Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1904-04-21

knife from IT, sheath.
"Oh. have mercy, my dear NJ. Rous-
sillonw cried the painting captive. J
"Have mercyv
"Mercy. Yes. like your colonel's; |
that's what you'll get. You stand by |
that forban. that scelcrat that bandit, |
and help him. oh, yes, you'll get mer- |
cy! Yes. the same mercy that he !
showed 10 my poor little Alice! Your
scalp. monsieur If you please. 4 small |
matter; 1t won't hurt much"
But for the sake Of old friendship, |
Gaspard, for the sake
"Zn. Poor little AliceW
"But swear to you that r.
"Tout de meme. monsieur, je vais
vous scalper maintenant"
In fact. ne 'lad taken off a part OF
!iai-ouville's scalp when n party 81
soldiers among whom was Maison-
ville's brother, a brave fellow and 10y
nj To the American cause, were at
tracted by his cries and came TO his
rescue
NJ. Roussillon struggled savagely, in
slsting upon completing his cruel per
Torrance. but he was at last OverpOw-
cred. partly by brute force and partly
by the pleading of Maisonville's broth
err and made TO desist. The big man
wept with rage when he saw the
! bleeding prisoner protected. Eth bien!
I'll keep what I've got" he roared.
land I'll take the rest of it next
/ time"
| He shook the tuft of hair at Mason
willie and glarod like a mad bull.
Two or three other members of La
mothe's band were captured about the
same time by some of the French mill
! tiamen. and Clark when OH his round
! cheering and directing his forces dis
covered that these prisoners were being
used as shields. Some young creoles,
gay with drink and the stimulating Of
feet of fight, had bound the poor fell
lows and were firing from behind them.
OF course the commander promptly put
an end to this cruelty. but they consid-
cred II exquisite fun while il lasted.
1t was in broad daylight, and they
knew that the English in the fort
could see what they were doing.
ITS shameful TO treat prisoners in
this way" said Clark. Il will not per-
nit II. Shoot the next man that offers
to do such a thing"
one of the creole youths, hand
some. swarthy Adonls in buckskin.
tossed his shapely head with a deb
OMAR smile and said:
ITO be sure mon colonel. But what
have they been doing TO us? We have
amused them all winter. It's but fair
that they should give us little fun
now"
Clark shrugged his broad shoulders
and passed on. He understood perfect
" what the people of Nincennes had
suffered under Hamilton's brutal ad
ministratiOn.
At Q o'clock an order was passed e
! cease firing. and n flag Of truce wa:
seen going from Clark's headquarters
. TO the fort 1t was a peremptory de
| mand for unconditional surrender
Hamilton refused, and fighting wal
fiercely resumed from behind rud'
e breastworks meantime erected. Ever!
t loophole and opening of whatever sor
: | was the focus into which the unerrinj
. | backwoOds rifles sent their deadly bul
. let's. Men began to fall in the fort. ant
] every moment Hamilton expected al
assault I'm force on all sides of tn
D stockade. This, if successful, woul'
20 mean inevitable massacre. Clark hat
! | warned him of the terrible conse
b Quences Of holding out until the wors
should come. For" said he in his not
to the governor. IF l am obliged Z
! | storm, you may depend upon sucl
] treatment as is justly due TO a mur
: derer"
= Historians have wondered why Ham
I ilton became so excited and acted s.
t strangely after receiving the note. Tn
: phrase Justly due To murderer
the key to the mystery. When he rea'
s II his heart sank and a terrible fea
l seized him. Justly due to a murder
{ err" All. that calm, white, beautiful
! girlish face. dead in the moonlight
I with the Wlsp of shining hair acros
p II! Such treatment as is justly du
I to O murderer. Cold drops of swea
broke out ON his forehead and a shive
went through his body.
During the truce Clark's weary We
T. still enthusiastic besiegers enjoyed
I good breakfast prepared for them b.
the loyal danes of Nincennes. Littl
. Adrienne Bourcier was one of tn
g. II }Tf72F W3Z7X]