The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-02-11
CHAPTER L
THE RETURNED TRAVELLER.

seen. lHey gathered ABOUT ana Den
over it curiously.
This is that America" the speaker
repeated. Here you have it, bar
barrie, wonderful, abounding!"
With sudden gesture he swept his
hand among the gold coin that lay or
the gaming table He thrust into the
mouth of the object before him {
handful of louis dor and English
sovereigns 'There is your America,
said he. 1T runs over with gold. Nc
man may tell it's richness. It's beauty
you cannot imagine"
Faith" said Sir Arthur Pembroke
bending over the table with glass in
eye, IF the ladies of that land have
feet for this sort of shoon methinke
We might we'll emigrate. Take you
the money of it. For me, | would see
the dame could wear such shoe as
this
Bah! Pembroke said Castleton
pushing up the shade above his eyes
till it rested on his forehead, "tis g
childs shoe"
mot SO" said the first speaker 81
give you my word It's the moccasin OF
my sweetheart, a princess in her own
right, who waits my coming on the
Ottawa. And so far from the shoe
being too small, say as a gentleman
addition used somewhat of grass there
in in place of hose"
The earnestness of his speech in no
wise prevented the peal of laughter
that followed.
There you have it, Pembroke"
cried Castleton. Would you move to
land where princesses use hay for
hosiery?"
otis curious DONE" said Pembroke,
musingly, none the less
And done by her own hand" said
the owner Of the shoe, with a certain
proprietary pride.
Again the laughter broke out. "Do
your princesses engage in shoemak-
ing?" asked a third gamester as he
pushed into the ring. Sure it must
be rare land. Prithee, what doth the
king in handicraft? Doth he take to
saddlery. or. perhaps, smthing?"
Have done thy jests, Wilson, cried
Pembroke. "Mayhap there is some
what to be learned here of this new
world and of our dear cousins, the
French. Go on, tell us, Monsieur du
Mesne-as | think you call yourself,
sir?-tell us more of your new coun-
try of ice and snow, of princesses and
little Shoes"
Tell we more-and if did, would We
believe it? What if | tell We of great
rivers far to the west of the Ottawa:
OF races as strange to my princess
people as we are to them; of streams
whose sands run in gold where da-
monds and sapphires are to be picked
up as We like? If | told We, would We
believer"
The martial hearts and adventurous
souls of the circle about him began to
show in the heightened color and
closer crowding of the young men to
the table. Silence fell upon the group.
"Ye know nothing, in this old rot
ten world, of what there is yet to be
found in America cried Du Mesne.
than the great falls of the Ontonea-
grea-a mere trifle of a cataract, gen.
tlemen, into which ye might pitch your
tallest English cathedral and sink it
beyond its pinnacle with ease. Yet |
have spoke with the holy fathers who
have journeyed far to the westward,
even to the vast Messasebe, which is
To int Al
upon some far-off coast not yet we'll
cbarted have also read the story of
Sagean, who was far to the west of
that mighty river Did not the latter
see and pursue and kill in fair fight the
giant unicorn, tabled of Scripture? Is
not that animal known to be creature
OF the east, and may we not, therefore,
be advised that this new country takes
hold upon the stored lands of the
east? Why this holy friar with whom
! spoke, fresh back from his voyaging
to the cold upper ways of the northern
tribes, who live beyond the far-off
channel at Michilimackinac-d he
not tell of a river of the name of the
Blue Earth, and did he not himself
see tuIuuOlStS anu uldIHOHuS anu en-
eralds taken in handfuls from this
same blue earth? All, bah. gentle
men, Europe for you if &c like. but
for me, back ] go, so soon as | may
get proper passage and a connection
which will warrant me the voyage.
Rack | go to Canada, to America. to
the woods and streams. | would see
again my ancient Du Lhut, and my
comradc Pierre NOR, and Tete Girls,
the trapper from the Mistasing-frce
traders all. Life is there for the liy-
ing, my comrades. This old world,
small and outworn, no more of it for
me-"
None of ye know the west" went on
the coureur. Your Virginia, we know
well Of tia collection of beggars,
prostitutes and thieves. Your New
England--a lot of cod-fishng, starving
snivelers, who are most concerned
how to keep life in their bodies from
year to year New France herself. sit
ting ever on the edge of an icy death,
with naught but chickering's at Quebec
and naught but reluctant compliance
from Paris-what hath she to hope? I
tell ye, gentlemen. It's beyond, in the
land Of the Messasehe, where | shall