Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-08-22

IN my manu- SO, anu ne Opellcu anu
closed his fingers suggestlvely, ''the
life of the lad"
l had one glimpse of his face as he
leaned forward, and there was a look
in it which made me shudder and turn
away. His was no idle threat, and
whether the man truly loved me or
not, his hatred of D'Artigny was suf-
f1cient for any cruelty.
realized the danger, the necessity
for compromise, and yet for the mo-
ment lacked power to speak, to ques-
ton, fearful lest his demands would
be greater than | could grant. | had
no thought of what 1 saw. and still
that which my eyes rested upon re-
mains pictured on my brain, the spar
kle Of sun on the water, the distant
green Of the shore, the soldiers hud-
died in the canoe, the dark shining
bodies of the Indians ceaselessly ply
ing the paddles, and beyond us, to the
left, another canoe, cleaving the water
swiftly, with Pere Allouez' face turned
toward us, as though he sought to
guess our conversation. l was aroused
by the grip of Cassion's hand.
"Well, my beauty" he said harshly,
haven't 1 waited long enough to learn
if 1t is war or peace between us"
1 laughed. yet 1 doubt If he gained
any comfort from the expression of
the eyes which met his.
EgVyyhu ohaoca noooo 20 oourca mon
sieur," l answered, assuming a care
lessness l was far from feeling. "Am
l not your wife? Surely you remind
me of it often enough, so l am not
likely to forget; but 1 resent the in
suit of your words, nor will you ever
win favor from me by such methods.
l have been friendly with Sieur d Arti-
gny, it is true, but there is nothing
between US. Indeed no word has
passed my lips in his presence l would
not be willing for you to hear. So
there is no cause for you to spare him
on my account, or rest his fate on any
action of mine"
"YOu will have naught to do with
the fellow?''
There would be small chance IL l
wished, monsieur; and do you sup
pose would seek companionship with
one who had killed my uncle?"
"'Twould scarce seem so, yet /
know not what you believe"
Nor do | myself; yet the evidence
is all against the man thus far. l con-
fess l should like to hear his defense,
but make you this pledge in all honor
i will have no word with him. on
condition that you file no charges IN
til we arrive at Fort st. Louis"
"Ahw suspiciously, you think he
has friends there to hold him limo
cent"
"Why should l, monsieur? Indeed,
why should l care but to have justice
done? l do not wish his blood on your
hands, or to imagine that he is con-
demned because of his friendship for
me rather than any other crime.
know not what friends the man has
at the Rock on the Illinois. He was
of La Sales party, and they are nc
longer In control. La Barre said that
De Baugis commanded that post, and
for all l know De Tonty and all his
men may have departed"
"'Tis not altogether true, and for
that reason we are ordered to join the
company. De Baugis has the right OF
it under commission from La Barre
but does not possess sufficient soldiers
to exercise authority. La Sales men
remain loyal to De Tonty, and the In,
dian tribes look to him for leadership
Mon dieu! it was reported in Quebec
that 10000 savages We're living about
the fort-ay! and D'Artigny said he
doubted 1t not, for the meadows were
covered with tepees-so De Baugis has
small chance to rule until he has force
behind him. They say this De Tonty
is of fighting breed-the savages
call him the man with the iron hand
and 80 the two rule between them, the
one for La Barre, and the other fol-
La Sale, and we go to give the gov
errors man more power"
"You have sufficient forcew
besides there is to be an overland par
ty later to join us in the spring and
Sieur de la Durantaye, Of the regi
ment of Carignan-Salliers is at the
Chicago portage. This l learned al
st. Ignace."
"Then 1t would seem to me, mon
sieur, that you could safely wait the
trial of D'Artigny until our arrival al
the fort. If he does not feel himself
suspected, he will make no effort to
escape, and give you the pledge you
ask"
1t was not altogether graciously
that he agreed to this, yet the man
could not refuse, and l was glad
enough to escape thus easily. for II
was my fear that he might insist on
my yielding much more to preserve
D'Artigny from immediate condemna-
ton and death. The fellow had the
power, and the inclination, and what
good fortune saved me, l can never
know. / think he felt a certain fear
of me, doubt of how far he might
presume on my good nature.
Certainly l gave him small encour.
agement to venture further, and yet
had he done so l would have been al
nv wits end. Twice the words were
upon his lips-a demand that yield
to his mastery-but he must have read
in my eyes a defiance he feared to
front, for they were not uttered. Twas
that he might have this very talk that
he had found me place alone in his
canoe. and 1 would have respected
him more had he dared to carry out
his desire The coward in the man
was too apparent, and yet that very
cowardice was proof of treachery.
What he hesitated to claim boldly be
would attain otherwise if he could.
could place no confidence in his word,
nor reliance upon his honor.