The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-01


Du Lhist sprana out and buried hi
Ratchet IN the skull OF the 1pdrrior.
Richelieu. The woods will not be safe
l fear, until the partridge berries ar
out once more. You must stay at Ste
Marie until then.
Il had rather stay there forever thar
expose my wife to such devils.''
AYE. devils they are if ever devils
walked upon earth. And now we ar,
on the very borders of the clearing
and the blockhouse lies yonder anon:
the clump of naples. You did no
come as near to Ste. Marie unchal
lenged, and yet De Lannes is as old
soldier as De la Noue. We can scarce
see now. but yonder. near the river, il
where he exercises his men,
HE does SO now" said Amos 81
see dozen of them drawn up in line
at their drill"
mo sentinels, and all the men al
drill"' cried Du Lhut in contempt. 1T
is as you say, however, for / can see
them myself, with their ranks open
! and each as stiff and straight as a
pine stump. One would think. to see
them stand SO still, that there was not
an Indian nearer than Orange"
Du Lhut advanced from the bushes
as he spoke. and the four men crossed
the open ground in the direction Of the
line of men who waited silently for
them in the dim twilight. They We're
within fifty PAGES, and yet none Of
them had raised hand or voice to chal-
lenge their approach. There was some
thing uncanny in the silence, and a
change came over Du ,Lhut's face as
he peered in front of him.
my God"' he screamed Look at
the fort.'
They had cleared the clump of trees,
and the outline of the blockhouse
should have shown up in front of them.
There was no sign of it. 1t was gone.
So unexpected was the blow that
even Du Lhut. hardened from his
childhood to every shock and danger,
stood shaken and dismayed. Then.
with an oath, he ran at the top of his
speed toward the line of figures.
AS they drew nearer they could see
through the dusk that it was not in
deed line. A silent and motionless
officer stood out some twenty PAGES i'm
front of his silent and motionless men.
They We're dashed to low posts with
willow withes, some twenty Of them.
naked all and twisted and screwed in
to every strange shape which an agon-
lied body could assume. For mo- |
ment the four comrades stared in 81 I
lent horror at the dreadful group |
Then each acted as his nature babe
him. De Catinat staggered up against |
q tree trunk and leaned his head upon 4
ial-.
down upon his knees and said some
thing to heaven, with his two clinched
hands shaking up at the darkening
sky; Ephraim Savage examined the
printing of his gun. with frightened
lip and cleaning eye. while Amos
Green, without a word. began to cast
round in circles in search of trail.
But Du Lhut was on his feet again
in moment and running up and down
like sleuthhound, noting a hundred
things which even Amos would have
overlooked. He crcled round the
bodies again and again; then he ran
a little way toward the edge of the
woods and then came back to the char
red ruins OF the bIockhouse.
There is no sign of the women and
Il II
he children to burn at their leisure in
heir villages The women they may /
orture or may adopt, as the humor
axes Them
ASK him, Amos said the seaman. ,
why we are yawing and lacking |
lere when we should be cracking on
III sail to stand after them" s
Du Lhut smiled and shook his head.
Your friend is brave man." said lie.
II he thinks that with four men we
an follow hundred and fifty"
Tell him, Amos. that the Lord will
ear us up said the other excitedly. 4
Say that he will be with us against c
lie children of Jeroboam, and we will d
ut them off utterly
But Du Lhut waved aside the sea u
ans suggestions. I'VE must have !,
ire now" said he. cor we shall lose u
IT own scalps and be the cause Of
lose at Ste. Marie losing theirs as G:
ELL al
ste. Marie.' cried De Catinat rs
ere, then, danger at Ste Marie?" Sc
Aye, they are in the VOLTS mouth Oh
NV. This business was done last W
ght. The place was stormed BY ST
ar party of hundred and fifty men.
lis morning they left and went north
BON foot. They have been cached N
nong the woods all day between Poi W
u and Ste. Marie
Then we have come through them?v
Yes, we have come through them A.
ley would keep their camp today
d send out scouts. Brown Moose lit
d his son were among them and
.uck our trail. Tonight
Tonight they will attack Ste Ma re
-
1t is possible. Aud yet with so WI
all a party 1 should scarce have Ne
ought that they would have dared. co
ELL, we can but hasten back as quick Gle
as we can and give them warning tai
what is hanging over them ar,
md SO they turned for their weary mr.
,kwsrd journey, though their minds tri
re too. fun to spare a thought upon TO