The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-03
CHAPTER XNIN.
CHAPTER XXIv.
wv WHAT had occurred is easily
KAG explained. The watchers in
" the windows at the front


found that it was more than
flesh and blood could endure to remain
waiting at their posts while the fates
OF their wives and children were being
decided at the back. All was quiet at
the stockade and the Indians appeared
TO be as absorbed as the Canadians III
what was passing upon the river. one
by one, therefore, the men on guard
had crept away and had assembled at
the back to cheer the shot and to groan
as the remaining canoe sped like
bloodhound down the river in the wake
of the fugitives. But the sayages nal
one at their head who was as full or
wiles and resource as Du Lhut him
self. The Flemish Bastard had
watched the house from behind the
stockade as a dog watches rat hole,
and lie had instantly discovered that
the defenders had left their post. With
n score of other warriors he raised
great log from the edge of the forest,
and, crossing the open space unchal-
lenged. he and his men rushed it
against the door with such violence
as to crack the bar across and tear
the wood from the hinges. The first
intimation which the survivors had or
the attack was the crash of the door
and the screams of two of the negli-
gent watchmen who had been seized
and scalped in the hall. The whole
basement floor was in the hands of the
Indians, and De Catinat and his enemy
the friar were cut off from the foot of
the stairs.
Fortunately, however, the manor
houses of Canada were built with the
one idea of defense against Indians,
and even now there were hopes for
the defenders. A wooden ladder which
could be drawn up in case OF need
hung down from the upper windows to
the ground upon the river side. De
Catinat rushed round to this, followed
Ivy the friar He felt for the ladder In
the darkness. 1t was gone.
Then, indeed, his heart sank in de-
spair. Where could he fly to? The
boat was destroyed. The stockades
lay between him and the forest, and
they were III the hands of the Iroquois.
Suddenly he heard voice from some
where In the darkness above him.
"Give me your gun, lad" it said. Il
see the loom of some of the heather
down by the WALL
'.It is /, 1t is I, Amosv' cried De
Catinat. Down with the lac Ter or I
am dead man.
''ITave q care. 1t may be a ruse,"
said the voice of Du Lhut.
NO. no: III answer for it.' cried
Ario.s. end an instant later down came
the ladder. De Catinat and the friar
rushed M It, and they hardly had their
feet upon the rungs when Il swarm of
warriors burst out from the door and
poured along the river bank.
II was very small band who now
held the last point to which they could
retreat. Only nine of them remained
the seigneur. Du Lhut. the two Ameri
cans. the friar. De Catinat. Theuriet
the major domo and two of the censi-
taires. The stone staircase ran straight
up from the kitchen to the main hall,
and the door which had been barricad-
ed across the lower part by two mat |
tresses commanded the whole fight.
The cards were still laid out at one
end of the table, with the tricks over |
tapping each other, as they had left |
them. But there was something else |
there of more interest to them, for the
breakfast had not been cleared away, |
and they had been fighting all day
with hardly bite or sup. Even when /
face to face with death Nature still |
cried out for her dues, and the hungry
men turned savagely upon the loaf,
the ham and the cold wild duck A
little cluster of wine bottles stood upon
the buffet. and these had their necks
off and were emptied down
parched Threats.
For four hours sounds of riot. of
and of reveling rose up from
the storehouse. and the smell of the
open brandy casks filed the whole air.
More than once the savages quarreled
and fought among themselves. and it
seemed as if they had forgotten their
enemies above, but the besieged soon
found that if they attempted to pre-
sumo upon this they were as closely
watched as ever. The major domo,
Theuriet, passing between a Ioophole
and light. was killed instantly by
bullet from the stockade. and both
Amos and the old seigneur had narrow
escapes.
Slowly the light crept up the eastern
SKY, u iitllt line OF pedri, tueu Il Danu
Of pink. broadening. stretching. spread
ng. until it shot its warm color across
the heavens. tingeing the edges of the
drifting clouds. De Catinat stood at
the window looking out when suddenly |
ais eyes fell on dark spot upon the
river to the north of them
There is canoe coming upr' he
.rieJ.
In an instant they had all rushed to
he opening, but Du Lhut sprang after
hem and pulled them angrily toward
he door. do you wish to die before
FOUR timer he cried.
"Aye. aye"' said Captain Ephraim,
Who understood the gesture if not the
words. I'VE must leave a watch on
leck. Amos, lad, lie here with me
ind be ready if they show"
The two Americans and the old pio-
leer held the barricade. while the eyes
II all the others We're turned upon the
approaching boat. A groan broke sud-
lenly from the only surviving censi-
aire.
"It is an Iroquois canoe"' he cried.
"Impossibler'
"Alas your excellency ii is so and