The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-09-13
Little Journeys in
Americana
Frontenac's Nut-Brown
Daughter.
By LESTER B. COLBY


Daughter.
THE Chevalier de Frontenac, gov
= ernor of KOnnedieya, had a nut
brown daughter. She was very beau
tiful. Her mother was a squaw; a
woman of rare, bronze beauty her
self. They had such women among
the Indians in those days. It was in
the latter part of the 1600's, and
Louis XIV. of France, had sent From
tenac to rule that part of the New
World known as Konnedieya.
Konnedieya? Never heard of 1t!
Why, am surprised Canada was
Konnedieya. in the beginning, before
the rasp-like togue Of the English
man made the word less beautiful.
Konnedieya means beautiful water.
This charming nut-brown daughter
was the apple of the ChevaIier de
Frontenac's eve. He was a grim
war-scarred soldier, full fifty years
old when she came into the world
his waistline had vanished and he
was getting gray around the muzzle,
like an old beaver.
AS men will do, he laid great plans
for this beautiful creature whose skin
was the color Of old gold, and whose
supple well-formed limbs and muscles
had In them the grace and spring of
a panther. She was taught, in her
tender years by the best tutors to be
found in Quebec and Montreal.
IF am correct, as she grew a BIZ
older, she visited Paris and learned
prayers In a French convent The
old chevalier, now called Count de
Frontenac, laid large store in the flu,
ture of his daughter. Then fell his
great sorrow
War came between the French and
the Mohawks. These Indians were
brave soldiers. They carried their
war to the very walls of Quebec and
Montreal and for months knocked at
the gates of the greatest cities in
Konnedieya. And somehow, do not
know exactly how, they managed to
carry off Frontenac's daughter.
For months he endeavored to get
her back. Offers of money, offers Of
gay apparel. offers of fine knives and
other weapons-offers of every kind
failed. Years passed by.
Word came finally out of the forest
that she had become the wife of
Kiodago, a young Mohawk chief. 1t
was then that Frontenac, seventy
years old now, organized an army in
1896, to invade the forest and rescue
his beloved daughter. Soldiers with
strong backs carried the indomitable
old man on litter.
His guide was an enemy Of Kio-
dago, man from Flanders-where
peoples grow-who, after a doubtful
record among the whites, had taken
up abode among the Indians. This
man, Hanyost by name, learned that
Kiodago and his bride were In hunt
ing camp on beautiful lake. They
went there, surprised the camp, and
entered upon debauch of wholesale
murder.
They had been told to kill the In
dams right and left but were warned
to spare Frontenac's daughter. The
attack was made before dawn. In
the dim light they saw the girl flee
into the forest, carrying her baby.
Behind her, screening her fight, now
hating to shoot an arrow or two,
now turning to run, was her husband,
Kiodago. They followed him.
One by one the Frenehmen fell.
Finally the young mother, almost faint
Ing with fatigue, dropped to the
ground. Kiodago, his thumb torn by a
bullet, and with one arrow left, turned
to make his last stand.
Hanyost and two French soldiers
were hot upon his trail. Kiodago
knelt, took careful aim, and his bow
string sung. The arrow, legend says,
transfixed the body of Hanyost. The
other two Frenchmen fed. Kiodago,
his last arrow gone, lifted his wife and
baby and together they vanished into
the deep shadows.
The old Count de Frontenac never
again set eyes on his nut-brown
daughter. She had returned to type
m 1000 Toofar a Co1hvN