OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

New Zealand Mail, 5 February 1902, Page 60

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

(By Uncle Toby.)

(Little folks are invited to send letters to “Uncle Toby” on any subject; and notes about their gardens and Lousebold pets will be very acceptable.)

HOW A GIRL SAVED THE FORT.

Boys and girls, no less than men and , women, in th© troublous times w hen j America was first settled, held themselves > ready at any time to face sudden danger j without flinching. The story of Madeleine i J arret is still preserved in the records of i French Canada to show what lias been done j by a young girl's quick wit and courage, j On the southern bank of the St. Law- ' rente just below the island of Montreal, lies the little Canadian county of Ver. chej-es. The town of Verclieres, the capital of the county, is now a commonplace manufacturing community, but two hundred years ago, after the outbreak of the bitter struggle between the French and the Iroquois, it was a fortified settlement, of great importance as well as of great danger. The only highway from the In. dlan haunts in the forests of New York to the Canadian settlements lay along the water course of Lake George and Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River. Vercheres, which was midway between Montreal and Sorel, and at the junction of the Richelieu and St. Lawrence, guarded the immediate approach by water to Montreal, and was at the same time within easy reach of the marauding bands of sav. ages that swooped down on the ripe fields of the Canadians. These attacks became so frequent that men at last dared not till their lands alone, and either abandoned their farms or worked in companies, going first to one farm, then to another, to gain the added security of numbers.

According to this custom, twenty far- ; mers had assembled at V ercheres in Oc» tober, 1692. It was late in the afternoon of the 22nd. The men were hastening to finish their task in the fields, half a mile or more from the little fort which crowned the river bank. The day was bleak and gloomy. Great clouds hung gray and lowering in the sky, sending a chill of foreboding into the stoutest heart among the workers. Yet two persons in the little settlement on that dreary afternoon paid no heed to the threatening weather. These were Louis and Alexander Jarret. sons of the commander of the fort, who were watching Laviolette, the aged boat builder, as lie put the finishing touches to a new bark canoe. Madeleine, their sister, four, teen years old, had joined them, but an anxious look stole into her face as she glanced now and then towards the distant fields. M. Jarret, the commander, had been called away rvith bis garrison by Governor Frontenac, on the rumour that 10,000 Bostonians were on their way to destroy the Canadian capital. Only the old carpenter and two broken down, half witted fellows were left to guard the fort. Upon Madeleine then came the care of her two younger brother's, and. in fact, she felt responsibility for the fort itself in the absence of any suitable defenders. But no trouble was expected, since all had been quiet for several weeks. The little group anout the boat builder wero absorbed in admiration of the beauti„ ful canoe, when suddenly a distant yell, shrill and piercing, burst upon their earn, blanching their faces and freezing them with terror. “Run, mademoiselle, run 1 The Iroquois gasped Laviolette, regaining bis voice. Seizing a boy with each hand he fearly leaped up the bank toward the gate of the fort.

The Indians were soon in full view, hurrying along the open country between the fort and the fields where the farmers were at work. They must have come from the wooded edge of the river below Vercheres, for as the stream made a slight bend at that point they could not be observed from the landing where Laviolette and the children had been. Had a proper watch been kept at the fort, however the farmers might perhaps have been warned in. time. Madeleine knew at once that there could be no help for the workmen among so many savages. Her only hope was to save herself and the few who might he in the fort. Pressing closely behind her three companions she threw herself in_ side the gate of the palisade. “To arms. To arms!” she shouted, breathlessly-. “Gachet! La Route"! To arms! To arms !” There was no response. Only- two terrified women came ruslnng from their cabins in the enclosure to meet her, and clung to her skirts with tears and sobs. There iiushands were in the fields, and that very moment perhaps would prove their la3t. The firing and yelling outside grew louder mingled with, cries of distress. Madeleine i-ushed about in search, of the two men. As she entered the covered passage leading to the blockhouse she saw one of them in the further corner, and before she could reach him the second appeared with a lighted taper in his hand. “What are you doing with that torch, Crachet t slie called out sharply as the fellow turned toward the store of powder near him. >

ere is no chance for us, mademof. selle, he said, his pale face growing more ghastly in the flaring light. “You do not know the Iroquois. Better to die here together than roast over the campfires of those devils. f£Ve must blow up the block. house.”

“You are a miserable coward!” cried the girl, “and y-ou. too, Pierre La Bonte. Give me the torch. Shall we fling away our lives without shedding one drop of tlieir miserable blood? Let us fight Ho the last breath.” Madeleine seized a musket as she spoke, and her resolute tones aroused the men. They armed themselves, and,' taking musket 3 for each of the two boys—for verv young children in those days of terror knew how to handle firearms—the five placed themselves ill readiness at the loopholes. Laviolette was already busy repairing a breach in the palisade.

For some time the Indians were too much occupied with their easy prey in the fields to turn their attention to the fort, which was some distance from them, and the little company were able to lay their plans of defence. From time to time they fired the single cannon, the pride of the fort. As night drew on a strong north wind be • gan to blow, and soon a cold, driving sleet was upon them. Not one of the men had made his' escape t® the fort, so cunningly had the savages arranged themselves be. tween the farmers and a place of safety. Since her encounter with the two half - , witted fellows in the blockhouse, Made, leine had assumed command of the situa-1 tion quite naturally, her first feeling of ! bewilderment and terror passing away, j Although Indian warfare was usually one of stealth, and on ordinary occasions the savages showed the utmost reluctance to attack a fortified place, Madeleine wa3 well aware that in the darkness of the storm they could easily scale the palisade with, out detection, and would undoubtedly try to make the best of so favourable an op--1 portunity. Her only hope was that they i might be deceived as to the strength of the garrison. If they believed the fort well defended they would never allow themselves to be caught in a trap. She must strain every nerve, then, to keep up the appearance of numbers. Laviolette took his place on one of the bastions. Little Alexander was placed at another, armed with a drum in addition to his musket. Louis, who was two years older, took liis place also with a gun. La Bonte was to keep guard at tlie entrance of the blockhouse, with a horn slung over his shoulder, ready to sound an alarm. The young commander stationed herself at the remaining outermost bastion, urg. ing her sentinels to call back and forth at frequent intervals. The hours dragged on slowly in the coid and wet, but the watchers stood well to their duty. .Tust after midnight. Madeleine, peering earnestly through the darkness, descried a moving something outlined against the now soft falling snow, and soon two stealthy figures were distinctly visible close to the fort. Without wait-

ing to discove r tliei r purpose, Madeleine boldly fired her musket, the prearranged signal, whereat the drum instantly beat a loud tattoo, Louis and Laviolette discharged their guns, and the trumpet from the blockhouse responded with a loud blast. The clatter was continued for some mo. ments, when the sentinels ceased tlieir din to watch and wait. All was quiet, and no sign appeared of the shadowy figures. The night wore on and another day and night of anxious watching followed, tn the third day La Monnerie. who had heard of the attack at Vercheres. and was anxious not to lose so important a post, arrived with forty men.

Madeleine, at first sight of her countrymen. sprang from the bastion and ran

joyously to meet them, not forgetting, even in her assurance of safety, to leave sentinels at the gate. ‘‘Monsieur, I surrender my arms/’ she said, saluting La Monnerie. and then dropping a courtesy as she smiled up into his race. ‘ Xiiey are in good hands. I accept no surrender. Mademoiselle,” replied the officer, returning her courtesy with a salute given in as grand a manner as if she had been punctilious old Count Fronter.ac himself.

The soldiers found no words to express their admiration as they saw the young sentinels at the gates, and perfect order everywhere. Later they learned that oil the night of the 23rd the Iroquois had planned an attack on the fort, but had desisted because their scouts had found it full of soldiers. La Monnerie laughed heartily at the story of Madeleine’s mode of defence, then turning to her he said: ‘‘Mademoiselle, our good governor, Seigneur Frontenac, may laugh in the face of the Iroquois and tlieir friends the English so long as young maids turn captains and boys become sentries to guard New France.” /