The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-31
|VlNCENNES
r1AuEne c~-E-ssS-ess3& Tuo4pooN
THOMPSON

leave Vincennes and go get a force to
capture and kill him; and III do il,
Simon Kenton, I'll do it,
II see, l. see,'' Kenton assented. "but
what WAS the row about? What did
he do TO excite ye-to make We feel
justified in breakin' over yer. parole in
that high-handed way? Fitz, l know
ye too well to be fooled by ye-you've
got somethin' in mind that We don't
want to tell. Well, then don't tell it.
Oncle Jazon and l Will go ii blind.
won't we, Jazon?'
blind as two rnoles.'' said the old
man; but as for tibet secret" he add
ed, winking both eyes at once. II don't
know as it's so mighty hard 10 guess.
It's mostly women at sends men a
trottin' on bout nothin', sort o crazy
like"
Beverley looked guilty and Oncle ia
zon continued:
''They's a poorly gal at Vincennes,
an l see the young man a steppin' into
her house about fifteen times a day
fore lef' the place. Mebbe she's tuck
up wi one o. them English officers.
Gals is slippery an Onsartin'-"
''JaZon!" cried Beverley, stop that
instantly, or III wiring your old neck. -
His anger was real and he meant what
! he said He clenched his hands and
glowered-
Oncle JaAon, who was still squatting
b. the little fire, tumbled over back
wards. as if Beverley had kicked him;
and there he lay on the ground with
his slender legs quivering akimbo in
the air. while he laughed in a strained
treble that sounded like the whining
of a screech owl
The old scamp did not know ali the
facts In Beverley's case, nor did he
even suspect What had happened; but
he was aware of the young mans ten
der feeling for Alice, and he did
shrewdly conjecture that she was a
factor in the problem
The rude jest at her expense did not
seem to his withered and toUghened
| taste in the least out of the way. In
deed, IL was a delectable bit of humor
| from Oncle Jazon's point Of view.
Don't get mad at the old man." said
Kenton, plucking Beverley aside. Hes
yer friend from his heels to his old
scalped crown Let him have his fun
Then lowering his voice almost to d
! whisper he continued:
Il was in Vincennes for two days and
nights spyin' around. Madame Godere
hid me in her house when there was
need of il. l know how ii is with We;
L got all the gossip about We and the
young lady, as well as all the informa-
| ton about Hamilton and his forces that
Colonel Clark wants I'm goin' to Kas-
hdSh1dr UUt L lnlHh II quite possible
that Clark viii be on his march 10 Vim
cennes before we get there: for Vigo
| has taken him full particulars as 10
1 the fort and it's garrison, and know
! that he's determined to capture the
whole thing or die tryin'''
! Beverley felt his heart swell and his
| blood leap strong in his veins at these
words.
II saw We while I was in Vincennes. -
kpnfnn hut L IoF
me- Ye were a prisoner, and / had no
business with We while your parole held.
felt that IL was best not to
| tempt we 10 give me aid. or to
| let We have knowledge of me while
l was a spy I left two days be-
| fore ye did. and should have been at
| Kaskaskia by this time if hadn't run
| across Jazon. who detained me. He
! wanted to go with me, and / waited
| for him to repair the stock of his old
I gun. He tinkered at 1t tween meals
| and showers for half a week at the
Indian village back yonder before he
| got IT just to suit him. But 1 tell We
he's Wo'th waiting for any length OF
time, and L was glad to let him have
his way
Kenton, who was still a young man
| in his early thirties, respected Bever-
ley's retieence on the subject upper
most in his mind. Madame Godere had
| told the whole story with f1ambuOyant
embellishments; Kenton had seen Alice,
and, inspired with the gossip and a sur
reptitious glimpse of her beauty. he
| felt perfectly IA niliar with BeverIey's
condition. He was himself a victim of
| the tender passion to the extent of be-
! ing an exile from his Virginia home,
| Which he had left on account of dan
! gerously wounding rival But he
was well touched with the backwoods-
| mans taste for joke and banter. He
and Oncle Jazon, therefore. knowing
the main feature of Beyerley's predica-
| ment, enjoyed making the most of their
opportunity in their rude but perfectly
generous and kindly way.
BY indirection and impersonaI details.
| as regarded his feelings toward Alice.
Beverley in due time made his friends
| understand that his whole ambition
conferred in rescuing her. Nor did the
motive fail to enlist their sympathy to
the utmost. If all the world loves a
lover, all men having the best virile
instinct will fight for a lovers cause.
Both Kenton and Oncle Jazon were en-
thusiastic; they wanted nothing better
than an opportunity to aid in rescuing
any grill who had shown so much pa
triotism and pluck. But Oncle Jazon
was fond of Alice, and BeVerley's story
affected him peculiarly on her account.
IheyS one question I'm a gOin' to
put to We, young man." he said. after
he had heard everything and they had
| talked it all over, AN / want We to an
swer it straight as a bullet fom yer
gun"
"Of course, Jazon, go ahead" said
Beverley. Il shall be glad to answer
| But his mind was far away with the
! gold-haired maiden in HamiIton's
prison. He scarcely knew what he was
saying.
Air ye expectin' to marry Alice
I Roussiilon?'
j The three men were at the moment
! eating the well brOiled venizon. OncIe
Jazon's puckered lips and chin were
dripping with the fragrant grease and
| juice, which also flowed down his sin
envy. claw-like fingers. Overhead in the
bare tops of the scrub oaks that Gov
cred the prairie oasis. the February
wind sang shrill and doleful song.
Beverley started as If a blow had
been aimed st him. OncIe Jazon's
! question, indeed, was a blow as unex-
pected as ii was direct and powerful.
know it's poorly p'inted," the old
! man added. after a short pause. IAN We
may think at / amt got no business
| askln II, but l have. That leetle gals
a pet o mine, an I'm lookin' after her
an expectin to see at she's not both
cred by nobody who's not goin' to do
right by her Margin is a mighty
good thing. but
What do We know about natrimony.
We old rawhead bachelor" demanded
\ Il an 80