The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-09-10
CHAPTER III.
THE RAPE or THE DEMlJoHN.


cate. 1t was all about Il small
dame Jeanne of fine brandy which an
Indian of the name Of Long Hair had
seized and run off with at the height of
the carousal He must have been So
berer than his pursuers or naturally
heeter, for not one of them could catch
him or even keep long I'm sight of him.
Some pistols We're emptlcd while the
race was on, and two or three Of the
men swore roundly to having seen Long
Hair jump sidewise and stagger. a If
one of the shots had taken effect. But,
although the moon was shining. he
some way disappeared, they could not
understand just how. far down beside
the river below the fort and the church
1t was not an uncommon thing for an
Indian to steal what he wanted, and in
most cases light punishment followed
conviction but 1t was felt to he a cap.
ital offense for an Indian or anybody
else to rape demijohn of fine brandy,
especially one sent as present by
friend in New Orleans to Lieutenant
Governor Abbott who had until re-
Gently been the commandment of the
post. Every man at the river house
| recognized and resented the enormity
| of Long Hairs crime, and each was for
the moment ready to be his judge and
his executioner. He had broken at
once every rule of frontier etiquette and
every bond Of sympathy. Nor was
Long Hair ignorant of the danger in
volved In his daring enterprise. He
had beforehand carefully and stolidly
weighed the conditions, and true to his
Indian nature had concluded that lit
tie wicker covered bottle OF brandy
was well worth the risk OF his life. So
he had put himself I'm condition for a
great race by slipping out and getting
rid Of his weapons and all surplus
weight of clothes.
This incident brought the drinking
bout ut the river house to sudden
end, but nothing further came of 1t
that night and no record Of it would be
found in these pages hut for the fact
that Long Hair afterward became an
important character in the stirring
historical drama which had old Vim
cennes for its center of energy.
Rene de Ronville probably felt him
self In bad luck when he arrived at the
river house Just too late to share in
the liquor or to join In chasing the
bold thief. He listened with interest
however to the story of Long Hairs
capture of the commandments demijohn
and could not refrain from saying that
II he had been present there would
have been quite different result.
IL would have shot him before hi
got to that door" he said, drawing his
heavy flintlock pistol and goinl
through the motions of one aiming
quickly and firing. Indeed, so vigor
ously In earnest was he with the pan
tomime that he actually did fire, unin
tentionally of course, the ball buryint
itself in the doorjamb.
He was laughed at by those presen
r for being more excited than they WHIT
witnessed the whole thing. One o.
them. a leathery faced and grizzled oil
sinner, leered at him contemptuousl,
and said in queer French, with {
curious accent caught from long u.s.
Of backwoods English:
4; Listen how the boy brags! "
9 might think to hear Rene talk tina
he actually amounted to big pile"
This parsonage was known to ever.
soul in Vincennes as Oncle Jazon. an'
when Oncle Jazon spoke the who'll
town felt bound to listen.
"An' how well he shoots, too" h.
added. with an intolerable wink
"Aimed at the door and hit the post
Certainly Long Hair would have bee
in great danger! oh, yes, he'd 'ay
killed Long Hair at the first shot
wouldn't he thought
"All right, Onele Jazon," said Rene
: laughing and blowing the smoke on
= OF his pistol. Twas you, all the same
| who let Long Hair trot or with tn
governors brandy; not l. If you coul
have hit even doorpost 1t might hay
been better"
z Oncle Jazon took Off his cap an
looked down into 1t In way he ha
when about TO say something final.
"Ventrebleu! ] did not shoot at Lon
: Hair at ALL" he said, speaking slowl!
I because the scOundrel was unarme'
! He didn't have ON even n knife, and b
.--.. .- .r. .r-.-.-- p - .. r'---
was havin' enough to do dodgin' tn
Y bullets that the rest OF 'em wer
]. plumpln' at i'm without any compl
- ments from me TO bother i'm more
We'll" Rene replied, turning ava
n with a laugh, III I'd been scalped b
2 the Indians as you have | dQS't thin
Q there would be any particular reasO
|. why should wait for an Indian THE
!. to go and arm himself before l a
n cepted him as target"
p Oncle Jazon lifted Il hand involunta
d lily and rubbed his scalpless crow
+ then he chuckled with grotesql
:. grimace as If the recollection of ha'
!, ing his head skinned were the funnie
6 thing imaginable.
" when you've killed as many of e
Q as Oncle JaZont has" remarked b.
v stander 10 Rene, you'll not he
n a.