MY PLEDGE SAVES DE ARTIGNY
I had one glimpse of his face as he leaned forward, and there was a
look in it which made me shudder, and turn away. His was no idle
threat, and whether the man truly loved me or not, his hatred of De
Artigny was sufficient for any cruelty.
I realized the danger, the necessity for compromise, and yet for the
moment I lacked power to speak, to question, fearful lest his demands
would be greater than I could grant. I had no thought of what I saw,
and still that which my eyes rested upon remains pictured on my brain,
the sparkle of sun on the water, the distant green of the shore, the
soldiers huddled in the canoe, the dark shining bodies of the Indians
ceaselessly plying the paddles, and beyond us, to the left, another
canoe, cleaving the water swiftly, with Père Allouez' face turned
toward us, as though he sought to guess our conversation. I was
aroused by the grip of Cassion's hand.
"Well, my beauty," he said harshly, "haven't I waited long enough to
learn if it is war or peace between us?"
I laughed, yet I doubt if he gained any comfort from the expression of
the eyes which met his.
"Why I choose peace, of course, Monsieur," I answered, assuming a
carelessness I was far from feeling. "Am I not your wife? Surely you
remind me of it often enough, so I am not likely to forget; but I
resent the insult of your words, nor will you ever win favor from me
by such methods. I have been friendly with Sieur de Artigny, it is
true, but there is nothing more between us. Indeed no word has passed
my lips in his presence I would not be willing for you to hear. So
there is no cause for you to spare him on my account, or rest his fate
on any action of mine."
"You will have naught to do with the fellow?"
"There would be small chance if I wished, Monsieur; and do you suppose
I would seek companionship with one who had killed my uncle?"
"'Twould scarce seem so, yet I know not what you believe."
"Nor do I myself; yet the evidence is all against the man thus far. I
confess I should like to hear his defense, but I make you this pledge
in all honor--I will have no word with him, on condition that you file
no charges until we arrive at Fort St. Louis."
"Ah!" suspiciously, "you think he has friends there to hold him
innocent."
"Why should I, Monsieur? Indeed, why should I care but to have justice
done? I do not wish his blood on your hands, or to imagine that he is
condemned because of his friendship for me rather than any other
crime. I know not what friends the man has at the Rock on the
Illinois. He was of La Salle's party, and they are no longer in
control. La Barre said that De Baugis commanded that post, and for all
I know De Tonty and all his men may have departed."
"'Tis not altogether true, and for that reason we are ordered to join
the company. De Baugis has the right of it under commission from La
Barre, but does not possess sufficient soldiers to exercise authority.
La Salle's men remain loyal to De Tonty, and the Indian tribes look to
him for leadership. _Mon Dieu_! it was reported in Quebec that twelve
thousand savages were living about the fort--ay! and De Artigny said
he doubted it not, for the meadows were covered with tepees--so De
Baugis has small chance to rule until he has force behind him. They
say this De Tonty is of a fighting breed--the savages call him the man
with the iron hand--and so the two rule between them, the one for La
Barre, and the other for La Salle, and we go to give the Governor's
man more power."
"You have sufficient force?"
"Unless the Indians become hostile; besides there is to be an overland
party later to join us in the spring, and Sieur de la Durantaye, of
the regiment of Carignan-Salliers is at the Chicago portage. This I
learned at St. Ignace."
"Then it would seem to me, Monsieur, that you could safely wait the
trial of De Artigny until our arrival at the fort. If he does not feel
himself suspected, he will make no effort to escape, and I give you
the pledge you ask."
It was not altogether graciously that he agreed to this, yet the man
could not refuse, and I was glad enough to escape thus easily, for it
was my fear that he might insist on my yielding much more to preserve
De Artigny from immediate condemnation and death. The fellow had the
power, and the inclination, and what good fortune saved me, I can
never know. I think he felt a certain fear of me, a doubt of how far
he might presume on my good nature.
Certainly I gave him small encouragement to venture further, and yet
had he done so I would have been at my wit's end. Twice the words were
upon his lips--a demand that I yield to his mastery--but he must have
read in my eyes a defiance he feared to front, for they were not
uttered. 'Twas that he might have this very talk that he had found me
place alone in his canoe, and I would have respected him more had he
dared to carry out his desire. The coward in the man was too apparent,
and yet that very cowardice was proof of treachery. What he hesitated
to claim boldly he would attain otherwise if he could. I could place
no confidence in his word, nor reliance upon his honor.
However nothing occurred to give Cassion opportunity, nor to tempt me
to violate my own pledge. We proceeded steadily upon our course, aided
by fair weather, and quiet waters for several days. So peaceful were
our surroundings that my awe and fear of the vast lake on which we
floated passed away, and I began to appreciate its beauty, and love
those changing vistas, which opened constantly to our advance.
We followed the coast line, seldom venturing beyond sight of land,
except as we cut across from point to point; and fair as the wooded
shore appeared, its loneliness, and the desolation of the great waters
began, at last, to affect our spirits. The men no longer sang at their
work, and I could see the depression in their eyes as they stared
about across ceaseless waves to the dim horizon.
Day after day it was the same dull monotony, crouched in the narrow
canoe, watching the movements of the paddlers, and staring about at
endless sea and sky, with distant glimpse of wilderness. We lost
interest in conversation, in each other, and I lay for hours with eyes
closed to the glare of the sun, feeling no desire save to be left
alone. Yet there were scenes of surpassing beauty unrolled before us
at sunrise and sunset, and when the great silvery moon reflected its
glory in the water.
Had companionship been congenial no doubt every league of that journey
would have proven a joy to be long remembered, but with Cassion beside
me, ever seeking some excuse to make me conscious of his purpose, I
found silence to be my most effective weapon of defense. Twice I got
away in Père Allouez' canoe, and found pleasure in conversing,
although I had no confidence in the priest, and knew well that my
absence would anger Cassion.
Our camps occurred wherever night overtook us and we found good
landing place. Occasionally we went ashore earlier, and the Indians
hunted for wild game, usually with success. In all these days and
nights I had no glimpse of De Artigny, nor of his crew. It was not
possible for me to question Cassion, for to do so would have aroused
his jealous suspicion; but, as he never once referred to their
continued absence, I became convinced that it was his orders which
kept them ahead. No doubt it was best, as the men soon forgot the
tragedy of Hugo Chevet's death, and after the first day I do not
recall hearing the murder discussed.
Such deeds were not uncommon, and Chevet had made no friends to
cherish his memory. If others suspected De Artigny they felt little
resentment or desire to punish him--and doubtless the men had
quarreled, and the fatal knife thrust been delivered in fair fight.
The result interested them only slightly, and none regretted the loss
of the man killed.
We made no entrance into Green Bay, for there was nothing there but a
newly established mission station, and perhaps a hunter's camp,
scarcely worth our wasting two days in seeking. Besides the night we
made camp at a spot marked on the map as Point de Tour, we found
waiting us there the advance canoe, and both De Artigny and the chief
counseled that our course be south across the mouth of the bay. I sat
in my tent and watched them discuss the matter in the red glow of a
fire, but this was my only glimpse of De Artigny, until he led the way
the next morning.
Our voyage that day was a long one, and we were often beyond view of
land, although we skirted several islands. The lake was stirred by a
gentle breeze, yet not enough to delay our passage, and the sky above
was cloudless. The Indian chief took the steering paddle in one of our
boats, relieving Père Allouez, and De Artigny guided us, his canoe a
mere black speck ahead. It was already dark when we finally attained
the rocky shore of Port de Morts.
When dawn came De Artigny and his crew had departed by order of
Cassion, but the chief remained to take charge of the third canoe. The
indifference the younger man had shown to my presence hurt me
strangely--he had made no effort to approach or address me; indeed, so
far as I was aware, had not so much as glanced in my direction. Did he
still resent my words, or was it his consciousness of guilt, which
held him thus aloof?
Not for a moment would I believe him wholly uninterested. There had
been that in his eyes I should never forget, and so I persuaded myself
that he thus avoided me because he feared to anger Cassion. This was
not at all in accord with his nature as I understood it, yet the
explanation gave me a certain content, and I could find no better.
Thus we resumed our journey southward along the shore, but with
clouded skies overhead, and the water about us dull and gray.