Show I t he Woman OR I DIE I Traveling by canoe aon on his his way way to toe early days of ot the e the ot LouIsIana ul Una William English spy apy known toone to as ae th the ni Br one and nd settlers eWers Natchez 1 Indian sees a l declaration of t war Istl l P ost French a For his own Matt at rho Chastens hastens to Biloxi to toe atthe he a newS Sto to e meets Brampton governor Labrador In- In P troth tC nd Joe friend 01 1 br d who warns him himm threatened to hang m e has bas r Brampton refuses ses 1 al a aback hack He falls tails In with withEr Er i t turn Basil Mattor on their d to secure wives 1 r l Si the Malre Maire bringing I a ship m France At Biloxi rI from fO enton n protects r a Il woman o from She tells tell 1 ants ant's nt brutality er Dahlsgaard erM Claire CIl is 11 raid In Paris Evl- Evl in a kaid 4 UP educated 1 bred and well lVell il iD r mystery tery to Brampton m s' s a a tt 1 to prevent a man e last Known as Old Six Fin Fin- fr h t known her to New Now OrA Or- Or pIS A Frenchman Francois A hUr g demented by byC pane C ne the he has h heard ard of ot he 1 of cf the K New f w World Intro- Intro accuses himself I a I Sn of ot treachery J CHAPTER III Continued III-Continued Continued on hold bOld d deceit to be excusable le an na detest the gale Ajon are fighting g against the galbe gal gal- be he answered I have ha not Into In- In td j to Insult you simply to speak Monsieur I heart beart M in my the Indians of ot the theal vala val val- TW know Iou must mutt know v that a declara- declara a posted within the limits of ot f war would be French settlement never ne to bring to me And I Mor for you the news from no one else ih b h of this toll I trust the English Ii mid that lying Recollect priest gla iI who Rho did so much mischief fa cursedly false alse description of 01 this I. I te t re was Ras nothing for me to say j 9 j 1 1 stood Jd and stared out over the J I lt governor continued In a cold 1 e voice has sent out scouts I Free fee years rears on the Ohio E and nd the theS S to learn what the French let t Governor Spotswood only this ring ng Jg reported to the Lords of ot se c that the French ha have hae e a settle- settle l 1 I was told this thisby cah by a friendly Carolinian It Its Itu TJ u s that Spotswood's scouts have Sten ten len years In learning of ot the occupation of Alabama It dl that the English scouts are id danger d his brows In perplexity e what he charged then I 1 must t bin small value to the English lit having reported the Alabama ent In 1717 when I first visited n nr river As a matter of fact dreamed that my country- country sere re In Ignorance of conditions i had existed ever since 1710 t TR tf ir a brief silence he asked 15 19 ay Ii the Spaniards have visited onri by an nn overland trail from aw Fet Fei Fetty 9 ty tr Joined the near the river ITe Intending to raid Fort me The entire Invading force foree i JW led by the Osage Indians you rOU did not say this before I they were ere killed that they came t 4 ek Chartres 1 I he cried now be- be Wo a bit of ot excitement t. t t ered the thing most loU to be the fact that there is erland trail to Santa Fe I s I save ae unimportant but U ng details for friends There 11 ahnger er ger to Fort ort Chartres Te Jill go go back In your our boat he 2 d leading the way to where O t were Impatiently walt walt- me ej With h them were two wom- wom Roe ow do I I know the ie Natchez have War Soar satisfied me he was ben beo be- be o weaken n to doubt my guilt 1 t your four cursed sentence and I i ne I tt t With It it 11 I exploded But But bank men me Unless further A unless you youIa dl Ia tidy lM to give me satisfaction i 1 tt fae he grew cold and fn curl d sly q of LouIsiana u can w Kith Ith h ith a 11 felon He will not a friend fiend he quietly reIf re- re It If the ie Natchez have struck a 1 kt e 15 I Post and and st-and and I will soon truth 1 I 1 t iJ oa I shall shaH suspend en 1 senI sen- sen I I Toa t I you TOil until I l can Probe deeper e des T II Here ere you y ou u Jules JIe iJ q tor go back ck at nt once once- We have hae I of women men els eG They must go in S Monsieur 1 Pleaded your Excel Excel- old Jules bah these win wilt t 1 hiie YOu 11 have Indian e wives I r t I Mill oa growled the gov gov- not t have havethe the ml Choctaws i ear tara a because i are r their melr Ir adopted p laying fast and Iose IMose 1 fen t You two till young k return to fit 1 R ork your com corapan- corapan pan pan- Word b Mattor I a am In a h tIp With that san sail and set th nil all haste all as Oar r the uneventful ul until we Deer er q a Island channel and nail q a Y Piro uC rounding the ther up r rose Se l to his feet d It bank a one and ot or forth forth f my robes and S the t PIro until the he two t orn meat eat Pirogue nt ot of 51 the the theIr hesitation on and then Course 0 paddled ard er Is They were thin i fellows of th the I t I Hugh of o Kings of the Missouri Pay Gravel A Virginia Scout etc eta Copyright br by Hugh l Il I Service I pronounced French voyageur typo type and both were strangers to meHo meHo meHo me Ho J Jean an what brings you here bere demanded Bienville A speaking bark from Monsieur le Ie Page du Pratz of or Bayou St St. Jean your excellency replied the fellow tellow holding to the side of ot our boat and using the Indian term for the written message i The governor read the communication tion with compressed lips then asked You have bave Just ed I With all haste Yes your excel excel- lency We Ve were making for the fort when we ve saw the boats and turned back thinking to find find find- Enough 1 Go to t the e fort and get food and drink I will have ha a message for you to take back As the pirogue dropped away Bien- Bien yule reread the message with frowning brows Du Pratz had spent much time among the Natchez r Knowing the message message message mes mes- sage was from him I was not surprised when Bienville came aft and me You heard the boatman Monsieur du Pratz writes to Inform me the Natchez have ha declared war for the the Month of ot Peaches Some of his men brought the news down the river They must have been close on your our heels I 1 recalled my Impression of or the object object object ob ob- ob- ob in the river moving behind the mass of drift As I remained silent Bienville stiffly added I ul make my apologies for seeming to doubt your word You owe me no apologies I lowed owed It to myself to tell you with nil all haste seeing that I 1 make free of the lower Mississippi where you OU rule Perhaps my Diy motive was a selfish one perhaps I 1 feared the Natchez In going to war might mi mistake take me for a Frenchman and stick sUck an nn ax t in my head We will have a talk later he muttered muttered muttered mut mut- his powerful mind already forecasting forecasting forecasting fore fore- casting the future and seeking ways and means to mollify or block the I Natchez I ul do not say I shall lift the peace calumet to you but Just now I feel more tolerant tolerant- Like the shares of ot the Mississippi company m my stock was going up I knew my promptness In bringing the Natchez news had proved to be the strongest kind of medicine for me AndIn And AndIn AndIn In a alike like manner have I 1 often escaped a dangerous climax by stumbling upon some situation which I could twist to tomy tomy tomy my own use use and benefit I was entirely entire entire- ly composed by the time we landed on the east shore of the Ule bay fay near Fort Maurepas l Bienville led the way to a grove of ot pines and threw himself on the ne needles and motioned me to tal take e my ease He began Monsieur Brampton I 1 have decided that I believe you when you say you had hod nothing to do with the desertion of my soldiers There would be no reflection reflection reflection re re- re- re on your personal honor If I were forced to fored-to to believe to the contrary Nor have I any proof that you are an English spy Now monsieur you have lived much along the river Tell Tell me what you consider to be Frances France's greatest help and her greatest hindrance hindrance hin hin- drance In developing the Mississippi valley Promptly and truthfully I answered jOy You ou are her greatest help your ex ex- ex Frances France's belief in m myths and tales fairy Is her greatest nee But your governors believe In mines among your mountains That Is not believing in m myths and fairy stories There may be mines there Mines are often found in moun moun- But we do not colonize for mines Englishmen clear the forests make homes plant crops They press press- forward slowly making sure of or the ground they spread over When the first colonists colonists' came to Virginia there were many adventurers among them Like hike e the Spanish and andi French In Florida Florida Florida Flor Flor- ida and und Louisiana the they wanted quick wealth Some went mad In their hunt for pearls after finding them In common common com com- mon use among the Indians Thep came men and women who built cabins and planted crops They spent no time hunting pearls With a z sl sigh h he said True The good God knows I have always alwa's urged that colonists be sent over who would work the the soil solI and anti raise mise families M My bro brother her Iberville Iberville prophesied that the English would voula control control control con con- the whole continent within years ears If we e French did not take talce root up and down th the valle valley And you may of colonists have hu seen toda today what kind they send me I l What are your plans with the Our wandering talk ending had be he satisfied me pointed ques question on ambush for me I J been laying an I have yawned sleepily and said back to Canada I Perhaps Per Per- er- er none By and by haps a trip into the West am among ng the Indians of ot the tile plains the English You dare not go back to colonies I laughed grimly Virginia or Carolina would give pounds to get me there many for tor formy formy tormy Which was true In a fashion my bUd budget budget ct of ot news newa was easily worth wortha English were that the a good price now French awakening to the fact that the thick among the were rose and brushed the needles needle from hl his bin cod coat and said You are English monsieur I hn have ve made roy ray decision The English have their spies up and down the river I too have spies on the coast roast One of ot them should be showing up any time now nOW nOW-if If he has not been killed He will bring your our complete history You are what you OU claim to be or an enemy of France I must know know the truth I uI thank your our excellency I only hope your man Is painstaking and honest hon hon- est cst He uBe Is la what he Is but he will bring bringan an nn honest talk to me He Is very wise You must stay here until he returns I am nm under arrest No UNo no Simply my guest until I Ican Ican Ican can give you a clean bill will he be most careful to to get the facts right There was a Jl mist before my ray eyes I that was not from the steaming water i There was a chill In my heart that even the Loul Louisiana lana sun could not dis dis- i pel Yet force of habit permitted me meto meto meto to wear a mask of Indifference but It i was a moment before I 1 dared trust my voice Then I said I am glad Is the man to look me up He will make no mistake He will slot not hold back for fear of discovery discovery discovery dis dis- covery and then come here and report lies lles to you I rejoice you accept It so amiably It encourages me You are free to towander towander towander wander about With a laugh I accepted the situation situation situation situa situa- tion and humorously remarked If It your excellency had not placed me on bounds I I would have been content content content con con- tent to Idle away a month here Now I am Itching to go go somewhere else That would be unwise unwise most most unhealthy unhealthy unhealthy un un- un- un healthy monsieur The climate Is bad for those who exert themselves If a aman aman man should lose himself I simply call and the natives from the Illinois to the mouth of the toe Mississippi hear me and look for tor that man I shall shaH be pleased to have you dine with me In Inthe Inthe inthe the cool of ot the evening I must leave you now and arrange for the Immigrants Immigrants Immigrants grants to start on their Journeys as another ship Is due to arrive any time I was was thinking of ot the girl in black and asked What of Mademoiselle l Does she return to France on the tle Malre Maire or must she wait walt until you verify her story He h halted and stared at me blankly Her story Return her to France Gods God's merc mercy but weve we've already returned two thousand out of ot the seven thousand sent over by the company I It would require a most excellent story to get mademoiselle back to France Yet decency and Justice demand her Iter return If It she was Illegally seized by bythe bythe bythe the police pollee In their raid mid I persisted He smiled slightly and coolly advised advised advised ad ad- Seek some deep shade monsieur The sun has made you ou believe In fairy tales The young woman made no claim on my Indulgence She said nothing to me about being taken In a raid It Is too much to expect to find finda a virtuous woman woman among those frail ones but she Is young and has much room to mend her morals over here so I shall see her married to one of Monsieur du Pratz's men and sent to toa toa tou a u cabin near the Natchez I was astounded The girl had represented represented rep rep- resented herself to me as the time victim of an Indiscriminate Indiscriminate raid I 1 thought lof of her soft hands I thought of the monotonous corn rations which the Canadian French world eat but which the lower Mississippi French refused ex except ept as a famine diet I was astounded astounded astounded as as- I say and yet why should I expect one of ot her caste to tell tel the truth Nevertheless Ne there was something something some some- thing Infinitely pathetic In picturing tine one so young oung and so unused to the wilderness wilderness wil wll- derne s being held a prisoner In the forest cabin of ot 0 v Her frailty was the fault of her environment But Buta a lonely Mississippi cabin was a n terrible terrible ter ter- price for her to pay unless the themen themen themen men were similarly punished Owing to the disturbing revelations his excellency had made about the Fox I could not give the girl much of my thoughts The fhe of ot my myown myown myown own affairs demanded my most careful attention So as the governor strode away to the fort I wandered toward the shore to concentrate on my pre pre- was' was deep In my confidence It was Imperative that my Canadian data ata should be delivered and his trip up the Ohio afforded me mean mean mean an excellent and safe sate opportunity And AndI I had placed in his hands conclusive evidence of my roy guilt and the time moment he returned It would not be the galle galleys s 's but the noose other than the Fox Ime Had It been aD say any I 1 might have retained some sonde hope But Damom would be most cunning I could see Ree him presenting m my bud budget et of ot news and thereby winning Spotswood's confidence I could see see him accepted as my trusted Mend friend eager enger to sell France for I English gold He would he be have my history complete once finished with my countrymen Over my head hung the shadow of ot a u noo noose nOMe e. e MonsIeur murmured a n voice behind behind be be- hind me I turned but there was ne no one except except EXcept ex a n lout of a soldier standing with his hie back hak to me roe the butt of 01 hi hl- hl snap snap- flintlock resting reeling on oft the ground his gaze turned toward the forest wall Before I could question him he was softly repeating repenting Do not look at me mo monsieur Something Something Something Some Some- thing for tor you under the butt of my mT musket Wait Walt till I am gone before you pick it up I pretended to watch the small |