White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-01-22
CHAPTER III

Henri and his wife sat UP late with
Hepsibah Adams, for this time Hep
sibah had come with a set and de-
termined purpose to his sisters home.
The traders countenance had grown
stern, and GATHERINGS cheeks were
like those of pale nun in the candle
light. In Henri Bulain's face were
still the cheer and good humor and I'M
rufiled equanimity of confidence and
faith that Hepsibah, with the darkest
pictures he had painted, had been I'M
able to disturb.
They were talking about war; AS
early as this spring of 1749, the Amer
lean wilderness had begun to stir with
whispers Of the impending conflagra-
tIon which was destined soon to turn
the eastern part of the continent into
a seething pot of fury and death.
While George the Second of England
and Louis the Fifteenth of France
were playing at friendship after the
peace Of Aix-la-C hapelle, France gasp
ing for breath with the flower of her
armies buried on European battle
fields, and England with her fighting
forces reduced on land to eighteen
thousand men and to less than seven
teen thousand on the sea, the vast
colonies of the two countries, working
out their own salvations, were steadily
and surely and with deadly intent en-
croaching upon each other.
The stage was set for the writing
Of the bloodiest and most picturesque
pages in American history. South
ward from the Richelieu were the bit
terest Of all the white mems enemies,
the warriors of the Six Nations, and
northward, sweeping east and west
through the Canadas, were the forty
scattered tribes who bore allegiance
to New France. Behind these savage
vassals, on one side, were eleven hun
dred thousand English colonists hold
ing the sea-coast lands from Maine to
Georgia, and on the other less than
eighty thousand souls, counting women
and children as well as men, to de-
fend and hold the illimitable domains
Of New France, which reached from
the upper Canadas to the Gulf of Mex
leo and from the Alleghanies to the
Rocky mountains.
OF this alarming disparity in power
Of fighting men, and Of the pitiless
day sweep through all the country of
Lake Champlain and the Richelieu,
Hepsibah Adams had spoken at length
but with small effect on Henri Bulain.
"Let war come If it must" said
Henri. "The heart of New France is
set behind an impenetrable wall Of
rock and forest, and with these ram
parts in our favor, eighty thousand
will be match for the million Eng
lish Of they come this way. AS for
me, should fighting chance to come
why, I shall be a friend to both sides
and strike at neither. For no matter
what cause should bring ABOUT the
strife, could not strike at the people
Of my GATHERINGS blood, nor would
she have me turn against my own. So
why move from here? 1t is neutral
ground, and we being neutral, are
6tly placed here. Oneidas and Mo-
hawks have eaten under our roof as
well as Hurons and Algonquins, and
when deadly enemies such as these
meet thus on common ground, what
cause have we for fear?"
A light Of pride glowed in Cath
crimes eyes as she listened to her hus-
bands words, and she added:
"Henri loves the Indians, and I have
grown to love them, too. They are
all our friends"
Friends !" shifted Hepsibah. "Henri,
1t Is because Of Catherine and Jeems
that I call you fool. Take them
where this danger does not hang day
and night along the edges Of the
frontiers. Take them to the st. Law
renee, If you will, or bring them south
into GATHERINGS country. But do one
or t'other, for Gods sake, or the day
will come when Christ himself cannot
save you" and his voice shook with
earnestness.
"There will be no war;" insisted
Henri stubbornly. ENGLAND and
France have bled themselves white on
Continental battlefields, and the peace
which was signed only last October
will surely not be broken again while
you and are living, for Hanover and
Austria have had their fill, as well as
the others, and are like two dead men
On their backs"
''That Is right" nodded Catherine,
with a shudder. II think all fighting
Is over for many years."
"Fools - innocents - her brother
grow}ed. y tell you neither George
nor Louis will have anything to do
with the running of this war until
every mile Of woods between our col
enies ard your city Of Quebec is red