The Crossing

lle cel

t, Davy," said Jake Landrasse, as he paddle

answered, for the shouting which came

say, 'Get ready you all to go to Louisiana! You been hole back long enough by tyranny.' Sam Barker come along and say he a

en?" I

d I had to fetch 'em over. I've got to go back and wait for 'em now," and he swore wit

tion for the individual, difficult enough lower down, in front of the tavern became positively dangerous. There was a human eddy,-nay, a maelstrom would better describe it. Fights began, but ended abortively by reason of the inability of the combatants to keep their feet; one man whose face I knew passed me with his hat afire, followed by several companions in gusts of laughter, for the torch-bearers were careless and burned the ears of their friends in their enthusiasm. Another person whom I

e have conquered it with our blood, and I reckon no Spaniard is goin' to stop us. We ain't come this far to stand still. We settled Kaintuck, fit off the redsk

weep of a resistless race. In spite of untold privations and hardships, of cruel warfare and massacre, these people had toiled over the mountains into this land, and impatient of check or hindrance would, even as Clark had predicted, when their numbers were sufficient leap the Mississippi. Night

tonishment. Above the cheering came the sound of a drum beaten in marching time, and above that there burst upon the night what purported to be the "Marseillaise," taken up and bawled by a hundred drunken throats and without words. Those around me who were sufficiently nimble began to run towards the noise, and I ran after them. And there, marching down the middle of the street at the head of a

orch fell on my face, Joe Handy's arm and that of another gentleman, the worse for liquor, were linked in mine, and they saw fit to applaud at every step my conversion to the cause of Liberty. We passed time and time again the respectable door-yards of my Federalist friends, and I felt their eyes upon me with that look which the angels have for the fallen. Once, in front of Mr. Wharton's house, Mr. Handy burned my hair, apologized, staggered, and I took the torch! And I used it to good advantage in saving the drum from capture. For Mr. Temple, with all the will in the world, had begun to stagger. At length, after marching seemingly half the night, they halted by common consent before the house of a prominent Democrat who shall be nameless, and, after some minutes of vain importuning, Nick, with a tattoo on the drum, marched boldly up to the gate and into the yard. A desperate cunning came to my aid. I flung away the torch, leaving the head of the column in darkness, broke from Mr. Hand

're-you're very-irregular. You'll lose-law bishness.

ck left of it. He watched me with a silent and exaggerated interest as I laid it on the

um, Davy," he said gravely,

d, looking ruefully at the battered rim wh

you wash a Jacobite. Sh'ou hear," he added

t interest in Mr. Jackson. "Wher

n uncertain hand on my shoulder and speaking with great earnestness, "I had Chicashaw horse-Jackson'd Virginia thoro

e is the Red H

avy?... 'N'Jackson pulls out's hunting knife n'waves it very mashestic.... You know how mashestic Jackson is when he-wantshtobe?" He let go my shoulder, brushed back his hair in a fiery manne

f my precious drum, and such a frightful, agonized squeal filled the room that even I shivered involuntarily, and for an instan

inued: "'N'Jackson was back firsht, 'n'he was damned impolite... 'n'he shook his fist in my face" (here Nick illustrated Mr. Jackson's gest

u been in Nashvil

' after property I won rat

ere in Nashville?" I asked, though I

't, Davy. You've been very good-natured t' let me have

before you went to

.. Philadelphia... eve

he, "'mgoi

en upon his brain), he toppled over and instantly fell asleep with his clothes on. For a while I stood over him, the old affection welling up so strongly within me that my eyes were dimmed as I looked upon his face. Spare and handsome it was, and boyish still, the weak

had left unsaid. There was no suspicion of heroics, there was no railing at fate; the letters breathed but the one hope,-that her son might come again to that happiness of which she had robbed him. There were in all but twelve, and they were brief, for some affliction had nearly deprived the lady of the use of her right hand. I read them twice over

e which I recognized; "I think

door, and h

t owl, Monsieur R

rs for your visits, Monsieur de St. G

is face. I wondered whether he were looking for Nick. He sat himself down in my chair,

efore I go away from Louisville I want to spik with you,-this is a risson why I am here. You listen

elations he was about to make, I could n

we meet?" (I smiled involuntarily.) "You was in bed, but you not need be ash

er you saw me

onsieur le Marquis. There is all dat trouble what you read about going on, and Monsieur le Marquis he not so glad to see me for dat risson. 'Mon cher Auguste,' he cry, 'you want to be officier in gardes du corps? You are not afred?'" (Auguste stiffened.) "'I am a St. Gré, Monsieur le Marquis. I am afred of nothings,' I answered. He tek me to the King, I am made lieutenant, the mob come and the Ki

ed my ast

ica-I go to New Orleans where I have influence and I stir up

k Monsieur Auguste why he left France,

e of the world at large. "What I have done, I have done for principle. If I remain Royalist, I might have marry my cousin

mber,"

" he said, "it is because I go-peut-être-to dangere, to

ur," I answered, though I coul

repose' in, you are to be rely on. Sometime I think you ver' ole man. And this is why, and

y I will not venture. The sight of it gave me a strange sensation, and I can scarcely write of the anger and disgust which surged over me, of the longing to snatch it from his trembling fingers. Suddenly I forgot Auguste in the lady herself. There was something emblematical in the misfortune which had bereft the picture of

it not a face to

swered, with some heat, and

n. Monsieur," he continued, leaning forward and putting his hand on my knee, "I think she love me-I am not sure. I should not be surprise'. But Monsieur le Marquis,

is married," I sa

of Monsieur le Prince de Ligne in Flander'. After that they go I know not where. They are exile',-los' to me." He

did not refuse. Suffice it to say that

dded, as though with an afterthought, "Monsieur,