Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-05-09

bullet at least had gon home, but
there was little to aim at save a puff
and fash from among the leaves or the
shadowy figure of n warrior seen for
an instant as he darted from one tree
trunk to the other. Seven of the Cana
dans had already been hit, but onj.,
three We're mortally wounded. The
other four still kept m|anfully to their
loopholeS. The women sat i'm a line
upon the ground. beneath the level OF
the holes. each with IA saucerful of bul-
lets and a canister Of powder. passing
up the loaded guns 10 the fighting men.
1t first the attack had been all upon
the south face, but as fresh bodies of
the IroquOis came up their line spread
and heightened until the whole east
face was girt with fire. which gradual
ly %enveloped the north also, The fort
was ringed in by IA great loop OF smoke
" only where the broad river flowed
past them. over near the farther bank
the canoes were lurking. and one. man
ned by ten warriors, attempted 10 pass
up the stream, but a good shot from
the brass gun dashed in her side and
sank her. while a second o. grape left
only -four of the swimmers, whose high
scalp locks stood out above the water
like the back fins Of some strange fish.
On the inland side, however, the seign-
eur had ordered the cannon to be
served no more. for the broad embra-
sures drew the enemy's fire, and of the
nen who had been struck half were
among those who worked the guns.
The old nobleman strutted about
with his white ruflles and his clouded
cane behind the line Of parched, smoke
grimed men, tapping his snuffboX and
shooting out his little jests.
what do you think of it, Du Lhut?"
he asked.
"They seem to be drawing closer
upon the east face, and l think that
they will make Il rush there before
long said Du Lhut.
The fire had indeed grown much
tiercer upon the side which was de-
Tended by De Catinat, and it was plain
that the main force of the ~IroquoiS
was gathered at that point. From
ONNl. W "iu III LIN NiNil anu
bush came the red fash with the gray
halo, and the bullets sang in a contin.
uous stream through the loopholes.
Amos had whitfield a little hole for
himself about a foot above the ground
and lay upon his face, loading and
firing in his own quiet, methodical
fashion. Beside him stood Ephraim
Savage, his mouth set grimly, his eyes
flashing from under his down drawn
brows and his whole soul absorbed in
the shifting of the Amalekites. De
Catinat was bearing himself like an
experienced soldier, walking up and
down among his men with short words
of praise or precept-those fire words.
rough and blunt, which bring a glow
to the heart and a flush to the cheek.
Seven of his men were down, but as
the attack grew fiercer upon his side
it ~slackened upon the others, and the
s%eigneur, with his son and Du Lhut,
brought ten men to re-enforce him. De
la Noue was holding out his snuffbox
to De Catinat when a shrill scream
from behind them made them both
look round. Omega, the Indian wife,
vas wringing her hands over the body
of her SOB A glance showed that the
bullet had pierced his heart and that
he was dead.
For an instant the old nobleman's
thin face grew a shade paler and the
hand which held out the little gold box
shook like a branch in the wind.
"The De la Noues always die upon
the field of honor he remarked. Il
think that we should have some more
men In the angle by the gun"
And now it became clear why 1t was
that the Iroquois had chosen the eass-
ern face for their main attack. 1t was
that the clump Of cover lay midway
between the edge of the forest and
the stockade. A storming party could
creep as far as that and gather there
for the final rush. First one crouch
ing warrior and then a second and
then a third darted across the little
belt Of open space and threw them
selves down among the bushes. The
fourth vas hit and lay with his back
broken a few PAGES out from the edge
Of the wood, but a stream of warriors
continued to venture the passage until
t~hirty-siX had got across, and the little
patch of underwood was full of Turk
ing savages. Amos Green's time had
come.
From where he lay he could see the
white patch where he had cut the bark
from the birch sapling, and he knew
that Immediately underneath it lay the
powder bag. He sighted the mark and
then slowly lowered his barrel until he
had got to the base of the little tree as
nearly as he could guess it among the
tangle of bushes. The bullet penetrat-
ed the bag. and there was an explo-
sion which shook the manor house and
swayed the whole line of stout stock
AIDES a though they were cornstalks
In a breeze. Up to the highest sum
mits of the trees went the huge column
Of blue smoke, and after the first roar
there was a deathly silence. which was
broken by the patter and thud of fall
ing bodies.
The blow was a heavy one. OF the
thirty-six warriors, all picked for their
valor, only four regained the shelter of
the woods and those so torn and shat
tered that they were spent men. AL
ready the Indians had lost heavily. and
this fresh disaster made them recon
slider their plan of attack. Their fire
gradually slackened.
SIS 1t possible that they are going to
ohondnn The otta al, ~, ar;aI M Cotfna+