BIENVILLE
Musing on this strange story, and the old man's unwonted fear, I walked
on down to the water's edge where my Indian friends, already in the
pirogue, awaited me. Another half hour and we were in Biloxi.
When we reached the barracks I found orders to attend the governor at
once.
Bienville stood before his fire alone, quiet, but in a very different
mood from any in which I had theretofore seen him.
"Captain de Mouret," the rough old warrior began, without any prelude
or indirection, "I desire to send you at once to Paris on an errand of
the utmost importance to myself and to this colony. I select you for
this task, though I can ill spare you here, because it is a delicate
matter. I believe you to be honest, I know you are courageous."
I bowed, and he went on. Something had evidently occurred to vex and
irritate him.
"You know the people who surround me here, the weak, the vicious, the
licentious of all the earth. A band of unprincipled adventurers, vile
Canadians and half-breeds, all too lazy to work, or even to feed
themselves out of the bountiful earth which would give everything we
need almost for the asking. The air is full now of rumors of a Spanish
war, and a Natchez-Chickasaw alliance. If these things are true we
would find ourselves entirely cut off from French supplies, and this
colony would literally starve to death. Yes, starve to death with
untold millions of fruitful acres all about us. Had we strength to
fight I would not care so much. With but two companies of
undisciplined troops, a mere straggling handful, officered by
drunkards, we could not defend this post a day against any organized
attack."
All this I knew to be true, so I made no comment. He pursued the
conversation and evidently relieved his mind of much that had troubled
him for months.
"Then this beggarly commissary of mine, and the trafficking priest, de
la Vente, they are constantly stirring up strife against me here, and
putting lies in the hands of my enemies at court. The king, too, is
wearied out with this endless drain upon his treasury for money and
supplies, and is now, so I am informed, almost ready to accede to
Crozat's proposition, and turn over to him the revenues and government
of the colonies."
The old man grew earnest and eloquent.
"What! turn over an empire such as this to a miserable trading
huckster, the son of a peasant--permit him to name the governors and
officers! Why, under his rule, such cattle as la Salle and de la Vente
would feed fat upon the miseries of the people! Great God, Placide, do
you appreciate what that means? To create this peddler of silks and
laces lord of a boundless domain, more magnificent than Louis in his
wildest schemes of conquest ever dreamed? Why, boy, the day will come
when for a thousand leagues the silver lilies will signal each other
from every hill top; marts of commerce will thrive and flourish; the
land will smile with farms and cities, with proud palaces and with
granite castles. The white sails of our boats will fleck every lake
and sea and river with their rich burdens of trade, pouring a fabulous
and a willing wealth into the coffers of the king. Gold and silver
mines will yield their precious stores, while from these niggard
natives we will wrest with mighty arm the tribute they so
contemptuously deny the weakling curs who snap and snarl at my heels.
Grey tower and fortress will guard every inlet, and watch this
sheltered coast. In every vale the low chant of holy nuns will breathe
their benediction upon a happy people. And hordes of nations yet
unknown and races yet unborn, in future legends, in song, in story and
in rhyme, will laud the name of Bourbon and the glory of the French.
Oh lad! lad! 'tis an ambition worthy a god."
The governor had risen, and waving his long arms this way and that,
pointed out the confines of his mighty dreamland empire with as much
assurance as if cities and towns would spring up at his bidding.
His whole frame spoke the most intense emotion. The face, glorified
and transfigured by the allurement of his brilliant mirage, seemed that
of another man.
"Ah, Placide! Placide! it stings me that this chivalrous king of ours,
this degenerate grandson of Henry the Great, should think of selling
for a few paltry livres such an heritage as this. Shame to you Louis,
shame!"
His tone had grown so loud, so peremptory, I interrupted.
"Caution, sire; who knows what tattler's ears are listening, or where
your thoughtless words may be repeated."
He stood moodily with hands behind him gazing into the fire. For years
I had known Bienville the soldier, the stern and unyielding governor,
with the hand of iron and the tongue of suasion.
Now I saw for the first time Bienville the man, Bienville the
visionary, Bienville the enthusiast, the dreamer of dreams and the
builder of castles. I watched him in amazement.
"Then these miserable women whom our good father, the Bishop of Quebec,
was so kind as to send us, bringing from their House of Correction all
the airs and graces of a court. Bringing hither their silly romances
of a land of plenty; they vow they came not here to work, and by the
grace of God, work they will not. They declare they are not horses to
eat of the corn of the fields, and clamor for their dear Parisian
dainties. Against such a petticoat insurrection the governor is
helpless. Bah! it sickens me. I wonder not that our men prefer the
Indian maidens, for they at least have common sense. But by my soul,
Captain, here I stand and rant like some schoolboy mouthing his speech.
Tush, it is forgotten."
"Tell me, Captain de Mouret, what have you learned of the Chickasaws,
for our time grows short."
Glad to change the current of his thought I went on in detail to give
the results of my reconnaissance. Everywhere we found preparations
among the allied tribes, and felt sure we saw signs of a secret
understanding between them and the Spaniard.
The governor made many notes, and carefully examined the charts I had
drawn of the Chickasaw towns, systematically marking down the strength
and fortifications of each. When I had finished my report we sat for
quite a while, he silent and thoughtful, watching the thin blue smoke
eddy round and round then dart up the capacious chimney.
"And they charge me at the court of France," he soliloquized, giving
half unconscious expression to the matter uppermost in his mind, "they
charge me at the court of France, what no man save my king dare say to
me--that I divert the public funds to my own use. I, a Le Moyne, who
spend my own private fortune in protecting and feeding these ungrateful
people. But we waste time in words, like two chattering old women. We
need ships and money and men--men who fight like gentlemen for glory,
not deserters and convicts who fight unwillingly under the lash for
gold.
"What can I do with troops who would as gladly spoil Biloxi as Havana?
"Captain de Mouret, you will sail on le Dauphin to-morrow at daylight.
Place these dispatches in my brother Serigny's hands immediately upon
your arrival. From that time forward act under his instructions.
Remember, sir, your mission is a secret one."
I knew well the name he gave me, for next to Iberville, Serigny was
reputed the most accomplished of all the Le Moyne's. To his fame as a
soldier, his attainments as a scholar, he added the easy grace of the
courtier. His position at the court of Louis gave him great prestige
throughout the colonies; he being a sort of adviser to the King on
colonial affairs, or so we all then thought him. Little did I then
know how scant was the heed paid by power and ambition to real merit
and soldierly virtues.
This while we sat without passing a word. Truth to tell I was loath to
leave the Governor, for I knew even better than he how much of
treachery there was in those about him. Besides that I had no
confidence in my lieutenant, and yet hated to acquaint Bienville with
the fact for fear he might mistrust my motives. I was heavy at heart
and dreaded the future.
When, somewhat after midnight, I arose to go, he came around the table
and taking me by both shoulders gazed steadily into my face. I met his
glance frankly and quailed not.
"Forgive me, Placide, these are such days of distrust I doubt every one
about me. Forgive me, lad, but your old commander's reputation, aye,
his honor even, depends now so much upon your fidelity."
I could say nothing. I felt a stealthy tear tremble in my eye, yet was
not ashamed, for its mate glistened in his own, and he was a man not
given to over-weeping.