The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-04
ARRIVING
CHAPTER w.

SnaPkSF W.
He pitched forward, and was quicker
knees. and the surgeon poured little
watered brandy down his throat.
PAUL. l said to him.
STAND back" ordered the surgeon. as
women followed their children, erowding
the room.
DO you know him. Lazarre?" asked
Croghan.
It's Madame de Terriers child" |
Not the baby / used to see at De
Chaumont's? What's he doing at Fort
Stephenson" |
The women made up my bunk for Paul. |
and laid him In 1t. Each wanted to take
him to her care. The surgeon sent them
to the cook-house to brew messes for
him, and stripped the child, finding a
bullet wound in his side. Probing brought
nothing out. and I did not ask a single
question. The child should live. There
could be no thought of anything else.
While the surgeon dressed and bandaged
that small hole like a sucked-in mouth. I
saw the boy sitting on saddle-bags behind
me, his arms clipping my waist, while we
threaded bowers Of horse paths. I had
not known how wanted boy to sit be-
hind me! No wonder pioneer men were
30 confident and full of jokes: they had
children behind them!
He was burning with fever. His eyes
swan in 1t as he looked at me. He could
not eat when food was brought to him,
but begged for water, and the surgeon
allowed him what the women considered
reckless quantities. Over stockades came
the August rustic of the forest. Morn
reVerberatiOns.
The surgeon turned everybody out but
me. and looked In by times from his hos
pital Of British wounded I wiped the
boys forehead and gave him his medicine.
tanning him all day long. He lay in
StuDOr and the surgeon Sat id he was going
comfortably, and would suffer little. Once
In awhile he turned up the corners of his
mouth and smiled at me. if the opiate
gave him blessed sensations. l asked the
surgeon what / should do in the night
II he came out Of it and wanted to talk.
Let him talk" said the doctor briefly.
Unlike the night before, this was a night
OF silence Everybody slept, but the SEN
, tlnels, and the men whose WOUNDS kept
| them awake; and I was both sentinel. and
man whose wounds kept him awake.
Pauis little hands We're scratched; and
/ there was q stone bruise on the heel he
pushed from cover Of the blankets His
small body. compact Of much manli-
! ness was fine and sweet Though he bore
no resemblance to his mother, it seemed to
me that she lay there for me to tend: and
the change was no more an astounding
miracle than the change Of baby to boy
had him all that night for my own
putting every other thought out of mind
! IOroneaO
and his face lost their burning heat with
I the GOODNESS Of dawn, which blew our
shaded candle, flowing from miles Of frag-
rant oaks.
He awoke and looked all around the
cabin. l tried to put his opiate into his
mouth; but something restrained me-
held his hand to my cheek
II like YOU" he spoke out "Don't
! you think my mother is pretty?''
I said I though his mother was the
most beautiful woman in the world. He
curled up his mouth corners and gave me
blue eyed smile.
My father is not pretty. But he Is
gentleman Of France
Where are they, Paul."
He turned look upon me without an
Bwering.
Paul." said brutally, tell me wher,
your father and mother are"
He was so far gone that my voice re
called him. He simply knew mo as
voice and a presence that he liked.
with poor old Ernestine,' he an
swered.
And where is poor old Ernestine?"
He began to shake as II struck with
chill. I drew the blanket closer.
Paul you must tell mel!
- He shook his head. His mouth worked
and his little breast went into commissions
He shrieked and threw himself towar
me. my pretty little mother'
held him still in tight grip. IN
darling-dont start your wOlnd!'
could have beaten myself, but tn
surgeon afterwards told me the child wa
dying when he came into the fort. Abor
dawn. when mems lives sink to the
- lowest ebb with night, hes ank away.
smoothed his head and kissed an
auieted him. Once he looked into spac
with blurred eyes. and curIed up h
mouth corners when / am sure he II
longer saw me.
Thus swiftly ended Pauls unaccoun
able appearance at the fort. 1t was lil
the falling Of slain bird out of the SIX
at my feet. The women were tender wit
~ his little body. They cried over him {
they washed him for burial. The childre
went outside tho stockade and brougl
green buughs and August wild flower
! bearing the early autumn colors Of go
hnd scarlet. With these they bedded II
child in his plank coffin. unafraid Of h
waxen sleep.
Before Croghan went to report TO h
general, he asked me where we shou
- bury the little fellow.
I I'm the fort, by the southern bloc
house." answered. Let Fort Stephe
son be his monument. 1t will stand ne
forever. The woods around 1T Will
trampled by prowling savages, and lat
on by providing white men. Within, not
ing will obliterate the place. Give lit
fellow a bed here. who died between t.
countries. and will never be citizen
either"
II don't want to make a graveyard
the fort" said Croghan. But he look
at Paul. bent low over him, and allow
him to be buried near the southwest ang
There the chiId's bones rest to this d.
The town of Fremont In the conlmo
wealth of Ohio has grown UP around the
Young children who climb the grassy be
ZION may walk above his head. neN
guessing that a little gentleman of FraI
who died like a soldier of his wound,
deeply Graded there.
Before throwing myself down IN
dead heaviness which results from c.
ttnual loss Of sleep, I questioned
wounded British soldiers about ia
None Of them had seen him. Strasgi
bands Of Indians continually joined u
force. Captfves were always poss1Dl
4 in the savage camp. Paul might III
been taken hundreds Of miles away.
But had the padlocked book. VIII
might tell the whole story. With d
perate haste that could hardly wait
omen the lids took 1T out, wondering
the patience which long self-restraint
bred TN me. I was very tired,
stretched my arms across the pillow
where Pauls head had lain to rest Y
instant. But I must have slept.
hand woks first, and feeling itself emf