The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1904-03-16
GCsB5rlsAs, lss, BY Ensr.oa HousA-,
CHAPTER XIx-coNrrNuEp.

Y me shadow did not lift from
~, though he looked long and
sred.
Come" said he. at length, gently.
None the less we are as we are. In
every game we take our chances, and
in every game we pay our debts. Let
as go back to the camp"
AS they turned back down the beach
Law saw standing at a little distance
his lieutenant, Du Mesne, who hesi-
tated as though he would speak.
What is 1t, Du Mesne?" asked Law,
excusing himself with a gesture and
Joining the voyageur where he stood.
why, Monsieur Las" said Du
Mesne, Il am making bold TO mention
It, but in good truth there was some
question in my mind as to what might
be cur plans. The spring, as you
know, Is now yell advanced. 1t was
your first design to go far into the
west, and there to set up your station
for the trading in furs Now there
have come these little incidents which
have occasioned us some delay. While
have not doubted your enterprise,
monsieur, | bethought me perhaps 1t
might be within your plans now to go
but little farther on-perhaps, indeed,
60 turn back"
ITO go back?" said Law.
We'll, yes; that is to say, Monsieur
Las, back again down the great lakes.
Have you then known me SO Ill as
this, Du Mesne?" said Law. ut has
not been my custom to set backward
foot on any sort of trail"
"Oh, we'll, to be sure, monsieur, that
I know quite WELL" replied Du Mesne,
alphabetically. Il would only say that,
if you do go forward, you will do more
than most men accomplish on their
first voyage au large in the wilder
Z ness. There comes to many certain
shrinking of the heart which leads
4 them to find excuse for not faring far
Their on. Yonder, as you know, mon
sieur, lie Quebec and Montreal, some
what better fitted for the abode OF
monsieur and madame than the tents
of th,y wilderness. Back of that, too,
as we both very we'll know, monsieur,
lie London and old England and
had been dull Of eye indeed did ] not
recognize the opportunities of young
gallant like yourself. Now, while
know yourself to be a man of spirit,
Monsieur Las, and while should well
come you gladly as a brother OF the
trail. had only thought that perhaps
YOU would pardon me If | did but ask
your purpose at this time"
Law bent his head in silence for
moment. What know you of this for
ward Jfatl, Du Mesne? ?" said he. Have
YOU ever gone beyond this point In
your own iourneyings?"
Never beyond this" replied Du
x Mesne. land indeed not so far by many
hundred miles. For my own part |
RELY chiefly upon the story of my
brother. Greysolon du L'hut, the bold
est soul that ever put paddle in the st.
Lawrence. My brother Greysolon, by
the fire one night, told me that some
years before he had been at the mouth
of the Green bay-perhaps near this
very spot-and that here he and his
brothers found deserted Indian camp.
Near it, lying half in the fire, where
he had fallen in exhaustion, was an
old. n very old Indian, who had been
abandoned by his tribe to die-for
that, you must know, monsieur, is one
of the pleasant customs Of the wilder
ness
"Greysolon and his men revived this
savage in some fashion, and meantime
had much speech with him about this
unknown land at whose edge we have
now arrived. The old savage said that
he had been many moons north and
west of that place. He knew Of the
river called the Blue Earth, perhaps
the same of which Father Hennepin
has told. And also Of the Divine river
far below and tributary to the Mes
sasebe. He said that his father was
once of a war party who went far u
the north against the Ojibways, and
that his people took from the Ojibways
one of their prisoners, who said that
. he came from some strange country far
TO the westward, where there was 9
very wide plain, of no trees. Beyond
that there were great mountains, taller
than any to be found in all this region
hereabout. Beyond these mountains
the prisoner did not know what there
might be. but these mountains his peo
nile took to be the edge of the world
beyond which could live only wicked
spirits. This was what the prisoner
of the ojibways said. He, too, was al
old man.
THE captive Of my brother Grey
solon was an Outagamie. and he sale
that the outagamies burned this pris
oner of the Ojibways, for they knew
that he was surely lying to them
without doubt they did quite right Z
burn him. for the notion Of a grea
open country without trees or stream
is. Of course, absurd to any one VIII
knows America And as for noun
tains, all men know that the noun
tains lie to the east Of us, not TO tn
westward"
~-Twould seem much hearsay," sal
Law. this information which come
at second. third and fourth hand
True said Du Mesne. -but such
the source Of the little we know OF III
valley Of the Messasebe. and that whic
lies beyond It None the less this ide
offers interest"
yet you ask me II would return
Twas but for yourself. monsieur
II Is there. Il may humbiy confess
you. that il n my own ambition SON
day to arrive Myself-this west. as
said long ago TO the gentlemen in Lol
d0n-appeais to ne, since It Is indes
a land un0ocapied, unovned. an e
pire which We may have all for on
selves What say y0u. Monsieur Las
John Law straightened and sfiffens
as be stood FOR an instant hts e
flashed with the zeal Of youth and
adventure Il was but q transie
cloud which crossed his face. Jet the
Was sadness n his tone as he reptile