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Show 'I 68 TIIF. T.IJ,Y A'\D THE TOTr.M'. so recently acquired from the gr:marics of King Ouadc1 with the building that contained them, "'ere swept in ashes to the ground. '!'his dis.'lslcr, full of c\·il in itsdf, was productive of others, as it led to the partial discovery of tho secret of our drummer. Gucmachc was not within the fort when the alarm was given. It is not improbable that, had he not left his post, the conflagration would have been arrested in time to save the fort and its provi· sions. ll is absence was noted, and lw was discovered, approaching from the fore sts, by those who bore forth the goods as they were rescued from the flames. These were mostly friends of Gucrnache, who would have maintained a generous silence i but, unhappily, ]lierre Uenaud was also one of the discoverers. This person not only bore him no good will,-though gratitude for the service rendered him nt the feast of 1'oya should have bound him forever to the cause of Gucrnache,-but he was one wllO had become a gross sycophant :md the mere creature of the governor. He knew the hatred wllich the latter bore to Guernachc, and a sympntl1izing nature led him promplly to di\·ine the cause. 0\·crjoyed with the discovery which he had made, the base fellow immediately carried the secret to his master, and when the first confusion was over, which followed the disaster, Gucrnache was taken into custody, and a dny nssigncd for his trial as a criminal. To l1im was ascribed the fire as well as desertion from his post. The latter fact was unquestionable-the former wns inferred. It might naturally be assumed, ind eed, that, if the watch had not been abandoned, tho flames could not have made such fearful l1 eadway. Jt was fortunate for our :Frenchmen that the intercourse maintained with the Indians lmd been of such friendly character. 'Vith the first intimation of their misfortune, the kings, Audusta and :I'Iaccou, briuging with them n. numerous train TIIF.. FIR!!T VOYACF. OF RIDAULT. 69 of followers, cmnc to a~ist them in the labor of restoration and re1~air. "'l'hry uttered unto their subjects the speedy diligence wluch they we1·c to usc in building another J,ouse, ~!lOwing unto them thnt the Frenchmen were their lo\•ing friends and that they l1ad made it e\'idcnt unto them by the gifls :md presents which they haJ l'cccived ;-protesting l11at he wl10soevcr put not J1is lJC!ping hand to the worke with ull bi11 might, sl10u!J be esteemed us unprofitable." The entreaties and commands of the two kings were irresistible. But for tLis, our I-l uguenots, "being farre from nil succours, and in such rxtrcmitie," would have been, in the language of their own chronicler, u quite and cleane out of all hope:" The lndinns went with such hearty good will to the work, nnd ID such numbers, thnt, in less than twelvo hoUJ·s, the losses of the colon~sts were nearly all repaire~. New houses were built; new graun.ncs erected ; and, amoug the fabrics of this busy perioJ, it was not forgotten to construct a. keep-a close, dark, hea.·:y den of logs, designed as a prison, into whicl1, as soon as his Indian friends had departed, our poor fiddler, Gucrnaeho, was thrust, neck and heels ! The former were rewarded and went away well sntisfied with what they had seen and don e. They little conjectured the troubles which awaited their favorite. Jlc was soon brought to trial under a number of clmrgcs-disobedicncc of orders, neglect of duty, desertion of his post, and treason! To llll of these, the poor fellow pleaded" 110l guilty;" and, with one exception, with a good conscience. But he had not the courage to confess the truth, nnd to declare where he lJad been, and on what mission, when he left the fort, on the night of the fi 1·c. H e had committed a g1·eat fault, the consequ"ncrs of which were ser iou..~, and might h:we been still more so i and the pl"ns of inval'iaLle good eouduct, in his behalf, :mU..tUc a&~crtiou of Lis in no- |