Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-01-21

that this chivalror king of ours. this
degenerate grandson of Henry the
Great, should think of selling for few
paltrX livres such an heritage as this.
Shame to YOU Louis, shame"
His tone had grown SO loud, SO per-
emptory, l interrupted:
Caution, sire; who knows what tat
tiers ears are listening, or where your
thoughtless words may be repeated
He stood moodily With hands behind
him gazing into the fire. For years l
had known Bienville the soldier, the
stern and unyielding governor, with the
hand of iron and the tongue of suasion.
Now | saw for the first time Bienville
the man, Bienville the visionary, Bien-
vile the enthusiast, the dreamer of
dreams and the builder of castles. I
watched him in amazement.
Then these miserable women whom
our good father the Bishop of Quebec,
was so kind as to send us, bringing
from their house of correction all the
airs and graces OF a court Bringing
hither their silly romances of land
of plenty; they VOW they came not
here to work and by the grace of God,
work they will not. They declare they
are not horses to eat of the corn of the
fields, and clamor for their dear Paris
IAN dainties. Against such petticoat
insurrection the governor is helpless.
Bah! it sickens me. j wonder not that
our men prefer the Indian maidens,
for they at least have common sense.
But by my soul, captain, here i stand
and rant like some schoolboy mouthing
his speech. rush, it is forgotten.
Tell me, Captain deNlouret, what
have you learned of the Chickasaws,
for our time grows short"
Glad to change the current of his
thoughts went on in detail to give the
results of my reconnaissance. Every
where we found preparations among
the allied tribes, and felt sure we saw
signs of q secret understanding be-
tween them and the Spaniard.
The governor made many notes, and
carefully examined the charts L had
drawn of the Chickasaw towns, sys-
tematically marking down the strength
and Qualifications of each. When ! had
finished my report we sat for quite a
while he silent and thoughtful, watch
ing the thin blue smoke eddy round and
round then dart up the capacious
chimney
And they charge me at the court of
France" he soliloquiZed, giving half I'M
conscious expression TO the matter up
permost in his mind they charge me
at the court of France, what no man
save my king dare say to me-that
divert the public funds to my own use.
j, a LIE Moyne, who spend my own pr
waite fortune in protecting and feeding
these ungrateful people. But we waste
time in words, like TWO chattering old
women. We need ships and money and
men-men who fight like gentlemen for
glory, not deserters and convicts who
fight unwillingly under the lash for
gold.
What can I do with troops who
would as gladly spoil Biloxi as Havana :?
Captain de Mouret, you will sail on
lie Dauphin tomorrow at daylight Place
these dispatches in my brother
Serigny's hands Immediately upon your
arrival. From that time forward act
under his Instructions. Remember, sir.
your mission is a secret one"
/ knew we'll the name he gave me,
for next to Ibervil!e, Serigny was re-
puted the most accomplished of all the
lie Moynes. To his fame as soldier,
his attachments as Il scholar, he added
the easy grace of the courtier. His
position at the court of Louis gave him
great prestige throughout the colonies;
he being sort of adviser to the king
on colonial affairs, or so we all then
thought him. Little did I then know
how scant was the heed paid by power
and ambition to real merit and soldier
ly virtues.