Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-02-09
CHAPTER XIII.
THE BRINK OF CHANGE

Inc breath OF autumn came lnCO the
air. The little flowers which had dot
ted the grassy robe of the rolling hills
had long since faded away under the
ardent sun, and now there appeared
only the denuded stalks Of the null
leins and the Haunting banners Of the
goldenrod. The wild grouse shrank
from the edges of the little fields and
joined their numbers into general
bands, which night and morn crossed
the country on sustained and strong
winged fight. The plumage Of the
young wild turkeys, stalking in droves
among the open groves, began to emu
late the iridescent splendors Of their
elders. The marshes above the village
became the home Of yet more numer-
GUS thousands of clamoring wild fowl.
and high up against the blue there
passed, on the southbound journey,
the harrow of the wild geese, vending
their way from north to south across
an unknown empire.
A chill came into the waters Of
the river, SO that the bass and pike
sought out the deeper pools. The
squirrels busily boarded up supplies Of
the nuts now ripening. The antlers Of
the deer and the elk which emerged
from the concealing thickets now
showed no longer ragged strips of vel
vet, and their tips were polished in the
preliminary fitting for the fall season
of love and combat. There came nights
when the white frost hung heavy upon
all the bending grasses and the broad
leafed plants, a frost which scared the
maize leaves and set aflame the foliage
of the naples all along the streams,
and decked in hundred famboyant
tones the leaves Of the sumach and all
the climbing vines
AS all things now presaged the COM
ing winter, SO there approached also
the time when the little party, SO long
\ companions upon the western trails,
| must for the first time know division.
Du Mesne, making ready for the re-
| turn trip over the unknown waterways
back to the lakes, as had been deter
mined to be necessary, spoke OF it as
though the journey were but an affair
of every day.
Make no doubt, Monsieur Las"
said he, that shall ascend this river
| of the Illini and reach Michiganon we'll
| before the SHOWS. Once at the mission
of the Miamis, or the village at the
river Chicaqua, shall be quite safe
for the winter, if decide not to go
farther on. Then, in the spring, I
make no doubt, shall be able to trade
our furs at the straits. if like not the
/ long run down to the Mountain. Thus,
/ you see, may be with you again some
time within the following spring."
81 hope it may be so, my friend
replied Law, "for shall miss you sad
ly enough"
"'Tis nothing, monsieur; you will
be well, occupied. Suppose take with
I1Ic-1xcsre11SII4I ana 1xduay an, perhaps
also Tete Girls. That will give us four
paddlers for the big canoe, and you
will still have left Pierre Noir and
Jean, to say nothing Of our friends the
Illini hereabout, who Will be glad
enough to make cause with you in case
Of need. will leave Wabana for
madame, and trust she may prove OF
service. See to it, pray you, that she
observes the Offices of the church; for
methinks, unless watched, Wabana is
disposed to become careless and un-
Christfanized."
This will look to-" said Law,
smiling.
.'Then all is WELL" resumed Du
sMesne, "and my absence will be but a
little thing, as we measure 1t on the
trails. You may find winter alone in
the wilderness bit dull for you, may
hap duller than were 1t in London, or
even in Quebec. Yet twill pass, and
in time we shall meet again. Perhaps
some good father will be wishing to
come back with me to set up mis-
sion among the Illini. These good
fathers, they so delight in losing fin
gers, and ears, and noses for the good
of the church-though where the
church be glorified therein some
times cannot say. Perhaps some leech
-mayhap some artisan"
Nay, it's too far spot, Du Mesne,
to tempt others than ourselves"
upon the contrary rather, Monsieur
Las. 1t is matter for laughter to see
the efforts of Louis and his ministers
to keep New France chained to the
st. Lawrence! Yet my good lord gov
ernor might as well puff out his cheeks
against the north wind as to try to
keep New France from pouring west
into the Messasebe; and as much might
be said for those good rulers Of the
English colonies, who are seeking ever
to keep their people east of the ALLIE
l ghanies."
"'Tis the old world over again,
there in the st. Lawrence" said Law.
| Right you are, Monsieur Las" ex-
claimed Du Mesne. New France is
but an extension Of the family Of
Louis. The intendant reports every
thing to the king Monsieur So-and-
SO is married. Very we'll, the king
must know it. Monsieur's eldest
i daughter is making sleeps eyes at
such and such soldier Of the regi-
ment Of the king. Very well, this is
weighty matter, of which the king
must be advised! Monsieur's wife be-
comes expectant of a son and heir.
IT'S meet that Louis the Great should
be advised Of this! Mother Of God!
TITS pretty mess enough back there
on the St Lawrence, where not hen
may cackle over its new-laid egg but
the king must know it, and where not
family has meat enough for its chill
dren to eat nor clothes enough to cover
them. My faith, in that poor medley
Of little lords and lazy vassals, how
can you wonder that the best of us
have risen and taken to the woods!