Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-02-23


belt and buckskins, and cap of fur and
moccasins Of hide, mingling frater-
nally with their tufted and bepainted
visitors, as well as with those rangers,
both envied and hated, the savage
coureurs de bois of the far northern
fur trade; men bearded, silent, stern,
clad in breech-clout and leggings like
any savage, as silent, as stoical, az
hardy on the trail as on the narrow
thwart Of the canoe. ~ =
Savage Hastings. riotings and drunk
enness. and long debaucheries came
with the Great Peace, when once the
wcsd had gone out that the fur trade
was to be resumed Henceforth there
was to be peace. The French were no
longer to raid the little cabins along
the Kennebec and the Penobscot. The
river Richelieu was to be no longer q
red war trail. The English were no
longer to offer arms and blankets for
the beaver. belonging by right Of prior
discovery to those who offered French
brandy and French beads. The Iro-
quois were no longer to pursue q
timid foe across the great prairies of
the valley Of the Messasebe. The
Ojibways were not to ambush the scat
tered parties Of the Iroquois. The I'M
ambitious colonists of New England
and New York were to be left to till
their stony farms in quiet. Meantime
the fur trade, wasteful, licentious, un-
profitable, was to extend onward and
outward in all the marches of the West
From one end Of the Great River OF
the West to the other the insignia Of
France and Of Frances king were to
be erected, and Frances posts were to
hold all the ancient trails. Even at the
mouth Of the Great River, forestalline
these sullen English and these sluggish
English colonists, far to the south In
the somber forests and miasmatic
marshes, there was to be established
enc more ruling point for the arms OF
Louis the Grand. 1t was great game
this, for which the continent Of Amer
lea was in preparation. It was a
mighty thing, this gathering of the
Great Peace, this time when colonists
and their king were seeing the first
breaking Of the wave on the shore of
an empire alluring, wonderful, unpar-
alleled.
Into this wild rabble Of savages and
citizens. Of priest and soldier and
coureur, Laws friends, Pierre Noir
and Jean Breboeuf, swiftly disap-
peared, naturally, fitly and unavoid-
ably. The West is calling to us, Mon
sieur." said Pierre Noir one morning.
as he stood looking out across the
river. II hear once more the spirits
OF the Messasebe. Monsieur. will you
GOMEZ"
Law shook his head. Yet two days
later, as he stood at that very point,
there came to him the silent feet Of
two coureurs instead of one. Once more
he heard in his ear the question:
Monsieur Las. will you Gomez"
At this voice he started. In an In
slant his arms were about the neck Of
Du Mesne, and tears were falling from
the eyes Of both In the welcome Of that
brotherhood which is admitted only by
those who have known together arms
and danger and hardship, the touch Of
the hard ground and the sight Of the
wide blue sky.
"Du Mssne. my friend!"
Monsieur L'as!"
1T 10 ~ though you came from the
depths Of the sea, Du Mesne!" said
Law.
And as though you yourself arose
from the grave, Monsieur!"
How did you know"
why. easily. You do not understand
the ways Of the wilderness, where news
travels as fast as in the cities. You
were hardly below the foot Of Michiga-
non before runners from the Illini had
spread the news along the Chicaqua,
where was then in camp. For the
rest, the runners brought also news Of
the Big Peace. l reasoned that the
IroQuois would not dare to destroy
their captives, that In time the agents
Of the government would receive the
captives Of the IroQuois-that these
captives would naturally come to the
settlements on the st. Lawrence, since
1t was the French against whom the
Iroquois had been at war: that having
come to Montreal, you would naturally
remain here for time. The rest was
easy. Jared on to the straits this
spring, and then on down the lakes.
have sold our furs, and am now ready
to account to you with q sum quite
az much as we should have expected.
"Now, Monsieur" and Du Mesne
stretched out his arm again, pointing
to the down-coming flood Of the st.
Lawrence. Monsieur. will you come?
I see not the st. Lawrence, but the
Messasebe. ! can hear the voices CALI
ing!"
Law dashed his hand across his eyes
and turned his head away. mot yet,
Du Mesne." saiS he. 81 do not know.
Not yet. must first 90 across the
waters. Perhaps sometime can not
tell. But this, my comrades, my
brothers. do know; that never, until
the last sod lies on my grave, will l
forget the Messasebe, or forget you.
Go back. II you will. my brothers; but
at night, when you sit by your Preside,
think Of me, as I shall think Of you.
there in the great valley. MY friends,
1t 10 the heart Of the world!"
"But, Monsieur"
There. Du Mesne-I would not talk
to-day. At another time. Brothers.
adieu!"
"Adieu. my brother" said the cour-
eur. his own emotion showing in his
eyes; and their hands met again.
Monsieur is cast down." said Du
Mesne to Pierre NOR later. as they
reached the beach. NOW, what think
your"