain; onl^^ste'day ^nf of our Pani women was so beaten," protested th! girl, recovering herself. protested the As she spoke Toussaint entered the hearthroom is n^:^^'""'' ^' ^^^-o^-"^ An Jn,T; strtgf Twm To'tep"^^^^^^^^ ^"' ^^-^^.^ ^" ^- AntoL C Jeril: toC^Vo:^^ to df w>. .^''^^^ ^' ^"^P^<=^^^ t»»-t she had Lgh not detern, ': "p "'. °' *'^ ^°""^ °«^-^' ^^^ -"1^ that thl r :,• ^'^^P'' ''"" *^^ "«^^s had come that the Canadians were now British subjects bv the m^hf ser^e H ./'"^l'"^"^^^' ^^^ circumstance ^revln • '"'u''^" ^'^^ *^^ English, should they prevail against the Ottawa. At all events he « J with an assumption of anger -- ' '^'^' THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE 267 " Ang^lique, you are a little fool to let your canoe dnft away. Toussaint. say not a word to any one that It IS gone, or I will have you flogged 'T is an accident which might bring trouble tf us from the savages." in lol?/ i'"i- r'"^ '^' ^^ ^^^ blundered, withdrew m doleful distress. It needed not the threat to keep h.m silent; that the mystery in some way involved his young mistress was enough to insure his dumb- ness on the subject. While these events were happening on the " cdte strait aL^TnH- "m °" '^' ^""'^^''" "^^^S'" ^^ ^^e strait, an Indian girl appeared suddenly in the door- " Dame, bring some bread for the squaw, and bid her be gone," he called to his wife, as he applied lait on the platter before him. nrof?*' ![^^" T'^T^ returned, the girl dashed the proffered dough-cake to the ground. " I, do not want food," she cried, with scorn. " I am come to Jacques Baby because it is said he is a truth ? "° ^°«^"^andant at the for^ Is this the Jacques Baby shifted uneasily in his chair. The question was scarcely a safe one to answer in these '' I am a friend to Pontiac," he responded in the '•?he r '^'n'"^'' '"^ "'^^ ^°"^^ condescension nilht ^hTf ^T' xI'P' ^''' ^y "^y h^^rth last night, the English at New York would pay a sum of go d equal to a king's ransom for his capture. Llwled' "°' ^'^^ '^"^ "P- ^^ the forest mLen *Jl »68 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " The ' little spirits who carry the news ' sav ,t.^ and he would never betray one who has slepi in w,' lodge, pursued the Indian doggedly. " If he woulH serve the commandant, he may learn what the whie chief would wish to hear." ■«' tne wnite The irritation of the habitant was appeased. inquiJe'd" ° "'" "" ""= ''"''«•"" "f 'h' fo-""h. visft^r'rrpt'd,-'"' ^^"^'^ «'^»« of "»'-»'. the "Nedawniss, the daughter of Makat^npl.v.'f^ • W„ .at the Huron l^ission f Si^f We' The dame ceased to frown wlfh^lf'^!,""^ .'^^ ^J'''^^' ^h° pestered the major with her devotion until he cast her out of the fori" Baby muttered in French ^• Therewith pushing back his chair from the table he^ murmured a thanksgiving more sincere 'S^^' grZfuI-w'^''^'^^" \" ^"•'' "'^y ^e be truly grateful ana, turnmg to the girl, continued " If the mom , the commandant, perhaps I will lend ^em a pirogue to take it across the river " Her face brightened. "Listen then. Big Heart," she said. "I am often known as leena the Wanderer, for like the deer ? • ove to roam the wilderness. The sun has risen bu Lanks I "" ^ '"'"'^' '^' ^'^'^^^ -" Canard Ont K InTtrr' 1'%''"""^ ^"^ Pottawattomie^ ruttmg m to the beach, I went among them. The THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE 269 young men were making bows and arrows of hickory- wood ; the squaws were twisting strips of deerskin, and stringing the bows with the inner bark of elm. Others were tying wild turkey feathers on the arrows to guide their flight, and binding on the poi- soned flintheads with the finest thread from the rac- coon. Farther on I came upon an old woman who was dyeing quills. I sat down beside her. and, takmg some of the beads from my pouch, offered them in exchange for the quills. The generous bargam made her as happy as Onawut-a-qu-ta, -- he who catches the clouds. But I too appeared well pleased. " ' Noko, old mother,' I said, ' there is much work gomg on at these camps. This is not the hunting season. Why do your young men and maidens make ready the arrows? Have not your people treated for peace with the soldiers at the stockade?' "The Noko laughed. She was so ugly I feared she might be the Mukakee Mindemoca, the Toad- woman; but she was not, for the Monedo Kway, the prophetess, would have seen my heart. " • Our people are at work,' she said, ♦ because we have word from the Lake of the Fries that a barque freighted with stores for the redcoats is ^n its way to the fort — '" ' "This is welcome news for Major Cajwin," cried Baby, springing to his feet. " I will see that it reaches him ; and you shall be recompensed, Nedawniss." "I am no Indian runner, to be paid with baubles," broke out the girl passionately. " I am the daughter of a chief; what I do for the English I do as a friend and ally." With this fervid speech she passed beyond the doorway, and strode across the prairie. « 270 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " Whew ! M on DiVn r " • back in his chair^ "m" LJT^''" ^^^y- '""'-g Two days later the Th;^ J^'^'' '^^^^' Monique after a battle ^iS^ :L\XTZi I' ^^*^' ''^'^' asperated by the safe arrTal n? .1 ^^ ''^"'■- ^x- those shut up in the stockade P .' P^^^'^'ons for cil of the habitants. In an 0'' ''"' '""^^ ^ <^°"n. the lodges of the various trfbeVSf":.'"'''-^""^^^ ^y themselves upon the round ' ?\^^P"t.es seated places at the^posfte^^fde 'f ?. '^" ^"^'""^ *°°»^ an interval of silence then .h ?^ ""^- ^^''e ^as threw down the wafbelt at th^f ?'r ^^'^^ ^^«-' and J'My brothers," he sa^d • t f '^" ^'■"""^• this bad flesh to remain on ^^°^/°"g will you suffer Pf Life command that ^Vthrp"',''. ^he Master throughout New France W.l^?f'['^ "^"^' P^^'^h quiet on your mats wht w^St r ^'^ ''' ^^^ -t are not our friends. You selS . ?°" ' ^"' y°« you go as spies to our WlCe °° "^ '^' ''^''^^^' our prisoners. Do not deny 1/ It'"'" '-'^^'^fr^^ of one of the French th.^.u J^ "^^ ^^ a canoe from the 'c6te dTntd ^It -' ''^''' ''''' ^^^^P^d "I kln^*- "l"^'" P'°*««ted with heat J know whereof I sneflt" laconically. ^P^*^' answered Pontiac pirogue, it is not our fault" ^ ^"S'-^hman stole a peau .. Hav* the BritltnofT, '"* ■'"■=<'"« ^am- "Nevertheless, I shall ZJ ''" °" """hy? " "noe,evenasIshal onedrvr' "'''° °«"'='' «>« - «.' -coat .,p.„ t";^^,iT^-tr hTrt^ THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE j;, Ms people," returned the Ottawa. " I bide mv tim, but I shall know at last." ^ '• The majority of the Canadians heard him with Atlot^Tc'l, °' ''"""'^- " "« ~"ntenance o Antome Cu.llener grew a shade paler at the threat of h,s fnend and ally, the fact was scarce rpercep bb e beneath the leathery texture of his compkxion was bus/ '''°""" "^ '"' '°^"'' *■'= ">!"" " Humph I if Angflique had aught to do with this It may cost her life," he reflected. " I wonder if s^e has been to visit Madame Miloche? I shaU orbM she ^ndZt-'r '''"'''°"' "' "■« "--• -- *°"gh I must tJf P .'• ^°"u^ "''' '■=™ '='"8 l-"" friends. Jasmin d, T "" ""' ' '""^""^ '° ■"'■•^y h" to Si? ''\J°"='"« "= many weeks. But. chut> canteTthe whrrf*' "'"'= ""^ '"""^'^ '^f' *« !, „5I^ ''"«'«"'" P''°««Jed Pontiac decisively " it anorerrtht«k';:?d"tf ''"' « °"' French or whoUy E„e ish^ 'l^"'r" ""l' ^ """"y let us have your answ^?' " ^""^ "P°" *^ >•=■'• »»d Dla« ""nnSwi"' ■'^"'"" <='■"?"" ^tood "P in his brought wkh h1!^ ?^ ^^^ therefore shiewdly ^eal instead ofT f "''P^-'*^ '^" capitulation of Mon- treai. instead of a transcript of the treaty of peace ^M. Va THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT . away the ZcZlttZiTT,'"^ ^u"" '"" """"8 father, the Great Jng tells uV?„ v" •"•" ^'P" '"" the Enghsh until hi, ,^'ldt^ I'S. wT" ""''."^^ n-a^VhT'occupShi:*'!,","''""'^ ""-g-' « upon hi, feet "^^ ts Larrof.E '" '" ""= ""'' ^ot preter of the British ' """' "•""='' '■««'- " Warriors," he 'cried " T =„j coareurs de boi, vola' „! ^'^ ^yy""? men, these to followyoa Ck Ron 'v '"^PP"'' "' "'^y We shai, Ln ha'^rthe f^ an^a^I t':r;,1-;t, •' '^ ' .-. ™htr;i^;r "' '"^ -" *" '='" -'^ p-d to iLtrgrb^rBab;'*'''" "''^•-•' ^••-■« p-" .ened'st AuWn"""^ " *' 'P^ °' *« English," a,. AS^o^g'ihe^'^'rdtrt?!"''^ r "'■' ~ to follow Pontiac Yef h^^.*^ ^^tf^"^ them,elves not the action oTthi,^cWesJh„"°*'"^- ''^ ™g'" cion of the Great Chief fr„„<-^,°^ P"""' "■« ^"^Pi" by^he^rsrShri'i^w"'*"' '"°'"p»'«' the fort, and m Je »adv tn'fi "^ * P""""" ""' ao made ready to fire upon the garrison at THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE ,73 laughed at his desertion The offi^ ^^'^' °"'>' parts soon discovered ^ie IntrC^ ' ""^ '^*^ '^'"■ the gray dawn a bofd d^h ' , ^P"*^' ""^ '" from the stockade '"^'^^ "P°" them asS;iS%rgtpVwdVrTo':^ ^-'-^ -^ dier spirit of the^corbJrned inT^^"'' ^*^^ ^°^- got the death blow g ven at C""oH'^ ^""u- "" ^°'- loved: remembered o„lvth.K ^"^ '^ """^« ^^ his friends, and before hL r ^^ ^^^^'"g ^^^ Thus no ;„e among the h^tle' '"^ '° '^^ '°"'«^- men fell upon the l"dian, ,1? ''^'"P^"^' ^^ ^hite boldness. '*'^"' ^"^ renegades with more himLf'L';tlf ^^^^^^^^^ *^^ ^-^<^h-n found dress. Bythat straLTn '^''^ '" *^^ Ottawa war- note of trffles L rmen^oTr'' °'*'^ "^'"^ *<' *^« observed in the TarrmLn ^-T" '""P^rtance, he hjs antagonist was dtb"d"wTtg oSre^'^V'^ '^" °^ his head crowned with feather. I a ^""^ vermihon, hung a necklace TL^u^' rtT'' ^'' ''''''' nevertheless, not an IndTan H; J u-^°""^ *"'"" ^^• ohVe, not copper hued Hi. f \ '" "^^ ^ '^^^^^^ those of th?aL„S and h- "'"'7."'"" ^"^'^ *h«" haps less keen. ^ ' ^ ^'' ^^"^ ^"g^ter, if per- ant!rf?orere:ch ^i^^^^^^^^^^^^ f^<^ ^o combat- tion leaped into the eyes of each ^tI!' °' '^^^^^^ Creole deliberately raiserf hic ? ^^^" '^^ ^"d Sterling's heart "'"'^^'' ^"^ ^"""^ aim at wh^h^eem^a ISintJ'^'-'^^""^^^ ^^PP--^^ end Of the Scotc^h^:i ^d^ riylo^ ^^^ J 27A THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT flintlock missed fire, and so close were the men 1! yhen h.s weapon thus failed him, the Jna" d.an found h.mself at the mercy of his enemy. In. stead of shooting h.m down. Sterling disarmed him, after a desperate struggle. An'Jr"'^^?.^''',,^^ *^"\''' "y°" ^••*^ *h*^ brother of Ang€l.que Cuillerier; therefore I spare your life, but you are my prisoner." ' rrIZ ^TV -^^^ y°""^ ^^b'»«"' <=""<^d his luck inrf^»?"i"*'".^ '^^' ^' ^^"''^ ^^th" die than fall nto he hands of the English. Sterling paid no heed sdf a capTv^^' '"' ^"'°"^ '^ gloomily Ucd him- in J ole'?'Z' ^nd coureurs de bois were now scatter- IL!^ P'^'"^' ^'"°"& *^*^ last to flee was a Stalwart young warrior who fought with extraordi- whh a'deTnt ""' ^r^''' f'' ' ^°"^y of muskett with a defiant cry he sank lifeless to the ground Dody of the fallen brave, tore away the scalo anH w.h^an exultant shout shook it towa^dte^et'ating hol^'late^'ih! ^"'"^ '^"" ?*"'"^^ *° '^^ f<>rt- Some runnfnl /' 75." "P°" ^^e prairie bastion descried Alfl Yu- ^""'' *^^y abandoned the pursuit came'of Thf "f ' ^1"^ '^^^" ^° f^'' *'- -- opTn and n.^l""'-'' u^ '^" ^''^' ^^'' ^^^ thrown open, and. rushmg m, he sank exhausted at the feet of the officer of the guard. Major Gladwin was soon upon the spot. Zounds ! It is Lieutenant Paully, the late com- Zed tLl-M "'7'^'" '^ ^'^^^^-^^ - heTontem- plated the lifeless form of the stranger. THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE 27$ ^ Before long aided by a generous draught of the old Jamaica." saved with the ship's cargo, the officer revived, and was able to tell his story. ^ ' ^^'" nH. \ A 1 '^°"'^" ^y ^*»o"i I found myself adopted .n so droll a fashion was as kind as a Zlulr ome he said, with a whimsical smile. "Without de- lay she began to plan for my escape, and to that e„d hid me m a French house, where I have r.l.- ^ many days in concealment Se'ng 'he fighT^"!' ^he Indians and their defeat. I conduded tha they ofth^^""^ away from the neighborhood for the res^ of the day; but alackl I well-nigh paid with my We r my mistake. Your skirmishing party Zatil angered them. The Indian scalped by one of vou^ SZZ "^rr "'; "^P °^ WassolXf of he ^ooi to .h Sr ""^°'^""' circumstance bodes no good to the officers and garrison of this fort." In the afternoon of this same day la bjle d'u T)^ ro,t stood at the gate of the Cuillerfe paiLdt" U«s'"o*f Z r V; f" ™'"'- At dal tS: habi: th^fi L '" '""' ''"" "wakened by the noise of the fight upon the prairie laf^r r.JL , water-fowl a «--, „f r "," ""' "'"= " «vey of river buTks vet no 1^-." ""°" '"'' '"^P' "P ">« puce :l v.TJ:!;vTr.:L^'-i!'t:''z meir defeat, had betaken themselves to the woods oearlv Tin o • • *^^ ''"'^ ^^^ "°w blue, anon flec^d he slT Ve r'*"^''! °' ^•^^^' - '^ - sunshine ^' ^'"^ ^^°"^'' ^^^^ midsummer aun/'Mal""^' *?' V^' °P^^ '" the brooch of my aunt, Madame des Ruisseaux." soliloquized Ang^- J76 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT lique. M she viewed the broad expanse. "That is S^H ^^T*" '"8">i, which is but as thespark Z of one drop from its clear depths " F«'wing waTore^rtltl ""' J'"^" '""^ "Pon the water,, but was presently turned again toward the fort. Strain ^r eyes as she would, however, the demoi elle cou S see no one With a girlish frown, as though vexed the uno^r'"^l°^''"u '■"■"• '•"= "•'•"^ and scanned Wind Mill Point, behind whose wide marshes lay the present camp of Pontiac. There its bark huts were at intervals sailed up to bombard them .J'7^f f*^'?*'" ^^"^ *^^ ^°"' of the engagements- she judged shrewdly. "They have all gone back to the encampment." ^ Growing bolder, she ventured into the road. How cairn and mysterious seemed the forest, like a wall reared before the English, a barrier that bade theThtn'^H"" ""^ ^V^"'- '^' P^"'"^' '^' ^«ters. they had claimed ; the woods still belonged to the Indian and h.s French brother. And hoi pleasant Antome Cu.llener had mown the meadow near his farm to provide food for the ponies, and now the airjas sweet with the fragrance of the newly cut "Why, what is this?" exclaimed the girl. "The !!," °^/,^"»^^do^-Ja«-k that in some marvellous way escaped the mowers! Or. rather, did Toussaint the slow-witted but tender-hearted, save the tiny^tier THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE a;; and her family, and transfer them to the ^h^U.r e this sumach bush?" shelter of tcrcd helplessly, its wings brushed her cheek No poor bird mother, do not flutter and fear t i„ your ehirp too well to hurt you So,, in T net still farther under the'bS Ir;.^:; ' %t„ ;mf-7upr.L'Zdrv-or.ou;u:;- bir^whi:h'L^!:7«„™:r?r::°rf °' '•!' "'•■" p-"' precision. "' ""' »" »" °f ■""'•ary he will obsLe Ws ;:;oireve„ ^h "k*-''"°"' given to the King of France h.l °"^5 " *"« about the UDoerLrf „?..,' J " P"""""! to roam m response i kfowTe'f ^'"^- " "^ '^^ ^is hand and till r-bon'e" m^^* hVS' c"o^mi„' "Ji™" '"""O" prepay for him a sangare:f rr|;„f: .^tTI 1 278 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT It will be acceptable this hot afternoon. No, I will await him here. He raises his hand again as he comes across the stretch of prairie. Bon jour, bon jour, monsieur le capitaine ! " In girlish glee, Ang^ique merrily flaunted and flourished the kerchief. At the captain's distance she might have seemed a bird just ready for flitjht so light and graceful was her poise. Her sun-bonnet fell back, the soft breeze stirred the dark wavy hair that hung upon her shoulders, and played with the short locks which curled about her pretty forehead: her cheeks flushed pink as the eglantine. Thus an artist might have painted her as the spirit of mirth and laughter. But, oh God ! what is it that causes the laugh to die upon her lips and her face to blanch ? Why does she cry out in terror and wave the kerchief now as a signal of warning. What is that other form which a moment before started up from a hollow in the pra.ne,~a figure that follows the Englishman like a shadow in the sun? An Indian? Yes, an Indian with uplifted tomahawk. The girl trembles in every hmb; a faintness steals over her, but she struggles against it. Once more she frantically signals to the captain. Ah, thank Heaven he understands. He turns; the tomahawk strikes the air. Ha, ha ! he is saved ; he will shoot his assailant. Alack, no ; and Ang^lique grows weak again as the remembrance flashes upon her. No, the cap- tain told her that Pontiac took away his pistols. But he has a knife; he draws it from his belt, and is de- fending himself. ••Toussaint.'' she calls at the top of her voice. Toussaint ! Raphael ! " Juste ciel, it is a terrible fight ! Yet. if he can only THE PRICE OF VENGEANCE 279 keep the red fiend at bay. the servants of Antoine CuiIIerier will speedily come to the rescue. "Jesul Marie!" A blind, feminine impulse prompts the demoiselle to rush down the road toward the grappling men. She has gone but a few steps, however, when she remembers this is folly. sne Jr''''"'J ^^"P^^^L' " ^he cries again, then speeds onward by a path along the shore, half-way down the bluff. The Indian, being younger, lighter"^ and better armed than the captain, will prevail unless the Pan.s come without delay. If they come the savage may flee to save his own life, and then, she, la Demoiselle CuiUerier, will have the captain borne back to her father's house, where she will tend his wounds and nurse him back to strength. These thoughts surge through her brain as she runs on. Her head being upon the level of the bluff at times she can see the combatants. Alas ! the cap^ tain weakens; he staggers back; and now.— " My God I My God ! " Tlie shouts of the officer, the girl's agonized appeal to Heaven, bring the laborers running from the dis- tant fields at the edge of the forest. But, before they reach the prairie by the river road, an Indian yell of triumph rings out upon the air. It is followed by a woman's shriek, so wild and frenzied that ti;ose who hear hastily cross themselves as they hurry on. saying to one another that it might have been the cry of a suffering soul in purgatoiy Quarter of an hour afterwards. Toussaint and Raphael found their young mistress unconscious and inanimate, fallen with her face pressed to the earth in a marshy bed of fleurs-de-lis beside the footpath below the bluff. ^ ^rlisL,: =■80 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT on around her. The XriT r i?^ °^ "^^^^ ^^n* fay left her mJl btnk f° T K ' '''^ ^^^ ^^^^ filled it with strange Sd Ll •'""'' ^"^ ^2^^^" over and cared for as IT ^f'^^ons. Watched Tante Josette „o renL ""^ ^^ *^^' ™°'^^'- and beyond^he^n^rrS rf^Jhe'c^ooninl^'^ ^°^^' the lower floor of fV,« i, '"^ cool little room on pared for he T ^ofJaT' "'"?'' ''*'' ''«" ?«" learn that the mutnLd Lr^/'^^'™"''' *■« '"e past into ti. riv"r,tattd''d°otn1ot 0^'"' "''"F wade, as to her feet Cuillerier pal- wJ.ec4,.hotd^t^Kr^^^f---: eaten the heart of the ^L -^ ^'''"'P^"'^"^ ^ad would render t^ef et rCufin^r ""-^ " sni^;^^^vsr^7T CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST LOVE THRIVES IN WAR irrHEN the news of Mr. Campbell's tragic fate tion of the besieged, and Major Gladwin promptly sent by Jacques Baby an angry message to^Pon^^ demandmg the punishment of the blackhearted Wa" aie Ottawa kept h,s pleH^es, and how he deemed savige" " "P"" *' "°'^ " honor of a in II*'' **V""''e charge the Indian leader replied prisoneT" '"""'" "P°" "'* ''"'= l-y =" English '•Pontiac, chief of the Ottawas and of all the tribes o ih^ p f °^ """"*» *■"> "'*''« *"• has brou^ ht ?°t1 %^ ^^'* "*"^' Monsieur Campbell," it Jd f • ^ ?"*r '°°'' ** ''^"d °f *e Eagle Hea t in fnendsh,p, for the white chief did not trea^ the redman as a dog, or a wolf, Mawingawn. His blood bu^" your o™ people You say Wasson killed th Ea^e "eTou?dTorht''dTrtfrdo^f i^ yoT hi '"l has fleH^ t^Q • " P"' "'^'^O" *" death, but he no" ^t L'-^'"^"' '""^ fro- "'-^ -» nation I can- J ! I f r f a82 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT -i^n^'^XutiX^l ""' "'eht during ,he ttae ev^enH, engaged in so.^e trcutr ^r^ and^'^^^S'^'t/Lrore'Sfn' ■'"■'?'' "-'"^ room was illumhied hv » ^! ''*':''''«^ "f her little glowed blood." duotn ^h^ !•? """ "^ "^ht that rude furniture and H° "'""-"ashed .alls, the Ang^li<,ru'.tTredt exclraC'f?" '''°°'- ently summoning her streTMhtS^ '""■"• '"'•"■ ened haste, sped ?h"ouVh?h/i }u '^"'"''^ '" '"S""- house-doon and ral ont . ^':"^^'°°'"' "nbolted the second TanieXer-- b«i :?ef -Xo '"-"*" many minutes alone • th^ T , , ^°'' ^^""^ '^ey hurrL „„t, trfilTtiafLt^f tt"Sl»r'"^ abroad upon the river rr.o^ \.l "^'^"Dors were were but'^'ust beg:„ V«le' do t"^*" ^ r"'"^ room called out anon in Trf- '" ""^ '■^"«''- was one o'clock "'P'"^ ™'«' *hat it that had aJZed h'excitTd; "'^T *^ "^'" ships is ablaze on the rive^' °"' °' *^ ^"S''^'' the older sonfwere "tin fj "'"' u " >'°''»8er boys ; theyhad aed arth^tSbeteTe'^ **" ■^^^.-'^-^Sgi^E. LOVE THRIVES IN WAR »83 " No, no I Whatever the conflagration, it is not fed by either of the ships," declared Angelique. •• See, in the fiery gleam, the spars and rigging of the barques stand out black against the sky." An ominous silence now hung over the strait; a flotilla of ghostly canoes rode upon the lurid waters, and presently, as the little group of women watched] down the river, beyond the point of land which had obstructed their view, floated a great burning mass, a bulk of flame that drifted straight toward the ships.' " Mon Dieu, what can it be ? " ejaculated Tante Josette. " What is afire, mon ami? " called la bonne tnhre to her husband, who came trudging back through the garden. Antoine Cullerier chuckled to himself in high good humor. "Parbleu, the Great Chief is clever as a fox," he said; "our gracious King Louis should give him the decoration of a general. He has sent a burning raft down the river to destroy the enemy's ships. For hours his braves have been making it ready. Charles Parant tells me 'tis most ingeniously con- structed of two barges tied together and filled with pitch pine and dry brushwood. How cheerily it blazes! Ha, ha! The intruders will be helpless enough now." "Cheerily," repeated Angelique under her breath. " Misericorde, how this strife changes men until they seem to partake of the ferocity of the wild creatures of the wilderness." King Louis had said he did not want New France, a land of ice and snows ; why, then, should the Creoles of Canada grasp at the hand that shook them off? The girl no longer wished to be French, nor yet English ; "I^IIS^A I '"* THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT their approaching doom ! And m'^' '"^ ^'"^"^^' who has cast in his lot wifh the^'"'"n\^''^''"S' their fate? "" 'hem, will he share ^'th an anxious heart An^o- less, her eyes fixed upol' the"^!'"" ''""T.""""""" beneath the calm sky/betwl-n tt 37""^ •" ''"■'^• bound the strait, onwaM t . .! ""*' P"'"« *« (■"".houses, that „ thXhfS- th 'k*'"'"' ^''"'««'"' birch bark stand out bofdlL / ' ""u ™"e P'"« «d round of trees tdl'dy^pfr- '"eir dark back- theVa^clr:rrhet;^f v""' "°"--'- - past the barques, n^SSLT"' f""' ""^ """'d "pent ! 0„«,ard l^houf^ ^ ""* ■"="="« <>' "> Huron Mission, beyond tt X '"""P ^^"^ *« toraies. Bat. unhiZeH ^h ^^* °'^ **« Pottawat- "Beavcr-and the.™ fd*:-'^:' I""' ^'"^'- *« river. v^iaawin, ride at anchor in the of *: h:b!:ai;*L?:2''>s" ^""^ " <•-<' ■■»»y "c«te du nord-esf" "' *= ""»" -^h^Pel of the many hundred league" ""' *° '■""*» "'tbi" ba:"c*';ou°''n:ft'nd'°;o„Th'ea''rrd' ■"■■"" '' -<='• much disquieted from fearn fM "'»'' ^""^ •>«" absence of your husband ?"^ the savages during the reeted the young" dt^ afteT^Tst™!;?' '"""' " "« ^^^ LOVE THRIVES IN WAR 285 " Vraiment, of loneliness I must plead guilty ; but of fear, I have shared the alarm of my neighbors', that IS all," answered Clotilde, in sprightly fashion, " for my father took me home." " I might have known as much, meeting you here above the fort. Eh bien, as a protector, Major Chapoton is equal in courage to a whole regiment of soldiers," her friend admitted readily. "As for my Tiind," continued Madame Clotilde "well, 'tis said 'a blithe heart makes a blooming visage,' and much reason have I to be happy. My Jacques is come back from his journey." "Returned? Now surely you can reveal where he has been?" coaxed the girl, with feminine cu- riosity. " I can only say that all day he has been on the southern shore at an Indian pow-wow," admitted the young wife. " Oh, if you will tell me nothing, au revoir, Clotilde," cried Angelique. " I pray you, give a kiss to your pretty young son for me, and tell him he shall have a mocockful of maple sugar comfits if he will come to see me." " Chut, you shall not beguile the boy by your arts, mademoiselle," jested Madame Godefroy. " He tells me, he will never love any other woman but his mother; and I hope to keep him in the same mind for twenty years to come, or at least until a beard begins to darken his rosy cheeks." " And in his baby prattle h - has already sworn I shall be his wife," returned the girl. «' Alas ! the du- plicity of man, even in his infancy." With a laugh she ran away, but once more alone on the road, stopped short and gazed absently into the river. ^■■w^^.mf 2«6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT come ? If' "'" ^"'^""'-^ English bridegroom oe St. Ours, a daily prayer. Wherever she went T prese„t,ment of evil seemed to peer coveX at h;r like "sorrow's sDv" H..f ou ^ ^"vcruy at her, mysteriojrvirct of tllf "? °' ?'"■"!>' ""S^' ">« ••forn=i,.ii. . , "'^ nnging m m d-air. Vet het°^s"alllmt w:,'.'."" ■""'•" ^"^ -•"' ••"»« heSTat she ^gedTr The": '"''''■ r ^"^ '°"' voy because it .vould bring IdditTo^^ f '}' """ much-needed supDlie-i to .h! ™'!""°"»' defenders and none of these £« It „,«; '""f '° ";" " ™«nt love, and happiness ""' ""''' '^"'«"' »"d lootd fro°m'hfr'Sl*: '"' °' J"'^' -"- 'h^ appointment m^eTetYan^^sual -^'st "c'*m* ''■■=■ see the river, for a thicic fo^ hJIf h ^i. ""^ "°' wall about the fort An h , ""'J * ^reat outer bre'e"d*g«'eTas"or:ietvr'''!,""' ^ """'^ "^ ^-^ to go d4 trdu ch 'KbuTcr;' "'"""r"" 11 was but courteous to think ■n *^ f^^^p^ .-^,:..«wip« LOVE THRIVES IN WAR 287 the Lord by an act of public worship for the bless- ings the day might hold. As Marianne stepped forth from the house-door on her way to Ste. Anne's, a cannon shot boomed threateningly from the water bastion, and at the sound the French who were not in the street ran out of their homes, demanding of the patrol what the report might portend. " Faith, 't is a warning to another batch of Injuns that have come to join the red naigers that do be pep- pering us with their shots. Shure, we ought to be as hot as Calcutta curry, bad cess to them," rejoined the soldier O'Desmond, raising his musket and critically examining the flint, while with nonchalant coolness he strove to calm the affrighted women and children. " Don't ye be afeard, me darlin' ladies. Ivery man on the ramparts has a dose of lead ready for the red naigers. And like the prescriptions of ould Dandy the apothecary in me own town at home, it is war- rented to kill or cure without fail ! " Not waiting to hear more. Mademoiselle de St. Ours hurried on. Twice during the service the shot from the swivel was repeated, and each time the good women who formed the little congregation bent their heads lower, and petitioned Heaven to save the town from the savages. As they flocked out of the church, a dull boom, which seemed to come from far across the water, caused them to start and exchange glances of ques- tioning surprise. Could that be an answering shot from some gallant ship making its way up the river? "Is it the convoy.?" Marianne tremulously de- manded of the sentry. " Diyil a doubt," was the quick response. " Ahem, ahem," and the discomfited fellow strove to cover his 288 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ca. !; T T ^^^''^ °^ ^^'^ P""« of darkness, be- cause I have no respect for him." The demoiselle, however, had already passed on to jom the throng of women who had foUowed the townsmen, officers, and soldiers to the ramparts iTke' do' H ' '"' 'T *u'^ "^"' "^^^ '-- dark object* w^tf^v Lr%\^'r^°"'°"- ^ ^^^ ^«*^^^^d them f. SJ ^' •^^"'^^ ^'"''■^'"S paused beside her. m.«^ Z"'''"*'"^' ^''^^''^ *^^ "^^ '« fi"ed with the sin ficaI/°"'«-"'."'"P ^""^•" *^^ ^*'^' ^»th smiling significance, offermg her his lens. Marianne took it with a trembling hand, and scanned the distance where the sky and^aters met How pretty she is." mentally commented the merchant, as he noted her blushing confusion. "By the Braes of Balquhidder. the British may conquer the strait but la jolie Canadienne will continue to conquer the British ! Le D^roit will still be French for many a day ! " And then he told her that Major Gladwin had em- barked upon the "Beaver." and gone down to meet the convoy. On came the barges, but as they reached the point between the Huron village on the southern and the Pottawattomie settlement on the northern shore, they were greeted by a sharp fire from both banks of the river A short engagement ensued, but the guns of the ships promptly put the savages to rout. and. this danger passed, the barques sailed nearer and nearer, and finally landed the troops on the strand outside the fort, amid the cheers of the garrison. Marianne with the other women hurried to the water gate. Despite the press of the throng of shout- ing so .«ers. excited Frenchmen, babbling dames and LOVE THRIVES IN WAR jtq "fiUettes," and clamorous children, she gained an excellent position whence to observe the entry of the reinforcements, thanks to Jasmin de Joncaire. who made way for her. What a grand spectacle it was to watch the new- comers disembark! The girl's spirits rose higher- she would fain have cheered with the good folk around her; she did flutter her kerchief with joyous enthusiasm. What a great panacea is happiness ! Could this bright-eyed, light-hearted girl be the same Mademoi- selle de St. Ours who had waited in pale patience for this hour during the long weeks of the fateful summer? "A fine showing the men make in their gay green uniforms," exclaimed an apple-cheeked matron ad- miringly, as the detachment came up from the beach Vive. Vive. le regiment vert J " called out a lively maid. who. like Marianne, had an English sweetheart The cry was taken up by her friends. It was be- coming intolerably dreary to these Creole dames and demoiselles to be shut within the narrow limits of the stockade ; to be forced to forego their visits to neigh- bors along the cdtp, their pleasant evenings upon the "Vive, Vive, the gieen regiment!" re-echoed the crowd, who welcomed the stalwart soldiers as de- hverers. At the head of each company marched its officers, with the military precision which distinguished the British. How eagerly Marianne peered at their faces ! Valiant, strong men they were, but her heart sank : all were strange to her. ''J6su. Marie, is he not come?" she murmured, still hoping, yet with a chill of disappointment creep- mg over her. ^ »9 290 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT There was a short delay, then up the strand came • small band of men in buckskin, half soldiers, half scouts, their leader tall, and sturdy of frame and rough in feature. •• Major Rogers and his prov' cials I " shouted the garrison. "Hurrah for Roge.-! Hurrah for the rangers I " Marianne smiled absently. It was well that Major Rogers was come; but— but— She glanced be- yond him. The last of the troops were leaving the boate. She drew back, not daring to watch longer, lest it should be only to learn that he, for whom she waited, was not lamong them. Yet she must know the truth at once ; this suspense was not to be endured. Again she turned her gaze toward the chink in the wall of cheering people that lined both sides of the way. As she did so, her heart fluttered like a bird, and th'^n --emed to stand still. She felt a tightening at her throat as if a hand were laid upon it; tears dimmed her eyes, and yet she could have laughed out in gladness. Yes, there in the van of his men was a handsome young officer, whose splendid bearing bespoke a noble pride and courage, whose nervous step, and the red color that mounted to his brow at the cheers of the populace, marked him as a man of impetuous and ardent char- acter. Yes, it was Dalzell, the gallant aide-de-camp of Sir Jeffrey Amherst. As he came on, the subtle sub-consciousness wherem soul acts upon soul told him that Marianne was near, and drew his eyes toward her. The next moment, by a singular coincidence, the crowd parted, so that she seemed to stand out alone from a confused background of faces. ■';^i^%-,.' .. '/. r rM^'^il^Lw.. LOVE THRIVES IN WAR 291 For a second the gaze of the officer and the demol Rut. had looked into each other's eyes when th! British had first landed at Le Detroit yet wTth aH f fcrence. Between Sterhng and Ang^nqfe had flashed Quesfon""]''' '"^'t"^ ^°^^' ^"^'^ 'his was love' Tell kept '"'"''• '''^ """'"^^ ^""^^"" °^ - t^oth A glad hght leaped into the eyes of Dalzell ;, deTce .s a true h- ^'^"^ '^ '"""''^' '"' "'^^ '""^^ ucnce, ns a true-hearted man smiles upon the woman wo ^^rwi°"^? '° f '^^^ ^^^^^ the'sor/ows 0°" world. It was all swift as the flight of a sea m.M «n another minute he had passed ^""' officer were betrothed anew; but. now that he was de St Our^the ''^•T"" '°"^^' '^ Mademoise, e uc bl. Ours the sunlight seemed to grow dim- her brain reeled, her limbs became weak and prwentlv she lost all knowledge of what was hajipenlng arTund " Poor demoiselle," cried the rosy-faced girl who had given the green regiment its name. •• I have heard that the handsome English officer is ier lover and a the escape of the convoy from the Indirvultu^es of the lakes, she has fainted for joy." " Nom de Ste. Anne, what a shocking disregard shouM ^°T"""'" ' ' ^° ^'^•"^ *^-^' - "'^ce of mine should rush out among the crowo :o obtain a first g impse of her lover, like any fillette of the humble sat In th I uT^ ^"^"'"^ ^"^ Ruisseaux. as she fn H *,^",,^'&^-^^<=ked chair near the chimney-piece in her httle parlor. "Were it an escapade of that 292 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT madcap, Ang^lique Cuillerier, I should not so much marvel ; but for you to so forget your dignity, Mari- anne, you who are wont to be as timid and retiring as a mouse ! " Marianne had been flitting restlessly about the room. At this reproach, she glided to her aunt's side and clasped her white hands around the old dowager's neck, kissing the faded cheek that had once been one of the fairest at Le Detroit, and the soft curls that made the dame the picture of a great lady of the French court. " Of course, ma tante, I should have sat quietly at home and awaited the coming of Captain Dalzell," the younger woman admitted, with a winsome affecta- tion of penitence ; " but when you were young, and the Sieur Trottier des Ruisseaux came home from the wars, did you stop to think that others might be taking note of every look you gave him? " " Chut ! chut ! mayhap I did not," relented the stately mentor, her heart touched by the unexpected demonstration of affection from the reserved Mari- anne. " But why does your captain tarry? Nom de Ste. Anne, it was not thus when I was your age, and Des Ruisseaux sued for my favor ! " Marianne smiled. Had she not exchanged that glance with her lover as he marched up to the British headquarters, possibly she too might have thought him lacking in ardor. But his look of love, the brightening cf his countenance as he caught sight of her, — these caresses of the soul had filled her with trust ; her heart, like a shy little thrush, sang a song of happiness over and over to itself. " He will come the first rr' iment that he is free," she said confidently, and d .ted away once more to peer from behind the window ci ain into the street. « # LOVE THRIVES IN WAR 293 where gaily attired townspeople and the new soldiers in their smart uniforms continually passed and repassed. J'resently she saw coming from the council house the ro; ust O Desmond, who stepped briskly down the tl oroughfare as though bent upon some special oomnussion. The jovial soldier was not an ideal messenger of Cupid. His rollicking air. the gleam of humor m h.s blue eyes, appeared more like to put fillettes of the strait, daughters of the artisans, and small traders, and courcurs de bois. were wont to say that no man among the garrison could make love so well as the witty Irishman. Straight as a shaft from the bow he came toward the home of Madame des Ruisseaux. and Marianne felt sure he brought some word from her lover As he approached nearer she let fall the curtain and drew back into the room, breathing quickly A sharp rap on the house-door reassured her: and de- spite a faint protest from her aunt, she fled to open it and learn the errand of the messenger. Standing on the door-stone. O'Desmond touched his cap with a flourish that for the occasion seen- J to him more fitting than the military salute ;' Mademeselle. the little luck spirits that the red naigers do be always talking about have been kind to Larry O Desmond, since they have sent him with a word to so beautiful a lady as yourself." he said with the inimitable blending of respect ani audacity which make one believe the Irish tongue to be the true language of compliment. " You have a message for me?" demanded Mari- anne, with smiling impatience. nrnZ?' "^f ^^1^"^ ' ^ ^'^ ^^ * "ote." he answered, producing the billet. ' ,^}j;::^.\ ; t^- ! 294 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Joyously unfolding the three-cornered scrap of paper, she read the few words scrawled upon a leaf hastily torn from an officer's pocket-book, — " Beloved, — You know full well were I to follow the leadings of my will I should be with you now. I am de- tained here at headquarters by a council of war. Within an hour, however, I hope to clasp you to my heart. " Yours forever, Dalzell." For a few moments, the girl forgot the messenger. Then recovering herself, she said, confusedly, — "Thank you, Monsieur G'Desmond; there is no answer." The soldier grinned, saluted once more, and retired. "Shure, love is the same in every country," he soliloquized, as he trudged onward to the barracks. " Whether it shines back at you from the eyes of a contrary Irish colleen, a shy English maid, or a pretty Canadienne, 'tis the same sweet light that warms a man's heart like a ray of God's own blessed sunshine ! " Which goes to show that the gallant G'Desmond had no little experience in the tender passion that makes gods of men. Before the hour was over Dalzell came. "At last, sweetheart," he said, as he folded his betrothed to his honest breast, "at last we are re- united, and for all our lives. I am conre to claim you as my wife. Hereafter, even when a soldier's duty calls me from your side, being wed, made one in soul, we can never again be parted." As is usual with one of a calm deep nature, Marianne said little in response to his fervid words. But her heart thrilled with the content of an innocent girl whose every earthly joy and hope is centred in xiM: tf"L,„ ^'? LOVE THRIVES IN WAR 295 her love, whose every tender emotion becomes a pas- sionate prayer to Heaven for the welfare of her lover. During the weeks that had passed, when she sat sewing upon her simple bridal outfit, while her busy fingers flew and her eyes saw only the swiftly glanc- ing needle, all her life was blossoming inwardly. Like the thread of silver that ran through the amethyst beads of the small chaplet given to her by the nuns of the Ursuline convent, her days were linked to- gether by the sweet consciousness of her love, by the thought of Dah'cll. Now her joy was so great that she thought such must be the bliss of Heaven. Yet no ! in Heaven the intensity of love brings with it no sense of pain, and now it seemed to her that her heart could not hold so much happiness ; that it must break, as sometimes a little crystal votive lamp before the shrine of Ste. Anne was shattered by the strength of the flame that burned within it. "Dearest, why do you not speak to me?" half chided her lover. , "^~^— ^"1 so happy, it frightens me," she faltered tremblingly. "Surely, no one can be so happy and continue to live." Dalzell laughed breezily with the confidence of a practical man who takes life as he finds it. He did not understand his demoiselle's timid fears and self- questionings. " Do not burden your heart with such doubts, dear one, ' he said, smoothing the braids of her brown hair as one might soothe a child. "Since the world began, perhaps no lovers have loved with a greater degree of tenderness, of trust, and perfect sympathy, than exists between us. But many in every age have loved during long years of wedded happiness. Why should not we?" 296 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Marianne smiled. Being as head over ears in love as was this hot-headed soldier, she was entirely ready to believe what most lovers aver, yet only the first dwellers in Eden could say with truth, that none before them ever knew so well the bliss of worthy love. Thus for a brief space she and the captain planned their future. Then, all too soon, Madame des Ruis- seaux bustled into the room with formal greetings and an invitation to dinner. Tempting as were the viands of this little f6te pre- pared in his honor, the young officer found to his own surprise that he had slight relish for them. It was feast enough to sit beside Marianne, to hear her joyous laugh, to note the charm and grace of her manner, and to know that she loved him with all her heart, even as he loved her. At the gala repast Madame des Ruisseaux presided with urbane state, but her duties as hostess being over she considerately left the lovers to themselves once more. When at a late hour Dalzell lingered at the house-door over his "good-night," he said, return- ing to the subject they had discussed at intervals during the evening, " Then you will grant me this, sweetheart? Let our marriage be the day after to- morrow? I will arrange all matters with the cur6 in the morning." Still Marianne demurred, as though in truth she had not been long prepared for her wedding. " As you love me, do not plead for more delay, dear one," he urged. "Bien, then it shall be as you will," she whispered, and with shy smiles received his kiss of thanks. " With this your promise to cheer me, I shall be ready to lead my men to-morrow with a gay heart," A' t « LOVE THRIVES IN WAR 297 he exclaimed. " Sometime during the day I shall see you again, beloved ; not until night do we go out to attack the enemy." " You go to attack the enemy? " repeated the girl growing suddenly white and anxious. "I do not understand;" and she put a hand to her head in dazed confusion. "It is only this," he made answer with affected carelessness. " I asked to come to Le Detroit that I might marry my betrothed. General Amherst granted my request, but he also commissioned me to help to end the siege of this town. Hard upon my arrival, a council of war was held, and I begged leave of Major Gladwin to lead forth a skirmishing party under cover of the darkness. I am resolved to capture this redoubtable Pontiac who has stirred up such a warfare among the tribes of the west." "But if you fail?" faltered Marianne, clasping his arm convulsively. " Remember the fate of Captain Campbell." ^ Terrible as was the picture conjured up by her words, Dalzell did not flinch. "No man can be brave who considers pain the chief evil of life," he said, " and the greatest service one can render a good cause is to die for it. It would be ignoble of me to hold back, when by a bold move it is possible to raise the siege. But cheer up, my sweet, I shall return in triumph long before the hour you have chosen for our wedding. Do not weep, but make ready your bridal dress. Once more, beloved, good-night." " Helas ! my perfect happiness was indeed but a passmg bliss," sighed Marianne, as she withdrew into the shadowy house. " How often grief comes hand in hand with love ! Dalzell will go to meet the redmen t til THE PRO^Ef^TY OF SCAR10R# PUILIC LtlRAflY. 298 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT while I must fight against my own anxiety. Ah do men ever understand what battles we poor women wage withm our hearts; conflicts whose victories are celebrated by no gleaming banners or triumphant songs ? But what trophy do I ask of Heaven but my lovers safe return? I wish he had begged me to wed him to-morrow." fk ^^l?^ r !^^ "P^-oached herself, as though the thought of hastenmg her nuptials by a day was un- maidenly, and, having gained her own little room, sank upon her knees, to weep and pray until the gentle comforter Sleep, laid a quieting hand upon her achmg head m the refreshing coolness of the early mornmg. ^'^i -^w^f CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND A BOLD SALLY TTALIANT as Dalzell was, no doubt his spirit V would have been keyed to a higher pitch of courage had he known that at this supreme moment, when he was about to attempt his perilous sortie, Marianne would gladly have linked her fate with his. But how was he to surmise that the girl who had de- precated his haste when he besought her to name Sunday as their marriage day, would now have mar- ried him on Saturday had he asked her ? Unconscious of the change in the sentiments of his betrothed, but happy in the thought that she would soon be his bride, he sauntered slowly up the street of Ste. Anne, trolling a love-song, — ' "'ack, clouds, away, and welcome day; With night we banish sorrow ; Sweet air blow soft, mount lark aloft, To give my love good-morrow ! Wings from the wind to please her mind. Notes from the lark I '11 borrow ! Bird prune thy wing, nightingale sing. To give my love good-morrow. To give my love good-morrow, Notes from tliem both I '11 borrow. 'Wake from thy nest, robin redbreast ; Sing birds in every furrow ; And from each bill let music shrill. Give my fair love good-morrow. 300 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Blackbird and thrush, in every bush, — Stare, linnet, and cock sparrow, •— You merry elves amongst yourselves Smg my fair love good-morrow. To give my love good-morrow. Sing birds in every furrow. " O fly, make haste. See, see she falls Into a pretty slumber. Say to her, 't is her lover true, That sendeth love by you, by you O give my love good-morrow." He had nearly reached the house of Major Glad- w.n, where he lodged, when he observed, standing in he recessed entrance to a house, a man ^ho seemed to be lying in w^t for him. Dalzell's hand went to his sword, but before he ScL!l'';^!f''""!-" T^ '^' °^^^''' recognizing the Scotch trader whom the commandant had made known to him in the afternoon. " Yes. Captain Dalzell." replied the other. " I sought you at headquarters. I ask your permission to go with you to-night." H^«"»ssion "But." objected Dalzell, and had he been an Indian warrior, he might have been loath that the sp rit o? now s"n 'u"" f\^^' '^°"^^ ^'^' ^°^ d'ff-rently he now spoke of his expedition from when he had mentioned it to Marianne, -•' my dear sir, this is a hazardous venture." ...n II!^ ^^°°1 °^ ^ '°^^'^' '""« '" "»y veins, and I cZZ T^ ^?r"F °"' °^ " ^^^' ^h^" <=°"ld Prince ^onH ATf\ ""'^"'■"^ Sterling. " Moreover, good and .11 luck are like the two buckets in a well why should not fate reel up the better one for you "' -.?- r-»*i' t; W' .J^Kaiantf A BOLD SALLY r. i 301 "Egad, my friend, you have the first requisite of a good fighter, — confidence in his leader," ex- claimed Dalzell. " Come if you will ; I am a gainer by your offer." The next day was spent in preparation for the attack, and not until evening was Dalzell free to pay his devoirs to Marianne. " Poor little giri, I shall be hard put to cheer her," he soliloquized with a sigh, as he took his way to Madame des Ruisseaux. Here, however, a surprise awaited him. He found Mademoiselle de St. Ours not tearful, but radiant. Marianne had adorned herself to appear her fairest in his eyes, half imagining that the more beautiful she was, the more like he would be to come back to her. Already in her heart the sweet unreasonable- ness of the maid who must be wooed was giving place to the unselfishness of the wife who has been won. For, in another day, was she not to be the wife, the "keeper of the soul" of Dalzell? Timid, convent-bred, and wanting in the courage natural to one reared on the borders of the wilderness, yet this gentle giri did not altogether lack the heroic spirit that made the madcap Ang^lique Cuillerier so auda- cious. Marianne could not, like Ang^lique, have defied the rage of Pontiac ; but under the white ash lives the burning coal, — that no regretful thought of her might sadden her lover, or unnerve his arm in battle, she could keep a smiling face and chatter blithely, even though her heart was oppressed with fears. Dalzell was amazed, delighted. Was this vivacious beauty his demure and diffident Marianne? Until a late hour she held him captive by a new charm. It was only when he came to take leave of her that ■j^'sm^ss^miTSu'^M if- :ir?fFr'£*»' . ■. 302 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ''Courage sweetheart; do not weep, but be gay and make ready for our wedding." he whispered. •• The darkest hour must pass at last, and to-morrow will be our marriage day." And then, with a last kiss, he was gone. Some time after midnight the gates of the stockade were thrown open, and two hundred and fifty men fh?^ Z' '^""*'^J ^"'^ ^^'^ ^'°"S th« road; while the two shjps. each with a small cannon on ite bow. htJlnnT/ "V^u 'T'- ^'"'•"^' -ho because of his knowledge of the locality, was chosen by Dalzell !i!ldi!!rn"n'' '"^'^u''? ^'''^" *h" *=^P^^»"' the Irish soldier O Desmond bemg close behind. In the centre cf the column were Major Rogers and his band of IZ^M^' r '^^' "^^ ^'■°"eht "P by Mr. Grant XK • • u ^^' ^^P*^'"' °^ *h^ &^^«" regiment. The night was still and hot. On the right of the way lay the nver. whose mirror-like surface split up into gleaming fragments the myriad stars that looked down upon the rushing waters; on the left extended the farnis and orchards of the c6te. the bark-roofed, white- washed houses and barns, surrounded by high pali- sades whence the barking of watchdogs^hallenged the passing soldiers. The habitants, aroused from sleep, looked from the windows in amazement; and as the troops approached one of the dwellings, they saw upon the roof a small figure silhouetted ^agains^ " Bejabbers. it 's a red naiger ! " exclaimed O'Des- mond. rushing forward and taking aim with his flint- lock. Steriing knocked up the barrel of the musket .s im:^. II A BOLD SALLY 303 piat IS but the young son of a farmer, bent upon catching a ghmpse of our bayonets in the last beams of the moon as it sinlcs behind the fort," he said. " Faith, then the gossoon was like to have learned more of our weapons than he bargained for," returned the soldier. " By my soul, I should not wonder if the red dogs were watching us from behind every one of these stables and cattle-sheds, and the high pickets which make a fortified place of every farm." " It is quite possible," said Sterling, turning to the captain. " Let me beseech you again, Mr. Dalzell, to abandon this mad expedition." " Mr. Sterling, I have not come into the wilderness to remain shut up within the stockade of Le Detroit I go forward with my men though there be a scor- pion under every stone of the way, but you may turn back if you choose." " Sir, where you lead I follow," replied the Scot, nettled. " It was not for my own sake I spoke; I esteemed it a duty to inform you that the Indians have more than once deceived us by their ambushes hereabouts." ♦' Well, well, sir, it may be I was too hasty," ad- mitted the captain, appeased. " I have information that the savages have had a fine carousal over a sup- ply of rum which formed the cargo of the barge they captured a day or two since, and I doubt not they are now deep in a drunken sleep." Humph, I like not a silent dog." muttered Sterling between his teeth, but he trudged on without further expostulation. Just beyond the farm where they had seen the boy lay the palisad'^ of Antoine Cuillerier. When the marching men came abreast of the house, Sterling scanned it eagerly. Was that a woman on the gal- x-^^mw:^^^^. I 1 mA. ill IT ■igjjpij •^**» I ( 304 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT lery, or was it only a shadow? He could not deter- mine, but his heart beat high at the thought that Angaique might be watching the detachment, and might divme that he was among the brave men ad- vancmg to trap the king of the forest in his lair Onward they marched, toward the wild hollow overgrown with sedges through which Parant's Creek flowed into the river. The crickets sang, the grasses of the prairie were stirred by insect life, and swarms of gnats attacked the soldiers. " Bedad, Mr. Sterling," said O'Desmond, as the captam of militia fell back to exchange a word with u'~" ,, ^^' ^'''' ^^'s 's a great country." "Yes?" replied the merchant interrogatively. " Yes." continued the Irishman, slapping vigorously around his own face and neck. " Shure, I Ve often known wnat it is to be stung by tormenting flitter- jacks like these, but never - no," he repeated, point- ing to the myriad fireflies upon the meadows, " no never before have I seen mosquitoes carrying lan- terns about with them like those same. It beats all how clever iverything is in this new world ! " Now the road crossed the run by a narrow bridge near Its mouth. Beyond, the land lay in abrupt ridges parallel to the stream. "Yonder. Mr. Dalzell, are the rude intrenchments made by Pontiac to protect his camp, which for- • fbmwd""^*^'' that ground," said Sterling, stepping The moon had set by this time, and, as the little company advanced, they could dimly see the loc house of Baptiste M^Ioche to the left and the bridge before them, but the earthworks of the abandoned encampment were as a black wall looming up to obstruct their progress. A BOLD SALLY 305 "By the powers, he that laughs on Friday mav crv on Saturday/' declared O'Desmond to th'e soldie^ who kept pace with him. •• If the Evil One wanted an ambush he d choose a spot like this. Faith, our captain must love misfortune well when he fares forth to challenge the jade after this fashion. But an easy way to save our scalps will be to fight for them; though mayhap, me friend, when the savages see your hairless crown they may think you Ve been scalped already. I '11 lay you a wager now that you never saw a red naiger with a bald pate. Ivcry man among them has as fine a growth of hair as if ZZu tivated .t to adorn the belt of his enemy. We do thinT" K ^u" '"^P'' ^"' ^" '" ^^^^ the last shot at them .vhethern no. And that puts me in mind of a man I used to know at home in Ireland. «,.r. T! \ ^^^ "^"'^ °^ ^"^"' ^" J t'^e neighbors were wont to boast that no one, not even his wife could get the last word in an argument with Wm^' anybody else was saying, as because of his glibness of speech. Well, one day. a stranger in thf tovvn havmg heard of Brian's powers, chanced to Zei boy tTat ril ;:ke- ' ''! 'f ^^ '^^ ^^'"'"'^ - l.!r i . ^ ^°" *° ^h^*"^ yo" cannot have the last word.' says he. ' Done I ' says Brian. As good was r "L' ''h' r "^" '^' ^'^ ^^y '^ -h-^ there .'m ^[f "''° ^^'^^^" two wooded hills. Nathless. ere long Brian came back to the town Jinghng his five shillin's. " the' 'echo v' ^''•'!J' ^°'' ^i^ >'°" "^^^ get the better o' L.!i, ^ u""^"^ ''"^ °^ h'^ ^"^"ds. while a crowd gathered about to hear his answer " ' True for ye.b'ys,' says Brian, with a grin. ' the thmg came back on me for a spell. But^ldad f 20 JK 3o6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT \i. w got even with it in the end, /or I shpoke the last wur-rd nndher me breath / '" Thus with a jest and a laugh the brave fellow kept up the spirits of his comrades. Anon, for the first time since the setting out of the expedition, Dalz&ll became apprehensive that the Indians might be prepared for his attack. As the conviction forced itself upon him, he dashed forward, followed by his command in close order. The advance guard were half-way over the bridge when, like the crack of doom, an Indian war-whoop rent the stillness of the night and, as a shaft from the devil's bow, a volley of musketry blazed from the side of ths avine, cutting down the front ranks of the skirmisher^. Another column pressed forward unflinchingly, to meet the same fate ; but, when the main body of the troops essayed to pass the gorge, they grew confused and began to recoil. Above the din rose the resolute voice of their gallant leader, as he rallied his men. Another volley poured upon them; again they hesitated, but with a shout their captain led the charge across the bridge. The sav- ages had fled, yet ever and again their war-cry frenzied the white men, and the fire of their guns flashed in the darkness. The English pushed on ; in vain Sterling sought to guide them. Having left the road, they lost their way; every wood-pile, cattle-shed, and farmhouse was an ambush, and whenever Dalzell heard the sound of musketry he dashed onward, hoping to drive the savages before him. It soon became evident, however, that he and his party were surrounded by a horde of Indians. At his order the soldiers retreated, marching backward and continuing to fight as they t^^ went. A BOLD SALLY 307 • ► A small band remained behind to hold off the red- men, while the dead and wounded of the troops were placed on board the barges which had approached the shore, under cover of their guns, but amid a sharp fire from the Indians. The task was accomplished through the efforts of Sterling and the redoutable O Desmond. When it was completed, Captain Dalzell called to the Scotchman, bidding him carry a message to Captam Grant, and the merchant volunteer was off like a shot. It was still dark, but a lightening of the skies above the forest gave promise of the dawn. Thinking that Grant had taken possession of the house of Baptiste Meloche and was to be found within, Sterling made his way toward the gallery. As he crossed the garden he fancied that he discerned through the gloom two women running to the kitchen from the horse mill, whither they had doubt- c -n u "^ ^°'' '^^"^^ "^^^^ *^^ ^S*** ^^s at 'ts height. MiU he could not be sure; the shadowy forms might be blanketed Indians. With a hand on the lock of his musket he strode in at the mam entrance to the house and looked into the hearthrooni. It was empty; but. as he paused on the threshold, he heard a slight grating sound as of a door creaking on its hinges, and, by the uncertain light of a hanging lamp whose floating wick flickered and sputtered in the bear's oil,- saw the wooden shutter of a window slowly open. The next moment a girl sprang into the room from the garden, and, not observing him. turned to give a helping hand to some one without. Thus assisted, there followed, in the same stealthy fashion, a young woman, carrying in her arms a small # •%■ 3o8 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT child, whose startled eyes and white face showed it to be half dazed with fear. The girl was Angelique Cuillerier; the matron Madame M^Ioche. It was the child who first discovered that there was some one in the apartment besides themselves, and, pointing to the doorway, cried out that the shadows moved. Thereat, drawing a knife from her belt, the girl placed herself before the mother and the little one. At the same instant Sterling stepped forward under the lamp. " Angelique ! " he exclaimed. " Merciful Heaven, how is it that coming here with a message to the English captain, instead of meeting Mr. Grant, I find you encompassed by dangers ? " Mademoiselle Cuillerier recoiled, dropped the dag- ger back into its sheath, and put a hand before her eyes. " Monsieur Sterling," she stammered. Undaunted by the possible foe in the darkness, as was St. Mar- garet before the dragon, now at the reaction she fal- tered, but quickly recovered herself as he stretched out his arms to save her from falling. " Early in the evening Madame Meloche sent word to me that her child was ill. I came to stay the night with her, and help in the care of the little creature," she said. " We had no warning that.the Indians and the English would arouse the demon of the strait as they have done. The child has been frighted out of her ailment, I half believe, while the mother and I know not whether we shall live to see the rising of the sun. When the firing began we took refuge in the mill, but the cannonading of the gunboats threat- ened to make short work of its destruction, and we v-'E^ -A T§ -^ -m;Lm ffei'-*. mm^Tf-'m. .iptnJ Mik A BOLD SALLY 309 returned in haste as soon as the house appeared to be deserted." "And Fontiac drove Madame Mfloche and her guest defenceless out into the night?" cried Sterling, gritting his teeth. " It all came about like a whirlwind," interposed the young dame. " An old chief was sitting in the hearthroom, smoking with my husband, when the troops came up. At the sound of the firing, he dis- charged his musket from the window. They thought Baptiste had attacked them, and they called to him with rage, but it was the Indian." " When the soldiers fell back the savages broke into the enclosure through the postern, and swarmed into the house. Had we been here then, no doubt we would have been scalped," continued Ang€lique. " Juste ciel, can women remain sane in the midst of such peril to themselves, and to the men dear to them?" Even at this moment, with the sounds of the con- flict outside ringing in his ears, the reports of mus- ketry, the shouts of the soldiers, the moans of the dying, Sterling's face brightened at the glance she unconsciously -^ r^ him as she spoke. With a thrill 01 joy at his heart, he bent his lips to her hand. "You are safe here now, since the savages will^ either follow our people or retire to the woods gf daylight, as is their custom," he assured her. " And as for the men who fight, — eh bien, mademoiselle, a soldier's best shield is the prayer of the woman he loves." Angelique smiled, yet her eyes glistened with tears. " You say you are bound upon a message, monsieur. Do not delay, I beg of you," she conjured abruptly. f 310 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Loath to leave her with only the protection the house afforded, Sterling yet knew that in delaying he would be faithless to his duty. Nevertheless, he hesitated. " Go, go," entreated the girl. •* May the warrior archangel shield you from harm — you and Mr. Dalzell, for Marianne's sake. Oh, I will pray for all the poor soldiers. How horrible is war ! " Sterling was saved from further indecision by the return of Baptiste, who had been out seeking his wife and child. Ang^lique would be safer with these habitants than had the Scotchman himself been free to remain to protect her. Speeding across the fields, he encountered a company of the " green regi- ment " as they were returning through the Meloche orchard, after having driven one band of savages into the forest. Having delivered his message to Captain Grant, he made his way again to Dalzell, who had just shouted to his men to wheel about and retreat m the regular manner. By this order Grant was now in the van, and Dalzell in the rear, with the enemy following at a distance, and keeping up a desultory firing, while now and again his company faced around and gave them a return volley. As they approached a place where a cellar had been newly dug, the hollow belched forth flame, and several men fell lifeless, to be promptly scalped by their barbaric pursuers. Panic stricken, the remain- der of the soldiers thronged down the road, but their leader continued to fight, and in the first gray light of dawn the enemy marked him by his exiraor- dinary bravery. Finding that Dalzell was wounded. Sterling, O'Desmond, and two or three others would have closed in about him, but he waved them off, and continued to encourage his men, reproaching 1^'^^' A BOLD SALLY 311 some, and with the flat of his sword beating others back to the conflict. By this, day had come, but a fog rising from the river made the prairie like another sea, and screened the pursuing Indians, so that the clouds seemed to rain bullets and the deadly lightnings of a wither- ing fire. The yells of the savages were to the be- wildered men like the voices of the demon followers of the Red Dwarf, the evil manitou. of the strait. Sterling and O'Desmond still kept near Dalzell, who in his intrepidity lingered behind, still shooting through the mist. All at once, from its shelter leaped out three Indians, who no doubt thought to capture him and his guard before they could fight their way back to the main body of the troops. In a flash Sterling recognized one as Panigwun; another was Wasson, the Sauteur; the third he had never before seen. O'Desmond fired. Panigwun, with a howl like the dying cry of a wolf, leaped high in the air and pitched forward on his face. Sterling took aim at the Saginaw warrior with a wild hope that he might avenge the murder of Cap- tain Campbell ; Wasson also fell, and Dalzell brought down the third savage. Believing all dead, the three white men plunged down the road. In the fog they became separated. Five minutes passed; then Sterling heard a shout from Dalzell. He dashed forward in the direction whence the sound had proceeded. It was followed by an ominous silence ; he did not know which way to turn. Presently, however, another demoniacal war-whoop smote upon his ears, and after continuing on for per- haps five minutes more he stumbled over the pros- trate form of a soldier. 312 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Bending over the body, he discovered with horror the ^green regi.ent^. ta^ntg ^7.^^" °^ .«, ?^ "P.*^'" ^^"""^ '"^- "« tried to drag me away from the savages," gasped the poor fellow.^Uh momentarily mcreasing difficulty. •• The Irish sol- dier - strove -to - aid - him. Two warriors came They fought. The Irishman thrust himself before the captam-- crying out something about ' red nai- hra\c.7lT^ that -some -woman's heart would be broken if he did not return. The savages fled - the others, wounded — died — as — they — fell " Dalzell had been slain in the act of helping one ,W I'nT^V*"'^ *?' ^"""'^"^ O'Desmond. with a jest on his hps, and an unselfish thought to spare a glory of a flag that for more than two centuries had been to his country a symbol of oppression. fnM K \u^ *^^ T'y P^'"^""y ^"^ disconnectedly told by the wounded soldier. As he concluded, he half raised himself, and gazed wild-eyed at the mer- chant. But the efi-ort exhausted the remnant of his strength. As he sank back. Sterling caught him Sri ; "^'";^?J^ *° h- i'Ps. -nd swore not to leave him durincr the few moments he had yet to live. W t "/ ,'?t.^^^* ""^ ^""^""^ *^^ two men; the AtT"" V u' ?'"'^^* '^""^y' ^"^'■^'"g the dying. .n^ -A "^^u *^o ^°'''" ""^ *^^ ^^"-S^^"* grew heavy and rigid. Then Sterling knew that he had kept his A BOLD SALLY 3»3 promise. He rose to his feet, and, turning to where Dalzell had fallen, dragged the body of the gallant officer behind a neighboring bush, hoping that the foliage and the mist might screen it from the savages. He would fain have paid the same respect to the mtrepid O'Desmond, but the shouts of the troops for succor warned him of the duty he owed to the liv- ing. Hastening on, he came upon a few of Rogers* rangers, who were storming a house, from every win- dow of which the Ottawas poured a shower of bullets *k- ' -?°' *^"^' S*^''^'"g • Lend me your aid to burst in this door, cried Rogers, mounting the steps of the gallery in his impatience to get at the aborigines, whose fire his own men returned without ceasing. Sterling, with some three or four others, responded with enthusiasm to his call, and the heavy wooden bar that fastened the door gave way with their weight. The merchant had plucked Dalzell's sword from its scabbard, resolved that it should yet do good service that day. Waving it, he pressed into the house alter Rogers, a reinforcement of rangers following Some of the redmen dropped before them; the others, scattering like rats, leaped from the windows and took to the trees, whence they continued their ZnA rr^u\^'fy "^^ ^''^^'■^^ *° d«^odg« a third band from behind a palisade near by. He charged Cuet«'%Tr' .u '""•' *° '^' S^°""^ ^'ddJ^d with bullets , and, as the company was forced back, a chief hideous in war-paint sprang upon the bleeding body and cut out the heart. ^ Having driven the Indians from this stronghold. Rogers proceeded to conduct the retreat in a mas- terly manner fighting, so said those of his followers who survived. ;' as though the fiends themselves were nis opponents. ' 314' THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT To keep the Indians at bay, he entered the strong house of Jacques Campeau, but was soon besieged there. Some of the regulars who had broken In after him seized upon a keg of rum and drank gener. ously of the hquor; others piled furniture and bales of furs against the windows and doors to serve as a barricade, and at intervals, thrusting out their flint- locks, fired upon thfc yelling foes. Again a bullet whizzed through an opening, wounding a man, or glancing off from some object. Jacques stood on the hatch of the cellar to keep skulkmg soldiers from seeking to hide themselves below, smce there the women had taken refuge. A ball grazed his head and struck the wall beyond him. The shrieks of the women, the noise without, the shouts and oaths of the soldiers, made the place seem a pandemonium. The tactics of Rogers were, however, successful. The gunboats, which had gone down to the water gate with the dead and wounded, now returned to a point on the river opposite to Campeau's house, and the fire of their swivels quickly drove the besiegers back to the woods. Thus released, Rogers and his rangers came out and joined Grant's company. A ine of communication with the fort was soon estab- lished, and anon the daring major, upon whom had devolved the chief command, gained the stockade with ninety men; all that were left of the skirmishing party that had set out so confidently a few hours earlier. CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD GIVE LOVE GOOD-MORROW FEAR is a great inventor, and one who fears to suffer, suffers from fear. So it was with Mari- anne de St. Ours. As Schiller's young diver clutched at the golden cup he had risked his life to win, so this gentle demoiselle held fast to her happiness with the despeiation of a great dread that it would pres- ently be wrested from her in the maelstrom of fate. Yet, beyond the heaviness of heart which foreboded grief, she gave no thought to herself, but suffered agonies of fear for the safety of Dalzell. Screened by the deerskin curtain of the window, she had watched the command march down the street of Ste. Anne in the moonlight; had plainly distinguished her lover, and noted with a thrill of joy that, as he passed the house, he turned his head and looked at the dormer where she knelt, as though he felt her presence ; even as but yesterday her eyes had drawn his gaze to herself among the throng at the water gate. So quietly had the troops gone forth that the majority of the townspeople, sleeping heavily in their beds, were ignorant of the sally. Had the secret been kept from the French, save the few trusted men who, disowned by their own king, cast in their lot with the British, all might have been well. But, how many individuals there are whose tongues would fain outrun their feet with news ! Earlier in the even- ■ru* =»*ST^ 3i6 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ing, at the bark-roofed cabin which served as a tavern, a soldier in his cups let fall a word of the intended sortie to a coureur de bois with a lean, solemn visage, who, because he brought in game for food, was still permitted to go in and out of the stockade, — an interpreter who, although trusted by the English, had arisen at the council of the Ottawa and sworn to join with him. An hour later, a drunk- ard lay under the table of the cabaret, his chance of glory lost, his miserable life saved for that day. At the same time the runner of the woods, having shown his pass at the gate and given some plausible excuse for going out, had sped away to warn Pontiac. Of this Marianne was, of course, ignorant ; yet she could not go to rest, but, still kneeling at the window, prayed and wept. " This will never do," she soliloquized, rising to her feet at last. " I will offer my every heart-beat as a prayer to God for my hero, but when Dalzell returns he must not find his bride with eyes dimmed by weeping." Thereupon she lighted a candle, and, with it still in her hand, crossed the room, and took from her mar- riage chest the wedding gown that the merchant, James Sterling, had at her request ordered sent out to her from London ; a gown of white satin, her one ex- travagance, indulged in because she was resolved in her foolish young heart to be as fair a bride as any Eng- lish girl whom Dalzell might have chosen. As though, forsooth, her lover would not have sworn she was the loveliest woman in the world had she met him at the altar in a frock of homespun cotton cloth ! The light of the candle flitted over the shimmering fabric with strange antics. " For all the world like an old woman dancing at a f6te," Marianne thought, and GIVE LOVE GOOD-MORROW 317 laughed low at the fancv. as she thrust the candle in a knothole of the chirr 'iclf above her head. "Of a truth, Ponciar ..as a most courteous savage to deliver over the box to me," she went on, com- muning with herself. "When Dalzell brings him back a prisoner, I will remind the commandant of this circumstance, and gain for the Ottawa chief some favor to requite it.. Major Gladwin will deny no pe- tition oflTcrcd by the bride of the hero of Le Detroit." Having spread the gown upon the settle, she next took from the chest a square of the lace of Alen^on, an heirloom brought from France to grace the bridal beauty of the daughters of a Canadian seigneur, in the days when Comte Frontenac ruled at Quebec with well-nigh as great dignity as the Sun King at Versailles. The heads of many happy brides had been veiled by this fleecy cobweb. Marianne wondered if any of them had thought of the lace maker, whose eyes mayhap had grown dim over the intricate pattern. The girl shuddered. But for her family pride, she would have preferred a veil as new as the gown ; one into which no wretchedness was woven, one that had not been worn by dead and gone brides. " But no, I will not harbor such thoughts," she said to herself. " Perchance the maker of this lace was a maiden who wove into it her own love-dream, and did not grow blind, but gained by her work a purse of gold for her marriage dot. " I will not think of withered bridal wreaths; God grant I may be as good a wife as were the women who wore this veil that I shall don to-day. It is a favor of Heaven to be well-born, yet of how much greater worth *han a patent of nobility is a heritage of virtue ! " ■ 3i8 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Now, upon her little dressing-table she laid the scented gloves that had come with the gown; her mother's prayer-book ; the knot of white ribbon Which she would send with a spray of white clematis to her bridegroom to pin upon the breast of his scarlet coat. Already the darkness was less dense; the dawn would soon come, the glad sun would rise, and it would be her wedding day. Sinking upon the settle beside her bridal finery. Marianne fell a-dreaming. Before many minutes, however, distant sounds broke in upon her maiden reverie. Hastening to the window once more, she leaned out over the sill, strain- ing her eyes in vain, since she could not see the "cdte du nord-est " whence came the noise of the conflict "Jesu, Marie, save him! " she cried, clasping her hands. " Save him ! Save him ! " For half an hour, an hour, two hours, the sounds of the battle continued. All the French within the stockade had long before this flocked out of doors. The sentries patrolled the streets, ordering the men to the ramparts, the women and children back into the houses. The guards at the gate were doubled. Less frequent grew the firing; the war-whoops of the Indians died away and, now and again, a ringing shout announced some advantage won by the English. Anon, there was silence upon the prairie. Major Gladwin and his officers, who watched the plain from the forest bastion, announced that the troops were making their way back to the fort in good order, and the intelligence was crir^d through the town. Then came the barges down the river, with their woeful freight. Marianne had withdrawn behind her screen of deerskin, from which position f^fWWi^. GIVE LOVE GOOD-MORROVV 31, she continued to look out upon the thoroughfare and beyond to the river. When, from the vociferations of the passers-by, she learned what manner of passen- gers the gunboat had brought, her heart seemed to stand still with terror and apprehension. " Come away from the window, cherie," urged Ma- dame des Ruisseaux, who had hastened to her room to bear her company. " Come below, and rest on the settle in the hearthroom. Ill news travels on horseback ; if there were sorrowful tidings for you, they would be cried aloud before now. If you do not rest, your captain will not be able to boast of the beauty of his lady." But Marianne shrank from the kind hand. " Not yet, aunt," she cried, clinging to the frame of the casement. " Not until I know the truth ! " As she again scanned the street, her anxious glance fell upon Robishe Navarre, hurrying to the water gate. " Robishe ! Robishe ! " she called. The young man stopped short. Himself a lover and expectant bridegroom, he felt his sympathy at once aroused by the sight of the white face of the demoiselle. Was ever the face of a willing bride so sad upon her wedding day? " Go yonder, bring me word," she gasped, pointing to the bateaux. Navarre understood. " Be of good courage, mademoiselle," he s£^d ; " I will be back with all speed." And in a trice he did return to call up to her re- assuringly. " Mademoiselle, no one whom you love has come home by the river." " Heaven forgive me for my selfishness ! " she ex- claimed, fully conscious how heavy had been her : ^ ..W.'.l.. , 3:».o THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT heart only now when it grew light once more. She would have run out to succor the wounded who were being borne to the hospital, but her aunt forbade " Such doleful sights are not for a demoiselle upon her wedding morning," protested Madame des Rms- seaux. " I will go, but you must betake yourself to rest; or else call in Agathe, and let her begin to coif you. By Ste. Anne, she may as well bring my rouge-pot, too." " No, no," remonstrated the girl ; " Dalzell shall have no painted bride." " Eh bien, if you look so like a ghost, you shall no^ be married to-day at all." Forthwith kissing her niece, and satisfied that she had made use of the strongest argument to compel Marianne to take some repose, the energetic lady set out to minister to the suffering soldiers, with that womanly devotedness which characterized the " grandes dames " of the age. But it is one thing to say " Hush, my dear, and slumber," and quite another to dispose oneself to tranquillity. " Every moment is bringing the returning troops nearer to the fort," said Marianne to herself with happy exultation. " Dr.lzell will soon be here. Shall I begin to dress for my bridal as my aunt advised? No, no, not yet." For a few minutes she stood looking out at the river. The water was like a sheet of burnished silver, the balmy air was vibrant with the song of birds, and presently from the square bark-roofed towers of Ste. Anne's and the Huron Mission rang the sweet voices of the bells, calling the worshippers to the early Mass of Sunday morning. Marianne aroused herself; she would go to the GIVE LOVE GOOD-MORROW 321 service now while the morning was young, instead of waiting for " le grand Messe," later. Her simple toilet was soon made. Bending over her bridal gown, she laid her cheek tenderly against Its soft folds, pressed a kiss upon the bit of ribbon she had knotted for her bridegroom, then, stealing down the rough stairway, she left the house and walked quickly to the church. How like it all was to that other occasion but two days since when, here, as it were at the feet of the Mother of the Blessed Virgin, she had received news of the coming of her lover ! Now, too, before the service was over there was a commotion without; half of the congregation ran mto the street, and men called to one another that the skirmishing party had reached the gates of the town. Still Marianne was of those who lingered in the sacred edifice. As the priest turned to give the last blessing, the throng outside set up a great shout. " They come ! They come ! " Trembling with excitement, the girl started to her feet and rushed to the door just as the haggard remnant of Dalzell's brave command came opposite to the church. Wild-eyed she stood upon the step as they went by. There were Major Rogers and his rangers; there were Captain Grant, Sterling, and a band of smoke-begrimed, weary, valiant men. But where was the leader who had so confidently led them forth a few hours before? Scarcely noting the glances of commiseration cast upon her by the soldiers, yet unconsciously impressed by them, she waited in silence until the troops had passed. Then she turned back into the church. ai f^:.^m^fi. ^ip^-'^. 322 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT There was a sound as of a bird helplessly beating its wings against fate, a low moan as of a dove wounded unto death; then a heart-broken girl sped up the aisle, and cast herself before the altar with a cry of anguish. «« Waileth a woman, * Oh, my God ! ' Her hopes are withered, her love is crushed; A starless and pitiless night has rushed On the light of her life." " Why is it that the prayer of the pure of heart sometimes remains unanswered, that upon the knight without reproach the sword of the angel falls?" half rebelliously demanded the Dame des Ruisseaux of the curb, Monsieur de Bocquet, later in the day. " My dear madame," rejoined the good man with gentleness, " it is because earth is earth, and not heaven ; because the soul is formed for greater bliss than the joys of time ; and the life we know is but the cloud-darkened dawn of existence." After that one hopeless cry, Marianne de St. Ours, who but the day before yesterday had fainted with joy at sight of her lover, went home to dress herself in her bridal robes ; to smile and sing ; to reproach her friends because they did not offer her their congratulations. " Captain Dalzell bade me array myself for our marriage ; he will soon be here. Make haste to sum- mon the wedding guests," she said, while all who saw and heard her shuddered as they asked of one an- other, " Will it always be so ? Has * le bon Dieu ' taken her reason for good and all, as well as her lover?" Weeks passed. Yet the mad bride of Le Detroit still robed herself each day for her marriage, and knotted ribbons into favors for her bridegroom. She -m,f.Tr^ GIVE LOVE GOOD-MORROW 323 never knew that Pontiac, who but a few weeks before with such marvellous consideration had delivered over her wedding chest, now sent to Major Gladwin the head of the captain upon a picket. Content in the hope of her bridegroom's coming, she sang her pretty songs and dreamed of happiness. Sterling told her of Dalzell's end, but she only smiled at him, and kissed the clematis she had gathered for her lover, nor noticed that, instead of blossoms, the vine whence she had plucked it already began to show only misty blooms, the ghosts of its small, bride-flowers, September came, the Moon of the Maize, but there was little change in Marianne de St. Ours. After the battle of Parant's Creek, called by the English the Bloody Run, and by the French the Creek of the Crimson Waters, Pontiac, elated by his victory, sent runners through the woods, and mes- sengers in swift canoes upon the waters, to bear tid- ings of his victory to all the tribes of the vicinity who were not already gathered about his camp. The scarcity of provisions in the fort rendered it expedient to admit the women of the good band of Hurons when they came to the gate to sell venison, corn, barberries, and the wild grape- of the prairie. Thus it was that one afternoon as pi ty, gentle Ma- rianne sat by the window in Madame, dc Ruisseaux's parlor, her brown hair veiled by the bri'al lace of Alenjon, her slight form robed in the sh-rnmering satin gown, she suddenly beheld, standing beside the chimney-piece like a statue in bronze, a lithe Indian girl, who looked down on her with keen, searching eyes. " Are you the Pani woman who brings me the sweet Catawba grapes from beyond La Belle Fon- ■'ti£-^:jik' '>s*ilf-' :iii 314 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT taine?" inquired Marianne, smoothing the folds of her gown, and returning the gaze of her visitor with a child-like smile. " I am Nedawniss, the daughter of Makat^pclicit^. I do not barter with either the French or the Eng- lish," replied the girl haughtily. " Oh ! " said Marianne, going back to the stroking of her dress. Since the day when she had smilingly looked into the eyes of Sterling when he spoke of her lover's fate, the words " Indian " and " English " had never been mentioned before her. Now, as they fell upon her ears, a shadow of doubt and perplexity flitted across her usually serene face. Meanwhile, Nedawniss, who would have been proud and fearless before Pontiac, in face of the armies of England, or the court of Versailles, drew back in awe of the hapless young bride-elect The Indian has a dread of one on whom the Master of Life has set the seal of madness. But was the beautiful pale-faced lady really mad? As for Marianne, — the very sight of the dusky girl, with her vermilion-tinted cheeks and blanket dress, her wampum necklace and armlets of silver, stirred a strange emotion in the heart of the mad bride of Le Detroit, as the string of a lute long relaxed is aroused to life by the hand that keys it to its wonted pitch. For a second the two girls remained steadfastly re- garding each other. Then Nedawniss said, — " I came to tell the demoiselle something, but perhaps she does not care to hear it, since she can smile and sing; for when I entered she was singing. If she cared she would not deck herself with jewels ; being a * dame blanche,' she would weep all day." GIVE LOVE GOOD-MORROW 325 Marianne glanced furtively around the room. Pres- ently her eyes came back to the red-skinned girl. I will tell you something." she answered, with her confidmg smile. " In my heart I often feel that I must weep ; but I dare not. He bade me be gay until he should come again. I do not wish to dis- R.^ kT* ^""'^^'^^^y h's so"l and mine are wedded, nn^. ; u mT '° ^°"^' Sometimes I think it is ^Za T?- K';° ^'"•'^ ^'h«» °ne does not feel like smihng. It ,s as if the sun shone hot, and there was """"^i ;^ t" 7 ^ '^.'i ""^'^ ^^^^y^ ^^y^ ^"d "e^^*- night." niss. Her heart is always like the twilight of the forest; with her, to love means to suffer" " No, no; to love is to be always glad -to laugh ^d sing; to feel the heart beat fast^•n the breaft. and all for one who is dearer than life," interrupted the French demoiselle, with eagerness JJ To love is to suffer," repeated the Indian stoi- Marianne gave over the contest wear^?' ^"J^^^^'t '°''' 'V '"^"^'" ^^^ ^^^nted It^^L A ""'^ ^^ ^°"'^ '^"^ "^^ the message. It IS hard never to weep." Nedawniss studied the delicate face before her loverand" ^'^ .^"?"^' ^'^"^ "^^"^ ^^^ ^-'^-lle loved and was to have married?" she said. "The officer who was killed as he stayed to save a soldier at the battle of the Crimson Waters? " Marianne put a hand to her forehead, and brushed back the wavy locks of her hair. " My head aches, and I know nothing of the Crimson Waters," she replied simply. "But the .uiasju'?' 326 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT For a moment Nedawniss looked as though on the point of disputing the assertion. " I have brought mademoiselle a present from her lover," she broke out at length. A tremor seized upon Marianne ; her face grew whiter, and the smile faded from her lips. With an unexpected, pathetic dignity, she rose to her feet. "You have brought me a present from Captain Dalzell?" she said sweetly, crushing back a strange excitement which anon brought the old glow to her cheeks, and a faint gleam of the old light to her eyes. " From Captain Dalzell! Pray, give it to me at once." Through the same subtle instinct by which the chil- dren of the wilderness read the secrets of inanimate nature, Nedawniss felt that a change had taken place in the consciousness of the mad bride — that the young creature before her was no longer a stricken child, but a woman struggling t stand upright be- neath her burden of sorrow. " At once," reiterated Marianne. The Indian would have resented the tone of com- mand in another, but now she glided to the French girl's side, saying, — " You shall have it. On the prairie I found this. A Canadian in the Ottawa camp said the writing inside would tell iny one that it belonged to the white chief who went out to fight the warriors of Pontiac." Thereupon, she put into Marianne's hands a note- hook of English leather, much the worse for having lain long among the prairie grasses under the sun and showers, and having a dark stain upon one cor- ner, — a .stain that had not been entirely washed out by the rains. GIVE LOVE GOOD-MORROW 327 Marianne shivered as she took the gift, but the next moment she pressed it to her heart Yea it was Dalzell's diary. Only the night before he went out beyond the stockade beyond the gates of her life, he had shown her the glad words he had set down on the day when he came to Le Detroit to claim her as his bride. With trembling fingers she slipped the little leather strap that bound it. and opened the weather-worn book. As her eyes feU on the familiar writing, a low cry escaped her. ^ " It is like the lament of the hare struck by the arrow of the hunter, the little Mawboos. who seeks to hide his misery amid a tangle of vines," thought Nedawniss, watching her. Moaning thus, poor, distraught Marianne turned the leaves, yet distinguished nothing of what was written there. A scrap of paper fell from between the pages and fluttered to the floor. Nedawniss with rare humility stooped to pick up the fragment, but Marianne in sudden anger pounced upon it, like a young lioness protecting her own. It was her last letter to her lover ; with a sigh she rep aced it. And what was this in the pocket at the back of the book.? The locket that contained her picture; tfie blue ribbon having worn thin, he had still carried the locket next his heart. Again she turned the leaves, murmuring half coherently — " Ah, here are the last words he wrote ; all beyond IS white and — red." ^ She bent over the page ; other words danced be- tore her — these words, "July 31st. Took leave of my little bride. My poor Marianne, wee^ if you must, but be brave, be irave," 328 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT "The message! the message I " gasped the girl; and throwing up her arms wildly, she fell back uoon the settle and gave way to a passion of tears. ^ From that time Marianne de St. Ours wore her wedding dress no more, but she spent many days in weeping. " Do not chide her," said the old doctor. Major Chapoton. "Tears will be as a revivifying dew to her hot heart and brain ; she will recover." And so it was. At first the girl, white and listless, like the ghost of her lost happiness, began to flit silently through the street to the church. Then she visited the hospital with Madame des Ruisseaux, and thus, little by little, grew again in touch with the life around her. And those who looked after her as she went her way, said to one another, — •♦ Before, she was but a ' jolie demoiselle,' but sor- row has made her a beautiful woman." CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH A MESSENGER TO SIR WILLIAM THE month of October was nearly gone, when one day a corporal brought to James Sterling a request from Major Gladwin, bidding him repair to headquarters. Though the Scotchman had given himself heart and soul to the defence of the fort, he had held little speech with the commandant, save in the line of his duty, since the evening when he had met Ang^lique Cuillerier in the disguise of an Indian girl, seeking an interview with Gladwin. While the major had availed himself of the services of his captain of militia, the personal intercourse of the two men had been characterized by an awkward reserve and hauteur, more marked than their former distant courtesy and occasional attempts at friendship. Now the commandant informed the merchant curtly that when night came, the troops would embark under cover of the darkness and sail away toward Niagara. For a moment Sterling's heart b-at high. Would not the departure of the English end the troubles at the strait ? The present state of affairs was ruining his business ; moreover, once Gladwin was gone, would not Angdique marr> him ? But could he be such a craven as to purchase his own happiness at a cost to the community ? The withdrawal of the gar- rison would mean only that in th"; spring Sir Jeffrey Amherst would send new troops to the fort ; the Indians would gather around it in greater force, and a.' 330 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT dred^old'^ ""^ ^ ^^°^ '*'°"^*' ^ increased a hun- «.I!l"*[°'f 'Z*^!' * '^'"P '^'"Sfe'^ ^»»*> himself, he represented to the major that Pontiac was about to set out for the hunting, and now the habitants would be wilhng enough to furnish food to the garrison, for Fnr.A f^'^'^r^'* ^^^^ *^*^ ^'■^"'=h commandant at Fort Chartres had refused to send aid to the chief. So well did he argue against himself, that with re- newed spint Gladwin declared he would hold the fort at all hazard. Before the end of the week, the great Ottawa with- drew with h,s family to the Maumie. A few days later. Gladwm agam sent for the Scotchman, and an- nounced that he had decided to send him for stores Johnlo^**"^' ^^°"^ "^"''^ * ''^P°'^ '° ^''' ^»"'a«» At another time Sterling would have welcomed this opportunity for a voyage accompanied by enough of peril to lend a zest to the spirit of adventure, and an exhilarating journey through the forest in the keen air of late November. After being shut up in the stockade for many months, the prospect would have been, indeed, pleasant to a man of his energetic temperament ^ Yet. who could say that he would ever come back from this expedition? Even though the ship in which he sailed might ride the storms of Lake Erie would he escape the fury of the hostile Delawares who roamed the woods of western New York and Fennsylvania, and were constantly on the watch for the scouting parties of the English ? Was Gladwin favor of "la belle du D^roit"? Well, if so, he would strive to outwit the major by succeeding i. ■wtaravr A MESSENGER TO SIR WILLIAM 331 the task assigned him; he would win honors, that he might lay them at her feet. Animated by these thoughts, he answered tersely, " Very well, sir, I will go." The following evening he went out to the Cuil- lerier farm. Unfortunately for his hope of a tftte-^- t^te with '* "'Clique, her father was at home, and chose to treat, i .i ". ith marked coolness. La bonne mSrc, too, '-^^in^ J : u per, pointedly alluded to the sorr!"'\ se it ,ior !l!!e IVr. pronv.' ^ t'> m.it.'y an ' CI iy toe •y?\ . r i.c cuis o^ h * d," jihtcr. e St. Ours as a punishment because of the demoiselle's cmy of her country. It was warning was like a knell in the The demoiselle had not yet reccveiCii turn 'he shock of having witnessed the tragic fit' ;■ Cajjiai;. Campbell, and the fright of the battle of t.-- Creek of the Crimson Waters, it was said. None were aware of the additional fear which had wrecked her nerves, the ever-present dread of Pontiac's vengeance. Now she was ill again. Had Sterling known that this illness had followed txie receipt of the news of his intended journey (brought home by Antoine), he might have discovered in the coincidence some reason for cheerfulness. As it was, too weak to rise, she sat by the hearth, while Madame Cuillerier remained in evidence, plainly determined to give him no opportunity for a tender parting. Ang^lique, summoning her old merry spirit, was gaily gracious. When, however, after a short stay, he rose to go and, bending over her chair, took her hands and kissed them, to his surprise she burst into tears. He saw Dame Cuillerier snatch a smelling-bottle from the table, I i I 332 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT " Were those tears for me, sweetheart. I would bid you dry your eyes," he whispered hastily to the weepmg girl. •• Pray God, I may return. I carry the thought of you ever in my heart ! Love, do not forget, do not forget I " Before he could say more, la bonne mSre thrust herself between them and bade him an unceremoni- ous Au revoir." " Au revoir, monsieur," echoed Angdique with a chokmg sob. Thus dismissed, he had no choice save to take his departure. Before he reached the gate of the pali- sade, he heard a soft voice calling his name. " Monsieur Sterling ! " He turned, and in the light from the open door- way saw Tante Josette hurrying down the path " Au revoir, monsieur," she said, as she came up to him, " do not be disheartened. La chSre Ang^- ique has nerves, and she has been much pestered of late. When peace comes, she will be herself again Au revoir; I doubt not she will pray daily for the safe return of so faithful a friend as you have been and I myself will beg the good Ste. Anne to obtain you all success." Before the Scotchman could find words for more than a hasty " God bless you. Mademoiselle Jo- sette, the kind-hearted little old maid sped again to ••Gl d°"'^" '^^^ ""' "^^^ ***" '^"^*^ ^""'^^ °" '^^ Soon after, the snows and ice. mailed hosts of the north, beleagued the lonely fort of Le Detroit in as close a siege as that erstwhile waged by the Indians. * .u u 1 ^,^'*^^*y of the Strait" was locked fast by the hand of the Frost King. Come what might, there i2^' A MESSENGER TO SIR WILLIAM 333 was no longer a chance of escape for the garrison by river or lake. Sometimes for weeks together not a redman was seen in the vicinity of the stockade, yet if a soldier chanced to wander into the forest in search of game, or strolled upon the prairie beyond the range of the guns of the fort, he was never heard of again. A tragedy there was, also, within the fort. Late one evening as Major Gladwin, going the rounds of the stockade, walked down a little cross-street, he felt instinctively the presence of some oni, near, and, wheeling about, found that his steps were being dogged by an Indian girl. •' Has not the Ojibwa been commanded to keep away from the palisade?" he demanded sternly. " Monsieur le commandant, I am only bringing home a little pair of moccasins that I have made for Mademoiselle de St. Ours. Madame de Ruisseaux will shelter me for th^ ;ught," answered the girl deprecatingly. Under the cir':umstances, how could he order her to be put out? Turning away, he strode on, im- patiently conscious that she still followed. Now and again, a ray from a lamp of bears' oil or a candle glimmered from behind the curtains of a house, but the open space of the military garden (through which he had to pass) was lit only by the dim light of the stars. He had proceeded about half-way across this parade ground when, suddenly, a man wearing a mask arose in his path like a spirit of evil, and thrust at him with a dagger. He had no time to draw his sword, nor even to snatch the pistol from his belt. He could only depend upon his muscular strength to ward off the would-be assassin. Already wounded fi \i 334 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT in the side by his assailant, he grew faint, his brain reeled, his grasp upon the arm of his unknown enemy relaxed. Again the latter raised the knife, but on the mstant out of the night an Indian woman sprang between the combatants. The next moment the knife meant for the heart of Gladwin was plunged deep m her breast, and with a faint cry she sank dying at the feet of the man for whom she had will- ingly given her life. It had all happened within a few minutes. The commandant shot into the darkness after the fleeing stranger. The report of his weapon, and his call ^ Rn. r "^T '^^ ^"^' ^''^"Sht the guard to the spot, iiut the unknown man had escaped. And when the sentry flashed his torch upon the still form lying on tionK"^^' .1r" f"'^''^ "^'"g^^^ sorrow, admira- L^V u ^i^u^^* ^^ '^"^ °^ Nedawniss the Ojibwa had taken flight to the Und of the Hereafter. , J*" V"'*^°'^ *^* ^°"^ ^'"'^'■' sometimes prayed for TZn^^ln^' '' 'f \r^"" ™°- ^'^ -'hard ?u Tu. " Mission, the Normandy pear trees of tiie habitants' gardens, were like great bouqurts of fragrant blooms; there was "a perfume ?n te^ wind, music ,n every tree." The rich carpets of c^mpted to" til '"1 T^^^^' P^^*^ -^ -- compared to the splendor of the prairie The outer world this region which the old missionary voyageurs Galin^e and Dollier de Casson and afte^ them the gallant Sieur Cadillac, termed th^e' tTrr'estS:! Ju^'aifdThf M ' ^"71 "-'""" lengthened into June, and the Moon of Strawberries became the Moon of the Roving Deer; the Hurons. Po" awat! A MESSENGER TO SIR WILLIAM 335 tomies, Ojibwas, and many of the Ottawas returned from the hunt to their villages. Yet Pontiac did not appear at Le Grand Marais, nor was he to be found among the groves of the Isle au P6che. It was rucnored thart the Great Chief was still engaged in stirring up the tribes of the west. Since he had not come, the habitants who had sown their fields in fear began to reap the harvest with gladness. Meantime, an Ojibwa runner, who came in from the forests bordering Lake Erie, brought news that a company of English had embarked on the lake, and one day at the close of the summer a fleet came proudly sailing up the river. It was Bradstreet's ostentatious expedition, and on the day his army landed the long-suffering garrison was relieved and the new troops went on duty. With the reinforcements came Sterling, triumphant and successful. When he appeared at the Cuillerier homestead Ang^lique welcomed him with shining eyes. She was no longer ill, and the color that suffused her countenance rendered her lovelier than ever. She paid a flattering attention to the story of his adven- tures, sighed over his perils, and congratulated him upon the honors he had received at Niagara. But when he sought to turn the conversation to the sub- ject nearest to his heart, parbleu, swiil as a bird, the girl put to him a hundred questions about the officers at Fort Schlosser, about his fierce encounter with a band of Schawnees ! Did Sir William John- son really ask for her ? Was the baronet's new, half- Indian wife, Molly Brant, as handsome as report said? Mademoiselle Ang^lique was clearly in no mood for sentiment, now that her lover was safe at home again. La bonne mere was, however, more i 336 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT civil to the Scotchman than at his last visit; Tantc Josette, frankly cordial ; Antoine was away. The next evening as the merchant sat over his sohtary supper in the parlor beyond his warehouse Jaco the Pani boy brought to him a small mocock, or Indian basket, saying, — " Monsieur, here is a box of bonbons that Madame des Ruisseaux's woman Agathe bade me put into your hands with the compliments of her mistress." It was a pretty French custom to send such little gifts to family friends upon festival days in token of good will and remembrance, and the fSte of the As- sumption was just passed. " Madame des Ruisseaux is very kind. You mav go, Jaco." ' " Gitchie manitou," mumbled the boy as he quitted the room, "there sits the master and never once looks mto the mocock, yet under the lid are candied cherries and meringues of pounded hickory nuts. But I dared only peep at them, for Agathe said that though they are harmless for white people, were a Pani to taste of them he would fall down dead." Left alone. Sterling stared blankly at the box. "The dear old madame thinks I have still the sweet tooth of a lad," he ruminated. All at once he became aware that the tracery around the edge of the lid formed itself into written words, and following the curved lines of the ara- besque, he read in French, " He who seeks, finds," Similar legends were almost always inscribed upon these souvenirs, he now recalled. Nevertheless, this one seemed to have a special significance. With careless curiosity he turned out the contents of the box upon the table. The next moment he started, for there among the comfits lay a tiny fragment of 'W A MESSENGER TO SIR WILLIAM 337 birch bark, folded into the shape of a military chapeau. ' "A note from Madame des Ruisscaux ! This must be about some matter which requires caution and dis- cretion," he soliloquized, opening the missive. Written in French, of course, its substance was as follows : « Monsieur Sferung, — I arn with my aunt, Madame des Ruisseaux. Pray come to see me as soon as you have read this. Come without delay, a life may be at stake. " AwctUQUE." The merchant raised his eyes, and, chancing to turn tftem toward the window, saw the woman Agathe flit past, as though she had waited to make sure he had found the billet. He started to his feet and called the slave boy. jaco. he said, when the latter appeared, " close the shutters. I will return before the bugler at the tu T'^fA ^«^ l^' '^"' °' *^^ ^*'" °f Ste. Anne's tolls the 'De Profundis.'" Taking his hat, he hurried out of the house and down the street. When he arrived at the residence of Madame des Ruisseaux, it was the dame herself, and not Ane€- hque, who greeted him. ^ "Permit me to bid you a warm welcome home, Monsieur Sterling," she said, motioning him to a place on the settle beside her. " Madame, I hope I find you well," answered the merchant, wondering why he had been so hastily summoned. ^ •• I sleep excellently and do not decline three meals a C.'v, was the conclusive rejoinder. ' And Mademoiselle de St. Ours is happier?" 22 338 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Madame dcs Ruisseaux raised her hands and eyes to Heaven, or, to be more exact, to the dingy rafters above her head. " Praise be to Ste. Anne I " she exclaimed with a sigh, " la chJre Marianne spends nearly all of her time at the hospital now. • The Angel of Consola- tion • the sick soldiers call her. To the French habi- tants, who have been made poor by the war, she is most charitable, as also to the Indian women and chil- dren, although, • pauvre demoiselle,' one might think she would shrink from the aborigines. When peace comes, albeit I shall have many reasons for joy, there will be one for sadness, since then Marianne will go to Quebec to enten the convent of the Hotel Dieu. At first we thought the Ursulines would be her choice, but to the care of the unhappy she wishes to devote her life. Ah, monsieur ! as grain is winnowed by the wind, so is the soul rendered more goodly by suffering." Sterling silently assented. Yet, sincere as was his sympathy for the beautiful Marianne de St Ours, he saw that Madame des Ruisseaux was talking in a per- functory manner. The sound of a woman's sobbing that presently camefrom the room beyond confirmed this suspicion. The old lady leaned toward him, as though about to speak upon some subject which evi- dently agitated her, but at the same moment the door between the two rooms was flung open and Mademoi- selle Cuillerier appeared, supporting the trembling form of Madame Clotilde Godefroy. Sterling sprang to his feet and bowed low to the ladies. Ang^lique was alert, self-reliant, and fired with en- ergy, as her lover liked best to see her. Madame Godefroy was pale, and, although she strove for com- posure, her heavy eyelids showed that it was she who had been weeping. »f* A MESSENGER TO SIR WILLIAM 339 " Monsieur Sterling," she began, and stopped short, overcome by emotion. " Clearly you have not heard, monsieur," inter- posed Ang^lique, to spare her the effort of proceed- ing. " Clearly you do not know what ce b^te English officer has done now? " " Colonel Bradstreet has indeed made several de- plorable blunders since he has been at Le Detroit, as, for instance, the cutting into shreds of the peace belt the Indians presented to him ; an act that has greatly angered them, I hear," acknowledged Sterling. " Quel sottise ! " interrupted Mademoiselle Cuille- lir* " ^^ *^'"^* himself a greater man than Sir Wilham Johnson, yet he will stir up not only the savages, but the French. Here, only two days after his arrival, he talks of hanging our brave Jacques Godefroy, with more indifference than he would show when ordering his dinner. For 't is said he is over- fond of the pleasures of the table, and finds the liquor of the French as good as English rum, if so be there is enough of it." " Madame, believe me, you are needlessly alarmed," said the Scotchman, turning to Clotilde. '• Surely, you remember that soon after the departure of Pontiac, when many of the habitants purposed to embark their families in pirogues and forsake the shores of Le De- troit for those of the Wabash, Major Gladwin informed them that they might remain here without fear of mo- lestation by the English conquerors. Moreover, he bade me impress upon the commanding officer at Niagara that for the sake of those Canadians who rendered valuable services to the English during the siege, the lives and property of all the farmers and townspeople should be protected." " Alas, my husband was excepted from the general 340 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT amnesty," lamented the unhappy Clotilde, finding voice at last. " Major Gladwin has never liked him since the luckless evening when Pontiac detained the brave and ill-fated Captain Campbell at the house of Ang^lique's father. But Jacques has been accused of many acts that were done by others." '• Major Gladwin may be prejudiced, but he will not be unjust," rejoined Sterling confidently. "As for Colonel Bradstreet, he is a gruff man, and perchance some careless speech of his, uttered after a too gener- ous potation, has been repeated to you." " Word was brought to Madame Godefroy awhile since that the fa^e of her husband is to be decided to- night," interposed Mademoiselle Cuillerier. " Dame Clotilde therewith rushed from her home with her child, and came to Madame des Ruisseaux for ad- vice. Being here, I despatched a message to you in a box of comfits, for in these times 't is safest to trust few with a knowledge of our affairs. We go at once to seek speech with the colonel, and would be glad of your escort." " Mademoiselle, madame, you honor me by the re- quest," replied Sterling. " Let me not delay you further; we will consult together on the way." " Take care of my child who is sleeping so sweetly in the room yonder," pleaded Clotilde, embracing Madame des Ruisseaux. " Praise be to Ste. Anne, the English colonel is not an ogre to spirit away children. Be off with you," retorted the older woman, with pretended impatience. Thereupon the distracted wife set out with Angelique and the merchant. They proceeded rapidly toward the gate of the town, called then and for many years after the Pontiac Gate, because by it the Great Chief entered to hold his treacherous council with Major I? A MESSENGER TO SIR WILLIAM 341 Gladwin, and through it he retreated crest-fallen when his plot failed. Sterling's elation at Aug^lique's choice of him as her knight was suddenly dashed by the realization that without his aid she and her friend could not have passed this gate. Still, he took a grim satisfac- tion in the thought that she had found it expedi- ent to turn to him. As they reached the shadow of the tall hickory posts which formed the sides of the entrance, a soldier with levelled musket stepped out of the gloom, and challenged the party. The v. omen shrank back, but, as captain of militia, Sterling had the countersign and gave it, upon which the guard threw open the wicket, and they passed on. It was now about eight o'clock. From the tranquil August sky the stars shone down upon Br^idstreet's little army, encamped upon the common outside the stockade. The weather-stained tents gleamed white in the dim light, and beyond them lay the river, a dark current as resistless as time. At the outpost of the tented town there was another guard to be passed ; then presently the visitors stood before the quarters of the chief officer. Again they were halted. " The countersign is not enough here, sir," said the sentry tersely; " the colonel has but just dined. He is engaged with Major Gladwin in the consideration of business of importance, and my orders are to admit no one." Madame Godefroy recoiled as though she had received a blow, for she knew the business whereof he spoke concerr.ed the life of her husband. Angc- lique also appeared disconcerted. A moody impulse seized upon the Scotchman. Taking from the pocket of his surtout a notebook, he opened it at a blank page, and passing it to the girl, 34* THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT together with the silver pencil case wherein leads were carried at that day, h- said,— " If mademoiselle will write a line to Major Glad- win, I have no doubt it will be the only password needed." In the imperfect light he did not see the reproach- ful glance she cast at him. but she laugh w-d lightly, tossed her head, and replied in a low ton-*,— - "I thank you, monsieur; but before appealing to the courtesy of the commandant, I prefer to test your mfluence with the colonel." The artful minx ; this was a clever turning of the tables. Sterling compressed his lips, and bethought himself that a man is rash indeed to seek to bandy words with a woman. Mechanically he tore a page from the book, wrote a request thereon, and handed the scrap of paper to the guard. Fortunately, the latter had heard many tales of Sterling's kindness to the soldiers during the siege, therefore he was willing to oblige the popular captain of militia. Summon- ing an orderly from the ante-room of the tent, he bade him take the message to his chief. After a few minutes, spent by the party in awkward silence, the orderly returned. " Colonel Bradstreet bids me say Aas 'ow 'e will receive Mr. Sterling ^nd the ladies," he said, with a grin. Sterling's brow cleared ; despite the gravity of the ^itu^tion, Ang^lique could not refrain from darting at him a demurely roguish glance. But she checked the smile upon her lips, and, turning to Dame Clotildc, whispered encouragement to the young wife, and be- sought her to dry her tears. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH JACQUES GODEFROY THE orderly led the way, and the two women, escorted by Sterling, followed through the small outer apartment. When they entered the main tent, however, Madame Godefroy uttered a low cry, and would have fallen to the ground but for the support- ing arm of Ang^lique. The girl was also startled by the scene before her, while the Scotchman could hardly conceal his own surprise. The colonel was still at table ; on his right hand sat Major Gladwin, at his left. Captain Morris, who had come with him from Niagara, and was to go into the Illinois country to receive the submission of Pontiac. Upon the board remained the remnant of the repast, and amid the disorder lay Bradstreet's over- turned goblet Having found a draught of the home-made red wine of the habitants insipid after his stronger potations, he had pushed it from him. and now down the white napery it dripped in slow drops like blood, which a fine dog that lay under the table lapped as they fell. Madame Godefroy had not been dismayed by the rubicund, forbidding countenance of Bradstreet, nor yet by the stern, cold face of Gladwin. Opposite to the officers, against the background of canvas wall, stood Jacques Godefroy. His hands were bound be- hind him ; his blue blouse, fallen open at the throat. 'K.-\^s^,^sm^^ 'mmmm^: r*- ■< i*»*/'A, ■''^'"'35 ?■-: ''''W.*t..i^^7imr:^3^'^m^-^?r^wwi^^Ts^s^^z''i MICROCOrY RESCIUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART Ho. 2) Li |M U I ■K I IK I U 1^ |3j2 1 4.0 ■ 2.2 A /APPLIED IM/1GE 16S3 Eost Main StrMt Roch»»t«f, Hn YofV U609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phon* (716) 288-5989 Fox 344 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT w ; revealed his broad, bronzed chest; a long lock of straight black hair hung over his brow, and upon his dark visage was a look of sullen and impotent oppo- sition. It was when his eyes met those of Clotilde that she, realizing the peril of his position and feeling its ignominy like a sword thrust, came so near to swooning. "What — what — is this?" demanded the colonel, turning upon Sterling. "Your request said two ladies wished to pay their respects to me, and I directed that your party should be admitted ; for I am never so ungallant as to be indifferent to the fair sex," he added, with a leer at Angelique. " I do not wonder that the dame mislikes the look of the fellow in the corner yonder. Egad, of a truth I forgot him for the nonce. Let her withdraw for a few minutes ; we shall be done with him presently." "Sir," answered the Scotchman, with dry satire, "it is in the interest of this prisoner, Monsieur Godefroy, that these ladies have come. They did not, however, expect to meet with him here and in this manner; therefore, you will perhaps think it small wonder that his wife is for the moment some- what agitated." " Ifis wife, you say, Mr. Sterling?" repeated Brad- street testily. " Odzookens, I '11 have no tomfoolery or play-acting. Take her away, take her away." But by this time Madame Clotilde had regained strength and composure ; for the gentle caress, the womanly sympathy of Angelique were to her like a sweet cordial, and now she stood erect and ap- parently calm, save that her clasped hands worked nervously. " I beseech your Excellency's permission to stay," she pleaded, with an effort to steady her voice; "I JACQUES GODEFROY 345 will make no further trouble. It is many weeks since I have been allowed to see my husband." " Gad so, let her regard him then, sir, if her emotion is caused by admiration of the picture," interjected the young captain in an undertone. " Women are skittish cattle, and if you have her turned out she will take to such a lamenting as will put the camp in a panic. The soldiers will think it an Indian death-cry, or the bay of the ghostly hound of the Chase Galere, and you will get no good fighting out of them if we are caught in a skirmish with the savages." " Odzookens, then she may stay," ansv/ered the colonel, the more readily, perhaps, because if Ma- dame Clotilde retired Angelique would go, too, and he was loath to so soon lose sight of the pretty demoiselle. When it was decided that the women should re- main, a smile of satisfaction flitted across the swarthy features of Godefroy, but the next moment his ex- pression became as fiercely lowering as before. " Odzookens, since the decanters are empty, I sup- pose we must come to some decision before we have them refilled," Bradstreet continued, glancing from Gladwin to the captain. The officers bowed gravely, and he thereupon turned to the prisoner. " Well, sirrah," he began, and then added in French, which he spoke haltingly, " well, what have you to say for yourself?" The Canadian raised his head and flung back the lock of hair that shaded his eyes. " I have to say," he replied proudly in his native lan- guage, " first, that my name is not seerrah, but Jacques Godefroy. I am the son of the Sieur de Marboeuf, 346 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT and descended from the Godefroys of Rouen, whose ancestor was the great Godefroy de Bouillon." " Odzookens, I did not know, major, that you had in duress a scion of one of the old crusaders," laughed Bradstreet, with cutting irony. Mademoiselle Cuillerier stared at him with halMn- credulous horror. Was it in this hap-hazard manner that Godefroy had been arraigned and was to be tried for his life ? " Well, Mr. De Marboeuf, De Bouillon, or whatever you choose to call yourself," proceeded the colonel, " since you were arrested with the birch-bark missives of Pontiac in your pouch, I presume you will not deny that you siistained the arch-fiend in his savage warfare against the British forces, and thus have proved yourself a traitor to your legitimate sover- eign, King George the Third. You stand convicted of treason, sirrah, and the penalty of treason is death." At the last word Madame Clotilde waxed as white as her kerchief, and swayed blindly; Ang^lique's arm again supported her, however, and she betrayed her emotion only by an agonized glance at her hus- band. For she knew that any moan or ejaculation of grief would mean her exclusion from the proceed- ings, and her all-absorbing wish was to remain near him in this crisis of his disasters. But Jacques Godefroy had faced danger too often to blanch when confronted with it now. In the for- est, among hostile savages, on lake and river, at the mercy of the elements, at the hands of the English, he had braved " the fell sergeant, death." Now he actually listened with a smile to the pompous ad- dress of Bradstreet. But it reminded Sterling of the smile of the Indian at the stake, the stoical defiance JACQUES GODEFROY 347 wherewith the redman flaunts his enemies when he sees life and all its joys fast receding from him, and his soul is in the throes of a greater conflict than the agony that tortures his body. When the colonel had finished his harangue, the prisoner rejoined calmly, — " Monsieur, I neither admit nor deny the charges you bring against me. I never pretended to take ser- vice with the English ; yet, on the other side, never did I betray them. Major Gladwin has said 1 knowingly decoyed Captain Campbell to his fate. It is not true. When I prevailed upon the captain to go out to the ' c6te du nord,' I thought that by going he would save the English from massacre. Pontiac deceived me, although he was my friend. He has slept many times at my hearth and eaten at my table. For years I traded with his young men for furs, and they were glad to have of me the hunt- ing knives, guns, and blankets which I brought from Montreal. Major Rogers and his rangers came through the woods and over the waters and found us here. They showed strange orders to our comman- dant, Monsieur de Bellestre, and sent him a prisoner to Niagara. But the French of Le Detroit could not believe that our King had given up his fine province of New France. I swore on the cross that to the last I would be faithful to the cause of the fleur-de- lis, but I did not countenance murder. I sought to hold the Great Chief in check, telling him that King Louis would in good time send his soldiers to drive away the English." " Ha, ha ! " cried Bradstreet interrupting the Creole's manly defence; "you have a ready tongue, mon- sieur ! Nevertheless, despite the tidings of the treaty of Paris, the messages sent to the French here by 348 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT their own former Governor of Montreal, the reiterated news of the cession of Canada to iiis Majesty King George, you twice went on a mission from Pontiac to the French forts in the Ilhnois country. You went to stir up their commanders and soldiers against us. You are a traitor both to your former and your present sovereign, both to the King of France and the King of England." "Monsieur, I am no traitor!" cried Godefroy, starting forward angrily. At the same moment the guards covered him with their muskets, and his wife smothered a cry of despair. Remembering' his position as a captive, and his bound hands, he fell back a pace, while a scornful smile again played about his strong mouth. "I am no traitor," he repeated. doggedly, "and of many acts alleged against me I am guiltless. Your commandant here at the fort has indeed cherished a viper, but I am not the man. Would you blame a son for being slow to believe that his father has deserted him, has refused him help in his need and given him up to his enemies? I held by King Louis. But when I went to Fort Chartres, and learned that the English had not lied to us, or forged the documents of the treaty, then I knew all hope for the cause of the fleur-de-lis was gone. Coming back, I faith- fully delivered to Pontiac the message of Monsieur Neyon ; tc his advice I added my word, counselling the Ottawa, to make peace with your people. Having heard me, he withdrew to the Maumie. Is it for this you call me traitor, for this you would put me to death? Your flag floats over Fort Pontchar- train, and the fleur-de-lis is trailed in the dust. You may call New France a British province, but you JACQUES GODEFROY 349 cannot make her people English! God has made them French, and French they will ever be ! " "Cease, sirrah! Such seditious language cannot be tolerated. Odzookens, I'll have you hanged to-morrow in the name of the King. It is martial law with us now ; we have no need of court or legal bickerings. A rebel may be strung up sans shrift on a bough of the nearest tree." At this harsh verdict from the commanding officer, a shrill cry broke from Madame Godefroy, i. .d she rushed forward to cast herself upon her husband's neck, but was warded off by the cold steel of the guards' muskets levelled at her breast. •' Take the woman out ! " roared Bradstreet. Poor Madame Clotilde quickly withdrew behind the flap of the curtain which separated the main tent from the ante-chamber, and the pitying orderly assumed that the command was obeyed according to the letter. At this point Captain Morris interposed. The fearless bearing and straightforward defence of Gode- froy had impressed him greatly. Here was a man to be trusted ; a man who acknowledged his loyalty to his friends, his cause, even in the face of death. He felt that Jacques Godefroy would keep ary pledge he might give. He (Morris) needed the help of such a man. " Colonel Bradstreet," he said, " mayhap you might make a more serviceable disposal of the prisoner than by hanging him." " How now? " demanded the colonel, turning upon him. "In commissioning me to go into the Illinois country, did you not grant me the privilege of select- ing my escort?" h: 350 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT "Yes, verily, since the expedition will be one for no carpet knight," rejoined his chief, laughing "I understand its perils; therefore I wish to have Jacques Godefroy for my guide." Even the prisoner started. " Would you put your head into the lion's mouth? " queried the colonel, with a sneer. "Certainly not; but could I have a better inter- mediary than this man? If Jacques Godefroy will proniise to lead me through the wilderness and be loyal to me, I choose him for a conductor above all others. Godefroy raised his head once more and turned a grateful, softened look upon the young man who not only intervened to save him from a felon's fate, but offered him a position of confidence and honor " Odzookens, if you can make use of the fellow I ulr ;y;"'"?ly give him to you were it not that Major Gladwin has been at some pains to impress upon me that he should be hanged," replied the colonel, yawning. In truth, he was weary of the subject. The life of a Creole seemed to him of no more account than that of an Indian, and he regarded the latter as pests of whom his countrymen were to rid themselves as soon as might be. During all this scene Major Gladwin had sat silent and apparently coldly indifferent to what was taking place before him. ^ Now, being directly appealed to, he said, with an unchanging countenance, — "My sentiments are not altered, sir; I see no reason why clemency should be extended to the prisoner. Even a brave man is glad to make a truce with JACQUES GODEFROY 351 death. The light that had illumined Jacques' honest face, as the hope of reprieve was exteiided to him, faded at the words of the major, and he nerved himself to hear his condemnation blurted out by Brad street. In an agony of terror, Dame Clotilde emerged from the shadow, and would have cast herself at the feet of Gladwin to beg the life of her husband, but a glance from Godefroy forbade her. Perhaps he sur- mised that her prayer would be of no avail ; per- haps in his pride he preferred death rather than to see his wife thus plead with his enemy for mercy. But in Sterling he had another champion. " Surely, Major Gladwin, you are willing to accord the prisoner this chance held out to him by Captain Morris? " he urged with heat. There was a tense pause, during which the colonel was seized with a violent fit of coughing. What with strong liquor and tobacco, his throat had grown dry, and he was stout and apoplectic. The orderly stepped into the ante-room and, seiz- ing a ewer filled with water that stood upon the floor of the tent, brought it in, and, pouring some of the water into a goblet, offered it to the choking official. Before the latter raised it to his lips, however, the voice of Godefroy rang out clear and firm, — " Do not drink it ; the water is poisoned." Bradstreet's hand was a trifle unsteady, as he set down the goblet, and, pointing to the dog at his feet, gasped, — \ "Try it on the brute." Sterling experienced a feeling of disgust. "It were a pity to sacrifice the poor beast," he said. 3Sa THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT ^ J^radstrect did not belJeve that the water was poi- •• It is a ruse ; the Canadian is crafty as a Norman " he niuttered between paroxysms of coughing Ihe orderly poured a little of the water Jnf« , d.sh, and the dog drank it with avidity Whateve/the zzti fhr "• ' fr'/^"' speedily ;:^rhi': lew moments the animal had sunk into a deep sleep Odzookens. major. J shall have to leave this mer V 'l T'^'r'^ "'^' ' recommendation to mercy. I cannot hang a man who has prevented daredTradtr" "^ "'^ '^ *'^* insensate ^logTde' clared Bradstreet, as soon as he could speak. weak'talion '^f^f '' "''' "°^" '' '"^^ ->°-rs weak evasion of the matter, when he should have taken it upon himself. ^^* dam^'^aot^M ^^'"'" '°"^^' '^' ^'^' °^ the comman- dant Clotildes eyes were fixed upon the officer In Gladwin had decided that Godefroy should pay the penalty for his stubborn resistance of BrS aufhor • .ty his obduracy in remaining the friend oPomiac and, imagining that in this decision he was biassed bJ buffer de'th''^ ^'' '^''''''"' Godefroy mus^ suffer death, as an example to the French that thl ff^iiw r""",?""'' "'■• ' '"S »f yo"." interrupted An- fti Irsui".""'"' "^PP-Sfo™"" and spiking ,o"r JACQUES GODEFROY 353 As Sterling watched her, his thoughts flew back to the memorable evening when he had encountered her at the council houre. Now, as then, her soft cheeks glowed with the u icate blush of the eglantine, her eyes grew lustrous, .nd her dark hair, falling in wavy disorder about her brow and neck, made a frame for her sweet face. ** Monsieur Gladwin," she said simply, in a voice which trembled somewhat, " Monsieur Gladwin, /ask the release of your prisoner." For an instant Gladwin's brows lowered, and he changed color. There was a moment of tense silence. Then, tardily, unwillingly, and as though impelled by an influence stronger than himself, he turned his head, and met the glance of the demoiselle. Angelique smiled, — confidently, expectantly. At that smile all the chivalry in the nature of the man seemed unlocked, even as a sunbeam thaws the hoar frost and melts the snows. Slowly he rose to his feet, bowed to her with soldierly dignity, and, facing Colonel Bradstreet, said, — " Sir, during the time we were besieged by Pontiac, this young lady rendered a great service to the offi- cers and garrison of this fort. I am bound in honor to give heed to any petition she may make. There- fore, since she intercedes for Jacques Godefroy, I recommend that the prisoner be released." Bradstreet nodded assent, and, picking up his silver snufT-box from the table, took a generous pinch of Rappee. Had the death-penalty been demanded, he would as coolly have bidden the guard to conduct honest Jacques from his presence, and make for him a gibbet of the nearest tree. But, if the commandant chose to .- ' ^-. 354 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT spare the life of the Frenchman at the request of a charming demoiselle, it mattered little to him. •*Odzookens, you sly fox," he muttered in an undertone to Gladwin, " the girl is so dcucdd pretty, that to gain a pleasant glance from her I would par- don a score of rebels." The major scarcely heard, however. He had turned again to Ang^lique, who smiled her thanks and curt- sied low. "Jacques Godefroy," sa?-^. the colonel, "you owe your life to the mediation of Mademoiselle Cuillerier; but I impose a condition. It is that you pledge your- self to faithfully guide this gentleman. Captain Morris, dunng the expedition whereon he is about to set out, and that you will take good care of him. Will you' give me this pledge upon your oath ? " "I swear by le bon Dieu that I will guard his life V'ith my own," answered Godefroy solemnly. '• Set the man free," said Bradstreet to the guards. Thereupon, the soldier to the right of the prisoner drew his dirk and cut the thongs that bound the hands of Godefroy ; and Dame Clotilde, weeping now for gladness, cast herself into her husband's arms. The other soldier, saluting the colonel, pointed to the floor of the tent, in front of the table. Bradstreet, who had forgotten the dog, now glanced carelessly toward it. " Odzookens, the brute is dead ! " he said, and fiery an^ swollen as was his visage, it seemed to grow less red as he contemplated the poisoned animal. The attention of the commandant being thus called to it also, he disgustedly touched it with the toe of his boot, and, having made sure that it was really dead, motioned to the men to take it away. As they appr- :hed to do so, the sharp crack of a JACQUES GODEFROY 355 muskct-shot rang through the tent, and a bullet aimed to kill Gladwin, grazing his left arm, tore a rent m the canvas wall but three feet beyond him The report was followed by a succession of shots without. Snatching the pistols from their belts. Glad- wm and Captain Morris rushed from the tent, Stcrl- ing beside them, with drawn sword. The colonel sobered on the instant, followed, baring his sabre as he went. Had that shot been the signal of a new uprising of the trench? Finding the English thus encamped upon the open common, had they betrayed their conquerors into the hands of the savage? Was Pon- tiac returned, many times more powerful than before? ihe commotion might mean any or all of these thmgs. Yet it meant none of them, and presently a laugh went up from the officers and the soldiers of the camp, as it became evident that their apprehen- sions were groundless. The captain of the watch approached Gladwin, and saluted. re'o^ 7^ ^"^ assassin has been shot dead, sir," he The commandant went forward to survey the body. The moon was now risen, and. as a soldier stooped and turned over the dark object lying inanimate upon the grass, a ray of silver light fell upon the face of the dead man. "It is Larron ?" exclaimed Gladwin, starting back in horror and surprise. " Yes, Larron, whom you trusted, monsieur le com- mandant, replied Jacques Godefroy, who. having seized a musket that stood in a corner of the tent, had followed close behind to defend, if there were need, the men that awhile before would have put 356 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT him to death. "Larron, who betrayed your plans to Pontiac; Larron, who poisoned the drinking water in the ewer. As I was conducted here from the blockhouse which you made my prison, I saw him lingering about the outer tent and suspected his errand, though I could not have sworn to it. His caution and reason had been stolen by deep draughts of your English rum, else he would not have cast away his miserable life so wantonly. Clever as you English are, he duped you to the last. Despite his wiles and favning for your favor, he hated you with all the venom of his snake-like nature. He took your bribes and mocked at you. It was he who connived at the butcheries of the Ottawas ; he who would have slain you before you had a chance to cry out, save for the intervention of the Ojibwa giri, Ne- dawniss. Now, in his drunken madness he thought, no doubt, that by picking off one of the officers he would start au uprising of the townspeople ; where- upon the Indians, quickly forgetting the peace belts they exchanged with you to-day, would rush to the aid of the French. Words are wind, but seeing is be- lieving. Major Gladwin ! In shooting down this spy, your soldiers have done better work for your cause than if they had routed a horde of savage warriors." CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXTH CONQUEST IN SURRENDER TTwas late afternoon at the strait — the afternoon A of one of those cool, delightful days that come toward the last of August, deluding those who are not weather-wise into the belief that the heat of sum- mer is over, a faith to be speedily submerged by the torrid wave upon whose sunlit crest comes floating in, like a waif from the sea of Time, the young god of the harvest, September. The fort was a scene of gaiety upon this pleasant afternoon. There had been a review of the troops on the parade ground in front of the council house. The French were out in gala attire, and congratulated one another that they were no longer penned up within the stockade, as the marionettes of a puppet show are shut up in a box when they have no part to play upon the stage. The gates of the palisade were wide open. Al- though sentinels stood on guard, townspeople and habitants flocked in and out at will, or strolled through the English camp upon the common. As the sun sank to the west, many of the holiday makers sought the river. Farmers from the "cdte du nord " and the southern shore set out for home in their pirogues, from the water gate or at the mouth of the Rigolet des Hurons. Soldiers, voyageurs, lovers embarked on the stream, and the voices of many gay boating parties floated over the waters. .1 t!l! it: 358 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Pottawattomie women haunted the strand, offering moccasins and bead-work for sale, while their pap- pooses stared round-eyed from the birch-bark cradles bound upon the backs of the mothers. Traders in fantastic dress jested with shy Indian girls, redskin children played upon the bank or swam in the clear current, and now and again a warrior without his war- paint strode by on the pebbly beach. It was at this hour that Colonel Bradstreet, stand- ing on the water bastion, saw the interpreter, James Sterling, assist into a canoe the pretty young lady who the evening before had confronted the military court with such charming temerity, and had claimed from Major Gladwin the life of her countryman with an assurance that her request would not be denied. " Odzookens," soliloquized the colonel, levelling his lens upon the little skiff to behold the young man take the place facing his fair passenger, " I would give a purse of gold to be the pilot of that craft, though I am not exactly built for aquatic exercise." His glance roved ruefully over his bulky and rotund form as he continued, — " Where is Gladwin, I wonder ! Is he going to let the canny Scot carry off the pearl of these Creole de- moiselles? There should be a duel, at least ! Egad, it might be a fine plan for me to set the two to kill each other, and then elope with the lady myself. By my faith, I thought the major a frozen sea, calm on the surface but surging beneath, yet I could swear his color deepened when the black-eyed demoiselle flung him that look of reproach and spirited demand last night. A romance is under all this, I '11 wager, but it would take an ocean plummet line to fathom Gladwin." CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 359 Meanwhile, the Scotchman, with Mademoiselle Cuillericr in the bow of his canoe, paddled up the river. Young and ardent, each confronted in the eyes of the other the sweet question and answer that make life more worth the living. Did the thoughts of both, like the lake birds flit- ting over the water, wing their way back over their course to the close of a day memorable in the town and on the c6tes, since it was the first that followed the arrival of Sir William Johnson at Le Detroit? That evening long past, when Angelique had gone boating with Sterling just after the Angelus hour? Again, as then, the young man beheld the graceful figure and piquant face of the girl against the dreary background of the Isle au Cochon, the morass of Le Grand Marais, the forests, and the wide expanse of the river. Dark, mysterious, and silent, the wooded island might be likened to some grim Indian warrior keep- ing watch before the still lonelier retreat beyond. As Sterling's imagination thus pictured it, he seemed to hear again the voice of his companion saying, — " We French call that isolated spot the Isle au P^che, because of its fine fisheries ; but to the Indians it is known as the burial-place of their Prophet. There the Great Chief has his lodge and holds council with the manitou of the strait" He recalled how, when he had asked the name of this mighty leader of the aborigines, her voice sank to a frightened whisper, and she shivered with a sudden chill as she answered, — " He is called Pontiac." And at the very utterance of the fateful name a gloom had settled upon them, — a gloom that never since had been entirely lifted. h 360 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Yes, now it was, of course, again the voice of Ang^hque which sounded in his ears. But at present her tone was one of raillery, and the breeze was Only pleasantly cool, giving her an excuse to draw her be- witching blue scarf closer about her shoulders "Eh bien, Monsieur Taciturne, your silence is most entertaining, though many a demoiselle might prefer a livelier cavalier in a canoe ride this fair evening," she chided banteringly. The Scotchman aroused himself with a start. "A thousand pardons, mademoiselle," he cried I was a churl to let my gaze stray from your face to the black groves, that rest upon the water l-ke the dark, threatening hand of the Indian prophet, the .Ceeper of the Gates of the Lakes. My only excuse IS that my reverie was of you. I was thinking of the ^^.i gers you have braved since the evening upon the riv-er, when I first heard from your lips the name of the remarkable Ottawa who involved us all French and British, in such misery. Ah, Ang^ique, although in your company I maybe at times as one tongue- tied, yet the consciousness that you are near thrills ever through my heart. Thus my soul is filled with joy and thankfulness, when from the sombre view of Nature, outstretched yonder, my eyes return to you ana I see you lovelier, sweeter, nobler even than before the storm whic' ^as swept over this countiy of the strait, and left . devastation in its wake " Ang^hque gave a little deprecating shrug of the shoulders and contracted her brows, but her frown soon changed to a smile. The Highlander had made a pretty apology for his muteness. Moreover, now, as on the never-to-be-forgotten evening before the siege, she saw beyond his earnest face the glow of the sunset. CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 361 True, it was not now a calm tide of green and amber, but an ocean of rose and flame that grew every moment fainter, until above it gleamed the evening star. " I do not care to look upon the groves of the Isle au P6che, or the scenes of Indian fury," she said. " Ah, monsieur, head the canoe a little to the south, I pray, that you may see the glory of the western sky." Dipping his paddle, Sterling brought the boat half round, and once more a quiet fell upon the lovers as they watched the celestial sea. In the life of a woman one hour stands forth su- preme, — the hour when the man who has become the hero of her maiden fancy avows his love and asks her to lay her hand in his before God's altar. More than once Sterling had repeated his protestations of devotion and renewed his offer of marriage, but still she had hesitated. "Angelique," he now said, pointing toward the sunset, " the gates of the future are open ; say, sweet one, that you will voyage with me in the canoe of life ? " He leaned forward and, unrepulsed, laid his strong right hand upon her own, but still she did not reply. "Tell me that you love me, Ang€lique," he en- treated. " Tell me that you will be my wife? " And Angelique, lowering her eyes from the cloud ocean, whose shining billows seemed to break upon the Islands of the Blessed, met his gaze and answered falteringly, — " Yes, Monsieur Sterling, I love you ; I will be your wife." Leaning toward her, he kissed the sweet lips that had so often mocked him with their smiling. " Since there can be no doubt about this being a 362 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT betrothal^ even good Father Potier would not disao- dear face before me, what will it matter to me how tt^^^L: '''*' "'"'g™""'!! With the promf^ of a bright to-morrow shining through the rates of light, we shall not lose conrag^e as we loyage^n " founnT"" ,'" •*"' '•^PP'"^". "" lovers pr«e„tly F„r<^M ^ '^^""° "" '° '"" ">e next day for Fort Schlosser, w.th the discharged garrison. ^ How strange it will be to have a new com™,™ rrXirofttte^"- ^'"''-''°"- ^« renh^H T^?*' ^^^ve turned out. he will not be sorry" replied her lover pointedly. " He is a strong ma^S^'d n h.s ,n,htary capacity I wished him all fdva^ge In h.s love-making I could not desire his succeS' smce to do so would be to wish my own defeat Ye!' I wm ackr vledge. sweetheart, I have been most Je2 ous of the commandant." ^ beforf /i''"!, ^""'^V^ '^^ ^ '^^ peonies that c^rew before the door of the Cuillerier homestead an J tra.hng a hand ovc the side of the canoe to;ed ^th the water, dipping it up in her palm and then shak ing the drops like pearls from her fingers. Ma foi, ces Anglais, ces Anglais." she exclaimed suddenly, with a peal of merry lighter. """^ Cherie. /am not English," he protested. " Fi don^'"' K ®"'^'^'" '^^ ^^^°rted tantalizingly. to hfZ; The t'" ' r ' ''' ^°" "°' -^^"ed thu"; Glad^ is rntied^^^^^ of jealousy? Major CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 363 "Married?" echoed Sterling, in intense and incredu- lous surprise. " He has not taken a wife at the strait ! You mean that he was married when he came back from England? His oiiicers are not aware of this; you knew it, yet never spoke of it to me, ma belle ? ' "The name of Major Gladwin was seldom men- tioned between us; it seemed always to put Monsieur Sterling in an ill humor," she replied naively. " If the commandant did not tell his brother officers of his marriage, I presume it was because he considered that it did not concern them." She had touched the keynote of Gladwin's char- acter, a proud and impenetrable reserve, a sensitive- ness to and dislike of mess-room or barracks gossip which made him averse to having his personal affairs discussed among his subalterns and men. Sterling was for a moment impressed by her sur- mise. Presently his face darkened, and he brought the paddle down upon the water with such force that the canoe leaped forward like a frightened deer. " No, that is not the reason the man kept his mar- riage secret," he cried fiercely. *' He has dared to pay court to you, Angllique, to offer you his love, and all the while he had a wife beyond the seas. Thank Heaven, you have given me the right to avenge this insult. I will fight him, I will kill him before he has a chance to sail away." Ang^lique's mobile face grew white, and she drew herself up proudly. " I am beholden to you for your championship, mon bon ami," she said. "But calm yourself, for you are mistaken. Since Major Gladwin's return from England he has not spoken of love to me." t i [ ! 364 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT aski^^\^"^V\^'''l''^ '°"'^ "°' "f'^'" from asking, though when the words were uttered he almost regretted his persistence. novJIf.^""* u'l?'.''^'''^ ^"^ ^^' ^y" «^»^^d with an- noyance Half in consternation she realized that she bterling she had given him a right to look into her heart, to question her thus; that if she declined to answer there might be a misunderstanding between thrm ^T"'' J""' '^""^^""^ °^ ^'^ wooing stm thrilled her soul, and she relented. hon^^^-'^-^" ^^^ '•^Peated quietly. "Eh bien, mon bon ami, since you wt// have the story. When Major ?nliZri '" °^ '^' ^'""''' '^'^''^y ^ft" Ws coming to Le Daroit, my aunt, Madame des Ruisseaux, helped \TT ^^u ^^'"^^''"^^ d""ng his convalescence I went with her to see him, and afterwards we often met at her house. It was on one of these occasions If you must needs know, that the gallant gentleman But T^^A T.' *° u.^" ""^ ^'^ ^^^rt ^"d hand. Fndi ^1, "°* I"!*' ^'"^ ^"^ ^^ ^^nt away. In bngland he married the sweetheart of h* boyhood He loves her; his thought of me was only a passing fanrv . For some time after his return I did no? know of us marriage; yet I seldom had speech with him. One evening however, after I saw him at the council house, he called at Madame des Ruisseaux's. I hap- frnl aI '^^'\r^ ^^ told me of his romance in frank and honorable fashion. There was one other, at least, to whom it became known also. This was Nedawniss the Ojibwa whom Father Potier had ar- ranged to send to live among the Ottawa. women beyond the Maumie. Nedawniss. who on the eve of her departure, having heard rumor of a plot against the commandant, watched about the fort, and saved CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 365 him from the knife of the assassin at the cost of her own life." •' Poor Nedawniss," rejoined Sterling pityingly. " As for Major Gladwin, in truth, I never thought to feel so kindly toward him. May honors and happi- ness await him in England ! " "And you no longer wish to know why I once went in disguise to the council house to gain speech with him ? " queried Ang^lique. " I no longer wish to know, if you do not wish to tell me." " Eh bien, then I will tell you," she said. " It was a matter of gr-./e moment." Her tone was eloquent and she struggled to con- trol the emotion that betrayed itself in the tremor of her voice. A light broke upon Sterling. Had he not heard Nedawniss tell her story, no doubt he would have thought of this before. " Ang€lique," he declared, " it was you who re- vealed to Major Gladwin the conspiracy of Pontiac. It was you, and not Nedawniss the Ojibwa girl?" •' H'sh," murmured the demoiselle warningly. " Yes, you are right, mon bon ami. Pontiac's contempt for the white squaw alone saved me from discovery. He could never have believed that a French girl would dare tempt his vengeance." "Sweetheart, you are the bravest woman in the Canadas," exclaimed her lover. " I pray God we may spend many years together in wedded happi- ness, yet the longest life would be all too short for me to prove to you how much I love you." " Oh, oh, monsieur, you will overturn the canoe," cautioned his tantalizing sweetheart with a dash of her wonted spirit. p, 366 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT This masterful "bon ami" had taken her to task •bout her former cavaliers, and she had answered him, for he was soon to be her husband. NeTrthe less, she would punish him. It was not safe ?n a canoe ride to let a "bon ami" steaTa Wss It had been done but was too perilous for repeUdon ; no tn a canoe a •• bon ami " must paddle. ' The Scotchman was about to protest that h«. h^A ••Ll!f^ ' """•«'•" P««y hand, cried,-.: Hark, do you remember?" faintTfirT;; t^"" ''*•*'" '^"^" **^" «°""^« of niusic. «nH X »>"* growmg every moment more distinct Tptch^rror^ ''^^^''' ^'^ -^- of a teji'r '"'^^r "*"^"'"^ fromVfisherLs :? if fi? I i-^^'^l^who. as they passed, keeping time to the stroke of their oars, troUed merrily, -1 " C'est une p4t< de trois pigeons, — Ha, ha, ha, — frit k I'hulle I Assieds-toi et le mangeons; Fritalne, fritou, friton, poilon, — Ha, ha, ha, —frit k ITiuile I Frit au beurre k rognon." i.-^^"^*""* ^*"""? "^f constrained to join in Ang^ hSTotraS^,^^^^^^ ^^ *" '^^'^'^ interruption'to But, as now. in the twilight, he slowly paddled the bXeTn *'' "f 'f ^"-rd"and th^e Lall whfrf Anair ,^o"^«, of Antoine Cuillerier, he sang to AngflKiue the old Scotch love song wherewith he nad first wooed her. CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 367 " Her eyet so brightly beaming, Her look so frank and free, In waking and in dreaming Are evermore with me. Hiro, my nut-brown maiden. Hire, my nut«brown maiden, Hiro, my nut-brown maiden, Oh, she 's the maid for me. " With her fair face before me How sweetly flew the hour, When all her beauty held me A captive to its power. Hiro, my nut-brown maiden. Hire, my nut-brown maiden, Hiro, my ni» -brown maiden. Oh, she ' the maid for me. " Her fac with kindness glowing. Her heart that hides no guile ; The light grace of her going, The witchcraft of her smile. Hiro, my nut-brown maiden. Hire, my nut-brown maiden, Hiro, my nut-brown maiden, Ob, she *s the maid for me. '* Ah, when, with blossoms laden, The summer comes again, I 'U wed my nut-brown maiden, And bring her from the glen. Hiro, my nut-brown maiden. Hire, my nut-brown maiden, Hiro, my nut-brown maiden. Oh, she 's the maid for me." A few weeks later, Sterling and Ang€lique were married, and with the fall convoy, sent by the French traders to the St. Lawrence, went Marianne de St. Ours to join the sisterhood of the Hotel Dieu at Il i 368 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT Quebec. The aid given to Pontiac by Antoinc Cuillerier seemed now forgotten by the red coats, but only Father Potier and James Sterling could have told that Ang^liquc, by her prompt action on a fair May day two years before, had saver* her father and the fortunes of her family in saving from massacre the fort and garrison of Le Detroit Pontiac came to the strait, made a treaty with the conquerors, and the following spring smoked the peace pipe with Sir William Johnson at Niagara. Thence he went to live with the French at St Louis, where he adopted the dress of a military officer, wear- ing on occasion the uniform that had been presented to him by the gallant Marquis de Montcalm. One day he was followed from a feast into the woods, and assassinated by an Illinois Indian, who had been hired to kill him by an English trader, the price of the crime being a barrel of rum. To-day in the city of St. Louis a tablet to the memory of the kingly Ottawa hangs in the hall of the Southern Hotel, a few feet from the spot where he was buried with military honors. Well was he called " the Great Chief," for although in his cruelty, his cunning and vindictive- ness he was a savage, he gave his strength and all his remarkable resources for his country and his people. Perhaps it was the cupidity of Major Rogers which caused him to fail the colonies in their hour of need. Having at first cast his lot with the Americans in the War of the Revolution, he went over to the British and his subsequent life was passed in obscurity. After the Pontiac war Sir Jeffrey Amherst wished to reward James Sterling for the conspicuous bravery wherewith he had commanded the French of Detroit during the siege. The merchant, however, accepted CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 369 only the position of interpreter, thinking that in this office he might promote friendly relations between the discomfited Creoles and their new rulers "For the rest." he said, " I am a Scotchman; George of Hanover is not my king, and I cannot re- ceive a favor from his government." Sterling was among the first bold spirits of Detroit to embrace the cause of independence •• We have had enough of misrule," he publicly Mserted. •• The Bourbon forsook his people of New France. The Hanoverian is a dolt; his government shares his madness. The Stuarts, too. were faithless to their trust. It is the new flag of the Continental Congress that should wave over the fort of the strait. You say you have ver beheld it. friends. Look above to the deep blue field of the star-studded sky on a winter's night; look abroad over the snov/cov- ered prairie to where the aurora glows in the noithern heavens. Or see the sun reflected many times in the azure waters of the river, see the w^ ' • mi.ts of Lake Erie blending with the red of tht -t. The beauties of the land and the skies we lovt ' -fleeted in this new flag. It is the flag that God himself has unfurled over Le Detroit I Shall we not live for it? Shall we not. if need be, die for it? " Naturally, these daring utterances caused the ban- whment of the Scotchman by General Hamilton, the British governor, and he was not permitted to return until after Detrc?> wis ceded to the United States in 1796. Upon his departure to join the American forces at Kaskasia, he left his affairs in charge of his wife saying,— "I know your courage, my Ang^lique. When in doubt what to do, consult Father Potier. He can 24 I. 370 THE HEROINE OF THE STRAIT give you as good advice in temporal matters as upon those pertaining to his office." Occasionally, therefore, on a summer afternoon, Ang^Hque embarked in a canoe with her children; and while Jacques and Angelique the younger paddled the light craft down the Rigolet des Hurons, little Pierre, whom Sterling had named for the mis- sionary, played with the bright water. Thus they came to the Pointe de Montreal, and, drawing the boat up among the bushes, climbed the bluff, and entered the mission orchard, perhaps to find good Father Potier walking there. Or, if he were not outside, they knocked at the half-open door, breaking the monastic stillness of the spacious house. At the knock, even the birds in the apple trees paused in their song to peer at the strangers and ask, in short, staccato notes, why they had come, and why with such rude sounds they inter- rupted the tranquillity of the place. And then, Brother La Tour came hobbling out to say, either that the good Father was in the church, catechising the young Indians in the faith, or else that, in his study, he was employing a chance hour of leisure in the preparation of his Huron grammar and vocabulary, designed to serve as an aid to the labors of future missionaries. For he was a scholarly man, and later, left many valuable manuscripts, which were, however, sequestrated by Hamilton, and thus lost. But if within doors on this pleasant afternoon, Father Potier presently came forth under the trees. And, while the dame poured out her heart or received the counsels of the venerable man, the chil- dren played about the orchard, hiding from one another, chasing the yellow butterflies, or feasting upon the luscious apples; while more than once CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 371 Brother Regis the cook sent them croquecignoles from the kitchen. Why there should be croquecignoles Jacques and Angelique and little Pierre could not understand, since the brother said the ascetic missionary never tasted them. But Brother Regis explained that the good father was wont to inculcate his catechism les- sons by distributing among his pupils these tooth- some cakes, a method of imparting instruction most popular with the young savages. And, on the way back to the beach the Sterlings went round by way of the forge, that Jacques and Angelique and little Pierre might see the mission blacksmith beat the red- hot iron into long, pointed nails, and watch the sparks fly, while the thick-set, brawny C^cile laughed at their wonderment, saying that in life it is better to be the hammer than the anvil, and " a hammer of gold will not break Heaven's gate." But one day in the summer of 178 1, when the chil- dren and their mother went to see the missionary, he did not come forth as usual, and the Hurons were singing a dirge in their village. Fifty years of strenu- ous toil among the aborigines of the wilderness had at last broken the giant strength of the devoted priest. Brother La Tour, who took no pains to conceal the tears that stole down his honest cheeks, told the visitors that the saintly old man, being overcome with faintness while at work in his study, had fallen and struck his head a fatal blow against one of the great brass andirons in the open chimney. Thus passed away the last missionary of Le Detroit. The log-church of the Hurons remained in existence until 1852, and among the French of Detroit are to be found sexagenarians who once worshipped within its walls. The redmen are gone from the Pointe de :**cendants of the sturdy habitants who built it in order that the gentle Black Robe, driven from the region by the fiery arrogance of the Sieur de Cadillac, might again live among them. Its huge, squared timbers, never painted, and in their age showing the tints and shadows of silver, the wide white-washed chimneys, the sloping roof with its three dormers, all bore witness to the strength of construction that enabled it to weather the storms of one hundred and seventy winters. And the orchard? A year ago, in the spring, the Normandy apple and pear trees of good Father Potier were white with blos- soms, even as on the May afternoon when Ang61ique Cuillerier, with a heart torn by anguish and doubt, sought counsel of the missionary. In the summer, the sunshine lingered long about the enclosure, as if it loved the spot ; the apples were still wholesome and sweet ; and the yellow and white butterflies flitted among the wild flowers that lent a hue of purple to the long grass. Within the shadow of the Mission House, with the venerable trees looking down as if in grave approval. CONQUEST IN SURRENDER 373 and the birds singing encouragement, as though they would help to tell the traditions of the leafy boughs and moss-grown eaves where their kind had nested for nearly two centuries, — here, in this tranquil soli- tude overlooking the shining waters, was woven, dur- ing many a happy afternoon, this story of "The Heroine of the Strait." From the mission farm, looking up the river, one 'iees the tall buildings of the metropolis that com- mands the Gateway of the Lakes ; below the Pointe 'e Montreal, over the United States military post, rioats the star-blazoned banner which has replaced the fleur-de-lis and the standard of St. George upon the northern bank of Le Detroit. But now the hand of modern enterprise has touched the old Jestiit land- mark spared by Time. The great white chi neys, a monument to the missionaries, and to the faith of the French-Canadians, have been torn down, and the old Mission House, removed from its foundations, is des- tined to form the nucleus of the storage cellars for the wines from the vineyards of the vicinity. The pleasant orchard will soon be no more. Thus, before our Utilitarian Age, from localities hallowed by tradition and sweet memories,— "Ancient and holy things Fade like a dream." THE END ■ -yf^!«i5*!^*'>4i'*- V^='5illi*w/^.^»ifiSJ£-i? "tit = r-:-s*.v4 V>"U>^n >^ .i'^ti'i H*- ^ ■m: ^^^:^.^ifiL -Af '/^LitJ -:^jJM4j: A Daughter of New France mth SOME ACCOUNT of the GALLANT SIEUR CADILLAC and his COLONY on the DETROIT By MARY CATHERINE CROWLEY Author of "The Heroine of the Strait." Illustrated by Clyde O. De Land. i2mo. Decorated Cloth. I1.50. She writes excellently ; paints brilliant, attractive pictures of the gayety of the chosen life ; makes her characters winning. — Balti- more Herald. The founding of Detroit and the events that preceded it in Quebec are graphically described. The characters are strongly drawn. — Tke Outlook. It is strong, original, and very clever work, and the historical information is as welcome as the artistically clever way in which the author has made it the basis for a fascinating love story Buffalo Commercial. The devotion of the wife of Sieur Cadillac is very beautifully por- trayed, and every feature of the book is worthy of favorable com- ment. — St. Louis Globe-Democrat. There are many dramatic episodes scattered through these interest- ing pages. . . . The story beguiles us onward with well-sustained narrative. — Detroit Free Press. The book is an unusually good story, well written, and preserving its interest until the end. — Brooklyn Eagle. LITTLE, BROWN, & CO., Publishers 254 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts e4 *Pltsent-i„/,r Herald. Margaret Leslie's brave service in the battle with self is as attractive as the patriotic deeds of Mary Devereux's former heroine. —Nenv Tork Times Saturday Revietv. The story is one of sunshine and shade, of smiles and tears. The author has created for us a little company of people whom we learn to love, and from whom it is hard to pan. ^Boston Transcript. The book is charmingly written, the style pure and strong, and the play of native wit engaging. —Outlook, New York. A genius for depicting character in a telling way, and in a style that is charming as well as pungent, is one of Mary Devereux's strongest points. — Rocky Mountain News, Denver. It is a positive treat to read such a pure, sweet story,- a genuine story of natural men and women in a seashore town in New England — Buffalo Commercial. LITTLE, BROWN, & CO., Publishers 254 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts it ^^fMum^^^^m&n^^^mw^ MISTRESS BRENT A STORY OF LORD BALTIMORE'S "OLONY IN 1638 By LUCY M. THRUSTON Illustrated by CH. GRUNWALD DECORATED CLOTH. $1.50 1 2 mo. The book abounds in stirring incidents. — Chicago Tribune. It deserves a place among the American historical romances of the time Springfield Republican. In literary quality "Mistress Brent" belongs in the same class with the best of our historical romances. — Brooklyn Eagle. The author has thrown herself with spirit into the times she por- trays. _Ar«*; York Times Saturday Review. The illustrarions, by Charies Grunwald, are richly executed, and give an intelligent understanding of the costumes and scenes of the time of the story. — Baltimore American. The story is rich in color and vivid in description, and many of its episodes are taken from the records of the time. _ San Francitco Argonaut. The story is an interesting study of the life of the colonists, and has seldom been excelled as a picture of eariy Maryland's history. — Baltimore Netvs. ^ No more able or remarkable woman figures in early colonial his- tory. The author has splendid material at hand, and uses it with commendable accuracy Outlook, New York. The story is full of adventure : the machinations of the Claiborne faction helped to provide the material, and there are several striking dramatic situations Los Angeles Herald. Much of the colonial history of Maryland, characterizations of many famous men, and a charming love story are woven into a spirited and picturesque narrative. — Philadelphia Public Ledger. LITTLE, BROWN, & CO., Publishers 254 Washington Sweet, Boston, Massachusetts f tl SIR CHRISTOPHER A Romance of a Maryland Manor in 1644 By MAUD WILDER GOODWIN, author of -White Aprons" etc. lUustmed by Howard Pvli ud other •rtwti. i2mo. Decorated cloth. Price, 1 1.50 cw'St'rr""**T.f <»«n»tic ^„^,. ^^ ^^^ i. known u th. n»de another of her happy hit.. - PrJSn^^h'l^rJ^^ °~^'"" *" ^"^J^JT^^TT "^V"* ^^ ^"^^ of ™^«n«=« of Colonial day. - Tbe n^g%^ ^""" *"^ *^' eiabo«t,on of an intricateV- A^t"!!!iS5.4i,?^.Sr^ '^""^"^ •— r« l-i-ced in nir^'jheasrn^ri'^ts s'Sii' '^-?