Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-02-16
ALICE Of OLD
VINCENNES
Copyright, 1900 b, II. BowEN.mERRIlL COMPANY
s.l -s
CONTINUED
BY MAURICE THOMPSON

| Continued
II saw monkey just now. I must
rub up my gun He could not be
| solemn. not he. The thought of i'm OPP
portunity to get even with Hamilton
was like wine in his blood.
If YOU had seen those hardy and
sinewy FrencEmen gliding in the dusk
of evening from cottage to cottage.
| passing the word that the Americans
had arrived. saying airy things and
| pinching one another as they met and
| hurried on, you would have thought
something very amusing and wholly
,ocund WAS i'll preparation for the peo-
pie of Nincennes
There was Il current belief in the
town that 'iaspard RousSllon never
| missed a good thing and always some
| how got the lions share. He went out
| with the ,bb to return on the Hood.
Nobody was surprised, therefore, when
| he suddenly appeared in the midst OF
| his friends, armed to the teeth and
| cmotionally warlike to silt the occa-
sion. OF course he took charge of ev-
erybody and everything. You could
have heard him whisper bow shot
away.
| "Taisons!'' he hissed whenever he
met an acquaintance. I'VE VIII sur
prise the fort and scalp the whole gar
| rison. Aux armes. Les Americans
viennent d'arrivcr!r'
At his own house he knocked and
called In vain. He shook the door viO-
lcntly. for lie was thinking of the stores
| uder the floor. of the grimy bottles,
Of tie fragrant bordeaux. All. his
! hroat. how ii throbbed. But where
.as Nine. Roussillon: Where was
Alice? Jean, Jean he cried. forget
| ting all precaution. Come here. you
scamp. and let me in this minutc"
A profoundly impressive silence gave
him to understand that his home was
| deserted.
"Chiff. frightened and gone to stay
with Nine Godere, suppose, and so
thirsty! Bah. Hum, hum! Apres lie
vim la bataiile. Xiff!'
He kicked in the door and CROPPED his
way to the liquors. While he hastily
swi-ecd ana Smackgd he heard the
firing begin with cracking, desIltory
vollcy. He laughed jovially there in
the dark. between drafts and deep
siglis Of enjoyment.
"Et moi aussi." he murmured. Ike
the vast murmur of the Sea. Il wan.
10 be in that dance. Paf'ionnez mes
sicurs Moi. je veuX danSer. sill vous
plait."
And when he had filed himself he
plunged out and rushed aw:y. wrought
ND TO the extreme fighting pitch OF
tenner. Diablo. If he conid but come
across that Lieutenant Barlow. how he
would smash him and Elan..!c him. In
magniiyins his proweSs with the IONS
Of Imagination he swelled and pu1ed
as h2 numbered along.
IL" frin% sounded as if it were be-
tween the fort and the river. but pres
emily when one of Iamilton's cannon
spoke NJ. Roussillon saw the yellow
| sni,;" OF flame from its muZZlc leap
directly toward the church. and he
,lcrrht il best to make Il VIDE d"tour
tn avoid gning between the firing lines
Once or twice he heard the whine OF
a stray bullet high overhead. Before
he ID gone very far he met man
hurrvfng toward the fort. 1t was
CAPTAIN Francis Maisonvlle, one OF
Uan;lton's chief scouts. who had been
out on Il reconnaissance and, cut OF
from his party by some Of Clark
forces. was trying to make his way to
the main gate of the stochadc.
NJ. RouSSill0n knew Maisonville as
somewhat desperate character. lead
or of Indian forays and Il trader III
hun::n scalns Surely the fellow was
legitimate prey.
"Zig, Diahle de grcdin!' he snarled
and lcaping upon him chok"d him to
the ground. "Je vais vous scalper i'm
mCtpa,Cment!
Ciark's plan of approach showed
mastery strategy. Lieutenant Bailey
with fourteen regulars. made SHOW
of attack on the east, While Major
Bowman led company through the
town. on Il line near where Main stree'
in Vinccnnes is now located. to a poln'
north of the s;ockade. Charlcville, q
brave creole. who was at the head OF
some daring fellows. by brilliant
dash got position under cover of nat
ural terrace at the edge of the prairie
opposite the forts southwestern angle
Lieutenant Beverley. in whom the com
mander placed highest confidence. was
sent to look for supply of ammuni
ton and to gather up all the French
men i'm the town who wished to JOIN II
the attack. Oncle JaZon and ten othel
available men went with him.
They all made great noise wEeI
they felt that the place was complPtel!
invested Nor can we deny. much IL
we would like to, the strong desire fo
vengeance which raised those shouting
voices and neryed those steady hearts
to do or die in an undertaking whlcl
certainly had desperate look. Th'
thought was tremendously stimuiat
ing.
Beverley. with the aid of Oncle ia
! zon. was able to lead his little compan!
as far as the church before the enem!
saw him. Here volley from the near
est angle of the stockade had to be an
swered, and pretty soon n cannon be
gan to play upon the position.
"We kin do better some'rs else" wa
/ Oncle Jazen's laconic remark. nuns
back over his shoulder as he movet
briskly away from the spot Just swep
by 6 FOUNDER Come this yer way
lieutenant | hyer some O. the feller
a-talkin' loud jes' beyant Legrace'
place. They amt no sort o sense a-trF
in to hit anything a-shootin' in tn
dark nohow."