The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-31

ate hearty breakfast while discussing
what their plans should be for the fu-
rure.
They were not badly provided for their
journey. The captain OF the Glouces-
ter brig in which the Americans had
started from Quebec knew Ephraim
Savage WELL as who did not upon the
New England coast? He had accepted
his bill. therefore, at three months
date. and he had let him have in return
three excellent guns. good supply OF
ammunition and enough money to pro-
vide for all his wants. In this way he
lad hired the canoe and the Indians
and had fitted her with meat and bis
cult TO last them for ten days at the
least
Its like the breath OF life to me to
feel the heft of gun and 10 smell the
trees round me-" said Amos why.
il cannot be more than a hundred
leagues from here TO Albany or Sche-
nectady right through the forest"
Aye. lad. but how Is the gal TO walk
hundred leagues through forest?
No. no: let us keep water under ou-
keel and lean on the Lord
Then there is only one way for IL.
We must make the Richelieu river and
keep right along 10 Lake Champlaiu
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 he
was unable 10 join in it. I'VE should
need TO skirt the country of the Mo-
hawks"
1T is the only one, l guess. 1t is
that or nothing"
And have a friend upon the Rich
ellen river who. am sure. would help
us on our way" said De Catinat. with
a smile. You have heard me talk of
Charles de la Noue Seigneur de Ste.
Marie. His seigneury lies on the Rich
ellen. a little to the south of Fort st.
Louis
Good cried Amos. IF we have a
friend there we shall do we'll. That
clinches 1t. then, and we shall hold fast
by the river"
And so for a long week the little par
ty toiled up the great waterway, keep
ing ever to the southern bank. where
there were fewer clearings. The clear
ings radiated out from the villages,
and every cottage was built with an
eye to the military necessities OF the
whole, so that the defense might make
stand at all points and might finally
center upon the stone manor house and
the mill.
At every step in this country.
whether the traveller were on the ST.
Lawrence or west upon the lakes or
down upon the banks Of the Missis-
sippi or south in the country of the
Cherokees and Of the Creeks, he would
still find the Inhabitants in the same
state Of dreadful expectancy and from
the same cause. The Iroquois. as they
were named by the French, or the
Five Nations, as they called them
selves, hung like cloud over the whole
great continent.
For half a century these tribes had
nursed grudge toward the French
since Champlain and some of his fol-
lowers had taken part with their enc
mics 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 COIue. Anu HOW IL Seeueu W
them that it 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 Of 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 to peace
and to freedom. Yet IL was. as they
well knew, a dangerous road to fol-
low. All down the Richelieu were the
outposts and blockhouses of the
French. The blockhouses themselves
might hold their own. but to the little
party who had to travel down from
one to the other the situation was full
of deadly peril. 1t was true that the
IroQuois We're not at war with the
English, but they would discriminate
little when on the warpath, and the
Americans, even. had they wished to
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-
tives. but they pushed onward, disre-
garding their signs and halls. From
below nothing overlook them, for they
padded from early morning until late
at night.
On the seventh day they rested at a
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 60 to
reach the seigneury OF 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.
A large canoe was coming up the
river. flying along as quick as a dozen
arms could drive it. In the stern sat
a darl- f3Drro which hop< Forx a RI xv{4h