Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1904-03-10


from the stockade. Here to their sur.
prise they found themselves below the
line of Hamilton's cannon, which, be-
ing planted on the second floor of the
fort, could not be sufficiently depressed
to bear upon them. A we'll directed
loopholes of the blockhouses, the bull
lets rafting merrily against the cover
behind which the attacking forces lay.
Clark, in passing hurriedly from COM
pany to company around the line.
stopped for little while when he
found Beverley.
"Have you plenty of ammunition:
was his first inquiry.
"a mighty sight more n we kin see
to shoot with,' spoke up Oncle Jazon
Its right smart O. dad burn foolish
ness to be wastin' it on nothin'; seems
like to me at we'd better set the dasted
fort afire an smoke the skunks out!'
"Speak when you are spoken to. my
man," said the colonel trifle hotly,
and trying by sharp scrutiny to make
him out in the gloom where he
crouched.
"ventrebleu! I'm not askin' you.
Colonel Clark, nor no other man, when
l shill speak. talks whenever I gifts
ready, an shoots jes' the same way.
So ye'd better go on bout yer business
like a white man. Close up yer own
whopper jawed mouth eff ye want any
thing shet up"'
''Oho, is that you, Jazon? You're so
little l didn't know you. Certainly,
talk your whole under jaw off for all
I care" Clark replied. assuming 10.
cose tone Then, turning again to Bev-
erley: Keep up the firing and the
noise. The fort will be ours in the
morning"
whats the use Of waiting till morn
ing?' Beverley demanded With impa-
tience. I'VE can tear that stockade to
pieces with our hands in half an hour"
II don't think so. lieutenant. 1t is
better to play for the sure thing. Keep
up the racket. and be ready for 'em if
they rush out. We must not fail to
capture the hair buyer general
Beverley submitted to Clark's plan
with what patience he could. and all
night long fred shot for shot with the
best riflemen in his squad. 1t was q
fatiguing performance. with apparent
~ little result beyond forcing the garri-
son now and again to close the en-
brasures. thus periodically silencing
the cannon. Toward the close of the
night relaxation showed itself in the
shouting and firing all round the line.
Beverley's men, especially the creoles,
held out bravely in the matter of noise.
but even they tagged at length, their
volatility simmering down to desultory
bubbling and half sleepy chatterine
and chatting.
Beverley leaned upon rude fence
and for time neglected to reload his
hot rife. OF course he was thinking of
Alice-he really could not think in any
other direction; but it gave him q shock
and start when he presently heard
her name mentioned by little French
man near him on the left.
"There III never be another such a.
girl in Post Vincennes as Alice Roussil-
lon," the fellow said in the soft creole
patois. "And to think of her being shot
like dogv'
"And by a man who calls himself
governor, too," said another. "Ah, as
for myself, I'm in favor of burning him
alive when we capture him. That's
me.'
eft moi aussi," chimed in a third
voice. "That poor girl must be aveng-
ed. The man who shot her must die.
Holy Virgin, but If Gaspard Roussillon
were only here!
"But he is here. saw him just after
dark. He was in great fighting temper,
that terrible man. OUT, but I should
not like to be Colonel Hamilton and
fall in the way Of that Gaspard Rous-
sillonv'
"Morbleu! l should say not. You
may leave me out OF chance like that.
I shouldn't mind seeing Gaspard handle
the governor though. All, that would
be too good! He'd pay him up for
shooting Mile. Alice"
Beverley could scarcely hold himself
erect by the fence. The smoky. .soe.:v