The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-04-11

AI of the town there was a
" strange stir in the dusky
streets. Men were slipping
from house to house, arming them
selves and joining their neighbors.
Clark had sent an order earlier in the
evening foTbidding any street demon
stration by the inhabitants; but he
might as well have ordered the wind
not to blow or the river to stand still.
Oncle Jazon knew every man whose
outlines he could see or whose voice
he heard He called each one by name:
Here, Roger, fall Income Louis,
Alphonse, Victor, Octave-venez lei.
here's the American Army, come with
mer' His rapid French phrases leaped
forth as If shot from a pistol, and his
shriu voice familiar to every ear in
Vincennes. drew the creole mihtiamen
to him, and soon Beverley's company
had doubled its numbers, while at the
same time it's enthusiasm and ability
to make a noise had increased in far
greater proportion. In accordance
with an order from Clark they now
took position near the northeast cor
ner of the stockade and began firing,
although in the darkness there was
but little opportunity for marksman-
ship.
Oncle Jazon had found citizens Le-
grace and Bosseron, and through
them Clerks men were supplied with
ammunition, OF which they stood
greatly in need. their powder having
got wet during their long. watery
march. BY . o'clock the fort was
completely surrounded. and from
every direction the rihemen and mus
keteers were pouring in voIley after
volley. Beverley with his men took
the cover Of a fence and some houses
sixty yards from the stockade. Here
to their surprise they found them
selves below the line Of Hamilton's
cannon, which. being planted on the
second floor Of the fort, could not be
sufficiently depressed to bear upon
them. a well directed musket fire,
however, fell from the loopholes Of the
blockhouses, the bullets rafting mer-
rily against the cover behind which
the attacking forces lay.
Beverley was thinking Of Alice
during every moment OF all this stir
and tumult He feared that she
might still be a prisoner in the fort
exposed to the very bullets that his
men were discharging at every crack
and Granny Of those loosely construct
ed buildings. Should he ever see her
again? Would she care for him?
What would be the end Of all this
terrible suspense? Those remote fore
bodings of evils, formIess. shadowy,
ineffable, which have harried the low
er's heart since time began. crowded
al pleasant anticIpatiOns out of his
mind.
Clark, in passing hurriedly from
company to company around the line,
stopped for little while when he
found Beverley.
Have you plenty Of ammunition
was his first inquiry
- "a mighty sight more's We kin
see to shoot with" spoke up Oncle
Jazon. It's a right smart O. dad
burn foolishness to be wastin' it on
nOthtn'; seems like to me at we'd bet
ter set the dasted fort aflre an smoke
the skunks outr'
Speak when you are spoken to
my man." said the Colonel trifle
holly, and trying by a sharp scru
tiny to make him out in the gloom
where he crouched.
''Ventrebleu, I'm not askin' you
Colonel Clark. nor no other man.
when I shall speak. I talks whenever
1 gifts ready, an I shoots jes' the same
way. So we'd better go on 'bout yer
business like a white man. Close up
yer own whopper-jawed mouth, ef ye
want anything shet up,''
"Oho! is that you, Jazon? You're
so little I didn't know you, Ger
% tainly, talk your whole damned under
jaw of, for all I care" Clark replied
assuming a jocose tone. Then turning
again to Beverley: Keep up the fir.
ing and the noise; the fort viii be ours
in the morning"
What's the use of waiting till
morning. Beverley demanded with
impatience. We can tear. that stock.
fade to pieces with our hands in half
an hour"
Il don't think so, Lieutenant. II
is better to play for the sure thing
Keep UP the racket. and be ready for
EN- if they rush out. We must not
fall TO capture the haIr-buyer Gen
eral"
He passed on, with something cheer
fui to say whenever he found . squad
~ his devoted men. He knew how
~ humOr and manage those indepen
dent and undisciplined yet heroically
brave fellows. What TO see and hear
what to turn aside as a joke wha'
to insist upon with infiexible mastery
he knew by the fine instantaneou:
sense of genius. There were many
men Of Oncle JaZOn's cast, true a:
steel, but refractory as flint. who
could not be dominated by any per
son, no matter of what stamp or OF
flee. To them an order was an in
suit; but a suggestion pleased and
captured them. Strange as Il may
k00IDIAl