Ménard

“ Curiously enough, as Menard stood in the light of the young moon watching the warrior come slowly around the grave, which still showed above the earth the head and shoulders of the dead girl, he found himself calling up the rare instances he had known of a real affection between Indians. ”

“ Monsieur Ménard is not a mere pedant who will constantly reprove you for enjoying yourself; he is attached to you, and he will be able, I trust, to prevent the son of the Comte de Montreville from forgetting what he owes to himself. ”

“ Marriott recalled how uncertain Menard had been in his notions about capital punishment; how, at first, he had said he was opposed to it, and how at last, under Glassford's metaphysical distinctions, the boy had declared that he would do his duty. Marriott had been encouraged, thinking that Menard's natural impulses might reassert themselves, but now, alas, he recognized that Menard in the hands of other men would be but the putty he so much resembled. ”

“ Danton, who had joined Menard when the two men appeared, said, “Heavens, he must have started early!” 87
Some distance behind Perrot and Guerin came a ragged crowd of woodsmen, singing, jeering, and shouting, and bearing broad traces of a sleepless night.
Menard stood waiting with a look of disgust. When they came upon the wharf Guerin laughed, and tried to get out a flippant apology for his tardiness; but Menard seized him before the words were off his lips, and dragging him across the wharf threw him into the water. Then he turned to Perrot, and said, “Pull him out.” ”

“ Then Menard went up the bank with a bound, and finding one man already in a stupor, and another struggling for a flask, which Father Claude was trying to take away from him, he laid about him with his hard fists, and shortly had the drunkards as near to their senses as they were destined to be during the short space they had yet to live. ”

“ Menard was saying, “this maid who to all who love the Iroquois, to all who love the church, the Great Spirit, is a saint. Her spirit has been for many moons in the happy hunting ground. The snow has lain cold and heavy on her grave. The night bird has sung her beauty in the empty forest. Catherine Outasoren has come back from the land where the corn is always growing, where the snows can never fall; she has come back to bear you the word of the Great Mountain. She has come to tell you that the dog who broke the oath of the white man to the Onondagas must suffer. ”

“ Menard slung his musket behind his shoulders.
“Wait, Menard. I don’t know what to say. I must have time to think. If you wish, I will not give notice of your arrival to the Governor. I will leave the matter of reporting in your hands.” He rose, and fingered the papers on the table. “You see how it will look––there is the maid––La Grange seeks your life, you seek his––” 389
Menard drew himself up, his hat in his hand.
“It shall be pushed to the end, Major. You know me; you know Captain la Grange. There will be excitement, perhaps,––you may find it hard to avoid taking one side or the other. ”

“ The Indian saw, but beyond turning slowly so as always to face his captor, made no movement. His face, except for the blazing eyes, was inscrutable. In a moment Menard stood between him and the door. “Perhaps it is best that I should call for the warriors of the fort. They will be glad to find here the slayer of their brother.” His hand was on the latch.
“The Big Buffalo will not call to his brothers.” The Indian’s voice was calm. Menard looked closely at him. “He has not thought yet. When he has thought, he will understand.”
“Teganouan speaks like a child.” ”

“ Colin was slipping something behind him, but he could not escape Menard’s eye. In a moment he was sprawling on his face, and a brandy flask was brought to light. Menard dashed it against a tree, and turned to the frightened men.
“Go to your blankets, every man of you. There are Iroquois on this river. You have already made enough noise to draw them from half a league away. The next man that is caught drinking will be flogged.” He thought of the maid lying under her frail shelter, for whose life he was responsible. “If it occurs twice, he will be shot. Perrot, I want you to join the sentry. ”

“ Father Claude had never before seen despair in Menard’s eyes.
“You speak well, M’sieu. There must be some way. God is with us.”
The Captain was again pacing the beaten floor. Finally he came to the priest, and took his arm. “I don’t know what it is that gives me courage, Father, but at my age a man isn’t ready to give up. They may kill me, if they like, but not before I’ve carried out my orders. The Onondagas must not join the Senecas.” ”

“ Late in the afternoon they came to a slow-moving stream, the outlet of an inland lake. By the basin-shape of the end of the lake, he recognized it as one that lay directly between Onondaga and the Long Lake of the Cayugas. On the bank of the little river, under the matted foliage, the chief signalled a halt, and the warriors threw themselves on the ground. Menard lay at the foot of a beech whose roots dipped in the water, and for the hundredth time since the sun had risen he cast about for some chance at escape. The thongs about his wrists were tied by skilful hands. ”

“ It came to Menard in a flash. The many delays, 302 the anxious glances toward the thicket,––these meant that others were coming. Something delayed them; Tegakwita must hold the Big Buffalo till they arrived. With never a word Menard sprang over the grave; but the Indian was quicker, and his hand was the first on the musket. Then they fought, each struggling to free his hands from the other’s grasp, rolling over and over,––now half erect, tramping on the soft mound, now wrestling on the harder ground below. At last Menard, as they whirled and tumbled past the weapons, snatched the knife. ”

“ So she chattered through the long dinner; and for the first time since he had reached the city, Menard wished himself back on Lake Ontario, where there were no women.
Menard returned to the citadel early in the evening. Lieutenant Danton was drawing plans for a redoubt, but he leaned back as Menard entered.
“I began to think you were not coming back, Captain,” he said. “I’m told the Major says that you are the only man in New France who could have got that trading agreement from the Onondagas last year. How did you do it?”
“How does a man usually do what he is told to do?” ”

“ Danton hurried away, and Menard turned to the largest of the three Indians, who wore the brightest blanket, and had a peculiar wampum collar, decorated in mosaic-like beadwork.
“You are travellers, like ourselves,” he said, in the Iroquois tongue. “We cannot let you pass without a word of greeting. I see that you are of the Onondagas, my brothers. It may be that you are from the Mission at the Sault St. Francis Xavier?”
The Indian bowed. “We go from Three Rivers to Montreal.”
“I, too, am taking my party to Montreal.” Menard thought it wise to withhold the further facts of his journey. ”

“ He never forgets that the Big Buffalo is his brother––he never forgets. When the Big Buffalo took his son from the hunting party of the Onondagas he did not forget.”
Menard did not listen further. He was looking about the hut with quick, shifting eyes, now 327 at the chief in the moonlight, now at Teganouan, who stood at one side in the shadow, now at the door. Could Teganouan be trusted to help them? He glanced sharply at the warrior, who was looking at his chief with an alert, cunning expression. His musket lay carelessly in the hollow of his arm, his knife and hatchet hung at his waist. ”

“ Louis Ménard was a socialist, always in advance of the reform movements of his time. After 1848 he was condemned to imprisonment for his Prologue d’une révolution. He escaped to London, returning to Paris only in 1852. ”

“ Menard walked about the camp to make sure that he was not already 102 rolled in his blanket; then he went to the sentry, who was leaning against a tree a few rods away.
“Colin,” he said, “have you seen Lieutenant Danton?”
“Yes, M’sieu. He is up there.” Colin pointed through the trees that fringed the river. “I heard a noise some time ago, and went up to see. He is lying under a beech tree, if he has not moved,––and I should have heard him if he had. It may be that he is asleep.”
Menard nodded, and walked slowly along the bank, bending aside the briers that caught at his clothes and his hands. ”

“ My father has told me about the long council at Montreal. He said that Frontenac out-talked the greatest of the Mohawk orators. Did you learn it from him?”
“My boy, when you are through with your pretty pictures,” Menard motioned toward the 29 plans, “and have got out into the real work; when you’ve spent months in Iroquois lodges; when you’ve been burned and shot and starved,––then it will be a pity if you haven’t learned to be a soldier. ”

“ The priest said good-night, and went to a 275 knoll not far from the door. The maid had settled back against the logs of the hut, and was gazing at the trees. Menard sat in silence for a few moments.
“Mademoiselle,” he said at length, “I know that it will be hard for you to rest until we have heard; but––” he hesitated, but she did not help him, and he had to go on,––“I wish you would try.”
“It would be of no use, M’sieu.”
“I know,––I know. But we have much to keep in mind. It has been very hard. Any one of us is likely to break. ”

“ Menard hurried off to Paris, where he took the job of chief-of-staff to general Lefebvre.
My father went to Genoa, where he took command of the three divisions which composed the right wing of the army. Despite all the shortages, the winter carnival was quite gay in the town, the Italians being so pleasure-loving! We were lodged in the Centurione Palace, where we spent the end of the winter 1799-1800. My father had left Spire at Nice with the greater part of his baggage. ”

“ And so this is the word of the Cayugas:––Let all the warriors 240 of the Five Nations take up the hatchet; let them go on the war-path to tell this white chief with the double tongue that the Five Nations are one nation; that they are bolder than thunder, swifter than fire, stronger than lead.”
The maid found it hard, with her imperfect knowledge of the language, to follow his metaphors. She had partly risen, heedless of the smoke, and was leaning forward with her eyes fixed on the stern face of the speaker. Menard bent down, and half smiled at her excitement. ”

“ They will fall back again. Two dead Indians will discourage the wildest charge.” 225
The firing went on at intervals, but still the warriors kept at it, creeping up from bush to bush and tree to tree. Menard’s face grew more serious as the time went by. He began to realize that the Long Arrow was desperate, that he was determined on vengeance before the other chiefs could come. It had been a typical savage thought that had led him to bring Menard to this village, where he had once lived, rather than to the one in which the chief held greater permanent authority ”

“ Menard has endeavoured at perfecting it, by having it made angular, shortened, and grooved. 397He has given it a figure of dented pinchers, with curve claws. He gives us also the figure of an instrument pointed and edged, made like the head of a spear, which he uses for opening the scull, and introducing the pinchers, by means of which he draws the child out by the head, as he keeps pinching the bones of the scull and teguments. By this it is easy to conceive, that this instrument has no advantage over that of Mauriceau, and has all its inconveniences. ”

“ She looked down at her torn, stained dress, 162 and laughed softly; but took the white cluster he gave her, and thrust the stems through a tattered bit of lace on her breast.
Menard was plainly relieved by the incident. He had been worn near to despair, facing a difficulty which seemed every moment farther from a solution; and now he turned to her fresh, light mood as to a refuge.
“We must put these in water, Mademoiselle, or they will soon lose their bloom.”
“If we had a cup––?”
“A cup? A woodsman would laugh at your question. There is the spring, here is the birch; what more could you have?” ”

“ He can buy the prettiest wives in the nation. Does my brother understand?”
The fire had been lighted, and a row of wild hens turned slowly on wooden spits over the flames. One by one the warriors were rousing and stirring about among the trees. There were shouts and calls, and the grumbling talk of the cooks as they held the long spits and turned their faces away from the smoke, which rose but slowly in the damp, heavy air. Menard lay with his eyes closed, as if asleep ”

“ The Indian watched them narrowly.
“My son is mistaken,” said Father Claude, quietly. “His sister has wandered away. It may be that she has even now returned.”
“No, my Father. The white brave has stolen her.”
Menard got up, and spoke with feeling.
“Tegakwita does not understand. The white brave was foolish. He is a young warrior. He does not know the use of patience. He first escaped against my orders. The word I sent by your sister was a command to be patient. He went alone, my brother. He has 176 gone forever from my camp. It cannot be that she––”
“The Big Buffalo speaks lies. ”

“ Tegakwita has no place for his weapons. He must carry them where he goes.” 295
“We can leave them here. The leaves will hide them. I will put the hatchet under this log.” He made a motion of dropping the hatchet, closely watching the Indian; then he straightened, for Tegakwita’s right hand held the musket, and his left rested lightly on his belt, not a span from his long knife.
“The White Chief knows the danger of leaving weapons to tempt the young braves. He finds it easy to take the chance with Tegakwita’s hatchet.”
“Very well,” said Menard, sternly. “Lead the way.” ”

“ All that Menander loved—baths, feasts, theatres, horses and chariots, games in the arena, anointed limbs, roses and garlands, purple-garments, wine and the love of women—lie behind me like some foul bog out of which a traveller has struggled with difficulty. Not a vein of the old man survives in the new, and a new life has begun for me, mid-way to the grave ”