Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1904-03-10

0CAOs
"Ya-as," drawled Oncle Jazon. II
hearn about it soon as got inter town.
It's sorry thing, a mighty sorry thing.
But mebby won't do q little somepin'
TO that
Beverley Strengthened himself and
lifted his S:r,. forgetting that he had
not reloaded! since firing last. He
leveled 1t at tne fort and touched the
trigger simultaneously iii his
movement an cmbrasure oi.ei;sl and
cannon flashed, its roar fianked on Ell
Their side by cracking of British mus
kets. Some bullets struck the fence
and flung splinters into Oncle Jazon's
face. A cannon ball knocked ridge
pole from the roof of house hard by
and sent it whirling through the air.
"Ventrebleu-et apres? What next?
Better knock feller's eyes outw the
old man cried. II amt a-doin' nothin'
to YEP.
He capered around rubbing his
leathery face after the manner Of
scalded monkey. Beverley was struck
in the breast by a flattened and spent
ball that glanced from a fence picket.
The shock caused him to stagger and
drop his gun, but lie quickly picked it
up and turned to his companion.
"Are you hurt, Oncle Jazon?" he in
quired. care you hurt?''
"Not a bit; jes' skeert mos into a
duck fit Thought cannon ball had
knockeu my whole dang face down
my throat! Nothin' but handful O.
splinters in my poorly count'nance.
maxim my head feel like porcpine.
give you a diff
Something did hit me-" said Bever-
ley, laying a hand on his breast, ''but
I don't think it was bullet. They
seem to be getting our range at last.
Tell the men to keep we'll under cover.
They must not expose themselves until
we are ready to charge"
The shock had brought him back to
his duty as a leader of his little COM
pany, and with the funeral bell of all
his life's happiness tolling in his ago
n1zed heart he turned afresh to direct
ing the fire upon the blockhouse.
About this time runner came from
Clark with an order to cease firing and
let a returning party Of British scouts
under Captain Lamothe re-enter the
fort unframed. a strange order it
seemed to both officers and men, but
1t was implicitly obeyed. Clark's genius
here made another fine strategic fash
He knew that unless he let the scouts
so back into the stockade they would
escape by running away, and might
possibly organize an army of Indians
with which to succor Hamilton. But
if they were permitted to go inside
they could be captured With the rest
Of the garrison. Hence his order.
A few minutes passed in dead ST.
lence. Then Captain Lamothe and his
party marched close by where Bever-
ley's squad was lying concealed. 1t
was a difficult task to restrain the Gre
oles, for some of them hated Lamothe.
Oncle Jazon squirmed like snake
while they filed past all unaware that
an enemy lurked so near. When they
reached the fort. ladders We're put
down for them and they began to
Chamber over the wall, crowding and
pushing one another in wild haste.
Oncle Jazon could hold in no longer.
"Ya! Va! va" he yelled. Look
out! The ladder is a-fallin' VII yev'
Then all the lurking crowd shouted
as one man, and, sure enough, down
came a ladder-men and all in a crash
ing heap.
"Silence! Silencew Beverley COM
manded. but he could not check the
wild jeering and laughing, while the
bruised and frightened scouts hastily
erected their ladder again, fairly tum-
bling over one another in their haste
to ascend, and so cleared the wall, fall
ing into the stockade to join the gar
rison.
"Ventrebleu!' shrieked Oncle Jazon.
They've gone to bed, but We'll wake
'em up at the crack O. day an give
'em breakfas' O. hot leadv
Now the fighting was resumed with
redoubled spirit and noise, and when
morning came, affording sufficient !i..,,::
to bring out the bead sights o. tie
Kentucky rifles, the matcLlcss :-s:;:::. -
men in Clark's band forced the E':".s..
to close the embrasures and entirely
cease trying to use their c:,:::,r:: i,:;:.
the fight with small arms we;.- nlei......,,
on until the middle of TIE Fo::>nna::
Meantime Gaspard i..ol!s: :,.s:.l :.
tied Francis Ma;sonville's ...a.- =:
and hard with the strap c: las ',,:i:.'-
pouch.
Nov. I'll scalp you." /. ~:"::si ii \
runb!ing tone terrible 70 e:.... IA
with his words out CAME lis Lui.,;.,.
knife from its sheath.
"Oh, have E:ercy ,:,g '."s' ". H5us-
stllon" cried the is.l-i:;-;; capti:e.
"Have mercy!'
mercy. Yes. like your coloneis;
that's what you'll get. You stand by
that forban, that scelerat. that bandit
and help him. Oh, yes. You'll get mer-
cy! Yes. the same mercy that he
showed to my poor little Alice! Your
scalp, monsieur, If you please. A small
matter; it won't hurt much!'
"But, for the sake Of old friendship,