Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-01-26

camp after black tailed deer, when he
found Francois striving to outs.rip him in
pursuit Of the game.
why, Frank, what are you doing
here 2 said Walker.
I'm after that deer replied the boy.
You after deer why you coul'nt hit
the side Of barn at twenty yards, if it
was tied fast for YOU
'Je ne sails pas said Frank. but may
be could hit you at hundred =
Such youth was Francois Clement
too forward for his years or place which
fact, in great measure, led to the sad
catastrophe of his demise.
Sitting outside of tent, he saw gun
inside which he took hold Of by the muz.
zle, seeking to draw it out under the
stretched canvasss and while in this act
some obstruction touched tho lock dischar.
ging the instrument, and driving an ounce
ball thro' the lower lobe Of poor Franks
left lung!
1t was abou. an hour before sunset, and
when that hour was fading TO an instant,
he was still reclining on Dr.. Tilghman's
knee. A prophetic but chilling intelligence
seemed to kindle in the boys eye, as if
just by an icebolt in the heart, when his
gaze turned from the darkening west to
the doctors face, and he mournfully said /:
Lay me down. doctor !; lay me down
and let me rest am dead am dead =
The doctor endeavored to assure him
that he should still be calm and cherish
hope, but the cold conviction of sudden
death seemed to have frozen into the poor
boys soul
Mon Dieu! je suis! mort! je suit mort.
o mon Dieu he exclaimed, burying his
face from the sinking sun.
He was born in Saint Charles, Missou-
ri, OF French parents, and always spoke in
that language when most affected.
1t is known that two catholic priests,
besides several lay brothers, accompanied
us to the mountains missionaries, going
10 settle with the Flathead tribe. Father
De Vos came to poor Frank soon after
his accident, and never left him again I'M
til his last breath of mortality had passed
away, save for the few ins!an,s when he
went to robe himself for administering the
extreme JUNCTION. The presence of the
good old man rendered the scene one of
deep and affecting solemnity. With calm
and impressive persuasion, he banished
wldncss and fear from the boys heart,
and turned his thoughts on happiness and
heaven. Then flew the heart of Francois
homeward to his mother and all his re-
naming words were for her.
sOh! ma mere, ma chere mere! je
meurs je maurs je ne te varrai jamais
encorel' Still. he went on, but his words
were all in French mourning in the ten
derest manner for his mother.
my dear mother will never sec me az
gain! am going to another world, and
she is not near me! she will never kiss
Francois again! she does no. see me she
will see me no more! Mother! mother !.
Oh my dear mother!
He lived until about eight o'clock in the
evening, during which time he faded grad
ually. his brow growing paler, but his eye
persevering, until the last moment, its
clear and boyish luster that seemed even
brighter and more remarkable as his part
ing moments came nearer. The group
around that dying boy was thing that
rive,ed the gaze of many an eye in camp !;
but one object, especially, held a peculiar
and marked prominence-shis was Antoine
the hunter, the brother of Franchise
This fine form of the sturdy sun>burned
mountaineer seemed like figure harden
ed into bronze, as he knelt, speeches. and
immovable beside his dying brother du-
ring the gloomy hours Of that evening
He kissed the boy repeatedly, but never
wept or uttered syllable. He sat with
the corpse, and never spoke. When the
camp moved away from the grave next
day, there we left Antoine, all alone, and
there he stood, his figure growing indis-
tnct in the distance until all sight Of him
was gone; and never during all the rest
of our travel. did Antoine mention his
brother, until, when on the steamboat,
nearing his home, with choaking voice
and eyes filling with tears, he asked the
writer of this to give him on paper the dy>
ing words of Francois.
Poor Francois All the decencies of
the grave were given to him; mass was
said for his youthful, and, we presume in
nocent spirit; the ground was levelled
over him, and fire was burned upon the
spot, for it was necessary to hide, not
mark, christians grave So we left
francois and there he is sleeping now,
beneath tie towering masses of the Red
Butts.
OREGON EMIGRANTS.
During our detention among the upper
settlements, before starting out, a constant
source of interest was the gathering OF
neonle bound 10 Oregon. On Sunday