Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-02-15
CHAPTER xY
IN WHICH THE PERILs OF TH
DEEP ARE MET. AND POMPON


CLIMBS A TREE.
Through the long sunny days. past
cape and river-mouth, f1ower-fringed
ton hurried on without let OF him
drance from human foe or Natures adj
verse within. Renee contented herself
with conversing in low tones with her
companion, whilst Tonti from his po-
sition in the bow neither spoke nor
turned his head. On landing he SUI
perintended carefully the erection OF
the bark hut that sheltered the wo-
men for the night and made all ready
for their occupancy. Their meals were
cooked and served as daintily as the
rude means available would alloJ -, the
Mohegan hunter in some mysterious
manner always providing fresh fowl
or fish or tender bird to tempt their
appetite. To him and to Pompon who
served them Renee was all gracious
ness; but Tonti, who cared for every
detail and who, unknown to them,
slept before their door each night, re-
ceived no thanks. He did not attempt
to force himself upon them, maintain
ing always a respectful distance and a
demeanor full of deferential courtesy.
Delightful as. these attentions would
have been from the Tonti she had
first known, they became under the
circumstances anything but agreeable,
almost %unbearable; for it seemed to
Renee that, perceiving, as he must,
| her repugnance for him, he was choos-
ing the most successful way to tor
ture her and render her miserable.
And so the bitterness in her heart for
the man she had once loved in
creased.
At length the distant glimpse of the
walls of Fort Frontenac was hailed
with delight as being the end of the
first stage of their long pilgrimage.
They landed amid the welcome of guns
and shouts of men. Tonti provided the
commanding officers house for the use
of Renee and the nun, and detailed one
of the mission girls to wait upon them.
A slight delay was necessary here in
order to transfer the contents of the
canoes to a small cotton vessel that
was placed at the disposal of Tonti.
across the lake to the Niagara river
and haul the goods to the fort before
Tonti reached it. This would save
some time. He preferred to coast
along the southern shore of the lake
with his party in their canoe, a pro-
cedure less dangerous as well as one
of greater comfort for his passengers.
While these matters were being ar
ranged, Renee and the nun wandered
about the Indian settlement near the
fort, viewing their mode of living with
much interest, as this was the first
glimpse of IN Indian camp that they
had aver had. They we're received
with kindness, and sought to relieve
the %sufferings of two or three of the
old men of the tribe who we're bed
ridden.
One day Renee had allowed the nun
to return to the fort ahead of her and
was odulltCll LIS ulOlS buC SuSC vi li6
lake. She finally stopped at a point
overlooking the water and stood gaz-
ing at the scene spread out before her.
The distant buildings of the fort and
the curling smoke from the fires of
the Indian encampment were the only
signs of human habitation visible.
Behind her, a few yards distant, was
the dark green of the primeval forest,
while in front on Il side stretched
the watery wastes of a great sea. Her
thoughts passed over the restless sur
face of another greater sea to the land
of her birth, and a feeling of loneli-
ness came over her as she realized
her isolated position, and she won
the life that lie bon Dieu had led her
through. The recollection of that
bright day at Choisy came to her
afresh, when in her girlish eagerness
she had penned the words of the song
she had sung; penned them to the
throbbing of a heart newly awakened
to the first tender thrills of a strange,
new passion that seemed to satisfy
all the %yearnings of her nature and
made all things new. Until he
comes" she murmured in a saddened,
dreamy retrospect. All! why had he
not come-or rather, why had he who
had come not proved worthy? Was
love, then, all a dream; were no men
deserving; was there not n who
would merit all that rich store of heart
and mind that she felt was hers to
give? Would he come to her in this
vast wilderness? All! when and who?
Il am come" spoke a familiar voice
in a hesitating tone, and then stopped.
She wheeled quickly about and saw
Tonti standing a few PAGES behind her.
She had been so busted with her own
break through the cover Of the wood
and approach. On his back was a
huge load of small balsam boughs that
he had cut. He threw them down be-
SIDE him, and, removing his cap, con-
tinued:
PARDON me, mademolSelle, II have
frightened you. l have been gather
ing fresh material for your bed hard
by, | fear you have rested i'll on the
solid matted mass you found already
there
Renee's eyes blazed. DO you not
know, monsieur, that your attentions
are distasteful to me, that | would
rather sleep upon the bare ground
than upon a downy couch that you had
prepared" she said.
Tonti was startled at her heat, and
his cheek Redeemed. File answered,
however, in a calm voice:
Il am come, as l was about to tell
you, to thank you for a service rem
dered me, and to ask you to hearken
to the few words l have to say. Will