The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-04-11
CHAPTER XVI.
| Hold a Prisoner.


turned, and remained standing, lean
ing on my rife. The man continued
to stare up at me as if half doubling
his own eyesight.
Well" l said at last, growing tired
Of his silence. You have my story
or, at least, good part of it-and now
it would seem the proper time for me
each other we will know better how
TO proceed
He pressed his hands against his
head in an endeavor to think.
Il was in there, unconscious and
alone?"
mo, not alone; there was a yellow
faced negro with yOu-a French mon
grel, if l know the breed. He's there
yet-dead; and l want to know the
story"
"Oh, ay! l begin to get the straight
of this at last" and his face bright
ened. Not that it is altogether clear,
but you furnish clue; perhaps if we
put the ends together we may make
a tale. A French negro, hey! IT would
likely be the Kaskaskia haIf-breed, a
treacherous whiskered dog. But how
ever did he come to be here? Ay! l
have it! The fellow must have trailed
me from the council at Sandusky, sus-
pecting l sought D'Auvray; there was
hate between them"
Then t is likely he killed the man"
mo doubt of it, if he really be
killed. Listen to what | know; in
truth it is not much other than rumor;
D'Auvray had the fellow dashed by
Wyandot squaws for some dirty trick,
and Picaud-thats his name-swore
vengeance. Saint Denis! That was a
year ago, and Picaud has ever since
been in his own country. IT was the
coming of war that brought him back
| thought | saw him at Sandusky as
we held council there, but his presence
was nothing to me-"
He had no quarrel with you, then ?"
NO; l saw him whipped; he was
like a snarling cur. Listen, and I'll
tell all | know. | am not proud of my
job, understand, but out here in the
wilderness, we work under a double
set of orders-one open and above
board, the other secret IT is poor
work for soldier, but there's no help
for it, except to resign, and then some
one else would turn the trick. You
know the game we play-our countries
at peace, this land formally surren-
dered to you Americans, and yet there
comes to us-to Hamilton-private in
CT +n I'd
tain our military posts. Lord knows
what the ministry means, what they
hope to gain by delay: we are only
pawns in the game being played yet
what England says, we do. Yet how ?
There is only one weapon left to our
hands-the savages. We cannot fight
you openly, much as we might prefer,
hostile, we can hold back your settle
ments to the Ohio, until England can
act openly. You knew all this ?"
Yes" | acknowledged. The policy
is clear enough"
And it was easily enough carried
out" he went on, but for the Wyan-
dots. We-were hand in glove with the
=.
/ Our emissaries were in all their vii
lagos, and made the chiefs presents
and promises. Raiding parties Of
young warriors swept through the for
ests clear 70 the Ohio. doing much
damage, and driving the whites to
their forts. But we needed open war.
the alliance Of all the tribes, and we
were blocked in this-the Wyand0ts
refused. l was sent there, and when
faii5d, Hamilton went himself, but
with no better success. You know the
reason?"
I shook my head. afraid to interrupt
for fear he might remember how con
victing such a confession was. and re,
fuse to continue. But apparently the
man failed TO conceive the depraylty
of his acts.
The influence OF D'Auyray-ay
and that daughter of his. Saint Denis
/ but l believe she was the worst Of the
two. actually made love to the witch
+ hoping thus to win her over to OuI
side, although even the loye-making
might have been serious in the end, il
she would even listen. But you know
! the lass, you say?''
We have met, yes; a fine girl TO my
/ thought, despite her drop OF Indian
. blood"
! "Ay! Fine enough" with quick
/ glance Of suspicion, and hardening OF
/ the mouth, for those who like that
/ kind. To my mind it makes a bad
/ combination, French and Indian, and
! worse yet when adulterated by religion
/ might have married her-whC
| knows" Struggling his shoulders, but
| she certainly wouldn't listen 10 any
! thing else. Lord, the wench was proud
| as Lucifer: az. and laughed in ny