The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-22
CHAPTER 1.
THE MASTER

11 Wal late one clear moonlight
Aight In the spring Of IT,. when the
ehree silent figures emerged from the
wood land darkness and struck across
The wide extent OF rank grass which
yee separated us from h bay. Tuska-
h0sna led the way. q tall grim Choctaw
e~A1eftaAn, my companion on man. q
haunt, his streaming plumes futtering
eenlnd him az he strobe. I followed.
And after me, LIE Corbeau Rouge, q
sumner Of h Choctaws. We were re-
tnrning to Biloxi from q reconnois-
sance in the ChIckasaw country. I
Eachssssaight behind the other. dumb
ana aund tsss shadows. we passed
along the way. hardly bruising q Leaf
- hruahtng he rustling reeds aside.
8eC. there IL the light grunted
10skahoma, pointing to q glimmer
through the trees. Yes. the White
Prophet never sleeps" assented LIE
C0rbeau Rouge.
The light which marked our almost
journey anie from a window in
0ne OF those low, square log houses.
eortTess dwellings. so common in the
Deuvinces.
Mere, however. the strong pine pal
1eaades Were broken down In many
places; the reconstructed gate hung un-
sAlnGed and open, the accumulated sand
Ae tt1 base showed 1t had not been
closed in many years.
h decay and neglect every
sshere manifest In its defenses ex-
eende no further. for inside the en-
s~caooure was a garden carefully tended;
- tratling wife chung lovingly to a cor
Ii OF the wide gallery. n ever a few
the bright roses OF Franco lent their
TSWeetness to a place 1t seemed impos-
1abte TO associate with a thought Of
oaxbaric warfare.
Flowed this humble home, for in such
n sGNfa M rtcfbarN q M II ct,ort tt1aen In 81
years of sweet good c~omradeship be-
s10re her death-the roses, the rude
mousse, all reminded me of her, of peace,
- Eentler things.
offs lone occupant pro-
elected this lowly abode far better than
spain. or the Choctaw's ceaseless vigil
once could possibly have done. He
eAme there 1t al said, some fifteen
yOarD before. a Huguenot exile, seem
ln9ty g man Of education and birth. He
ahkilt his castle of refuge on q knoll
Syerlookin the sheltered bay, hoping
ynefe 70 find h liberation denied him
IN his native land. The edict OF
Nantes had been revoked by King
Louis, and thousands of exiled French
men Of ! and low degree sought
;gneW fortunes in newer lands.
Many had reached America. and
0e1rove with energetic swords and ra-
DaciOus walletsto wrest blood and gold.
md fame from whatever source they
might.
This man alone OF all those first, ex-
Dsorers had shown M disposition to
oeArch u hidden treasures OF the will
0arness, to prey upon the natives. He.
oecame their friend and not their plum
sdefer.
His quiet life,Shis Kindness, his char
Aty. his knowledge IL simple arts OF
nealing. SO sendeared him to every war
ring faction THAT al his house h
h Ch0ctaw and the Chickasaw. the Span
1t alike I'm peace So the needless
t0rttncattons fell Into unrepaired de-
Many an afternoon / had padded
octo1s the bay and spent q quiet hour
Nth him. al Tar from the Jars and dis
4 eord OF Biloxi as II we were In some
-oeher world.
- this night, we drew near the
q we saw no signs of life save the
@cAlnks OF light creeping beneath III
s0oor. ! raped, and$hts voice babe me
enter.
The master sat at his table in the
oenter OF great room, about which
yere q number of surgical and scien-
! instruments, all objects of mis-
eI0st to my Indian friends.
These curious weapons OF destruc-
4 ION or of witchcraft, for 30 the In
-Atat1s regarded them, contributed to
lneke him an object of fear, which
s1Oubtless did much to strengthen his
influence among the tribes.
he was at this time somewhat more
than go. slender and rather above the
sodium height. With his usual grave
courtesy he welcomed us and readily
teamed the small pirogue necessary to
carry our party across the bay.
Cha Indians were r~estless and the
4 governor waited. so / only thanked our
AOst and turned to go.
He rose and laying his hand upon
~ arms detained me. Wait, Placide;
an glad you returned this way, for
have long wished to speak with you;
especially do I wish it on this night
so08thts night. Sit down"
Mechanically / obeyed, for / could
there was something of more than
0sual import on his mind. The Indians
I'D withdrawn and the master,
1ecing uncertainty about the room.
Ansed and regarded me fntently, as If
sAe almost regretted his invitation to
stay. After several efforts he abruptly
began:
I fear 1 have not very long to live,
and dread to meet death, leaving a
solemn duty u~nperformed. 1t is of this
u would speak"
/ listened In silence. He spoke hur-
nedly. as though he doubted his reso-
k0tion to tell 1t all.
you. and every one in these colonies
1rnOw me only as Colonel d'Ortez, the
AuguenOt refugee. So I nave been
known by the whites ever since I came
Aere to escape persecution at home,
-and to get forever beyond the sound
- q name which has become hateful to
,Aa-my own.
.'The Counts d,Artin have been al
Dcoud race In France for centuries. yet
T the last d,Artin. find the name too
,4keat burden to bear with me in
shameful silence to my grave. See
shis.. and he took from his throat a
uearl-studded locket. swung by q sub
0tantial gold chain, which he opened |
and handed to me. Inside were the
arms Of q noble family exquisitely blaz-
0ned upon q silver shield.
What Is it; what device is there?"
knew something of heraidry and
EaAd aloud without hesitation the
hearings upon the shield. prominent
among whihc were three wolves heads.
.ehevroned. supported by two black
wolves. rampant, h coronet and motto
~Praeclare factum."
Aye he unused half coherently, I
the wolf; tits h crest of the d,Artins.
.quSrteredt with those OF many OF the
most ancient houses of France. 30 do
sei1ose .rms appear. to men. But see."
FL n 4, R.-- -