The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-03-06
Alice of Old Vincennes
By Maurice Thompson
COPYRIGHT 1905 ALICE LEE THOMPSON

which they told marvellous stories.
the latest one invariably surprising
all its predecessors.
Helm had an eye to business, and
turned NJ Roussillons knowledge of
the Indians to valuable account, so
that he soon had very pleasant re-
iations with most of the tribe within
reach Of his agents. This gave a
feeling of great security to the people
of Vincennes. They pursued their
narrow agricultural activities with ex-
cellent results and redoubled the Sc
social gayeties which, even in hut and
cabin under all the adverse conditions
Of extreme frontier life, were dear to
the volatile and genial French
temperament
Lieuteant Beverley found much to
interest him in the quaint town; but
the piece de resistance was Oncle
Jazon. who proved to be both fasci-
mating and unmanageable; a hard nut
to crack. vet possessing a kernel alb
solutely original in flavor. Beverley
visited him one evening in his hut-it
might better be called den-a curious
" built thing. with walls of vertical
poles set in a quadrangular trench
dug in the ground, and rooted with
grass. Inside and out it was plas-
tered with clay. and the floor of dried
mud was as mooth and hard as con
crete paving. In one end there was a
wide fireplace griny with SCOT, in the
other q mere peep-hOle for a window;
a wooden bench. a bed of skins and
two or three stools were barely visible
in the gloom. In the doorway Oncle
Jazon sat whiting a slender billet of
hickory into a ramrod for his long
f1int-locS American rife.
Maybe We know Simon Kenton."
said the old man. after he and Bever-
ley had conversed for a while. seeing
that you are from Kentucky-eh?"
Yes, I do know him we'll; he's a
warm personal friend Of mine" said
Beverley with quick interest, for It
know anything about Kenton. DO
you know him. Monsieur Jazon?"
Oncle Jazon winked conceltedly and
sighted along his rudimentary ram
rod to see If It was straight: then
pickering his lips, as if on the point
Of whistling. made an affirmative
noise quite impossible to spell.
well. I'm glad you are acquaint-
ed with KentOn." said Beverley.
Where did you and he come to-
gether?"
Oncdle JazOn chuckled reminiscent
" and scratched the sldnless. cica-
tried spot where his scalp had once
f1ourtshed.
oh, several places" he answered.
''Ye see tibet hair a hangin' there ou
the WALTZ" He pointed at a dry wisp
dangling under a peg in a log barely
visible by the bad light. Well thet's
my scalp, he. he, he"' He snIckered
as II the fact were a most enjoyable
Joke. "Simon Kenton can tell We
about tibet little affair! The Indians
thought I was dead. and they took
my hair; but I wasn't dead. I was
Just a givin' EN- a 'pOssum act. When
they was gone I got up from whore
] was a layin' and trotted of. Ny
head was sore and ventrebleu, but
was mad. he. he. her'
All this time he spoke In
French. and the English. but poorly
paraphrases his odd turns Of ex-
preston. Hisgrimaces and grunts
cannot be limited
It was a long story, rs Beverley re-
ceived It. told scrappily. but with
certain rude art. In the end Oncle
Jazon said with unctuous self-satis-
faction:
Accidents win happen. I got my
chance at that damned Indian who
skinned my head. and 7 5es took a
bead on i'm with my old rife. I can't
shoot much. never could. but I
happened TO hit i'm square in the
left eve, what 7 shot at. and It was
hundred yards. Down he tumbles.
and I runs 20 I'm and finds my same
old scalp a hangin' to his belt Well,
1 lifted of his hair with my knife,
and united mine from the belt. and
then 7 had both scalps, he. he, he,
You ask Simon Kenton when We see
i'm. He was along at the same time.
and they made I'm run the gantlet
and pretty nigh beat the life out O.
i'm. Ventrebleu"
Beverley now recollected hearing
Kenton tell the same grim story by
campfire IN the hills of Kentucky.
Somehow it had caught a now spirit
in the French rendering. which linked
it with the old tales Of adventure
that he had read in his boyhood. and
it suddenly endeared Oncle Jazon 10
him. The rough old scrap Of a man
and the powerful youth chatted to-
gether until sundown. smoking their
pipes. each feeling for what was best
in the other. half aware that in the
future they would be tested together
in the fire OF Wild adventure. Every
man is more or less a prophet at
certain points in his life
Twilight and moonlight were blend
ing softly when Beverley on his wav
back to the fort, departing from n
direct course. went along the rivers
side southwark to have a few mo-
ments Of reflective strolling within
reach Of the waters pleasant murmur
and the towns indefinite evening air.
Rich sweetness, the gift Of early au.
tumn, was on the air blowing softly
out Of a lilac west and singing in the
willow fringe that hung here and
there over the bank.
On the farther side Of the rivers
wide flow. swollen by recent heavy
rains. Beverley saw a pirogue, IN one
end of which a dark figure swayed to
the strokes Of paddle. The slender
and shallow little craft was bobblng