Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1916-09-15
CHAPTER XV-Continued.

Madame cassion, D'Artigny and
Barbeau are making their way In Ca
noe and on foot to Fort st. Louis.
I was but a girl In years, excitement
was still to me a delight, and l 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 it's 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 un-
known, De Tonty, Boisrondet, and ali
the others, had long since become to
my mind the inca rnation of romantic
adventure. Wilderness born, 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-
If1uence of the rivers there was viii
lage OF the Tamaroas, and the prov
OF our canoe touched the bank, while
IDArtigny stepped ashore amid a
Itangle 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
fly, you have never seen village of
our western tribes; 1t 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 mutilated bodies, and was
black with ashes where the tepees had
been burned, and their contents scat
tered broadcast
OF devasta ton. of relentless, savage
cruelty, and gave utterance to a sud-
den sob, and shrank back against
D'Artigny's arm, hiding my eyes with
my hand. He stood and stared, mo-
tionless. breathing heavily, uncon-
sciously gripping my arm.
mon Dieuw he burst forth, at last
-"what meaneth this? Are the wolves
egalD loose in the valleyY"
He drew me back, until we were
both concealed behind fringe OF
leaves, his whole manner alert, every
instinct OF the woodsman Instantly
awakened.
Remain here hidden" he whis-
pered, until learn the truth; we
may face grave peril below"
He left me trembling and white
Tipped, yet 1 made no effort to re-
strain him. The horror of those dead
bodies gripped me. but 1 would not
have him know the terror which held
me captive. With utmost caution he
crept forth, and l lay in the shadow
OF the covert, watching his move
ments. Body after body he APP
preached. seeking some victim alive,
and able to tell the story. But there
was none. At last he stood erect,
satisfied that none beside the dead
were on that awful spot. and came
back to me.
mot one lives" he said soberly,
and there are men, women, and chill
dren there. The story Is one easily
told-an attack at daylight from the
woods yonder. There has been no
lighting; a massacre Of the helpless
and unarmed."
"But whe did such deed Of bloodf"
"'Tis the work OF the Iroquois: the
way they scalped tells that, and be-
hides ] saw other signs" !