A Little Girl in Old St. Louis

n about the levee. There was talk of regular orgies taking place at the government house, and the more thoughtful men, like the Chouteaus, the Guerins, t

the people about her were losing or gaining did not seem to trouble her. Now and then a riv

ng with Indians in Spanish territory, and giving them liberal supplies of rum in order to make better bargains wi

ac had formed a plan of seizing or destroying some of the western towns and stations where there was likely to be found booty enough to reward them. Ducharme joined the scheme eagerly and gathe

rs entertainment. After mass had been said in the morning, women and children, youths and maidens, and husban

ath of the newly grown grasses, the bloom of trees and flowers, w

n opportune moment. It was now mid-afternoon. There had been dancing and merriment, the children had run and played, gathere

free property. He and another hunter had been shooting game, and as he stooped

ans!" he shout

felled him. Rivière was captured. A young Frenchman,

ves! Fly to the

for the chance at game as any real fear of Indians. They covered the retreat a

ught little ones in their arms and ra

houteau, who had been busy wi

e Indians!" shou

ilitia! Where i

l," cried Pierre indignantly, an

he urgent request of the chief citizens, but it being a holiday they were away, some canoeing down the river or fishin

to arms! every citizen! It is for your wi

e Colonel had ceased. For Colonel Chouteau was not only admired for

ave that the long-feared attack had come upon them unawares. They poured out of the fo

ise. They fell back brandishing their arms and shouting to their companions to come on. Then the Colonel saw that it was

their companions. This gave most of the flying and terrified throng an oppo

s, but ran, musket or rifle in hand, to man the fort. Colonel Chouteau and his br

seen that an attack was determined upon. They approached the fort, head

s of the nearest houses were manned with the residents of the town. A shower of arrows fe

a continuing chorus. Ducharme fell. Two of the white leaders were wounded also. Then another discharge from the cannons and the

o he had persuaded the Indians it would fall an easy prey and give them abundant pillage. But the roar and the exec

ut quite sobered by the

ll to order a pursu

lonel Chouteau with a touch of scorn. "No,

own. Marchand had gone out with the party, and Mère Lunde was to care

en are safe! But Barbe! I c

" his voice

h, M'sieu Denys, what a horrible thing! And we felt so safe.

arried the wounded in gently, the dead reverently. The good priest proffered his services, and Dr. Montcrevier le

fied to come out even at the summons of friendly voices. Colonel Chouteau and his brother were comforting, aiding, exhorting, an

orner. He asked the Pichous. No one had seen them. A great pang rent his heart. And yet-they might have hidden in the forest. Ah, God send

he said in a desperate ton

ss in one side only. They saw now that their fire had done good execution among their red fo

came by the way of the spr

the danger, Denys shouted now and then, but no human voice replied. Here, there, examining some thicket, peering behi

rip of prairie. Here lay something in

n a voice of anguish. "I

n the others were prisoners. There was no use to search f

ck to the fort, to find that he was not dead, though he had

had fallen and been crushed in the flight counted up many more. And some were missing. What would be their fate? And oh, what would happen to Wawataysee if some roving Indian

Garreau was wild about the beautiful Wawataysee. She knew the Indian character too well to think they

to a strict account and recruited as rapidly as possible, and the fortifications made more s

ded and avaricious, incompetent in every respect, and drunk most of the time. He cares nothing for the welfare of the town, he takes n

etition of ejectment, and make

been given decent sepulture outside the town. And Gaspard Denys felt t

urney, as much as they could carry. He found the Indians had boats in waiting on the Illinois River, and after proceeding some distance they had

ians. It was not an easy trail to follow. There had been a quarrel and another separation, a drunken

of the captives. An old woman was set free with two men

u to share my perils. Wawataysee came from somewhere up by the straits. She ran away with Marchand. She was to be married to an old Indian against her will. And no doubt he will be wild with

ing his white teeth. "I am not a coward nor a man to

esponded Ja

shall pray for your safe return," De

f mirth. "But if I could find one as beautiful and sweet as M

angerous," sai

ay and night. He could see Renée's soft brown eyes in the dusk, he could hear her sweet voice in the gentle zephyrs, that changed and had no end of fascinating tones. All her arch, pret

inhabitants congratulated themselves on their freedom heretofore from raids like these. Towns had been de

dvancement of the town. He was repairing the old house where his friend had lived

ooked sharply at them there was a shout of joy. Pierre Duchesne, whose family had lived on a fain

t while the sounds of joy and c

r own. And though there had been adventures and hiding from roving Indians, liv

se, where the three had

she said, "but the child-" and

had given him the blow on his head with a club, and there memory had stopped. Though Mère Lunde would talk to no one else, to him she told the sad story. And he had been lying helpless all the time Wawataysee had bee

ld not suffer any degradation, death would be a boon instead. Ah, if he could have joined Den

d Denys was well on the journey. Yet it was terrible to wait with awful visions before his ey

rown with weeds and everything was running riot. Marchand insisted upon lending a help