Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-30

his captive until free you by force. j.
Meantime hold your tongue" !:
Father Beret, suave looking and oui.
ct, occupied himself at the little altar,
| apparently altogether Indifferent to
what was being said, but he lost not A
word Of the talk.
| "Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat."
ne inwardly repeated, smiling blandly.
| "Gaudete in lila die. ct exultatew
Hamilton rose to go; deep lines of
worry creased his face. But when the
party had passed outside he suddenly
turned upon Clark and said:
''Why do you demand impossible
terms Of me?'
Il will tell YOU, SIR was the stern
answer in Il tone in which there was
no mercy OF compromise. Il would
rather have you refuse. desire moth.
Ing 80 much as an excuse to wreak full
and bloody vengeance on every man
in that fort who has engaged in the
business Of employing ~savages to scalp
brave, patriotic men and defenseless
women and children. The cries of the
widows and the fatherless on our from
| tiers require the blood Of the Indian
partisans at my hands. If you choose
| to risk the massacre of your garrison
! to save those despicable redhanded
partisans, have your pleasure What
You have done you know better than
l do. l have a duty to perform. You
may be able to soften its nature. l may
take it into my head to send for some
OF our bereaved women to witness my
terrible work and see that it is we'll
done if YOU insist upon the worst"
Nj, jor Hay, who was Hamilton's In.
dian agent, now. with some difficulty
clearing his throat, spoke up.
pray, sir" said he, who is it that
you call Indian partisans?'
Sir" replied Clark, seeing that his
words had gone solidly home, IL take
Major Hay to be one of the principals"
| This seemed to strike Hay with
deadly force. Clark's report says that
lie was pale and trembling, scarcely
able to stand" and that Hamilton
blushed. and, observed, was much af-
fected at his behavior" Doubtless if
the doughty American commander had
known more about the governors feel
ings just then he would have added
that an awful fear, even greater than
the Indian agents, did more than any
thing else to longest the veins in his
face.
The parties separated without reach
ing an agreement, but the end had
come. The terror in Hamiltons soul
was doubled by a wild scene enacted
under the walls Of his fort, scene
which, having no proper place in this
story, strong as it's historical interest
unquestionably is. must be but out
lined. A party of Indians returning
from scalping expedition in Ken
lucky and along the Ohio was cap
tured on the outskirts of the town by
some of Clark's men, who proceeded
to kill and scalp them within full view
of the beleaguered garrison. after
which their mangled bodies were flung
into the river.
If the British commander needed fur
Their wine of dread to fill his cup with
al it was furnished by an ostentatiolls
marshaling Of the American forces for
general assault. His spirit broke COM
pletely. so that it looked like a god
send to him when Clark finally offered
terms Of honorable surrender. the con-
summation Of which was to be post
poned until the following morning. He
accepted promptly. appending to the
articles Of capitulation the following
reasons for his action: THE remote
ness from succor, the state and quaint.
ty of provisions, etc.; unanimity Of Of
ficers and men in its expediency, the
honorable terms allowed and. lastly.
the confidence in generous enemy"
Confidence in a generous enemy! Alb
ject fear Of the vengeance just wreak-
ed upon his savage emissaries would
have been the true statement. Beyer-
ley read the paper when Clark sent for
him. but be could not join in the ex.
travagant delight Of his fellow officers
and their brave men. What did all
this victory mean to him? Hamilton to
he treated as an honorable prisoner of
war, permitted to strut forth from the
fort with his sword at his side, his
head up-the scalp buyer. the murder
er Of Alice! What was patriotism to
the crushed heart Of lover? Even If
his vision had been able to pierce the
future and realize the splendor of An.
glo-Saxon civilizati which was to fol-
low that little triumph at Vincennes
what pleasure could it have afforded
him? Alice, Alice, only Alice; no. other
thought had influence save the recur.
ring surge of desire for vengeance upon
her murderer.
And yet that night Beverley slept
and so forgot his despair for many
hours. even dreamed pleasant dream
of home, where his childhood was
spent; Of the stately old house on the
breezy hilltop overlooking sunny
plantation, with little river lapsine
and shimmering through it. His moth
er's dear arms were around him, hel
loving breath stirred his hair. and his
sta1wart. gray headed father sat on tht
veranda comfortably smoking his pipe
while away in the wide fields the ne
groes sang at the pillow and the hoe
Sweeter and sweeter grew the scene
softer the air, tenderer the blending
sounds Of the water murmur, leaf rus
tie, bird song and slave song until hand
In hand he wandered With Alice in
greening groves where the air was
trembling with the ecstasy of spring.
A young tEcer awoke him with an
order from Clark to go on duty at once
with Captains Worthington and Will
liams, who, under Colonel Clark him
self, were to take possession Of the fort