Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-08-25

that is plain" he said, struggling his
shoulders and gazing at the wounded
men writhing in their agony. What
do you suggestT
Captain Farnsworth was q shrewd
officer. He recollected that Philip De-
lean, Justice of Detroit, was on his
way down the Wabash from that post
and probably near at hand with fio-
tilla of men and supplies. Why not
ask for a few days of truce? 1t could
do no harm and if agreed to might be
their salvation. Hamilton jumped at
the thought and forthwith drew up
note which he sent out with a white
flag. Never before in all his military
career had he been SO comforted by
sudden cessation of fighting. His soul
would grovel in spite of him. Alices
cold face now had Beverley's beside 1T
| in his field of inner vision-a double
assurance of impending doom, it SEEM
/ ed to him.
| There was short delay in the arrival
| of Colonel Clark's reply, hastily scrawl-
| ed on a bit of soiled paper. The request
| for truce was fatty refused, but the
| note closed thus:
| eff Mr.. Hamilton is DESTROYS Of a
Conference with Col. Clark, he will
| meet him at the Church with Captn.
| Helms"
| The spelling was not very good, and
| there was a redundancy of capital let
ters, yet Hamilton understood 1t all,
| and it was very difficult for him to
conceal his haste to attend the pro-
| posed conference. But he was afraid
to go to the church-the thought chilled
| him. He could not face Father Beret,
who would probably be there. And
what il there should be evidences of
the funeral? What if?- He shuddered
and tried to break away from the
vision in his tortured brain.
He sent a proposition to Clark to
meet him on the esplanade before the
| main gaze of the fort but Clark de-
| clined, insisting upon the church. And
| thither he at last consented to go. lt
was an immense brace to his spirit to
| have Helm beside him during that
walk, which, although but eighty yards
| in extent, seemed to him a matter Of
leagues. On the way he had to pass
| near the ilcW pOSllioh t0hCh dP ~
| Beverley and his men. 1t was fine
test of nerve when the lieutenants
eyes met those of the governor. Nei-
ther man permitted the slightest change
| of countenance to betray his feelings.
In fact, Beverley's face was as rigid as
marble; he could not have changed it.
Father Beret was indeed present at
the church, as Hamilton had dreaded,
and the two duelists gave each other a
rapier-like eye thrust. Neither spoke,
| however, and Clark Immediately de-
manded a settlement of the matter in
hand He was brusque and imperious
| to a degree, apparently rather anxious
| to repel every peaceful advance.
| 1t was a laconic interview, crisp as
autumn ice and bitter as gall berries.
| Colonel Clark had no respect whatever
for Hamilton, to whom he had applied
the imperishable adjective "hair buyer
| general" On the other hand, Govern
or Hamilton, who felt keenly the dis
| grace of having to equaliZe himself Of.
| ficially and discuss terms of surrender
with a rough backwoodsman, could not
conceal his contempt of Clark.
| The five men Of history, Hamilton,
Helm. Hay, Clark and Bowman, were
not distinguished diplomats. They
went at their work rather after the
hammer and tongs fashion. Clark
bluntly demanded unconditional sur
render. Hamilton refused. They ar
gued the matter. Helm put in his oaE.
trying to soften the situation, as was
his custom on all occasions, and re-
eeived from Clark singing repri-
mand, with the reminder that he was
nothing but prisoner on parole and
had no voice at all In settling the terms
Of surrender.
| 81 release him, sir" said Hamiltc.
HE is no longer prisoner. I am quite
willing to have Captain Helm join
freely In our conference"
"And I refuse to permit his accept
ance of your favor" responded Clark.
Captain Helm, you will return with
Mr.. Hamilton to the fort and remain
his captive until / free you by force.
| Meantime hold your tongue"
Father Beret, suave looking and qui-
1t, occupied himself at the little altar,
apparently altogether Indifferent to
what was being said, but he lost not q
word OF the talk.
"Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat,"
he inwardly repeated, smiling blandly.
"Gaudete in lila die, ct exultate"
Hamilton rose to go; deep lines OF
worry creased his face. But when the
party had passed outside he suddenly
turned upon Clark and said:
| "Why do you demand impossible
terms of meY
III will tell you, SIR" was the stern
answer In tone in which there was
no mercy or compromise. 81 would
rather have you refuse. / desire moth
ing so much as an excuse to wreak full
and bloody vengeance on every man
In that fort who has engaged In the
business Of employing savages to scalp
brave. patriotic men and defenseless
women and children. The cries of the
widows and the fatherless on our from
tiers require the blood Of the Indian
partisans at my hands. IL you choose
to risk the massacre of your garrison
to save those despicable redhanded
| partisans, have your pleasure. What
| you have done you know better than
l do. I have a duty to perform. You
may be able to soften its nature. | may
take it into my head to send for some
Of our bereaved women to witness my
terrible work aud see that 1t Ii well
done if you insist upon the worst"
Major Hay, who was Hamllton's In.
dian agent, now, with some difficulty
clearing his throat, spoke up.
pray, sir" said he, who is II that
| you call Indian partisansf'
Sir" replied Clark, seeing that his
words had gone solldly home, II take
Major Hay to be ono OF the principals" !"
This seemed to strike Hay with
deadly force. Clark's report says that
he was pale and trembling, scarcely
able to stand" and that Hamilton
blushed, and, observed, was much af-
fected ut his behavior" Doubtless IL
the doughty American commanders had
known more about the governors feel
ings Just then he would have added
that AN awful fear, even greater than
the Indian agents did more than any
thing else to congest the veins In hts
face.
The parties s----A without reach