Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-09-19
and grasped me. lifting me partly to

49, SA"oPSu LIZ NUNS nc pa Nv W
my feet
Mon Dieu. a woman" he exclaimed
in startled voice. what meais this.
in heavens name?'
Quick" ! gssped. breaking away.
able now to stand on my own feet.
/ They are lighting lthere-tWo white
4 mend Artigny--"
What Rene! Ay. lads. to the res
cue! Cartier, take the lady within.
| Come with me. you Others"
/ They swept psSt me. the leader well
in advance. l Felt the rush as they
passed, and had glimpse of vague fig
ures ere they disappeared in the dark
ness. Then l fsas alone. except for
I the bearded solder who grasped my
arm.
Who was tlatg" I asked, "the man
who led?'
"Boisrondet Francois de Boisron
det."
An officer IF La Sales? You. then,
are of his cotnpany?"
Il am" bit proudly, "but most of
the lads yonder belong with De Bau-
gis. Now we hight a common foe, and
forget our own quarrel Did you say
Rene d'Artigny was in the fighting
yonder?"
Eyes; he and a soldier named Bar
beau"
The fellow stood silent, shifting his
feet
Twas told us he was dead" he
said finally, with effort "Some more
of La Barrels men arrived three days
ago Dy boat, under a popinjay they call
Cassion to recruit De Baugis' forces
De la Durantaye was with him from
the portage. so that now they out
number us three to one. You know
this Cassion, madame?"
! GAY, l Travelled with his party from
Montreal"
"Ah, then you will know the truth
no doubt De Tonty and Cassion were
at swords points over a charge the
latter made against Rene d'Artigny-
that he had murdered one of the party
at st. Ignace."
Hugo Chevet, the fur trader"
cay, that was the name. We of La
Sales company know it to be a lie
Sacre! l have served with that lad
two years. and it's not in his nature
to knife any man in the back And
so De Tonty said, and he gave Cas-
sion the lie straight in his teeth.
heard their words, and but for De
Baugis and De la Durantaye. Fran
co.'s Cassion would have paid well for
his false tongue. Now you can tell
him the truth"
81 shall do that, but even my word
l fear, will not clear D'Artigny of the
charge. 1 believe the man to be limo
cent; in my heart there is no doubt
yet there is so little to be proven"
"Cassion speaks bitterly; he is an
enemy"
Monsieur Cassion is my husband
1 said regretfully.
"Your pardon, madame. All, l un-
derstand it all-now. You were sup
posed to have been drowned in the
great lake, but were saved by D'Ar-
tigny. Twill be a surprise for mon
sieur but in this land, we witness
strange things. Mon Dieu. see, they
come yonder; It's Boisrondet and his
men"
They approached in silence. mere
shadowy figures, whose numbers
could not count, but those in advance
bore a helpless body in their arms,
and my heart seemed to stop its beat
ing, until l heard D'Artigny's voice in
cheerful greeting.
what, still here, madame, and the
gate beyond openw He took my hand
and lifted it to his lips. my congrat-
ulations, your work was well done.
and our lives thank you. Madame
Cassion, this is my comrade, Francois
more glad to hear than this night l
commend him to your mercy"
Boisrondet, a mere shadow in the
night, swept the earth with his hat.
81 mind me the time" he said cour-
teousIy when Rene did NE equal
service"
"The savages have fled?"
"'Twas short and sweet, madame,
and those who failed to fly are lying
yonder."
"Yet some among you are hurt?''
"Barbeau hath an ugly wound-ay.
looked to-but as for the rest of us,
there is no serious harm DONE"
I was gazing at D'Artigny. and
marked how he held one hand to his
side.
"And you, monsieur; you are IN
scathed?"
! Except for a small wound here.
and a head which rings yet from saw
| age blows-no more than a nights
rest will remedy. Come, madame, tits
time we were within. and the gates
! closed"
as there still danger then? Surely
now that we are under protection
| there will be no attack?'
mot from those we have passed,
but It's told me there are more than a
| thousand Iroquois warriors in the val
ley. and the garrison has less than
fifty men, all told. 1t was luck we got
through so easily. Ay. Boisrondet. we
are ready"
That was my first glimpse of the
interior of a frontier fort, and. al
| though I saw only the little open space
lighted by few waving torches, the
memory abides with distinctness. A
body of men met us at the gate, dim.
indistinct figures, few among them
evidently soldiers from there dress.
but the majority clothed in the ordi-
nary garb flthe wilderness. Save for
one Indian squaw, not a woman was
visible. nor did l recognize a familiar
face, as the fellows, each man bear
ing a rife, surged about us in noisy
welcome, eagerly questioning those
who had gone forth to our rescue. Yet
nd tho