Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-12-03
Copyright. 1900. by tn. BowEk.nERR,LL COMPANY
By MAURICE THOMPSON


Helm h;.,i ;,n ~" BUSINESS. and
turned NJ. koussilloaS Knowledge of
the Indians to valuable account. so
that lie soon had very pleasant rela
tons with most of the tribes within
reach of his agents. This gave feel
ing of great security 10 the people of
vincennes. They pursued their mar
row agricultural activities With excel
lent results and redoubled those social
gayeties which, even in hut and cabin
under all the adverse conditions of eX-
IRENE frontier life We're dear to the
volatile and genial French tempera-
ment.
Lieutenant Beverley found much to
interest him in the quaint town. but
the piece de resistance was Oncle
JaZon. who proved to be both fascinat-
ing and ullmanageable-a hard nut to
crack, yet possessing Il kernel abso-
lutely original in flavor. Beverley Wis
tied him one evening in his hut-it
might better be called den-a curl
ously built thing, With walls of vertical
poles set i'll Il auadrangular trench dug
in the ground, and rooted with grass.
Inside and out it was plastered with
clay, and the floor of dried mud was as
smooth and hard as concrete paving.
In one end there was Il wide fireplace
grimy with SCOT, in the other a mere
peephole for window; q wooden
bench, bed of skins and two or three
stools We're barely visible in the gloLm.
In the doorway Oncle Jazon sat whit
thing IL slender billet of hickory into
ramrod for his long fiintlock American
rife.
'Maybe We know Simon Kenton,"
said the old man, after he and Beverley
had conversed for awhile, seeing that
you are from Kentucky-eh?"
Eyes, l do know him we'll; he's a
warm personal friend of mine," said
Beverley with quick interest, for it
surprised him that Oncle Jazon should
know anything about Kenton. do you
know him, NJ. JazonY'
Oncle Jazon winked conceitedly and
sighted along his rudilnentary ramrod
to see If it was straight, then, quicker
ing his lips as if on the point of whis-
Ting, made an affirmative noise quite
impossible to spell.
"Well, I'm glad you are acquainted
with Kenton.'' said Beverley. "Where
did you and he come together?'
Oncle Jazon chuckled reminiscently
and scratched the skinless, cicatrizcd
spot where his scalp had once -four
ished.
"Oh, several places" he answered.
aye see tibet hair a-hangin' there on
the wall:" He pointed at dry wisp
dangling under peg in a log barely
visible by the bad light. well, thet's
my scalp. He, he, he!" He snickered
as if the fact were a most enjoyable
joke. Simon Kenton can tell We about
thet little affair. The Indians thought
l was dead. and they took my hair; but
I wasn't dead. was just a-givin' 'em
a possum act. When they was gone
got up from where was a-layin' and
rotted off. My head was sore, and.
ventrebleu, but l was mad! He. he.
her'
All this time he spoke In French,
and the English but poorly paraphras-
es his odd turns of expression. His
Rrimaces and grunts cannot even be
limited.
1t was long story, as Beverley re-
ceived it, told scrappily, but with GER
tain rude art. In the end Oncle Jazon
said with unctuous self satisfaction:
Accidents will happen l got my
chance at tibet Indian who skinned my
To-, %r0 0y, my
my old rifle. 1 can't shoot much, never
could, but happened to hit i'm square
in the lef' eye, what shot at, and it
was hundred yards. Down he tum-
bles, and runs to i'm and finds my
same old scalp a-hangin' to his belt.
Well. lifted off his hair with my
knife and united mine from the belt,
and then had both scalps-he, he. he!
Ye ask Simon Kenton when ye see
i'm. He was along at the same time.
and they made i'm run the gauntlet and
pretty nigh beat the life out Of i'm.
Ventrebleu!'
Twilight and moonlight were blend
ing softly when Beverley, on his way
back to the fort, departing from d.
rect course, went along the rivers side
southwark to have few moments Of
reflective strolling within reach Of the
waters pleasant murmur and the
towns indefinite evening stir. Rich
sweetness, the gift Of early autumn.
was on the air blowing softly out Of
lilac west and singing in the willow
fringe that hung here and there over
the bank.
On the farther side of the rivers wide
low. swollen by recent heavy rains.
Beverley saw a pirogue. in one end Of
which a dark figure swayed to the
strokes Of q paddle. The slender and
shallow little craft was bobbing on the
ehoppy waves and taking q dgxag
course among floating logs and masses
Of lighter driftwood while making slow
but certain headway toward the hitheI
bank.
Beverley took a bit of punk and a
flint and steel from his pocket, relit his
pipe and stood watching the skillful
boatman conduct his somewhat dan
eerous voyage diagonally against t. G