Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-09-22


feel the heft OF gun and 10 smell the
trees round ne" said Amos. why.
IL cannot be more than hundred
leagues from here 10 Albany or Sche-
nectady right through the forest"
AYE. lad. but how is the gal to walk
hundred leagues through n foressl
No, no; let US keep water under our
keel and lean on the Lord"
Then there is only one way for H.
We must make the Richelieu river and
keep right along to Lake ChampIaLn
and Lake ST. Sacrement. There we
should be close by the headwaters OF
the Hudson"
1T is a dangerous road" said DE
Catinat. who understood the converse
ton OF his companions even when be
was unable TO Join In IL. I'VE should
need to skirt the country OF the Mo
hawks"
1T is the only one. I guess 1t Is
that or nothing"
And 1 have q friend upon the Rich
ellen river who. am sure. would help
us on our way said De Catinat, with
q smile. You have heard me talk OF
Charles de la Noue. Selgneur dc Ste.
Marie. His selgnsury lies on the Rich
ellen. a little to the south of Fort st.
Louis"
''Good!' cried Amos. eff we have a
friend there we shall do well That
cllnches IL. then, and We shall hold fast
by the river"
And so for long week the little par
~ toiled up the great waterway, keep
ing ever TO the southern bank. where
there were fewer ciearings. The clear
ings radiated out from the villages,
and every cottage WIS built with an
eye 70 the military necessities of the
whole. so that the defense might make
a stand at all points and might finally
center upon the stone manor house and
the mill.
At every step Ia this country.
whether the traveller were on the St
! down upon the banks OF the Missis-
sippi or south In the country OF tho
Cherokees and OF the Creeks, he would
still ind the inhabitants In the same
| state Of dreadful expectancy and from
| the same cause. The Iroquols, as they
| were named by the French. or the
I Five Nations. as they called them
selves hung like a cloud over the whole
great continent.
For half century these tribes had
! nursed a grudge toward the French
since Champlain and some OF his fol-
lowers had taken part with their enc
miles against them. During all these
years they had brooded In their forest
villages, flashing out now and again
in some border outrage. but waiting
for the most part until their chance
should come. And now Il seemed 10
them that IL had come They had de-
stroyed all the tribes who might have
allied themselves with the white men.
They had Isolated them. They had
supplied themselves with good guns
and plenty or ammunition from the
Dutch and English OF New York. The
long. thin line OF French settlements
! lay naked before them.
Such was the situation as the little
party OF refugees padded along the
bank OF the river. seeking the only
| path which could lead them 70 peace
and 10 freedom. Yet Il was, as they
well knew. dangerous road TO fol
low. All down the Richelieu We're the
| outpoSts and blockhouses OF the
| French. The blockhouses themselves
might hold their own, but 20 the little
party who had TO travel down from
| one 10 the other the situation was full
OF deadly peril. 1t was true that the
| Iroquois were not at war with the
English, but they would discriminate
little when on the warpath. and the
Americans. even had they wished 10
do so. could not separate their fate
from that OF their two French com
panions.
AS they assembled the St. Lawrence
they met many canoes coming down.
| More than once these wayfarers
wished to have speech with the fugi-
| lives, but they pushed onward, disre-
! garding their signs and halls. From
| below nothing overlook them, for they
padded from early morning until late
az night
/ On the seventh day they rested at q
point but a few miles from the mouth
Of the Richelieu river. where a large
| blockhouse. Fort RichelIeu, had been
built by NJ. de Saurel. Once past this
| they had no great distance TO go "a
reach the seigneury or De Catinat's
| friend OF the noblesse, who would help
them upon their way. They had spent
the night upon little island in mid.
| stream, and at early dawn they were
about TO thrust the canoe out again
| from the sand lined cove In which she
lay when Ephraim Savage growled in
his throat and pointed out across the
| water.
4 large canoe was coming mp the
river, flying along as quick as Dozen
arms could drive IT. In the stern sat
dark figure. which bent forward with
every swing OF the paddles as chougi
| consumed by eagerness to push on
ward. Even at that distance there
was no mistaking It, 1t was the fanat
ical monk whom they had left behind
| them.
Concealed among the brushwood
they watched their pursuers fly pas
and vanish round curve In a stream
| Wed have done better either to pui
II hN