Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-01-29
CIIAPTER XyIII.
THE STORM.

lightning, the armies of the clouds
came on. The sea-wide surface of the
lake went dull, and above it bent a
sky appalling in its blackness. The
wind at first was light, then fitful and
eusty, like the rising choler of man
affronted and nursing his own anger.
1t gained in volume and swept on
across the tops of the forest trees, as
though with hand contemptuous in
its strength, forbearing only by reason
of its own whimsy. Now and again
the cohorts Of the clouds just limited
at parting, letting through pale radi
ance from the western sky, where lin
gered the departing day. This light,
as did the Illuminating glare of the
forked flames above, disclosed the
white helmets of the trooping waters,
rushing on with thunderous unison OF
tread; and the rafting tkunder-shocks,
intermittent, though coming steadily
nearer, served but to emphasize these
foot strokes of the waves. The heavens
above and the waters under the earth
these conspired, these marched to-
gether, to assail, to overwhelm, to ut
terly destroy.
To destroy what? Why this wild pro-
test of the wilderness? Was it this
wide-blown, scattered fire, whose
sparks and ashes were sown broadcast
till but stubborn remnants chung I'M
der the sheltering backlog of the
bivouac hearth? Was it this frail
lodge. built upon plant, yielding poles,
covered cunningly with mats and bark,
carpeted with robe of elk and buffalo?
Yet why should the elements rage at
tiny fire, and why should they tear
at little house of nomad man, since
these things were old upon the earth?
Was it somewhat else that melted this
elemental rage? This might have been;
for surely, builder of this hearth-fire
which would not quench, master of
this house which would not yield,
there was now come up to the door
of the wilderness the white man, risen
from the sea, heralding the day which
the tribes had for generations blindly
prophesied! The white man, stern,
stubborn. fruitful, had come to despoil
the west of its secrets!
Let all the elements therefore join
in riotous revolt! Let earth and sea
and sky make common cause! Rage,
waves, and blaze, We fiery tongues,
and threaten, forests, with all your
iominous voices! Smite, destroy, or ter
rify into swift retreat this little band!
Crush out their tenement! Loosen and
brush off this feeble fnger-grasp at
the ancient Threshold! With banners
of flame, with armies of darkness, with
shoutings of the captains of the
storms, assail, denude, destroy, if even
by the agony of their horrors, these
feeble folk now come hither! And by
this more especially, since they would
set the seal of fruitfulness upon the
land, and bring upon the earth gem
GRAFTON yet to follow. Hover about this
bed IN the frail and swaying lodge Of
bark and boughs, all We most terrify-
ing spirits! Let not this thing be!
Mother Of God!" cried Jean Bre-
boeuf, bending low and pulling his
tunic tighter by the belt. as he came
gasping into the faint circle of light
which still remained at the FIRE log.
'Tis murderous, this storm! All, Mon
sieur du Mesne, we are dead men! But
what matter? IT'S as we'll now as later.
Said not so to you all the way down
Michiganon from the straits? A rab-
bit crossed my path at the last camp
before Northumberland, and when we
took our boat to leave the mission at
the straits, three crows flew directly
across our way. Did not beseech you
to turn back? Did l not tell you,
most of all, that we had no right, hon.
est voyageurs that we are, to leave for
the woods without confessing to the
good father? IT'S two years now since
/ have been proper shriven, and two
years is too long for voyageur to re-
main unabsolved Mother of God!
When / see the lightnings and listen
to that wind, bethink me Of my sins
my sins! VOW bale of beaver"
"Pish! JEAN" responded Du Mesne,.
who had come in from the cover Of
the wood and was casting about in
the darkness as best he might to see
that all was made secure. "Thou'lt
feel better when the sun shines again.
Call Pierre Noir, and hurry, or our
canoe will pound to bits upon the
beach. Comet"
All three went now knee-deep in the
surf, and Du Mesne, clinging to the
gunwale as he passed out, was soon
waist deep, and time and again lost
his footing in the flood.
PULL" he cried at last. Nov, en-
avant!" He had flung himself over
the stern, and with his knife cut the
hide rope of the anchor-stone. Over
board again in an instant, he Joined
the others in their rush up the beach,
and the three bore their ship upon
their shoulders above the reach of the
waves.
Myself" said Pierre Noir, "shall
sleep beneath the boat tonight, for
since she sheds water from below. she
may do as well from above
Even SO, Pierre Noir," said Du
Mesne, "but get you the boat farther
toward your own camp tonight. Do
you not see that Monsieur Las is not
with us?"
'Eh bien?"
"And were he not surely with us at
such time, unless-?"
"oh, assurement!" replied Pierre
NOR. Jean Breboeuf, aid me in TAX
ing the boat back to our camp in the
woods"
Now came the rain. Not in steady
and even downpour, not with inter-