The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1899-02-18

aeers. let her call the hound her Eus-
band. if she likes. ! have Gone with |
her. ard the race from which she came |
disoWus her forever.">F.E
Thus it was done. Etteune was re-
leased from his chains and sent on
shore. An arquebus and ammunition |
were given him. suid, resisting the i'm
pulse to send his first shot through the
heart of his tyrant, he landed, and the |
last glimpse seen of the group as the |
Grande Hermine sailed away was the |
figure of Marguerite sobbing on his
shoulder, and of the unhappy nurse. |
now somewhat plethoric, and certainly |
net the person to be selected as pio- |
neer, sitting upon a rock. weeping pro-
fusely. The ships sails filed, the an
CRY Roberval never looked back on his
deserted niece and the night closed
down upon the lonely Isle of Demons.
now newly occupied by three unexpect-
ed settlers, two of whom at least were
happy in each other.
A few boxes of biscuits. few bottles
of wine had been put on shore with
them. enough to feed them for a few
weeks. They had brought flint and
steel to strike fire and some ammuni-
tion. The chief penalty of the crime
did not lie, after all, in the cold and
the starvation and the wild beasts, and
the possible visits of pirates; it lay in
the fact that it was the island of De-
mons. where they were to be left; and
in that superstitions age this meant
everything that was terrible. For the
first few nights of their stay they fan
1ied that they heard superhumar voices
in every wind that blew, every branch
that creaked against another branch;
and they heard, at any rate. more sub
stautial sounds from the mighty wolves
or from the bears which ice-foes had
foated to that northern isle. They
watched Roberval sail away. he re-
joicing, as the old legend of Thevet
says, at having punished them without
soiling his hands with their blood
("Ioueux de les auior puniz sans Sc
souiller les mains en- leurs sang'O. They
built as best they could. q hut of boughs
and strewed beds of leaves until they
had killed wild beasts enough TO pre-
pare their skins. Their store of hard
bread lasted them but little while, but
there were fruits around them, and
there was fresh water near by. yet II
was terrible" says Thevet's old mar
ratiye, ito hear the frightful sounds
which the -~vii spirits made arouud
then, aHd how fhey tried to break down
their abode. and showed themselves in
various forms of frightful animals;
yet at last. conquered by the constancy
and perseverance of these unrebentant
Christians. the tormentors afflicted or
disquieted them no more, save that
often in the night they heard cries so
loud that ii seemed as If more than
5000 men were assem- mbled together"
C'p!us de cent mil homes qui fussen'
ensemble").
So passed many months of desoiation.
and. alas! the husband was the first to
yield. Daily he climbed the rocks f.
look for vessels; each night be de-
scended sadder and sadder; he wake!
while the others slept. Feeling that i;
was he who had brought distress upor
the rest. he concealed his depression
but II soon was past conceaing; he
only redoubled his care and watching
as his wife grew the stronger of the
two; and he faded slowly away and
died. His wife had nothing to sustain
her spirits except the approach of ma
teruity-she would live for her child.
When the child was born and baptized
in the name of the holy church, though
without the church's full ceremonies.
Marguerite felt the strength Of moth,
erhoOd; became a better huntress.
better provider. 4 new sorrow came;
in the sixteenth or seventeenth month
of her stay the old nurse died also, and
not long after the baby followed. Mar
guerite now seemed TO herself deserted.
even by Heaven itself; she was alone in
that northern island without comrade-
ship; her husband. child and nurse
gone; dependent for very food on the
rapidly diminishing supply Of ammuni-
ton. Her head swan. For months she
saw visions constantly. which only
strenuous prayer banished, and only
the acquired habit of the chase en-
abled her, almost mechanically. to Sc
cure meat to support life. Fortunate
ly. those especial sights and sounds of
''ihbhH NHltH Idt UiuDIbU DeF mag
ination during the irst days and nights
on the island did not recur: hut the
wild beasts gathered round her the
more when there was only one gun to
alarm them; and she once shot three
bears in day-one white bear, OF
which she secured the skin.
For two years and five months in all
she dwelt upon the Isle of Demons, the
last year wholly alone. Then. as she
stood upon the shore, some Breton
fishing smacks, seeking Goldfish, came in
sight. Making signals with fire and
calling for aid, she drew them nearer;
but she was now dressed in furs only,
and seemed to them but ono of the
fancied demons of the island. Beating
mp slowly and watchfully toward the
shore, they came within hearing of her
voice, and she told her dreary tale. At
last they took her1n charge. and bore
her back to France with the bearskins
she had prepared; and taking refuge in
the village of Nautron, in remote
province (Perigord). where she could
escape the wrath of Roberval. she told
bar stpr,y - T'hapa+