The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-09-21


to Vinccnnes. and II he was
sorely touched i'm his amour
propre by seeing his suddenly acquired
military rank and title drop away he
did not let 1t be known to his fellow
citizens. He promptly called upon the
new commander and made acluaint-
ance with Lieutenant Fitzhugh Bever-
ley, who Just then was experimenting
the work of cleaning up an old cannon
In the fort and mending some breaks
In the stockade.
Helm formed great liking for the
big Frenchman, whose breezy freedom
Of manner and expansive good humor
struck him favorably from the begin.
ming. NJ. Rousslllon's ability to speak
English with considerable ease helped
the friendship along. no doubt: ut all
events their first interview ended with
a hearty show of good fellowship. and
as time passed they became almost in
separable companions during NJ. Rous-
| sillon's periods of rest from his trading
excursions among the Indians. They
played cards and brewed hot drinks
over which they told marvellous stories,
Tue ldttSt Out llNuTlublJ SuIpuSSluk an
Its predecessors.
Helm had an eye to business, and
turned NJ. Roussillon's knowledge of
| the Indians to valuable account so
that he soon had very pleasant rela
tons with most of the tribes within
reach Of his agents. This gave feel
ing OF great security to 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.
treme frontier life, were 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 unmanageable-a hard nut to
crack, yet possessing a kernel abso-
lutely original in flavor. Beverley WIS.,
tied him one evening In his hut-it
might better be called a den-a curl
ously built thing, with walls of vertical
poles set in a quadrangular trench dug
| Ill IIle anu lbOltu Win SidNS.
Inside and out it was plastercd with
clay, and the floor of dried mud was rs
smooth and hard as concrete paving.
In one end there was a wide fireplace
grimy with SCOT, in the other Il mere
peephoe for window; a wooden
bench, a bed of skins and two or three
stools were barely visible in the gloom.
In the doorway Oncle JaZon sat whit
Ting a slender billet of hickory into a
ramrod for his long flintlock American
rifle.
Maybe We know Simon Kenton ="
said the old man, after he and Beverley
had copversed for awhile, seeing that
you are from Kentucky-eh"
"Yes, do know him well: he's
warm personal friend of NINE" said
Beverley with quick interest, for 1t
surprised him that Oncle Jazon should
know anything about kenton. DO you
know him, NJ. Jazon2"
Oncle Jazon winked conceitedly and
sighted along his rudlmentary ramrod
to see IL II 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, cicatrized
spot where his scalp had once -four
ished.
"Oh, several places" he answered.
hn In ON
the WALTZ" He pointed at a dry wisp
dangling under peg in log barely
visible by the bad light well, thets
my scalp. He, he, he"' He snickered
as II the fact were a most enjoyable
joke. "Simon Kenton can tell ye about
tibet little affair. The Indians thought
was dead. and they took my hair; but
wasn't dead. l was just a-giyin' 'em
a possum act. when they was gone l
got up from where | was a-layin' and
trotted 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
grimaccs and grunts cannot even be
limited
1t was long story, as Beverley re-
ceived 1t, told scrappily, but with GER
tain rude ART. In the end Oncle Jazon
said with unctuous self satisfaction:
Accidents will happen. | got my
chance at tibet Indian who skinned my
head, and Jes' took bead on i'm with
my old rifle | can't shoot much, never
could, but happened to hit i'm square
in the lef' eye, what | shot at, and 1t
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.