Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-03-10

came on. The sea-wide surface Of the
lake went dull, and above it bent
sky appalling in its blackness. The
wind at first was light. then ftful and
gusty, 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
It's strength, forbearing only by reason
OF it's 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 thunder-shocks,
intermittent, though coming steadily
nearer, served but to emphasize these
foot strokes of the waves. The heavens
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
a tiny fire, and why should they tear
at a 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
0minous voices! Smite, destroy, or ter
rify into swift retreat this little bandi
Crush out their tenement! Loosen and
brush off this feeble fingergrasp 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 a gen
GRAFTON yet to follow. Hover about this
bed in the frail and swaying lodge Of
bark and boughs. az We most terrify-
| ing spirits. Let not this thing be!
Mother Of God! cried Jean Bre-
boeuf, bending lew 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.
otis murderous, this storm! All, Mon
sieur du Mesne, we are dead men! But
what matter? IT'S as well 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 Michilimackinac and when we
took our boat to leave the mission at
the straits, three crows few directly
across our way. Did / not beseech you
to turn back? Did not tell you,
most of all, that we had no right, hon.
est yoyageurs that we are, to leave for
the woods without confessing to the
good father? 'Tis 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. I vow bale of beaver
"Pish! Jean" responded Du Mesne,
who had come in from the cover of
the wood and was casting about in
that all was made secure. "Thou'lt
feel better when the sun ShlneS again.
Call Pierre Noir, and hurry, or our
canoe will pound to bits upon the
beach Gomez
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 Now, 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 NOR, shall
Sleep beneath the boat tonight. for