The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-01-22


widest schemes of conquest eve
dreamed? Why, boy, the day Will come
when for a thousand leagues the silver
! lilies will signal each other from every
hill top; marts Of commerce Will tnr!Vs
and flourish; the land will smile Win
farms and cities, with proud palaces
and with granite castles. The Whlte
sails of our boats will heck every lake
and sea and river with their rich bur-
dens Of trade, pouring a fabulous n
a willing wealth into the Golfers OF tne
king. Gold and silver mines Will ylelo
their precious stores, while from these
| niEsard natives we will Wrest with
mighty arm the tribute they SO con"
temptuously deny the weakling ours
who snap and snarl at my heels. Grey
tower and fortress will guard every IN
let, and watch this sheltered coast. IN
every vale the low chant OF holy nuns
will breathe their benedictlon upon a
happy people. And hordes Of nations
yet unknown and races yet unborn, IN
future legends. In song, in story and IN
rhyme, will laud the name Of Bourbon
and the glory of the French. on LAD!
lad! It's an ambition worthy a god"
The governor had risen, and waving
his long arms this way and that,
pointed out the confines of his mighty
drea1nland empire with as much as
surance as il cities and towns would
spring up at his bidding.
His whole frame spoke the most IN
tense emotion. The face, glorified and
TRANSPORTED by the allurement Of his
brilliant mirage, seemed hat Of an
other man.
"Ah, Placide! Placide! it stings me
that this %chivalrous king OF ours, this
degenerate grandson Of Henry the
Great, should think Of selling for a few
paltry livres such an heritage as this.
Shame to You Louis, shame"
His tone had grown SO loud, so per-
emptory. I interrupted:
Caution, sire; who knows what tat
tiers ears are listening, or where your
t%houghtless words may be repeated"
He stood modify with hands behind
him gazing into the fire. For years I
had known Bienville the soldier. the
stern and u~nyielding governor, with the
hand Of iron and the tongue Of suasion.
Now / saw for the first time Bienville
the man, Bienville the visionary, Bien-
Vile the enthusiast, the dreamer Of
dreams and the builder Of castles. I
watched him in amazement
Then these miserable women whom
our good father, the Bishop of Quebec,
49, 'AtN 60 ~ oSAiA VS. AA1o
from their house Of correction all the
airs and graces Of a court. Bringing
hither their silly of a land
of plenty; they vow they came not
here to work, and by the grace of God,
work they will not. They declare they
are not horses to eat of the corn Of the
fields, n clamor for their deal Paris
Ian datnties. Against such a petticoat
instruction the governor is helpless.
Bah!i 1t sickens me. I wonder not that
our men prefer the Indian maidens,
for they at least have common sense.
But by my soul, captain, here I stand
and rant like some schoolboy mounting
his speech. Tush, it Is forgotten.
Tell me, Captain deMouret, what
have you learned of the Chickasaws,
for our time grows short"
Glad to change the current of his
thoughts l went on in detail to give the
results OF my reconnaissance. Every
Where we found preparations among
the allied tribes, and felt sure we saw
signs of a secret understanding be-
tween them and the spaniard.
The governor made many notes, and
carefully examined the charts l had
drawn of the Chickasaw towns, sys-
tematically marking down the strength
and Notifications OF each. When l had
finished my report we sat for quite q
while, he silent and thoughtful, watch
Ing the thin blue smoke eddy round and
round. then dart up the capacious
chimney.
And they charge me at the court OF
France he soliloquized, giving half I'M
conscious expression to the matter up
permost In his mind. they charge ma
at the cour of France. what no man
save my king dare say to me-that T
divert thA N11n1in f11,Io 70 y, $500, -..
l, a LIE Moyne. who spend my own pri-
va1e fortune In protecting and feeding
these ungrateful people. But we waste
time IN words. like two chattering old
m We need ships and money and
men-men who fight like gentlemen for
glory, not deserters and convtcts who
tight unwillingly under the lash for
gold. "
What can I do with troops who
YOU'D as gladly spoil Biloxi as Havana?
Captain de Mouret, you will sail on
le Dauphin tomorrow at daylight. Place
these dispatches in my brother
serigny's hands Immediately upon your
arrival. From that time forward act
under his instructions. Remember. sir.
your mission is a secret one"
l knew well the name he gave mo
Tor next to 1berv1lle. Serig11y was re-
puted the most accomplished of all the
LIE Moynes. To his fame as a soldier.
ms attachments as a scholar, he added
the easy grace Of the courtier, His
position at the court Of Louis gave him
great prestige throughout the n
ne being q sort OF adviser to the king
on colonial affairs, or SO we all hen
thought him. Little did I then know
now scant was the heed paid by power
ana ambition to real merit and soldier
ly virtues.
CONTINUED Next week.)