Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1916-11-17

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.Madame cassIon, D'Artieny and
Bsrbeau are making their way In CO.
noe and on foot to Fort st. Louis.
II was but girl in years, excitement
was stfll 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 1t an
atmosphere Of marvel. The beauty of
the view from its palisades, the vast
.ce1course of Indians encamped on the
plains below. and those men guarding
t& safety--the faithful comrades of
La Sale in explorations of the I'M
known, De Tonty. Boisrondet, and all
fbe Others had long since become to
ing mind the Incarnation of romantic
adventure. Wilderness born, I could
comprehend and appreciate their tolls
Gard dangers and my dreams conferred
about this great, lonely rock, on which
they had established a home But the
endf.was not yet. Just below the con-
'tfi1ence OF the rivers there was vii
lage of. the Tamaroas, and the prov
1of-our- canoe touched the bank, while
DtArtlgny stepped ashore amid
tHngle-of. low-growing bushes that he
2 might have speech with some of the
warriors, and thus learn conditions at
1.-The fort. With his foot on the bank.
he turned laughing. and held out his
! hand to me.
( ! "Come, madame" he said, pleasant
ny, you have never seen a village of
cur western tribes; it will interest
syou.Ht s hffr,& -.
Z, Joined him gladly, my limbs feel
! Ing awkward under me, from long
!. crnmping in the boat, yet the climb
/ vas not difficult, and he held back the
b0ughs to give me easy passage. Be
yond the fringe of brush there was an
open space, but as we reached this,
J 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
1 Nered broadcast ~
~! Never before had seen such view
/. of devasta ton, of relentless, savage
: cruelty; and gave utterance to sud
Z Men sob, and shrank back against
( D'Artigny's arm. hiding my eyes with
my hand. He stood and. stared, mo-
tfonIess. breathing heavily. uncon-
sciousIy gripping my arm.
= Mon Dieuw he burst forth, at last.
I "what meaneth this? Are the wolves
AGAR loose in the yalley?"
: He drew me back, until we were
both concealed behind a fringe OF
] leaves, his whole manner alert, every
/: INSTINCT Of the woodsman instantly
{ awakened.
\ Remain here hidden" he whis-
! pered .s1ntil Il learn the truth; we
I may face grave peril below"
: He left me trembling and white
hpped, yet made no effort to re-
/ strain him. The horror of those dead
( bodies gripped me. but would not
have him know the terror which held
me captive. With utmost caution he
crept forth, and lay in the shadow
of the. covert, watching his move
inents. Body after body he ap-
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" be said soberly,
"and there are men, women, and chill
!. drpu fhpra The story IL ore easily
told--an attack at daylight from the
woods yonder There has been no
fighting; a massacre Of the helpless
and unarmed."
"But who did such deed Of blood 7"
"'Ifs the work of the Iroquois; the
way they scalped tells that, and be-
sides saw other signs"