The assassins kept up a sharp fire on the rest of the English party,
but failed to prevent them from carrying off their dying captain to the
fort. The scene had been witnessed with horror by the French forces
on Beausejour, and their officers sent to Fort Lawrence to express their
angry reprobation of the atrocious deed. They openly laid it to the
charge of Le Loutre, declaring that such a man was capable of anything;
and for a few weeks Le Loutre did not care to show himself at Beausejour.
At last he came, and met the accusations of the French officers with the
most solemn declaration that the whole thing had been done without his
knowledge or sanction. The Indians, he swore, had done it by reason of
their misguided but fervent religious zeal, to take vengeance on Howe
for something he was reported to have said injurious and disrespectful
to the Church. "The zeal of my flock," said he, solemnly, "is, perhaps,
something too rash, but it springs from ardent and simple natures!"
"Aye! aye!" said the old sergeant to his companions-in-arms, when he
heard of the abbe's explanations, "but I happened to recognize His
Reverence myself in the party that did the murder."
There were many more on Beausejour whose eyes had revealed to them the
same truth as that so bluntly stated by the sergeant. But the abbe was
most useful--was, in fact, necessary, to do those deeds which no one
else would stoop to; and, therefore, his explanation was accepted.
At this time, moreover, there was a work to be done at Beausejour
requiring the assistance of the abbe's methods.
Pages:
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44