Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1897-01-29
over to Spain and gethimself appointed

over to Spain and gethimself appointed
governor of the territory. When he ar
rived at the Preside San Juan, near the
Rio Grande, the governor received and
entertained him in most hospitabls
manner. The polished address and
coHrtly military bearing of the bold
young adventurer almost instantly won
the head of the old governor, and at the
Aame time the heart of his beautiful
daughter. 1t was case OF mutual love
at first sight. st. Denis almost forgot
the empire that he had been dreaming
of, while enjoying the hospitality OF
Senior villesecas and basking in the
smiles of Donna Maria. a
There was another sutton for the hand
of this young lady, and this was no less
parsonage than Gov. Anaya, of Goa
lula. This official no sooner heard Of
st. Denis and his attentions to Donna
Maria than he ordered his arrest. St.
Denis 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 month-or
more his powerful rival appeared one
fine day at the door of his cell, followed
by file of his guards, and told st.
Denis that II 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 him
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. i9 ss-ils1h lyti q
"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 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 81. Denis shall be released;
refuse, and your lover shall surely de-"
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 o. 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 ad-
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 theSpan-
ish officials in Mexico. lie built fort
at Nacogdoches and laid off q 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
large fortune. He possessed the happy
faculty Of making friend Of every
man who came in contact with him.
He was called the lust 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 him
that they had seen white man with
tribe of coast Indians who held him as q
prisoner. ST. Denis at once offered
them a large sum of money II 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
naked, balf-starved human being who
was besmeared with dirt and painted
like an Indian. st. Denis ordered a
bath for the poor shiyering creature,
and sent 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
we're Frenchmen, and they instantly
embraced each other and buried all
past differences. Belisle's story was a
short one, but full Of suffeaings. He
had recovered from the wounds in
ficted by the sword Of ST. Denis, and
not long pfterward he Joined colony
OF adventures who sailed to join the
Louisiana company at the mouth of the
Mississippi. Like La Sale, they lost
their way, 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
burger. Belisle fell in with some coast
Indians, who treated him very cruelty.
They striped him of his clothing, and
would have tortured him 10 death with
fire had not an old squaw interfered
in his favor. He had been u prisoner
with the Indians for long time, st.
Denis gave Belisle an office in his gov
ernment, 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