Part 6 (1/2)
The gate of Fort Frontenac opened to admit several persons headed by a man who had a closely wrapped girl by his side. Before wooden palisades and walls of stone enclosed her, she turned her face to look across the mouth of Cataraqui River and at Lake Ontario rippling full of submerged moonlight. A magnified moon was rising. Farther than eye could reach it softened that northern landscape and provoked mystery in the shadows of the Thousand Islands.
South of the fort were some huts set along the margin of Ontario according to early French custom, which demanded a canoe highway in front of every man's door. West of these, half hid by forest, was an Indian village; and distinct between the two rose the huge white cross planted by Father Hennepin when he was first sent as missionary to Fort Frontenac.
An officer appeared beside the sentinel at the gate, and took off his hat before the m.u.f.fled shape led first into his fortress. She bent her head for this civility and held her father's arm in silence. Canoemen and followers with full knowledge of the place moved on toward barracks or bakery. But the officer stopped their master, saying,--
”Monsieur le Ber, I have news for you.”
[Ill.u.s.tration]
”I have none for you,” responded the merchant. ”It is ever the same story,--men lost in the rapids and voyagers drenched to the skin.
However, we had but one man drowned this time, and are only half dead of fatigue ourselves. Let us have some supper at once. What are your reports?”
”Monsieur, the Sieur de la Salle arrived here a few hours ago from the fort on the Illinois.”
”The Sieur de la Salle?”
”Yes, monsieur.”
”Why did you let him in?” demanded Le Ber, fiercely. ”He hath no rights in this fortress now.”
”His men were much exhausted, monsieur.”
”He could have camped at the settlement.”
”Monsieur, I wish to tell you at once that the last families have left the settlement.”
”The Indians are yet there?”
”Yes, monsieur. But our settlers were afraid our Indians would join the other Iroquois.”
”How many men had La Salle with him?”
”No more than half your party, monsieur. There was Jolycoeur--”
”I tell you La Salle has no rights in this fort,” interrupted Le Ber.
”If he meddles with his merchandise stored here which the government has seized upon, I will arrest him.”
”Yes, monsieur. The Father Louis Hennepin has also arrived from the wilderness after great peril and captivity.”
”Tell me that La Salle's man Tonty is here! Tell me that there is a full muster of all the vagabonds from Michillimackinac! Tell me that Fort St.
Louis of the Illinois hath moved on Fort Frontenac!”
The merchant's voice ascended a pyramid of vexation.
”No, monsieur. Monsieur de Tonty is not here. And the Father Louis Hennepin[7] only rests a few days before the fatigue of descending the rapids to Montreal. It was a grief to him to find his mission and the settlement so decayed after only five years' absence.”
”Why do you fret me with the decay of the mission and breaking up of the settlement? If I were here as commandant of this fort I might then be blamed for its ruin. Perhaps my a.s.sociates made a mistake in retaining an officer who had served under La Salle.”
The commandant made no retort, but said,--
”Monsieur, I had almost forgotten to tell you we have another fair demoiselle within our walls to the honor of Fort Frontenac. The Abbe Cavelier with men from Lachine, arrived this morning, his young niece being with him. There are brave women in Montreal.”