CHAPTER VIII
GUESTS OF THE ENEMY
Captain Louis de Galisonniere proved to be a genial host, pleased withhis guests, pleased with himself, and pleased with the situation. Braveand alert, he had also a certain amount of vanity which Robert hadtickled. It was not for nothing that he was a nephew of Count deGalisonniere, once Governor General of Canada, rank and birth countingfor so much then with the French nation, and it was not for nothing,either, that he had won his captaincy by valiant and diligent service ofhis own. So it afforded him great satisfaction to be hospitable now, andalso to patronize slightly these men from the south, with whom in allprobability New France would be at war before another year had passed.It was well also to impress the Onondaga, whom his vigilant mindrecognized at once as a youth of station. None knew better than deGalisonniere the power and importance of the Iroquois, and how theymight tip the scale in a great war between the French and Britishcolonies.
His boat, which he proudly called the _Frontenac_, after the early andgreat Governor General of Canada, was equipped with supplies needed ontrips between ports on the St. Lawrence. After providing stools for hisguests, he offered them the light wine of France, even as de Courcelleshad done, but Robert and Tayoga declined, although Willet accepted aglass.
"We appreciate your courtesy," said Robert, "but we descendants of theEnglish in America do not take much to wine. I find that my head is muchbetter without it."
"The intoxicating drinks of the white men are not good for the redrace," said Tayoga gravely. "The warriors of the Hodenosaunee are ableto fight anything else, but strong liquors take away their brains andmake them like little children who fly into passions over trifles."
De Galisonniere looked with great interest at the young Onondaga, beingimpressed by the dignity of his manner and the soberness of his speech.
"You speak perfect English," he observed.
"I learned it in a white man's school at Albany," said Tayoga. "Lennoxwas my comrade there, just as he has been in the woods."
"You will see a much greater town than Albany when you arrive at Quebec.You will see a noble city, on a noble site, an impregnable fortress,guarded by the most valiant troops in the world. For its like you wouldhave to cross the sea to our old land of France."
"I have heard much of Stadacona, which you call Quebec," said Tayoga,without any alteration of tone. "Our old men speak often of it, when itbelonged to our brethren, the Ganeagaono, known to you as the Mohawks,who never sold or ceded it to anybody."
De Galisonniere's face fell a little, but he recovered himself quickly.
"That was generations ago," he said, "and time makes many shifts andchanges. There is a flux and efflux of all people, including the white,like the ceaseless movement of sand upon a beach."
The Onondaga was silent, but Robert saw that he did not unbend, and deGalisonniere, feeling that it was unwise to pursue the topic, turned hisattention to the mighty river and its lofty wooded banks.
"I don't believe there's another river in the world the equal of thisgiant French stream of ours," he said.
"Our noble British river, the Hudson, has much to say for itself," saidRobert.
"A grand river, in truth. I have seen it, but large and splendid as itis it lacks the length and size of the St. Lawrence."
"It is beyond question a noble stream to travel on. One makes greaterspeed here and suffers less hardship than in the forest."
"I am glad that I can take you to Montreal."
"Your hospitality to us, Captain de Galisonniere, is appreciated. I havefound French officers courteous and ready to share with us all they had.You are not the first whom we have met on this journey. We encounteredfar down in our province of New York the Chevalier Raymond de St. Luc."
"St. Luc! St. Luc! The very flower of French chivalry! He is a relativeof the famous La Corne de St. Luc, of whom you have doubtless heard, andat Quebec he is considered a model of all the qualities that make asoldier and a gentleman."
"He made a like impression upon me. Farther north we were so fortunateas to meet more of your countrymen, Colonel de Courcelles and Captain deJumonville."
"I know them both! Brave officers!" said de Galisonniere.
But he turned away the conversation from the Frenchmen who had gone downinto territory that Robert considered a portion of the Province of NewYork, and the lad surmised that, knowing a good deal about the nature oftheir errands, he feared lest he might reveal something through chanceallusions. Instead, he talked of the St. Lawrence, Montreal, and theglories of Quebec to which he hoped he might return soon. He addressedmost of his talk to Robert, but he spoke at times to Willet and Tayoga,both of whom responded briefly. The wind meanwhile remained strong, andit was not necessary to use the oars, the large sail carrying themswiftly toward Montreal. Robert, while talking with de Galisonniere,watched eagerly the two shores, seeing the smoke rise from the stout loghouses of the Canadians, and once the tall steeple of a churchdominating a little village, and seeming out of all proportion to thecongregation that surrounded it.
"Yes, the church is very powerful with us," said de Galisonniere,following his eyes and noting his expression. "It suits our people,particularly our good Canadian French. Our priests are patriotic, brave,self-sacrificing, and are a power in our dealings with the Indians."
"I know it," said Robert.
At night they reached Montreal, then much inferior in size andimportance to Quebec, the canoe was lifted from the _Frontenac_, andafter many exchanges of courtesies, the three went to an inn.
"If chance offers," said Robert, "we shall be glad to help you as youhave helped us."
"One never knows," said de Galisonniere. "You and I need not concealfrom each other that there is much talk of war between England andFrance, which, of course, would mean war also between the English andFrench colonies. If it comes, and come it will, I think, I trust that noill luck will befall you upon the battlefield."
"And I wish you as well," said Robert, sincerely.
The canoe was left in trustworthy hands, it being their purpose to sellit on the morrow and buy a larger boat, and they walked through thestreets of this town of Hochelaga toward their inn. There were otherIndians on the street--French Indians they were called to distinguishthem from those who formed a British alliance--but none could becompared with Tayoga, arrayed in the full splendor of a coming chief ofthe clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the League of theHodenosaunee. Never had he borne himself more haughtily, never had hisheight appeared greater or his presence grander. Robert, looking at him,felt that if St. Luc was the very flower of French chivalry, this youngcomrade of his was to an even greater degree the very spirit andessence of all that was best in the great League of the Hodenosaunee.
The Indians--Hurons, Abenakis, St. Regis, Ottawas, and warriors fromfarther west--watched Tayoga with fascinated eyes. They knew perfectlywell who the tall youth was, that he belonged to the great Iroquoisleague, and they knew, too, in their secret hearts that he had thesuperiority which Onondaga, Mohawk and their allied nations claimed.Hence, while their looks sometimes expressed an unwilling admiration,they were also charged always with hostility and hate. But Tayogaapparently took no notice. Once more he was the Greek to whom all outerpeoples were barbarians.
"I don't think the French can make much progress with him," whisperedWillet to Robert. "As the Indian has no written language, his memory islong. When we reach Quebec he'll never forget for an instant that it wasonce Stadacona, a village of the Mohawks, the Keepers of the EasternGate, and one of the great nations of the Hodenosaunee."
"No, he will not," said Robert, "and look who is waiting to meet us!"
Standing before a low house, which was crowded with the goods of a furtrader, were a half-dozen Indians, wild and savage in looks to the lastdegree, and in the center was one whose shoulder was bound tightly witha great roll of deerskin. In stature he rose far above the otherwarriors, and he had a thickness in proportion. The hate that the resthad shown whe
n they looked upon Tayoga was nothing to his, which wasthe very concentrated essence of all malice.
"Our good friend, Tandakora, despite his wound seems to have arrivedahead of us," said Willet to Robert.
"Yes, and he shows very clearly that he would like to give Tayoga to thetorture with himself as torturer, and yet he must know that it was youwho put the bullet through his shoulder."
"Quite true, Robert, but he resents the Onondaga more than he does us.We are strangers, aliens to him, and he makes no comparisons with us,but Tayoga is an Indian like himself, whom he has fought against, andagainst whom he has failed. Watch us pass. For Tayoga, Tandakora willnot exist, and it will instill more poison into the heart of theOjibway."
Willet was a good prophet. The Onondaga walked within five feet of theOjibway, but he did not show by the slightest sign that he was aware ofthe existence of Tandakora. The entire little drama, played by thechildren of the forest, was perfectly clear. Tandakora was dirt underthe feet of Tayoga, and Tandakora felt that it was so. His heart burnedwithin him and a twinge through his shoulder added to his anger. Yet hewas powerless there in Montreal with the French troops about, and hecould merely glare impotently while the three walked by ignoring hisexistence. But they did not forget him, and each in his heart resolvedto be on watch against treacherous attack.
They found on the slope of a high hill the inn to which de Galisonnierehad recommended them, and obtained quarters for the night. MonsieurJolivet, the proprietor, had lodged Indians before, great chiefstreating with the French Government, and he did not think it strangethat Tayoga should come there. In truth, Monsieur Jolivet was a thriftyman who despised no patronage for which the pay was assured, and sincepeace still existed between France and Great Britain he was quitewilling to entertain any number of Bostonnais at his most excellent innon the slope of a high hill overlooking the St. Lawrence. Willet hadshown him the color of gold, and from natural ability and longexperience as an innkeeper being a shrewd reader of faces he was surethat his three unusual guests could be trusted.
Willet knew Canada better than Robert, and now he acted as spokesman.
"We will sleep here only one night," he said, "because early tomorrowmorning we take boat for Quebec. We three will occupy one large room.You have such a room with three beds, have you not?"
"I have the room," responded Monsieur Jolivet promptly, "and the bedscan be put in it at once. Then all will be arranged quickly by Lizetteand Marie, the maids. Will you permit my man, Francois, to carry yourweapons to the chamber now?"
"I think not," replied Willet, giving his rifle an affectionate look."I've lived so long with this good old rifle of mine that we hate to beparted even for an hour. Tayoga and Mr. Lennox are younger than I am,but they're beginning to feel the same way about their arms. If youdon't mind, Monsieur Jolivet, we'll keep our weapons with us."
"Ah, I see, sir, that you're a man of sentiment," said Monsieur Jolivet,laughing and rubbing his hands. "It is well that one can feel it in thisrough world of ours. But will Monsieur see a young officer who has comefrom the commandant? Merely a little inquiry about your identity and anexamination of your papers, if you have any. It's according to ourcustom, and it's just a formality, nothing more."
Robert knew that it was far from being a formality, but his comrades andhe had nothing to fear, as their mission was duly accredited and theycarried the letters to the Marquis Duquesne. The young officer, aFrenchman of Canadian birth, entered presently, and with the courtesycharacteristic of the French race, a trait that Robert liked, asked foran account of themselves, which was given readily. As usual the effectof the letters addressed to the Marquis Duquesne was magical, and, asthe officer withdrew, he tendered them all the help he could give for aspeedy and pleasant voyage to Quebec.
Monsieur Jolivet gave them a supper in his best style. Although a nativeof New France he was of Provencal blood, and he had a poetic strain. Heoffered to his guests not an excellent inn alone, but a magnificent viewalso, of which he made full use. The evening being warm with a soft andsoothing wind, Marie and Lizette set the table in a little garden, inwhich early flowers were blooming already, offering delicate colors ofpink and rose and pale blue. The table was spread with a white cloth,and silver and china were not lacking. The eyes of Robert, who had afastidious taste, glistened.
"Monsieur Jolivet may be our enemy or not," he said, "but I like him. Itis not often that one can dine at such an inn, with such a view ofmountain, forest and magnificent river. In truth, the French do somethings well."
"They surpass us in the matter of inns," said Willet. "They think moreabout it--and take more trouble. I'm sorry we have to quarrel with theFrench. They're good people, though they haven't been oversqueamish inthe use of savages against us, and they're really responsible for thecruelties done by the painted demons."
He spoke freely of red "savages" before Tayoga, knowing that the youngOnondaga would never think of applying the word to himself. Willet hadshown too often that he considered the people of the Hodenosaunee theequals of anybody. Then he took their three rifles, laid them togetheron the grass by the side of a graveled walk and, looking at the vastexpanse of mountain, forest and river, drew a deep breath.
"It's not much like fighting for our lives back there in the gorge, isit, Robert?" he asked. "It's a strange world here in America. We'relying in a rocky hollow one day, shooting at people who are shooting atus, and both sides shooting to kill, and two or three days later we'resitting at an inn in a town, eating off silver and china."
"It's a quick and pleasant transformation," said Robert,appreciatively.
He would have called it supper, but in Montreal it was dinner, and itwas served by Lizette and Marie. There was fish from the St. Lawrence,chicken, beef, many vegetables, good white bread and coffee, allprepared in the excellent manner characteristic of Monsieur Jolivet'sfamous inn. Tayoga ate abundantly but delicately. He had learned the useof knife and fork at the school in Albany, and, like Robert, he wasfastidious at the table.
Monsieur Jolivet, after his manner, gave them much of his own presence.One must be polite to the Bostonnais at such a time. He discoursed quitefreely of Montreal, and of its advantages as a great trading post withthe Indians, who already brought there vast quantities of furs. It wouldbecome one of the greatest and most brilliant jewels in the Frenchcrown, second perhaps only to Paris. But for the present, the chiefglory of New France could be seen only at Quebec Ah, when the Bostonnaisarrived there they would behold great lords and great ladies!
The three listened, each interested in his own way. Robert's fancy sawthe silken splendor of a vice-regal court, and, anxious to know thelarger world, he was more glad than ever that he had come upon thiserrand, dangerous though it had proved to be.
They sat a while after the dinner was over, looking down at the town andthe great view beyond, a clear moon and brilliant stars casting a silverlight which illuminated almost like the day. They saw lights gleamingin houses, and now and then shadowy figures passing. Out in the river aboat with a mast rocked in the current, and Robert believed it was the_Frontenac_ of Louis de Galisonniere.
As the dusk thickened over the great river, the island, the hills andthe forest, Hochelaga seemed very small, and the inn of the excellentMonsieur Jolivet was just a tiny point of light in all that vastdarkness. It shone, nevertheless, by contrast, and was a little islandof warmth and comfort in the sea of the wilderness. Monsieur Jolivet,who was deeply interested in the Bostonnais and the proud youngIroquois, talked freely. Under his light and chattering manner lay greatpowers of perception, and he saw that he had guests of quality, each inhis own way. The hunter even was not an ordinary hunter, but, asMonsieur Jolivet judged, a man of uncommon intellectual power, and alsoof education. He would discover as much about them as he could, for hisown personal gratification, because he might give valuable informationto the commandant at Montreal, who was his friend, and because later onhe might speak a useful word or two in the ear of Louis de Galisonniere,whom he
knew well and whose good opinion he valued.
Robert, who was in a cheerful mood and who wished to exercise his giftof golden speech, met him half way, and enlarged upon the splendor andpower of Britain, the great kingdom that bestrode the Atlantic, seatedimmovable in Europe, and yet spreading through her colonies in America,increasing and growing mightier all the time. It was soon a test ofeloquence between him and Monsieur Jolivet, in which each was seekingto obtain from the other an expression of the opinion that swayed hiscountry. The Onondaga was silent, and the hunter spoke only a word ortwo, but each listened intently to the dialogue, which, however earnestit might be, never went beyond the bounds of good humor.
"I cannot make you see the truth," said Monsieur Jolivet, at last,smiling and spreading his hands. "I cannot convince you that France isthe first of nations, the nation of light and learning and humanity, andyet it is so. And seated here upon the St. Lawrence we shall build upanother France, the New France of America, which will shed light uponyou English or Bostonnais down below, and teach you the grace and beautyof civilization."
"We should be willing to learn from any who can teach us," said Robert,"and such a willingness I claim is a chief merit of us English who areborn in America, or Bostonnais, as you would call us."
Monsieur Jolivet once more spread out his hands in deprecation.
"We argue in vain," he said. "But now Lizette comes with the coffee,which is one of the most glorious triumphs of my inn. Does the youngchief drink coffee?"
"Yes," replied Robert, "he learned at Albany all the white man'shabits."
After the coffee they rose from the table and mine host prepared to showthem to their room. The darkness had thickened meanwhile and glimpses ofthe river and the hills were faint. The little garden was enclosed bythree walls of darkness, being lighted on the side where it joined theinn. Yet Robert thought he saw a shifting figure blacker than theshadows in which it moved.
Marie and Lizette took away the silver and china and Monsieur Jolivetwent ahead to show them to their room. Then something whistled in thedarkness, and an arrow buried to the head of the barb stood out in therear wall of the inn. The three seized their rifles, but the darkershadow in the shadows was gone. Tayoga broke off the arrow level withthe wall, and threw the shaft into the garden.
"It was Tandakora," he said, "seeking revenge. But since the arrow hassped wrong he will not loose another shaft tonight. If it had not beenfor his wounded shoulder the arrow might have gone true. It was atreacherous deed, worthy of the savage Ojibway."
"I hope the time will come," said Willet, "when I shall send a bulletnot through Tandakora's shoulder, but through his heart. I don't lovethe shedding of blood, but the forest will be a better forest withouthim. Meanwhile, say nothing, lads. Monsieur Jolivet is coming back, butdon't mention the arrow to him. He may find the head of it later on inthe wall, and then he can wonder about it as much as he pleases."
Mine host bustled back. The foul and treacherous attempt, the breakingoff of the arrow, and the comment upon it had taken less than a minute,and, good observer though he was, he noticed nothing unusual in theappearance of his guests. They carried their rifles in their hands, butmany visitors to Montreal did the same, and as they were beautifulweapons they might well guard against their loss.
"Follow me, my Bostonnais," he said lightly. "I have the great room withthree beds for you, and I trust that you have enjoyed the dinner."
"We have enjoyed it greatly, all of it, Monsieur Jolivet, and especiallythe dessert," replied Robert with meaning.
"Ah, the pastry," said Monsieur Jolivet, clasping his hands. "It isMarie who made it. It is the gift that she has, and I shall tell her ofyour praise."
But Robert was not thinking of the pastry. It was of the arrow that hespoke as dessert, although the excellent Monsieur Jolivet was destinednever to know the hidden significance of his words. The room which heshowed them with so much pride was a large apartment worthy of theirpraise, having a polished, shining floor of oak, with furs spread hereand there upon it, and a low ceiling crossed with mighty beams also ofoak. Robert looked at the windows, three in number, and he saw withsatisfaction that they had heavy shutters. Monsieur Jolivet's glancefollowed his own, and he said:
"The shutters are for use in the winter, when the great colds come, andthe fierce winds rage. But you, messieurs, who live so much in theforest, will, of course, prefer to keep them wide open tonight."
Robert murmured assent, but when Monsieur Jolivet departed, wishingthem a polite good night, he looked at his comrades.
"We are used to air," said Willet, "and lots of it, but those shutterswill be closed until morning. As Tayoga truly said, he will hardly dareanother arrow, but we mustn't take any risk, however small."
Tayoga nodded approval, and drawing the shutters close, they fastenedthem. Then they undressed and lay down upon their beds, but eachprepared to sleep with his rifle beside him.
"The catches on those shutters are good and strong," said Willet, "andTandakora, even if he should come again, won't try to break them. Itwouldn't suit the purposes of the French for a warrior of a tribe alliedwith them to be caught trying to murder English visitors, and, thatbeing the case, I expect to go to sleep soon and sleep well."
He was as good as his word. Robert, who blew out the candle, soon heardhis regular breathing. Tayoga, who was used to rooms, the Iroquoisthemselves having strong log houses, quickly followed him in slumber,but young Lennox was not able to compose his nerves for a little while.He was perhaps more sensitive and imaginative than his comrades, or theclose air may have kept him awake. He could not help feeling thatTandakora was outside trying the fastenings of the shutters, and at lastrising, he walked on tiptoe and listened at every window in turn. Heheard nothing without but the breathing of the gentle wind, and then,knowing that it had been only his vivid fancy, he went back to bed andslept soundly.
"Wake up, Robert, and breathe this air! After our having been sealed upin a room all night the breeze is heavenly."
The shutters were thrown back, and the hunter and Tayoga, fully dressed,stood by the windows. The air, fresh, life-giving, coming over the greatforests and the mighty river, was pouring into the room in streams, andTayoga and Willet were facing it, in order that they might receive itstraight upon their foreheads. Robert joined them, and soon felt as ifhe had been created anew and stronger.
"I'll never again sleep in a room closed tight and hard," said Willet,"not even to protect my life. I've roamed the free woods for so manyyears that I think another such experience would make me choke todeath."
"I'm not in love with it myself," said Robert, "but it makes the worldoutside look all the grander and all the more beautiful."
At their wish breakfast was served for them by Monsieur Jolivet in thegarden, Willet insisting that for the present he could not stay anylonger in a house. Robert from his seat could see the end of the brokenbarb embedded in the wall, but neither mine host nor any of hisassistants had yet noticed it.
Monsieur Jolivet was pleased that they should have such a brilliant dayto begin their journey to Quebec, and he was telling them where theycould sell their canoe and buy a good boat when Louis de Galisonniereappeared in the garden and presented them the compliments of themorning. He looked so trim and so gay that he brought with him acheerful breeze, and the three felt the effect of it, although theywondered at the nature of his errand there. Robert invited him to jointhem at breakfast and he accepted their invitation, taking a roll andbutter and a cup of coffee after the French custom which even thenprevailed.
"I see that you've slept well," he said, "and that the inn of MonsieurJolivet is as kind to the Bostonnais as it is to the French and theCanadians."
"Its hospitality to us could be no finer if we came from Paris itself,instead of the Province of New York," said Robert. "Our stay in Canadahas been short, but most interesting."
Monsieur Jolivet had gone into the inn, and de Galisonniere said:
"Montreal is a fine town and
I would not depreciate it in the presenceof our host, but as I have told you before, our Quebec to which you aregoing is the true glory of New France. My knowledge that you're goingthere is the reason why I've come here this morning."
"How is that?" asked Robert
"Because I received orders last night to depart in the _Frontenac_ forQuebec, a journey that I undertake with great willingness, since ittakes me where I wish to go. I have also the authority of the commandantto ask your presence as guests for the voyage on board my vessel. Untilwe French and you English actually go to war we might as well befriends."
Robert glanced at Tayoga and Willet and they nodded slightly. Then hereplied warmly that they accepted the invitation and would go with muchpleasure in the _Frontenac_. After breakfast they sold the canoe andembarked presently, having first said goodby to Monsieur Jolivet, whowith his best napkin, waved them farewell.
Robert was more than pleased at their good luck. The _Frontenac_ offeredthem a better passage than any boat they could buy and have to rowperhaps with their own strength. Moreover, they were already onexcellent terms with de Galisonniere, and it would be a good thing forthem to arrive at Quebec in his company.
A strong wind was blowing, and the _Frontenac_ moved swiftly over thesurface of the great stream which was like liquid green glass thatmorning. The three had put their weapons, including Tayoga's bow andarrows, in the cabin, and they sat on deck with de Galisonniere, wholooked with pride at the magnificent river which was the very artery oflife in the New France of the chevaliers. Robert's own heart throbbed ashe knew that this last stage of their journey would take them to famousQuebec.
"If the St. Lawrence didn't freeze over for such a long period," said deGalisonniere, "this region would become in time the greatest empire inthe world."
"But isn't that a huge 'if'?" asked Robert, laughing.
De Galisonniere smiled.
"It is," he said, "but New France is the chief jewel in the Frenchcrown, nevertheless. In time the vice-regal court at Quebec will rule anempire greater than that of France itself. Think of the huge lakes, thegreat rivers, the illimitable forests, beyond them the plains over whichthe buffalo herds roam in millions, and beyond them, so they say, rangeon range of mountains and forests without end."
"I have been thinking of them," said Robert, "but I've been thinking ofthem in a British way."
De Galisonniere laughed again and then grew serious.
"It's natural," he said, "that you should think of them in a Britishway, while I think of them in a French way. I suppose we shall have war,Mr. Lennox, but doesn't it seem strange that England and France shouldfight about American territory, when there's so much of it? Here's acontinent that civilized man cannot occupy for many generations. BothEngland and France could be hidden away in its forests, and it wouldtake explorers to find them, and yet we must fight over a claim toregions that we cannot occupy."
Robert decided then that he liked young de Galisonniere very much. Somesuch thoughts had been passing through his own mind, and he was gladthat he could talk frankly about the coming war with one who would be onthe other side, one who would be an official but not a personal enemy.As the _Frontenac_ slid on through the tumbling green current theytalked earnestly. Willet, sitting near, glanced at them occasionally,but he too had plenty of thoughts of his own, while Tayoga, sayingnothing, gazed at the high green southern shore. This, so the old mensaid, had once been the land of the Mohawks, one of the great nationsof the Hodenosaunee, and now the children of Onontio, who had come withfirearms against bows and arrows, spoke of it as theirs since Manitoufirst made the land rise from the deep. Tayoga was silent but he hadmany thoughts, and they were thoughts that came to him often and stayedlong.
"De Courcelles and Jumonville, whom you met in the forest," said deGalisonniere, at length, "arrived in Montreal early last night, andafter a stay of only two or three hours sailed in a schooner forQuebec."
"Did you see them at all while they were in Montreal?" asked Robert, whoseemed to detect significance in the young Frenchman's tone.
"Only for a few moments," replied de Galisonniere, and Robert, judgingthat he wished to avoid more talk on the subject, made no furtherreference to de Courcelles. But the knowledge that he had gone on aheadto Quebec troubled him. De Courcelles was not so young and frank as deGalisonniere, nor did he seem to have the fine soul and chivalric spiritof St. Luc. Robert felt the three had cause to fear him.
But the journey down the St. Lawrence continued without serious delay,although the wind failed now and then and they took to the oars. It wasa voyage full of variety and interest to Robert. He slept that nightwith his comrades on the deck of the _Frontenac_, and the next morninghe found a strong wind again blowing.
In time they approached Quebec, and saw the increasing signs ofpopulation that betokened proximity to what was then in the eyes ofNorth Americans a great capital. On either shore they saw the manorhouses of the seigneurs, solid stone structures, low, steep of roof andgabled, with clustering outhouses, and often a stone mill near by. Thechurches also increased in numbers, and at one point the _Frontenac_stopped and took on a priest, a tall strongly built man of middle years,with a firm face. De Galisonniere introduced him as Father PhilibertDrouillard, and Robert felt his penetrating gaze upon his face. Then itshifted to Willet and Tayoga, resting long upon the Onondaga.
Robert, knowing the great power of the church in Canada, was curiousabout Father Drouillard, whom he knew at once to be no ordinary man. Hislean ascetic face seemed to show the spirit that had marked Jogues andGoupil and those other early priests whom no danger nor Indian torturecould daunt. But he was too polite to ask questions, feeling that timewould bring him all the information he wanted, in which he was right, asde Galisonniere said later in the day when Father Drouillard was sittingin the little cabin out of hearing:
"A man of influence at Quebec. He has no parish, nor seems to wish any,but he is deep in the councils of the Church. It is known, too, that hecorresponds with Rome, with the Holy Father himself, 'tis said, andthere are men high in office at Quebec who wish that he might be calledfrom New France back to the old land. Francois Bigot, the Intendant,does not love him, nor does anyone of the group about Bigot, neither hiscommissary general, Cadet, nor Pean, the Town Mayor of Quebec, norDescheneaux, nor the others of that group. It's a gorgeous life that ourown court circle leads at Quebec, and at the great Chateau Bigot, in themidst of its walks and flowers and gardens. I don't know why I'm tellingyou these things, Mr. Lennox! It seems they should be the very last tosay to one's official enemy, but I can't feel that I'm doing anythingwrong when I do tell them to you."
His bright face was in gloom for a few moments, and Robert, quick inperception, had a sudden feeling that this brilliant Quebec, envelopedin so much color and glamour, might not be so sound within as theEnglish towns to the south, despite their wrangling. But it merelyincreased his anxiety to see Quebec. Life would be all the more complexthere.
The great river spread before them, blue now under a dazzling blue sky,and the stout _Frontenac_ left a long white trailing wake. A stonehouse, larger than usual, showed through the green foliage on the southbank. Father Drouillard gazed at it, and his face darkened. Presently hearose and shook his hand towards the house, as if he were delivering acurse.
"The chateau that you see belongs to the young Count Jean de Mezy, afriend of the Intendant, Bigot. Sometimes they come from their revels atBeaumanoir to the Chateau de Mezy, and continue them there. Now you cansee why Father Drouillard, who sympathizes with our _honnetes gens_,delivers his malediction."
The priest returned to his seat, and averted his face. An hour later themighty rock of Quebec rose before them.
The Hunters of the Hills Page 10