Mexico Missouri message., 1916-09-21
CHAPTER XV-contlnued.

Madame casson, D'Artigny and
9arbeau are making their way In ca
noe and on foot to Fort ST. Louis.
was but girl in years, excitement
was still to me a delight, and | had
listened to so many tales, romantic,
wonderful. of this wilderness fortress.
perched upon a rock, that my vivid
Imagination had weaved about It an
atmosphere of marvel. The beauty of
the view from its palisades, the vast
concourse of Indians encamped on the
plains below. and those men guarding
its safety-the faithful comrades of
La Sale In explorations of the I'M
known, De TOnty, Boisrondet, and all
the others, had long since become to
my mind the incarnation OF romantic
adventure. Wilderness born, I could
comprehend and appreciate their tolls
and dangers. and my dreams centered
about this great, lonely rock, on which
they had established a home. But the
end was not yet. Just below the con-
fiuence of the rivers there was a vii
lage of the TamarOas, and the PROV
of our canoe touched the bank. while
D'ArtIgny stepped ashore amid n
'tangle OF low-growing bushes, that he
might have speech with some of the
warriors, and thus learn conditions at
the fort. With his foot on the bank.
he turned laughing, and held out his
hand to me-
Come, madame" he said, pleasant
~, you have never seen village Of
our western tribes; it will interest
you"
Joined him gladly, my limbs feel
ing awkward under me, from long
cramping In the boat, yet the climb
was not difficult, and he held back the
.boughs to give me easy passage. Be-
yond the fringe OF brush there was an
open space, but as we reached this,
both paused, stricken dumb by horror
at the sight which met our view. The
ground before US was strewn with
dead, and mutiIated bodies, and was
black with ashes where the tepees had
been burned, and their contents scat
tered broadcast.
Never before had seen such view
of devastation, of relentless, savage
cruelty. and gave utterance to a sud
den sob, and shrank back against
ID'Artigny's arm, hiding my eyes with
my hand. He stood and stared, mo
itionless, breathing heavily, uncon
isclously gripping my arm.
"Mon Dieu!" he burst forth, at last
'"What meaneth this? Are the wolve:
again loose in the valleyf"
He drew me back, until we wc-'
iboth concealed behind a fringe o.
leaves, his whole manner alert. ever!
instinct of the woOdsman Instant!
awakened.
"Remaln here hidden" he whis
lpered, until I learn the truth; w
lmay face grave peril below"
He left me trembling and white
Tipped, yet / made no effort to re
,strain him. The horror of those dea'
bodies grlpped me, but would no
have him know the terror which he'll
me captive. With utmost caution b
icrept forth, and lay In the shadoJ
OF the covert, watching his move
ments. Body after body he al
preached, seeking some victim alive
and able to tell the story. But Their
was none. At last he stood cree
satisfied that none beside the dea
were on that awful spot and cam
back to me. T.
mot one lives" he said soberly
''and there are men, women, and chi
!dren there. The story Is one easil
told--an attack at daylight from tn
woods yonder. There has been n
Sighting; a massacre Of the heIpIes
and unarmed"
'"But who did such deed Of blood
"'Tis the work of the Iroquois; Il
way they scalped tells that and b.
sides saw other signs"