The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-10-11
THE PILOTS STORY.
A Recollection Of the River 81.
Lawrence.

This is the story told me by the In
dian pilot of one of the grand steamers
that ply the River st. Lawrence, and
are known to tourists from Montreal
and Quebec to Rimouski:
So you would like to know why
scare at that headland? You notice
that cape? Yes, Corlett's Cape, we
call il, and bad place it used to be.
You notice the lighthouse that stands
thereP Yes. Well, I lived by that
headland long before the lighthouse
was built, q matter of nearly fifty years
ago / hate that same Corlett's Cape,
though never heard tell of more than
one wreck. It happened after the light
house was built, but the lights were put
out, and put out on purpose, too. It's
well nigh forty years since, but I re-
member it as If it were but yesterday.
There was then little bit of set
tlement down near the mouth of the
creek, which you may have noticed
empties into the river just above the
cape. There wern't many people lived
there, and the biggest and most impor-
tant man in the place was Charlie Cor
lett He was North of England man,
I've heard tell, and anyhow he owned
every acre of land and every stick of
timber for miles around. Besides, at
that time, Corlett's was the only grist
and lumber mill within hundred
miles in any direction. Then he owned
fast little schooner-about the only
one that traded to the settlement, MAX
ing trips up and down the river, be-
tween Quebec and the Provinces. AL
though Corlett was rich man for
those days, he was fond of sailing and
had notion to run the schooner him
sell Charlie Corlett would have
passed for handsome man anywhere,
and ne was. by long odds, the finest
built man in the settlement. But
Charlie had a terrible temper. He
vas so used to having his own way
That when any thing or any body
thwarted him he was regular devil
n his fierce, unreasonable anger.
When the lighthouse was built
young Frenchman from Three Rivers
was put in charge as keeper. He was
me young fellow, and If he was not
so handsome nor SO rich as Charlie
Vorlett, he was liked a good deal bet
Ter BY the boys.
Vorlett was some ten or twelve years
oaer than young Hector Baptiste, but,
= luck would have it, they both fell in
ose with the same woman. Indeed,
@as was hardly to be wondered at,
seeing that Lizzie Lenox was the only
pretty manageable white woman in
ale settlement. Both men loved the
slri we'll and sincerely, and both made
ner an honorable offer of marriage.
VI course Lizzie couldn't marry both
y tnem, and strange as everybody
.aoaght 1t, she chose Hector. The
.apsaln, as we all called Corlett, was
furious with rage, and he tried in
every way he could think of to induce
Ale girl to change her mind. He
mgued with her in vain, and then
a1eatened to use his influence with
1e government to have Hector turned
suso " the lighthouse. Then he brought
psely presents from Quebec and st.
soaas' which Lizzie refused to accept.
4. sae simple fact was that Lizzie never
usea the Captain, and the more he
a'eo % win her love, the closer she
tuck to Baptiste.
was at that time sailing with Can
n ~ .orlett and knew him pretty well.
oae oay he came down to the settle
s'sas after three weeks trip to Hall
-, ana found that Hector Baptiste
sau Lazzie Lenox were married, Al
lgn the Captain didn't say very
lacn' could tell that he took It badly
= aeart, and I saw look in his eyes
.as didn't fancy very we'll Two
" iater, towards evening, we slipped
3 ~ " the creek, bound for Montreal.
- hadn't got more than mile past
j y point when the Captain ordered
80 maae 70 down sails and lay-to. He
~ ~ ne had forgotten something and
~ me to get out the yawl and run
~ ashore. When we were in the boat
ssss 70 me: Pierre he SAYS, II
sq IN your life once, didn't I?'
$, Cap," says land he did; he