The Coolidge examiner., 1931-05-29

men had Travelled instead of forty.
And the world was dead behind
them. Crows did not rt turn to the
meadow, and the blue jays had
flown into safer distance. The
wocdpecker had gone to a farther
stub. Even in the old house there
was no longer the scurrying and
squeaking of mice-nO sound but
the tumultuOus thrObbing of three
hearts, two of them human and
one a beasts.
1t was then Jeems spoke.
Il swear there was a white man
& free white man-in that
painted crowd, and long hair was
hanging from mis- belt" he said.
Il saw his blond head and
lighter skin, but thought my eyes
were lying TO me-" replied Toi-
nette.
IAN Englishman," said Jeems.
"A murderer for money such as
my Uncle Hepsibah told me
about"
And yet-he might be French" ."
They stood looking into each
others eyes, she of the aristocracy
of Old France and he of the New
worlds freedom, and her hands
rose slowly to his face as his bow
| and arrow fell TO the floor. For
the first time she raised her mouth
to his.
kiss me, Jeems-and pray a
little with me in gratitude for the
mercy God has shown us !"
The thrill of her lips lay for a
moment against his.
Il am sorry for everything in
the world" she said.
Some of the softness and beauty
of bOyhOOd returned into his face
as she drew herself from his arms
and he descended the creaking
stair ahead of her.
They did not go out at once, but
stood near the lower door, lis
tening for sound and watching for
something to move.
They are gone" Jeems finally
said. But there may be straggIers
DCniHui anu IL 10 SdlCl llOl W SlOh
ourselves too soon"
1t was easier for them to talk
after this. Quite calmly, as if look
ing back on a distant thing, TOi-
nette told Jeems of the tragedy of
TOnteur manor. Her mother, he
learned. had left for Quebec two
days preceding the coming of the
Indians. Toinette expressed her
thankfulness because of this, but
no great gladness was in her
voice. She could not remember in
vivid details all that had hap
pened, it had been so sudden and
overwhelming, like stream of
fire engulfing a black night. Peter
Lubeck was with Dieskau, and
Heloise. his young wife, had come
to stay with her. Both were
asleep when the savages attacked
in the early morning. and she was
of the opinion that most of the
killing was over before they were
fairly awake-and before any
guns were fired. Then came
shots and her fathers voice roar
ing through the big house. They
were out of their bed when the
seigneur came in and told them
to dress and keep to their room.
She did not know what had hap
pened until she looked out of her
window, and then she saw what
seemed to be hundreds of naked
savages running about. She rushed
after her father. but he was
gone. When she returned to her
room, Heloise had disappeared
and she did not see her again.
She could hear screaming and ter
rible cries, and dressing hurriedly
as her father had commanded, she
disObeyed him by going down
stairs, calling for him and for
Heloise. The front part of the
house was filled with flame and
smoke, and when she turned to
the servants quarters she was cut
off by fire and there was no re-
sponse TO her cries. 1t was then
she thought of the mill which she
had often heard her father say
was impregnable against both fire
and guns. She descended into
the cellar and went from 1t
through short underground pas
sage to an outdoor caveau made
of sod and stones in which they
kept fruit and vegetables during
the winter. She hid herself in
this earthly place, and then dared
to raise the surface door a little.
The worst must have been over,
for she could see only q few In
dians about, and everything was
on fire. There was yelling in the
distance where the savages were
attacking the farmers homes.
When she ascended from the
caveau, she stumbled over the
body of old Babin, the miller. who
had fallen with a musket in his
hands. She took the musket and
went to the mill, and after that
she did not see an Indian about
the Seigneurie. Sickness over
came her, and she was half uncOn-
scious in the tower room. Later,
looking through one of the narrow
windows, she saw four men come
from the south. She was sure
they were white men, but was
afraid to reveal herself because
their appearance was so terrible.
They were like monsters, remain
ing only a little while to look at
the dead. Now, since she had seen
the white warrior among the
Mohawks, she was even more posi-