The Coolidge examiner., 1931-05-01

confliction of emotions which he
revealed to neither. and confided
only in Hepsibah Adams, who had
returned from his trip. The diff
Guilty of solving the problem which
confronted Jeems was as great for
GATHERINGS brother as it would
have been for Catherine herself,
for as early as the spring of 1853,
when Jeems had passed his six
teenth year, there was no longer a
doubt In the minds of the people
of the Colonies and New France
as to the surety of the struggle
which was impending. While France
and England were officially at
peace. the forces Of the two coun-
tries in America were on the verge
Of open war and were instigating
the Indians to strife of extermi-
nation. Everywhere along the I'M
protected frontiers the Indians
were killing and burning and such
vast sums were being expended by
both sides for human hair that
scores of white men had taken up
the lucrative business of hunting
| for scalps.
Almost at the door to Jeems'
home, war preparations were in
progress, for every landed baron
along the Richelieu was training
his vassal farmers, and when the
wind was right the Bulains could
, hear family the twice-a-week fir
ing of muskets at Tonteur manor.
Being free of the seigneurial pro-
lection and laws, Henri did not 20
to drill. Nor did Jeems. Yet Ton
teur rode frequently to their home.
especially when Hepsibah was
there. He was in better spirits
than usual, and it was all on ac-
count of Toinette. he said. She
was hOmesick for the Richelieu.
Her letters to him were filled with
longing for ii, and she declared
that, in another twelve months,
when her schooling would be fin
ished, she wanted to live at the
manor and not in Quebec. That
was enough to make him happy.
and he laughed at the thought of
danger for wOmenfolk along the
Richelieu-in the fortified places.
The English and their savageS
would not get nearer than the low
er end of Lake Champlain when
war came; and they would be
driven from there very shortly,
and also from Lake George. But
on such an outlying farm as the
Bulain place. which had no pro-
lection whatever, there was the
possible peril of wandering scalp
hunters and he never tired of urg-
ing Henri and Catherine to make
their home within the safety of
the seigneurie.
He asked Jeems and Henri to
come to his drill. and that they
did not respond made no differ
ence In his friendship. He could
understand how hard ii would be
for Henri to prepare for war
against his wife's country, and his
secret alteration for Catherine was
greater because of her courage
and her faith in both peoples with
the catastrophe so near. 1t de-
lighted him to think that his own
confidence was comfort to her,
and the eagerness with which she
accepted his opinions as a soldier
encouraged him to go beyond what
Hepsibah considered intelligent
bounds in giving easement to her
mind. He did not guess what was
in Jeems' heart, nor did the boys
father or mother. Only Hepsibah
knew fully what was there.
Early in the autumn, the trader
took Jeems on journey to the
English fort on Lake George.
thence travelling into the New York
country, returning in November.
They found change in Catherine.
She was not less confident or less
contented in the paradise she was
helping to build but something had
come into her life which she was
accepting bravely and courageous
ly and even with pride. One eve
ming she spoke of the military ac-
tivities along the Richeleu. Many
river youths were training with
their elders. she said, and it did
not seem right that Jeems should
not be among them. While killing
was wicked and inexcusable. it was
a GOd-given privilege to defend
ones home and family. She quot
ed TOnteur to Substantiate her be-
lief that war would never reach
them, and she knew that Jeems
would not seek it any more than
his father But she thought it
would do no harm for Jeems to
prepare himself along with the
other young men of the seigneurie.
To this suggestion Hepsibab's
hOmely philosophy made objection.
He told Catherine the day was
coming when Jeems would be COM
PEELED to fight and that he would
have to choose one side or the 9th
er to champion. When that day
arrived. sentiment would not stand
in the way, for, with a world in
turmoil about them, one could not
be English and French at the same
time. No man could tell on which
side they would be when forced to
it, and as he despised a traitor
more than anything else. it was
his opinion that Jeems should not
be taught the ways of war under
the flag of France and then, it
might be. fight for the English. AS
a frontierSman, he maintained that
the finest fighting man was the
Long Rifle. a free wanderer of the
forests, a Misunderstanding trained
to a hundred greater things than