Alice of Old Vincennes

by Maurice Thompson

  CHAPTER X

  M. ROUSSILLON ENTERTAINS COLONEL HAMILTON

  A day or two after the arrival of Hamilton the absent garrison ofbuffalo hunters straggled back to Vincennes and were duly sworn todemean themselves as lawful subjects of Great Britain. Rene de Ronvillewas among the first to take the oath, and it promptly followed thatHamilton ordered him pressed into service as a wood-chopper andlog-hauler during the erection of a new blockhouse, large barracks andthe making of some extensive repairs of the stockade. Nothing couldhave been more humiliating to the proud young Frenchman. Every day hehad to report bright and early to a burly Irish Corporal and be orderedabout, as if he had been a slave, cursed at, threatened and forced towork until his hands were blistered and his muscles sore. The bitterestpart of it all was that he had to trudge past both Roussillon place andthe Bourcier cabin with the eyes of Alice and Adrienne upon him.

  Hamilton did not forget M. Roussillon in this connection. The giantorator soon found himself face to face with a greater trial even thanRene's. He was calmly told by the English commander that he couldchoose between death and telling who it was that stole the flag.

  "I'll have you shot, sir, to-morrow morning if you prevaricate aboutthis thing any longer," said Hamilton, with a right deadly strain inhis voice. "You told me that you knew every man, woman and child inVincennes at sight. I know that you saw that girl take the flag--lyingdoes not serve your turn. I give you until this evening to tell me whoshe is; if you fail, you die at sunrise to-morrow."

  In fact, it may be that Hamilton did not really purpose to carry outthis blood-thirsty threat; most probably he relied upon M. Roussillon'simagination to torture him successfully; but the effect, as timeproved, could not be accurately foreseen.

  Captain Farnsworth had energy enough for a dozen ordinary men. Beforehe had been in Vincennes twelve hours he had seen every nook and cornerof its surface. Nor was his activity due altogether to military ardor,although he never let pass an opportunity to serve the best interestsof his commander; all the while his mind was on the strikinglybeautiful girl whose saucy countenance had so dazzled him from theroof-top of the fort, what time she wrenched away the rebel flag.

  "I'll find her, high or low," he thought, "for I never could fail torecognize that face. She's a trump."

  It was not in Alice's nature to hide from the English. They had heldthe town and fort before Helm came, and she had not found themtroublesome under Abbott. She did not know that M. Roussillon was aprisoner, the family taking it for granted that he had gone away toavoid the English. Nor was she aware that Hamilton felt so keenly thedisappearance of the flag. What she did know, and it gladdened hergreatly, was that Beverley had been well treated by his captor. Withthis in her heart she went about Roussillon place singing merrysnatches of Creole songs; and when at the gate, which still hunglop-sided on account of Beverley's force in shutting it, she cameunexpectedly face to face with Captain Farnsworth, there was no greatsurprise on her part.

  He lifted his hat and bowed very politely; but a bold smile broke overhis somewhat ruddy face. He spoke in French, but in a drawling tone andwith a bad accent:

  "How do you do, Mademoiselle; I am right glad to see you again."

  Alice drew back a pace or two. She was quick to understand hisallusion, and she shrank from him, fearing that he was going to inquireabout the flag.

  "Don't be afraid," he laughed. "I am not so dangerous. I never did hurta girl in all my life. In fact, I am fond of them when they're nice."

  "I am not in the least afraid," she replied, assuming an air ofabsolute dismissal, "and you don't look a bit ferocious, Monsieur. Youmay pass on, if you please."

  He flushed and bit his lip, probably to keep back some hasty retort,and thought rapidly for a moment. She looked straight at him with eyesthat stirred and dazzled him. He was handsome in a coarse way, like afine young animal, well groomed, well fed, magnetic, forceful; but hisboldness, being of a sort to which she had not been accustomed,disturbed her vaguely and strangely.

  "Suppose that I don't pass on?" he presently ventured, with just asuspicion of insolence in his attitude, but laughing until he showedteeth of remarkable beauty and whiteness. "Suppose that I should wishto have a little chat with you, Mademoiselle?"

  "I have been told that there are men in the world who think themselveshandsome, and clever, and brilliant, when in fact they are butconceited simpletons," she remarked, rather indifferently, mufflingherself in her fur wrap. "You certainly would be a fairly goodhitching-post for our horses if you never moved." Then she laughed outof the depth of her hood, a perfectly merry laugh, but not in the leastflattering to Captain Farnsworth's vanity. He felt the scorn that itconveyed.

  His face grew redder, while a flash from hers made him wish that he hadbeen more gracious in his deportment. Here, to his surprise, was not amere creole girl of the wild frontier.

  Her superiority struck him with the force of a captivating revelation,under the light of which he blinked and winced.

  She laid a shapely hand on the broken gate and pushed it open.

  "I beg your pardon, Mademoiselle;" his manner softened as he spoke; "Ibeg your pardon; but I came to speak to you about the flag--the flagyou took away from the fort."

  She had been half expecting this; but she was quite unprepared, and inspite of all she could do showed embarrassment.

  "I have come to get the flag; if you will kindly bring it to me, ortell me where it is I--"

  She quickly found words to interrupt him with, and at the same time bya great effort pulled herself together.

  "You have come to the wrong place," she flung in. "I assure you that Ihaven't the flag."

  "You took it down, Mademoiselle."

  "Oh, did I?"

  "With bewitching grace you did, Mademoiselle. I saw and admired. Willyou fetch it, please?"

  "Indeed I won't."

  The finality in her voice belied her face, which beamed without a rayof stubbornness or perversity. He did not know how to interpret her;but he felt that he had begun wrong. He half regretted that he hadbegun at all.

  "More depends upon returning that flag than you are probably aware of,"he presently said in a more serious tone. "In fact, the life of one ofyour townsmen, and a person of some importance here I believe, willsurely be saved by it. You'd better consider, Mademoiselle. Youwouldn't like to cause the death of a man."

  She did not fairly grasp the purport of his words; yet the change inhis manner, and the fact that he turned from French to English inmaking the statement, aroused a sudden feeling of dread or darkapprehension in her breast. The first distinct thought was ofBeverley--that some deadly danger threatened him.

  "Who is it?" she frankly demanded.

  "It's the Mayor, the big man of your town, Monsieur Roussillon, I thinkhe calls himself. He's got himself into a tight place. He'll be shotto-morrow morning if that flag is not produced. Governor Hamilton hasso ordered, and what he orders is done."

  "You jest, Monsieur."

  "I assure you that I speak the plain truth."

  "You will probably catch Monsieur Roussillon before you shoot him." Shetossed her head.

  "He is already a prisoner in the fort."

  Alice turned pale.

  "Monsieur, is this true?" Her voice had lost its happy tone. "Are youtelling me that to--"

  "You can verify it, Mademoiselle, by calling upon the commander at thefort. I am sorry that you doubt my veracity. If you will go with me Iwill show you M. Roussillon a tightly bound prisoner."

  Jean had crept out of the gate and was standing just behind Alice withhis feet wide apart, his long chin elevated, his head resting far backbetween his upthrust shoulders, his hands in his pockets, his uncannyeyes gazing steadily at Farnsworth. He looked like a deformed frogready to jump.

  Alice unmistakably saw truth in the Captain's countenance and felt itin his voice. The reality came to her with unhindered effect. M.Roussillon's life depended upon the return of the flag. She put herhands together and f
or a moment covered her eyes with them.

  "I will go now, Mademoiselle," said Farnsworth; "but I hope you will bein great haste about returning the flag."

  He stood looking at her. He was profoundly touched and felt that to saymore would be too brutal even for his coarse nature; so he simplylifted his hat and went away.

  Jean took hold of Alice's dress as she turned to go back into the house.

  "Is he going to take the flag? Can he find it? What does he want withit? What did you do with the flag, Alice?" he whined, in his peculiar,quavering voice. "Where is it?"

  Her skirt dragged him along as she walked.

  "Where did you put it, Alice?"

  "Father Beret hid it under his floor," she answered, involuntarily, andalmost unconsciously. "I shall have to take it back and give it up."

  "No--no--I wouldn't," he quavered, dancing across the veranda as shequickened her pace and fairly spun him along. "I wouldn't let 'em haveit at all."

  Alice's mind was working with lightning speed. Her imagination tookstrong grip on the situation so briefly and effectively sketched byCaptain Farnsworth. Her decision formed itself quickly.

  "Stay here, Jean. I am going to the fort. Don't tell Mama Roussillon athing. Be a good boy."

  She was gone before Jean could say a word. She meant to face Hamiltonat once and be sure what danger menaced M. Roussillon. Of course, theflag must be given up if that would save her foster father any pain;and if his life were in question there could not be too great haste onher part.

  She ran directly to the stockade gate and breathlessly informed asentinel that she must see Governor Hamilton, into whose presence shewas soon led. Captain Farnsworth had preceded her but a minute or two,and was present when she entered the miserable shed room where thecommander was having another talk with M. Roussillon.

  The meeting was a tableau which would have been comical but for thepressure of its tragic possibilities. Hamilton, stern and sententious,stood frowning upon M. Roussillon, who sat upon the ground, his feetand hands tightly bound, a colossal statue of injured innocence.

  Alice, as soon as she saw M. Roussillon, uttered a cry of sympatheticendearment and flung herself toward him with open arms. She could notreach around his great shoulders; but she did her best to include thewhole bulk.

  "Papa! Papa Roussillon!" she chirruped between the kisses that sheshowered upon his weather-beaten face.

  Hamilton and Farnsworth regarded the scene with curious and surprisedinterest. M. Roussillon began speaking rapidly; but being a Frenchmanhe could not get on well with his tongue while his hands were tied. Hecould shrug his shoulders; that helped him some.

  "I am to be shot, MA PETITE," he pathetically growled in his deep bassvoice; "shot like a dog at sunrise to-morrow."

  Alice kissed M. Roussillon's rough cheek once more and sprang to herfeet facing Hamilton.

  "You are not such a fiend and brute as to kill Papa Roussillon," shecried. "Why do you want to injure my poor, good papa?"

  "I believe you are the young lady that stole the flag?" Hamiltonremarked, smiling contemptuously.

  She looked at him with a swift flash of indignation as he uttered thesewords.

  "I am not a thief. I could not steal what was my own. I helped to makethat flag. It was named after me. I took it because it was mine. Youunderstand me, Monsieur."

  "Tell where it is and your father's life will be spared."

  She glanced at M. Roussillon.

  "No, Alice," said he, with a pathetically futile effort to make a finegesture, "don't do it. I am brave enough to die. You would not have meact the coward."

  No onlooker would have even remotely suspected the fact that M.Roussillon had chanced to overhear a conversation between Hamilton andFarnsworth, in which Hamilton stated that he really did not intend tohurt M. Roussillon in any event; he merely purposed to humiliate the"big wind-bag!"

  "Ah, no; let me die bravely for honor's sake--I fear death far lessthan dishonor! They can shoot me, my little one, but they cannot breakmy proud spirit." He tried to strike his breast over his heart.

  "Perhaps it would be just as well to let him be shot," said Hamiltongruffly, and with dry indifference. "I don't fancy that he's of muchvalue to the community at best. He'll make a good target for a squad,and we need an example."

  "Do you mean it?--you ugly English brute--would you murder him?" shestamped her foot.

  "Not if I get that flag between now and sundown. Otherwise I shallcertainly have him shot. It is all in your hands, Mademoiselle. You cantell me where the flag is." Hamilton smiled again with exquisitecruelty.

  Farnsworth stood by gazing upon Alice in open admiration. Her presencehad power in it, to which he was very susceptible.

  "You look like a low, dishonorable, soulless tyrant," she said toHamilton, "and if you get my flag, how shall I know that you will keepyour promise and let Papa Roussillon go free?"

  "I am sorry to say that you will have to trust me, unless you'll takeCaptain Farnsworth for security. The Captain is a gentleman, I assureyou. Will you stand good for my veracity and sincerity, CaptainFarnsworth?"

  The young man smiled and bowed.

  Alice felt the irony; and her perfectly frank nature preferred to trustrather than distrust the sincerity of others. She looked at Farnsworth,who smiled encouragingly.

  "The flag is under Father Beret's floor," she said.

  "Under the church floor?"

  "No, under the floor of his house."

  "Where is his house?"

  She gave full directions how to reach it.

  "Untie the prisoner," Hamilton ordered, and it was quickly done."Monsieur Roussillon, I congratulate you upon your narrow escape. Go tothe priest's house, Monsieur, and bring me that flag. It would be well,I assure you, not to be very long about it. Captain Farnsworth, youwill send a guard with Monsieur Roussillon, a guard of honor, fittinghis official dignity, a Corporal and two men. The honorable Mayor ofthis important city should not go alone upon so important an errand. Hemust have his attendants."

  "Permit me to go myself and get it," said Alice, "I can do it quickly.May I, please, Monsieur?"

  Hamilton looked sharply at her.

  "Why, certainly, Mademoiselle, certainly. Captain Farnsworth, you willescort the young lady."

  "It is not necessary, Monsieur."

  "Oh, yes, it is necessary, my dear young lady, very necessary; so let'snot have further words. I'll try to entertain his honor, the Mayor,while you go and get the flag. I feel sure, Mademoiselle, that you'llreturn with it in a few minutes. But you must not go alone."

  Alice set forth immediately, and Farnsworth, try as hard as he would,could never reach her side, so swift was her gait.

  When they arrived at Father Beret's cabin, she turned and said withimperious severity:

  "Don't you come in; you stay out here: I'll get it in a minute."

  Farnsworth obeyed her command.

  The door was wide open, but Father Beret was not inside; he had gone tosee a sick child in the outskirts of the village. Alice looked aboutand hesitated. She knew the very puncheon that covered the flag; butshe shrank from lifting it. There seemed nothing else to do, however;so, after some trouble with herself, she knelt upon the floor andturned the heavy slab over with a great thump. The flag did not appear.She peeped under the other puncheons. It was not there. The only thingvisible was a little ball of paper fragments not larger than an egg.

  Farnsworth heard her utter a low cry of surprise or dismay, and was onthe point of going in when Father Beret, coming around the corner ofthe cabin, confronted him. The meeting was so sudden and unexpectedthat both men recoiled slightly, and then, with a mutual stare, saluted.

  "I came with a young lady to get the flag," said Farnsworth. "She isinside. I hope there is no serious intrusion. She says the flag ishidden under your floor."

  Father Beret said nothing, but frowning as if much annoyed, steppedthrough the doorway to Alice's side, and stooping where she knelt, laida hand on her shoul
der as she glanced up and recognized him.

  "What are you doing, my child?"

  "Oh, Father, where is the flag?" It was all that she could say. "Whereis the flag?"

  "Why, isn't it there?"

  "No, you see it isn't there! Where is it?"

  The priest stood as if dumfounded, gazing into the vacant spaceuncovered by the puncheon.

  "Is it gone? Has some one taken it away?"

  They turned up all the floor to no avail. La banniere d'AliceRoussillon had disappeared, and Captain Farnsworth went forthwith toreport the fact to his commander. When he reached the shed at the angleof the fort he found Governor Hamilton sitting stupid and dazed on theground. One jaw was inflamed and swollen and an eye was half closed andbloodshot. He turned his head with a painful, irregular motion and hischin sagged.

  Farnsworth sprang to him and lifted him to his feet; but he couldscarcely stand. He licked his lips clumsily.

  "What is the matter? What hurt you?"

  The Governor rubbed his forehead trying to recollect.

  "He struck me," he presently said with difficulty. "He hit me with hisfist Where--where is he?"

  "Who?"

  "That big French idiot--that Roussillon--go after him, take him, shoothim--quick! I have been stunned; I don't know how long he's been gone.Give the alarm--do something!"

  Hamilton, as he gathered his wits together, began to foam with rage,and his passion gave his bruised and swollen face a terrible look.

  The story was short, and may be quickly told. M. Roussillon had takenadvantage of the first moment when he and Hamilton were left alone. Oneherculean buffet, a swinging smash of his enormous fist on the point ofthe Governors jaw, and then he walked out of the fort unchallenged,doubtless on account of his lordly and masterful air.

  "Ziff!" he exclaimed, shaking himself and lifting his shoulders, whenhe had passed beyond hearing of the sentinel at the gate, "ziff! I canpunch a good stiff stroke yet, Monsieur le Gouverneur. Ah, ziff!" andhe blew like a porpoise.

  Every effort was promptly made to recapture M. Roussillon; but hisdisappearance was absolute; even the reward offered for his scalp byHamilton only gave the Indians great trouble--they could not find theman.

  Such a beginning of his administration of affairs at Vincennes did notput Hamilton into a good humor. He was overbearing and irascible atbest, and under the irritation of small but exceedingly unpleasantexperiences he made life well-nigh unendurable to those upon whom hisdislike chanced to fall. Beverley quickly felt that it was going to bevery difficult for him and Hamilton to get along agreeably. With Helmit was quite different; smoking, drinking, playing cards, telling goodstories--in a word, rude and not unfrequently boisterous convivialitydrew him and the commandant together.

  Under Captain Farnsworth's immediate supervision the fort was soon inexcellent repair and a large blockhouse and comfortable quarters forthe men were built. Every day added to the strength of the works and tothe importance of the post as a strategic position for the advanceguard of the British army.

  Hamilton was ambitious to prove himself conspicuously valuable to hiscountry. He was dreaming vast dreams and laying large plans. TheIndians were soon anxious to gain his favor; and to bind them securelyto him he offered liberal pay in rum and firearms, blankets, trinketsand ammunition for the scalps of rebels. He kept this as secret aspossible from his prisoners; but Beverley soon suspected that a"traffic in hair," as the terrible business had been named, was goingon. Savages came in from far away with scalps yet scarcely dry danglingat their belts. It made the young Virginian's blood chill in his heart,and he regretted that he had given Hamilton his parole of honor not toattempt to escape.

  Among the Indians occasionally reporting to Hamilton with their ghastlybut valuable trophies was Long-Hair, who slipped into the fort and outagain rather warily, not having much confidence in those Frenchmen whohad once upon a time given him a memorable run for his life.

  Winter shut down, not cold, but damp, changeable, raw. The work on thefort was nearly completed, and Rene de Ronville would have soon beenrelieved of his servile and exasperating employment under the IrishCorporal; but just at the point of time when only a few days' workremained for him, he became furious, on account of an insulting remark,and struck the Corporal over the head with a handspike. This happenedin a wood some miles from town, where he was loading logs upon a sled.There chanced to be no third person present when the deed was done, andsome hours passed before they found the officer quite cold and stiffbeside the sled. His head was crushed to a pulp.

  Hamilton, now thoroughly exasperated, began to look upon the Frenchinhabitants of Vincennes as all like M. Roussillon and Rene, butwaiting for an opportunity to strike him unawares. He increased hismilitary vigilance, ordered the town patrolled day and night, andforbade public gatherings of the citizens, while at the same time heforced them to furnish him a large amount of provisions.

  When little Adrienne Bourcier heard of Renews terrible act, followed byhis successful escape to the woods, and of the tempting reward offeredby Hamilton for his scalp, she ran to Roussillon place well-nigh crazedwith excitement. She had always depended upon Alice for advice,encouragement and comfort in her troubles; but in the present casethere was not much that her friend could do to cheer her. With M.Roussillon and Rene both fugitives, tracked by wily savages, a price ontheir heads, while every day added new dangers to the Frenchinhabitants of Vincennes, no rosy view could possibly be taken of thesituation. Alice did her best, however, to strengthen her littlefriend's faith in a happy outcome. She quoted what she consideredunimpeachable authority to support her optimistic argument.

  "Lieutenant Beverley says that the Americans will be sure to driveHamilton out of Vincennes, or capture him. Probably they are not sovery far away now, and Rene may join them and come back to help punishthese brutal Englishmen. Don't you wish he would, Adrienne? Wouldn't itbe romantic?"

  "He's armed, I know that," said Adrienne, brightening a little, "andhe's brave, Alice, brave as can be. He came right back into town theother night and got his gun and pistols. He was at our house, too, and,oh!--"

  She burst out crying again. "O Alice! It breaks my heart to think thatthe Indians will kill him. Do you think they will kill him, Alice?"

  "He'll come nearer killing them," said Alice confidently, with herstrong, warm arms around the tiny lass; "he's a good woodsman, a fineshot--he's not so easy to kill, my dear. If he and Papa Roussillonshould get together by chance they would be a match for all the Indiansin the country. Anyway, I feel that it's much better for them to taketheir chances in the woods than to be in the hands of GovernorHamilton. If I were a man I'd do just as Papa Roussillon and Rene did;I'd break the bigoted head of every Englishman that mistreated me, I'lldo it, girl as I am, if they annoy me, see if I don't!"

  She was thinking of Captain Farnsworth, who had been from the firstuntiring in his efforts to gain something more than a passingacquaintance. As yet he had not made himself unbearable; but Alice'sfine intuition led her to the conclusion that she must guard againsthim from the outset.

  Adrienne's simple heart could not grasp the romantic criterion withwhich Alice was wont to measure action. Her mind was single, impulsive,narrow and direct in all its movements. She loved, hated, desired,caressed, repulsed, not for any assignable reason more solid or moreluminous than "because." She adored Rene and wanted him near her. Hewas a hero in her imagination, no matter what he did. Little differencewas it to her whether he hauled logs for the English or smoked his pipein idleness by the winter fire--what could it matter which flag heserved under, so that he was true to her? Or whom he served if shecould always have him coming to see her and calling her his little pet?He might crush an Irish Corporal's head every day, if he would butstroke her hair and say: "My sweet little one."

  "Why couldn't he be quiet and do as your man, Lieutenant Beverley,did?" she cried in a sudden change of mood, the tears streaming downher cheeks. "Lieutenant Beverley surrendered and took the consequences.He di
dn't kill somebody and run off to be hunted like a bear. No wonderyou're happy, Alice; I'd be happy, too, if Rene were here and came tospend half of every day with me. I--"

  "Why, what a silly girl you are!" Alice exclaimed, her face reddeningprettily. "How foolishly you prattle! I'm sure I don't trouble myselfabout Lieutenant Beverley--what put such absurd nonsense into yourhead, Adrienne?"

  "Because, that's what, and you know it's so, too. You love him just asmuch as I love Rene, and that's just all the love in the world, and youneedn't deny it, Alice Roussillon!"

  Alice laughed and hugged the wee, brown-faced mite of a girl until shealmost smothered her.

  It was growing dusk when Adrienne left Roussillon place to go home. Thewind cut icily across the commons and moaned as it whirled around thecabins and cattle-sheds. She ran briskly, muffled in a wrap, partlythrough fear and partly to keep warm, and had gone two-thirds of herway when she was brought to an abrupt stop by the arms of a man. Shescreamed sharply, and Father Beret, who was coming out of a cabin notfar away, heard and knew the voice.

  "Ho-ho, my little lady!" cried Adrienne's captor in a breezy, jocundtone, "you wouldn't run over a fellow, would you?" The words wereFrench, but the voice was that of Captain Farnsworth, who laughed whilehe spoke. "You jump like a rabbit, my darling! Why, what a livelylittle chick of a girl it is!"

  Adrienne screamed and struggled recklessly.

  "Now don't rouse up the town," coaxed the Captain. He was just drunkenough to be quite a fool, yet sufficiently sober to imagine himselfthe most proper person in the world. "I don't mean you any harm,Mademoiselle; I'll just see you safe home, you know; 'scort you to yourresidence; come on, now--that's a good girl."

  Father Beret hurried to the spot, and when in the deepening gloom hesaw Adrienne flinging herself violently this way and that, helplesslytrying to escape from the clasp of a man, he did to perfection what apriest is supposed to be the least fitted to do. Indeed, consideringhis age and leaving his vocation out of the reckoning, his performancewas amazing. It is not certain that the blow dealt upon GovernorHamilton's jaw by M. Roussillon was a stiffer one than that sentstraight from the priest's shoulder right into the short ribs ofCaptain Farnsworth, who there-upon released a mighty grunt and doubledhimself up.

  Adrienne recognized her assailant at the first and used his name freelyduring the struggle. When Father Beret appeared she cried out to him--

  "Oh, Father--Father Beret! help me! help me!"

  When Farnsworth recovered from the breath-expelling shock of the jab inhis side and got himself once more in a vertical position, both girland priest were gone. He looked this way and that, rapidly becomingsober, and beginning to wonder how the thing could have happened soeasily. His ribs felt as if they had been hit with a heavy hammer.

  "By Jove!" he muttered all to himself, "the old prayer-singing heathen!By Jove!" And with this very brilliant and relevant observation herubbed his sore side and went his way to the fort.