The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-12-18

o. LENS ana his attentions tn Donn.
Maria than he ordered his arrest G.
benls was loaded with chains and
thrown into the fortress of Monoclava
Donna Maria continued to assure the
young man of her devotion and of the
friendship of her father. After ST
Denis had been confined q month ~,
more his powerful rival appeared one
me Gay at the door of his cell, followed
oy Tile OF his guards, and told ST.
renls that If he would instantly surren
der all claims to the hand of Donna
Maria that he would release him and
give him letters that would assist hin,
IN the prosecution of his plans in the
City of Mexico. ST. Denis, with FLASHING
eyes, scorned the offer, and his reply
was worthy of one of the old knights of
chivalry.
"Tyrant, you mayload me with chains.
but SO long as Donna Maria honors me
with her love and confidence, so long
shall that love and confidence be guard
ed as my most sacred treasures. You
may take from me my life, senior, but
you cannot take from me my honor"
The tyrant ordered st. Denis to be
treated as a common criminal, but when
months had passed and the brave young
Frenchman showed no signs of yielding,
the wretch sent a courier bearing this
cruel message to Donna Maria: "Mar-
ry me, and ST. Denis shall be released;
refuse, and your lover shall surely die"
The fearless young girl declined the
tyrant's offer in emphatic terms, and
at once applied to the viceroy In the City
of Mexico, telling him the story Of their
love. The viceroy was moved by the
piteous appeals of the beautiful girl, and
he released ST. Denis. AS soon as st.
Denis was liberated he married Donna
Maria and resumed his journey to the
City of Mexico. Here his pleasing adj
dress won all hearts. The viceroy Of
fered him position under the Spanish
government and gave him full authority
to punish his enemy. ST. Denis showed
that magnanimity was numbered with
his many other fine traits of character,
for he refused to make any trouble for
the man who had so cruelty wronged
him.
1t is not known as to what kind of au-
thority was granted to him by the Span
sh officials in Mexico. He built fort
at Nacogdoches and laid off a city. He
ordered the lands surveyed, and granted
titles to the settlers. He established
trading posts at various points in the
interior and rapidly accumulated a
large fortune. He possessed the happy
man who came in contact with him.
lie was called the Just chief by the
Indians, and his fame for fair dealing
was well established with all the tribes
within reach of his capital. While in
the height of his power two Indians
one day came to his house and told MIN
that they had seen a white man with n
tribe of coast Indians who held him as Il
prisoner. ST. Denis at once offered
them a large sum of money if they
would go and rescue the white man and
bring him to Nacogdoches. The Indians
went away, and in a few weeks they re-
appeared at ST. Denis house with a
naked, half-starved human being who
vas besmeared with dirt and painted
! like an Indian. ST. Denis ordered a
bath for the poor shivering creature,
and sent a suit of his own clothes to the
bathroom. When the man had been
washed and clothed he appeared before
| his benefactor. ST. Denis no sooner
looked at him than he was struck
! dumb with amazement. The man was
Belisle, whom ST. Denis thought he
killed with his sword in Paris. Belisle
was equally as much astonished. They
were Frenchmen, and they instantly
embraced each other and buried all
mast differences Belisle's story was a
short one, but full of sufferings. He
had recovered from the wounds in
ficted by the sword of st. Denis, and
not long afterward he joined colony
of adventures who sailed to join the
Louisiana company at the mouth OF the
| Mississippi. Like La Sale, they lost
their wav. and sailed too far west. Be
Isle. with two comrades, went ashore
on the coast of Texas to enjoy hunt
They got lost, and the ship sailed away
and left them. After wandering
through the forests for many days Be
isles two comrades persisted from
hunger. Belisle fell in with some coast
Indians. who treated him very cruelty
They striped him of his clothing, and
would have tortured him to death with
fire had not an old squaw interfereo
in his favor. He had been prisoner
with the Indians for long time 81.
Denis gave Belisle an Office in his gov
eminent, and put him in the way OF
making money.
St. Denis was slain in battle WITH
the Indians on the frontier of his coun-
try. and after his death the affairs OF
the colony fell into disorder At the
time of ST. Denis death there were
about 300 white people who claimed
the protection of his government, ano
| they were nearly all in prosperous CIR
cumstanres. Many of them had ac'
cumulated fortunes trading with the
Indians. and st. Denis himself was saio
,o have had in his possession more than
100000 in gold. Had he lived Few
Years longer he would have anticipated
fbe work of Austin and Houston, and
firmly established government II
Texas that Mexico could not have over
thrown 100 years before the battle o.
San .Jacinto was fought.-Globe-De Dem
ocrat.
AIIIgators Fight . Duel.
r,,..;,1o oII;0ator six feet long, anr