The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-10-05
CHAPTER XXI.
MAIZE.

Ola! Jean breDOeuI, called out Du
Mesne to that worthy, who presently
appeared, breathing hard from his
climb up the river bluff. Know you
what has been concluded?"
mo; how should guess?" replied
Jean Breboeuf. "Or, at least, IL I
should guess, what else should guess
save that we are to take boat at once
and set back to Montreal as fast as we
may? But that-what is this? Whose
house Is that yonder?"
'''Tis our own, mon enfant," re-
piled Du Mesne, dryly. "'Twas perhaps
the property of the Iroquois a moon
ago. A moon before that time the soil
1t stands on belonged to the Illini.
To-day both house and soil belong to
us. See; here stood the village. There
are the cornfelds, cut and trampled by
the Iroquois. Here are the kettles of
the natives"
But, but-why-what is all this?
Why do we not hasten away?" broke
in Jean Breboeuf.
"Pish! We do not go away. We re-
main where we are"
AS0udAA: 0Idy uSIS, duU Dc cdLeu
by the Iroquois? Nay! not Jean Bre-
boeuf."
Du Mesne smiled broadly at his ter
rors, and dry grin even broke over
the features of the impassive old trap
per, Tete Girls.
mot SO fast with your going away,
Jean, my brother" said Du Mesne.
"Thourt ever limiting of corn and the
bean; now see what can be done In
this garden-place of the Iroquois and
the Illini. You are appointed head
gardener for the post!"
"Messieurs, me VOLTA" said Jean
Breboeuf, dropping His hands in de-
spair. Were not the bravest man in
all New France should leave you at
this moment. 1t is mad, quite mad you
are, every one of you! 1, Jean Bre-
boeuf, will remain, and, if necessary,
will protect. Corn. and perhaps the
bean, We shall have; perhaps even
some Of those little roots that the saw
ages dig and eat; but, look you, this is
but because you are with one who is
brave. Enfin, go. l bend me to the
hoe, here in this place, like any peas
ant"
can excellent hoe can be made from
the blade bone of an elk, as the wo-
man Wabana will perhaps show you
if you like" said Pierre Noir, derisive-
ly, to his comrade of the paddle.
Gwen SO" said Jean Breboeuf. 81
make me the hoe Could l have but
thee, old Pierre, to sit on stump and
fright the crows away, l make nc
doubt that all would go well with our
husbandry. had as lief go censitaire
for Monsieur Las as for any seignieul
on the Richelieu; of that be sure, ole
Pierre"
Faith" replied the latter, when i;
comes to frightening crows, I'll even
agree to sit on stump with my
musket across my knees and watch
you work. TITS good place for q
sentinel-to keep the crows from pick.
ing yet more bones than these which
will embarrass you in your hoeing
Jean Breboeuf"
He says the Richelieu, nu Mesne,'
broke in John Law, musingly. Every
| AoA away ~ oOuAOo. WOAOCl IL VIZ
shall ever see it again, with its little
narrow farms. But here we have oul
own trails and our own lands, and lei
us hope that Monsieur Jean shall
prosper in his belated farming. AnG
now, for the rest of us, we must lool
presently to the building of oul
| houses"
Thus began, slowly and in primitive
fashion, the building of one of the first
cities of the vast valley Of the Mes.
sasebe; the seeds of civilization taking
hold spon the ground of barbarism
the one supplanting the other, yet
availing itself of that other. AS the
white men took over the crude fields
of the departed savages, so also they
appropriated the imperfect edifice
which the conquerors of those savages
i had lett for them. II was in littis the
story of old England herself, buildec
upon the races and the runs of Briton,
and Roman, and Saxon, of Dane and
Norman.
Under the direction Of Law. the walls
Of the old " AT house we're strengthened