Mexico Missouri message., 1916-06-08

/
Montreal heard tales of this Hugo
Chevet"
"He is rough, a woodsman," 1 de-
Tended, "yet not unkind to me. You
will speak him fairT"
He laughed, his eyes sparkling with
merriment.
"No fear of my neglecting all cour-
tesy, for 1 come beseeching a favor. /
have learned the lesson of when the soft
speech wins more than the iron hand.
And this other, the Commissaire Cas-
sion-is he a bird of the same plum
ageT
made a little gesture, and glanced
back at the closed door.
ooh, no; he is the court courier, to
stab with words, not deeds. Chevet
is rough of speech, and hard of hand,
but he fights in the open; Casslon has
a double tongue, and one never knows
him." 1 glanced up into his sobered
face. "He is a friend Of La Barre"
$50 tits said, and has been chosen
! by the governor to bear message to
De Baugis in the Illinois country.
|
'You! l thought you were of the
party of Sieur de la Salle?'
II am" he answered honestly, "yet
Cassion will need a guide, and there
is none save myself in all New France
who has ever made that journey.
Twill be well for him to listen to my
plan. And why not? We do not
fight the orders Of the governor: we
obey, and wait. Monsieur de la Sale
will tell his story to the king"
'The King! To LOUISE"
"Ay, twill not be the first time he
has had audience, and already he is
at sea. We can wait, and laugh at
this Cassion over his useless Journey"
"But he-he is treacherous, mon
sieur"
He laughed as though the words
amused.
ITO one who has lived as I, amid
savages, treachery is an old story. The
commissaire will not find me asleep.
We will serve each other, and let it
| go at that. All! we are to be inter-
rupted."
|
and l turned, confronting my uncle
as he emerged in advance. He was
burly man, with iron gray hair, end
face reddened by out-of-doors; and he
stopped in surprise at sight Of a
stranger, his eyes hardening with sus-
picion.
"And who is this with whom you
converse so privately, Adele? " he
questioned brusquely, "a young popin-
| jay new to these parts venture"
D'Artigny stepped between US,
smiling in good humor.
"My call was upon you, Monsieur
Chevet, and not the young lady," he
said quietly enough, yet with tone
to the voice. 81 merely asked her If
1 had found the right place, and if
Monsieur the Commissaire Cassion
was still your guest"
"And what, may ask, might be
your business with the Commissaire
Cassion?" asked the latter, pressing
past Chevet, yet bowling with a SEM
blance of politeness, scarcely in ac-
cord with the studied insolence of his
|
your face"
"Then, Monsieur Cassion is not OBJ
servant" returned the younger man
| pleasantly, "as accompanied the
Sieur de la Sale in his attempt to
have audience with the governor"
"Ah" the word of surprise explod-
ed from the lips. "Sacrel tits true! MY
faith, what difference clothes make.
mistook you for a courier du bois."
81 am the Sieur Rene d'Artigny."
Lieutenant of La Salle'sT
scarcely that, monsieur, but a
comrade; for three years 1 have been
with his party, and was chosen by him
for this mission"
Casslon laughed, chucking the
gloomy faced Chevet in the side, as
though he would give point to a good
joke.
"And little the trip hither has profit
ed either master or man, warrant.
La Barre does not sell New France to
every adventurer. Monsieur de Ia
Sale found different reception in Que
bee than when Frontenac ruled this
colony. Where went the fur stealer?'
"To whom do you refer?"
'"To whom? Heaven help us, Chevet,
the man would play nice with words.
Well, let it go, my young cock, and
answer me-"
"You mean the Sieur de la Salle?"
ITO be sure; called him no worse
than have heard La Barre speak.
They say he has left Quebec; what
more know your"
"Tis no secret, monsieur" replied
D'Artigny quietly enough, although
there was a flash in his eyes, as they
met mine. ''The sieur della Sale has
sailed for France"
"Francel Bah you jest; there has
been no ship outward bound"
'The Breton paused at st. Roche,
held by the fog. When the fog lifted
there was a new passenger aboard. BY
dawn the Indian paddlers had me