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 THE 
 JEWEL 
 
 of 
 
 CAHOKIA 
 
 By 
 J. NICK PERRIN 
 
 1936 
 
UNft IWMMW. SttttH 
 
THE 
 JEWEL 
 
 of 
 CAHOKIA 
 
 By 
 
 J. NICK PERRIN 
 1936 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/jewelofcahokiaOOperr 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 3 
 
 Dan d 1a *M • #^ J^^e^ 
 
 I U AS FOREWORD 
 
 To get a preliminary historical insight, the 
 following is offered before going into the ro- 
 mance. 
 
 The Jolliet-Marquette Expedition in 1673 (in 
 search of a great river which might empty in- 
 to a western ocean and furnish a short passage 
 to far-away Cathay) discovered the northern 
 Mississippi River and voyaged as far south as 
 Arkansas; whereupon the discoverers concluded 
 that the river did not flow into a western 
 ocean; and on returning to the Chain of Great 
 Lakes they ascended the Illinois River and 
 founded the first white settlement in the "Illi- 
 nois Country" by dedicating a Mission Station 
 among the Kaskaskia Indians on a site in the 
 present LaSalle County. Later the Kaskaskias, 
 on account of troubles with other tribes, moved 
 their habitat. They came southward until they 
 found a lodgment between the Mississippi and 
 Kaskaskia Rivers and this became the succes- 
 sor to the Kaskaskia they had left. The set- 
 tlement of Cahokia was begun about that time 
 also. 
 
 The Mississippi Valley, from the Gulf to the 
 Lakes, became subject to the dominion of France 
 through the foregoing expedition and that of La- 
 Salle to the Gulf in 1682. In order to hold do- 
 minion, forts were established at various points. 
 Fort Chartres was the principal, originally built 
 of logs but reconstructed with stone. The Val- 
 ley remained under French control until the 
 Close of the French-Indian War, when the east 
 
4 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 side was transferred to Great Britain. In 1765, 
 a British Military Company was sent to Fort 
 Chartres, and many French settlers left the 
 east side. 
 
 In 1769, Pontiac was killed at Cahokia. 
 
 In 1772, Fort Chartres was threatened by en- 
 croachments of the Mississippi River and the 
 British Headquarters were moved to Kaskaskia 
 where the capture of the Northwest was made 
 by George Rogers Clark and his men on July 
 4, 1778. 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 5 
 
 THE STORY 
 
 The story is an imaginary romance pertain- 
 ing to the early Cahokia period. And while 
 names and narrations may be fictitious, yet 
 some conception may be derived as to manner- 
 isms of that time. The scene is the Cahokia 
 neighborhood and what was once known as 
 "The American Bottom/' which extended from 
 Alton to Chester and from the Mississippi River 
 five miles eastward in Illinois. The Grand Mar- 
 ais or Great Marsh was a shallow depression 
 in the heart of this tract. 
 
 Throughout the story, the Capital A as a 
 marker means as follows: 
 
 Chapter 1. A. St. Ange de Belle Rive yielded Fort 
 Chartres on Oct. 10, 1765. Then many set- 
 tlers moved to St. Louis, which was known 
 as Pain Court or Short Bread. 
 
 Chapter 2. A. "Halcyon Period" — Prosperity had 
 been at its height preceding the British Con- 
 quest. The population was about 3,000. 
 
 Chapter 3. A. "Tambour." A drummer. 
 
 Chapter 7. A. "Rigolet." The little stream known 
 as Cahokia Creek. 
 
6 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 CHAPTER ONE 
 
 THE STAR OF INDEPENDENCE 
 
 There was a time when none but happy homes 
 were in the fertile valley in Southern Illinois 
 bordering on the eastern shore of the Mississippi 
 River. But their happiness in the course of time 
 departed; for, when despotic minions came as 
 heralds of the advent of a foreign power, all 
 the simple, sweet contentment of the early-time 
 French settlers vanished. These minions came 
 just when October's chilly touch began to turn 
 the green of nature into yellow. (A). Not con- 
 tent to come and merely witness frosts of Au- 
 tumn lay to waste the fields and pastures, they 
 brought along a human blight whose cruel touch 
 was laid upon the hearts of all the people. And 
 when the British flag was planted on the ram- 
 parts of Fort Chartres, the Star of Independence 
 temporarily ceased to shine upon this Valley. 
 
 CHAPTER TWO 
 THE HUMAN BLIGHT 
 
 "Oh! this blight is cruel and we cannot bear 
 its touch much longer — C'est bien triste." 
 
 Sadly thus had Grandsire Vieuxtemps spoken. 
 
 Sadly thus within his olden homestead. 
 
 And he had good reasons for his sadness. 
 
 He had come into the Mississippi Valley when 
 its people were but few in numbers; he had 
 built his home in unpretentious style just like 
 the neighboring houses by which he was sur- 
 rounded; he had watched with pride the grow- 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 7 
 
 ing success of the infant settlements; he had 
 seen the growth of villages and the influx of 
 new settlers and had been a witness of the great 
 achievements of the early comers; he had noted 
 scenes and changes which had taken place for 
 more than forty years upon this garden-spot 
 within the center of the new-found world where 
 French dominion early gained a foothold. He 
 had seen and heard and felt and tasted all; and 
 he could well recall the most minute event with- 
 in its history which to him was like a most famil- 
 iar theme. It is no wonder then, that, having 
 passed through the bright and golden era of 
 this locality, he should have felt a tinge of sad- 
 ness in the contemplation of the changed con- 
 ditions. Neither is it strange, that, as he thought 
 of how the sun of freedom used to shine into 
 the lives of his simple, honest, unsuspicious 
 neighbors and how the clouds of black oppres- 
 sion had appeared to utterly obscure their 
 brightness, he should feel impelled to say, "Oh! 
 this blight is cruel." When his mind reviewed 
 the mild and gentle sway of those who had been 
 sent to rule as French Commandants and 
 brought it into contrast with the haughty bear- 
 ing of the agents of a foreign tyrant who had 
 come to take possession, no wonder he describ- 
 ed the situation as becoming unbearable. He 
 had lived amid the halcyon period (A) under 
 those Commandants who in successive turn were 
 placed in charge of the New World's greatest 
 military stronghold at Fort Chartres. And from 
 where with fostering care they had guided, 
 
8 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 watched and guarded the welfare of the inhabi- 
 tants within their jurisdiction. When this hal- 
 cyon period ended, he saw the paling of the 
 Star of Independence— and the "blight" indeed 
 had settled on the Valley. 
 
 Among the entries on the record of the world's 
 great journal, Time had placed the sum of nine 
 and seventy years to Grandsire Vieuxtemps' 
 credit. On this evening, in the year of Seventeen 
 Hundred and Sixty-Nine, this aged Frenchman 
 sat within that unpretentious homestead where 
 in unpretentious fashion many a guest from time 
 to time had found a welcome; but where now 
 there came a chill of woe unwelcome which 
 made the aged Frenchman shudder. Seated thus, 
 he gave an utterance to those words of which 
 the fright! ul echoes seemed to linger as if they 
 too intended cruelly to add their mockery to 
 the load of pain beneath whose weight he had 
 already been overburdened. This was one of 
 the few times in his life that he had murmured. 
 It was the first time that he sank in utter de- 
 solation. And as he sat in his old arm-chair 
 which his neighbor, Pierre Vannier, the basket- 
 maker, had made him twenty years before out 
 of willows, shades of sorrow gathered every- 
 where around him till he closed his eyes to keep 
 away the monsters that began to flit among 
 the shadows. His head, which in his youth was 
 covered by the raven locks so common in the 
 Midi (though which for many years had worn 
 a coat of snowy whiteness) he allowed to sink 
 upon his bosom and in silence then he sat as if 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 9 
 
 absorbed in dreaming over all the former his- 
 tory of his lengthy lifetime. Perhaps he revert- 
 ed to the early homestead in the sunny Languedoc 
 where, nearly four score years before, his eyes 
 just opened to behold the splendors of the East- 
 ern Pyrenses; perhaps he dwelt upon his boy- 
 hood days in Southern France, where often he 
 had watched the River Aude as it wound its 
 way between its banks to find an outlet in the 
 Gulf of Lyons; or, yet perhaps he dwelt upon 
 the happy scene, when in his young manhood's 
 years, he led the belle of Carcassone beneath 
 the altar of St. Michael's Church; or on that 
 day, when lured by wild, delusive tales of 
 wealth, with wife and an infant babe (that was 
 born at sea) they landed on the shores of Mo- 
 bile Bay, from whence they journeyed to the 
 spot where Bienville had begun to plant the New 
 Orleans; or, speeding over toils and hardships 
 in the canebrakes and the bayous, perhaps his 
 mind recalled his last adieu to Louisiana; then, 
 perhaps it sped upon the current of the river 
 on whose bosom he and all that fate had left 
 him, was, with grave forebodings, carried to the 
 landing where some four and forty years before 
 that evening he had found the little village of 
 Cahokia with about a score of cabins which since 
 then had been the scene of all his earthly trials; 
 these latter four and forty years, though not 
 unmixed with troubles, had yet been years of 
 peace and plenty during whose eventful marches 
 large returns came into his coffer from the grain 
 and fur trades which had grown extensive with 
 
10 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 the more remote and Northern settlers; on the 
 whole, these years had brought contentment to 
 his homestead and as his dream reviewed them, 
 the shades began to leave his visage, except 
 when dwelling on the loss of a beloved one, who 
 was the cherished daughter born at sea while 
 on the trip to America, but, who had died just 
 one and twenty years before, leaving in her place, 
 however, as a balm to heal the wounded heart- 
 strings of her spouse and aged parents, a smil- 
 ing, precious infant who became thenceforth a 
 member of the Vieuxtemps household and to 
 whom good Madame Vieuxtemps, in remem- 
 brance of her first-born, gave the self same name 
 and called her Nannette. With this exception, 
 the dream of these last years became more 
 soothing. The dream of blessings, that the earth 
 had showered upon him, certainly could not dis- 
 turb his reverie but rather lent its influence to 
 rivet him in utter and unconscious dreaming. 
 All the while that this had lasted, his ancient 
 partner, in her arm-chair, which was the mate 
 to his and also had been made by Pierre Van- 
 nier (the basket-maker), had sat and pondered 
 while she watched his movements and emotions. 
 Her head had whitened too beneath the snows 
 of many winters; as her career had marked the 
 space of four and seventy years. Her cheeks 
 had paled and now possessed no more their 
 early fulness. Her shapeliness of form had van- 
 ished as the power of age had crept upon her. 
 She, who had been blest with beauty, had out- 
 lived its transient splendors. In its stead were 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 11 
 
 sallow features. In the place of merry laughing 
 dimples were the wrinkled furrows which old 
 Time had dug out with his plow-share. Yet, 
 withal, as she watched her partner with a fer- 
 vent wish to cheer him, while she knew that 
 beauty's charms had left her, yet she also knew, 
 in spite of all, that he (who sad and silent sat 
 there) still would own her as the belle of Car- 
 cassone forever! Knowing this, she ventured 
 finally to cheer him. 
 
 "Oui; c'est bien triste. Yes, the touch is cruel"; 
 said the good old Madame Vieuxtemps; "but my 
 honest husband, don't you think, that as the 
 world is large, there may be some spot where 
 tyrants do not wield oppression? You know that 
 in the West there are the wild and tangled for- 
 ests and the broad and endless prairies where 
 no British Tyrant yet has entered; even just 
 on the other side of this broad Mississippi, which 
 flows hard by our village, freedom might be 
 found. While our cup is filled with sorrow, is 
 there not a ray of hope beyond the river?" 
 
 "There is a ray of hope beyond the river; but 
 it is beyond that river from whose banks our 
 angel daughter beckons," said the old man as if 
 just awakening from his wandering reverie; "for 
 us there is a ray of hope alone beyond that 
 river. We have trod the path of life together 
 now for more than fifty years. The sunshine 
 oft has told the way and even when the dark- 
 ness hid the path, we struggled on together, 
 cheered by each other's voices until light shone 
 
12 The Jetvel of Cahokia 
 
 out again. Thus, for more than fifty years, we've 
 struggled till at last, when plenty came to bless 
 our board and crown our toil, a worse misfor- 
 tune comes than all the varied toils and strug- 
 gles since our lives began. And as our span is 
 nearly rounded out, the arch sinks down beneath 
 a heavy load. There is no earthly hope — Je suis 
 tout a fait accable de soucie." 
 
 "But," ventured Madam Vieuxtemps, "many 
 of our neighbors have found asylums on the 
 Spanish banks across the river. Some have gone 
 to join the vanguard in the building of the vil- 
 lage of Saint Louis, where Laclede has lately 
 begun his settlement. Some have moved to 
 Sainte Genevieve, while others, still more fear- 
 ful, have journeyed further till they found a 
 home at Natchez. Others journeyed further 
 still, till they found a haven in the Southland 
 where Baton-Rouge and New Orleans present 
 a cordial welcome. Let us go and spend our days 
 in quiet. Let us sell the homestead and its ar- 
 pents and with household treasures packed for 
 moving, let us bid farewell to friends and neigh- 
 bors and turn our faces to the West, where in 
 the land of sunsets, there is yet a hope amid the 
 twilight. Let us go and take our Nanette with 
 us." 
 
 "Nanette," said the grandsire, "Where is Nan- 
 nette?" 
 
 At the mention of her name, he roused to 
 wakefulness 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 13 
 
 "She has gone to church; she went to evening 
 vespers," said the good wife. 
 
 With unusual mien and motion, Grandsire 
 Vieuxtemps rose from out his arm-chair. With 
 strangest voice he said, "I fear that Nannette has 
 tarried too long for vespers. 5 ' Moving toward 
 the door, he seized the latch which served to 
 fasten and throwing open wide the doorway, 
 halted at the scene which met his dimmed and 
 aged eyesight. There was Nannette! Kneeling, 
 but not kneeling at her vespers! Amid the glare 
 of firelights, which threw their glimmerings on 
 the village, he saw her kneeling and imploring; 
 though defiance plainly marked her bearing. But 
 she knelt before no shrine of Saint nor Virgin, 
 nor yet implored the powers of heaven. She 
 knelt before a power whose character is savage 
 and relentless. The aged Frenchman gasped 
 and whispered, "The savages are in the village 
 — les sauvages sont dans notre village." 
 
 CHAPTER THREE 
 THE ASSASSINATION OF PONTIAC 
 The fragments of the Illinois Indian Confeder- 
 acy, comprising remnants of the Kaskaskias, 
 Peorias, Tammaroas and Cahokias, had drifted 
 into the region bordering on the eastern bank of 
 the Mississippi River in the southern part of 
 Illinois, and about the time when the transfer 
 of this Valley from the French to the English 
 took place, this mixed and mongrel Indian popu- 
 lation camped in the neighborhood of the French 
 villages and around the infant settlements. They 
 
14 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 were a degenerate race though it may be doubt- 
 ed if their fall was very great inasmuch as they 
 were unable to boast of any very proud ancestry. 
 They made frequent raids upon the personal 
 belongings of the settlers, which led to numer- 
 ous quarrels and sometimes serious troubles. In 
 the outskirts of the village of Cahokia lived a 
 quiet inoffensive Alsation Frenchman who till- 
 ed his arpents with a prudent husbandman's 
 devotion. Although early raised amid the scenes 
 of warfare in his native country yet he had 
 beaten swords into plowshares and pursued the 
 art of agriculture in the new-found Continent. 
 His father had been a Tambour (A) in the serv- 
 ice of the "Grand Monarque," Louis the Four- 
 teenth. He was therefore named in honor of 
 his King. His father named him Louis — Louis 
 Roubasse. When but a child his father had taken 
 him along to the wars. At the age of fourteen 
 at the battle of Malplaquet he saw his father 
 fall and seizing the drum which his sire had 
 borne he took up the beat that led the march 
 against the allied hosts. In after years, when in 
 his new-world home, he often told to listening 
 friends the story of this fight when resting from 
 his toils upon the Sabbath Day while gazing on 
 his flocks which fed upon the Common Fields. 
 One Sabbath evening after sunset, while thus 
 recounting deeds of valor of the "Grand Monar- 
 que," in the fast approaching twilight far across 
 the Common Fields, a stealthy figure approach- 
 ed, whose steps were bent toward his flocks. The 
 drummer's practised eye caught sight of the mov- 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 15 
 
 ing object in the dusk and when his suspicions 
 were hinted to his neighbors at his side they 
 soon began to think of deeds of daring nearer 
 home than on Malplaquet's field of war. Calling 
 to his son he warned him to be ready for the 
 charge. His son had all the traits of his paternal 
 lineage. Lambert Roubasse was the worthy son 
 of him who had seized Malplaquet's drum. He 
 had arrived at manhood's full estate. His limbs 
 were strong. His frame was as of steel. His 
 heart was brave. Without a tremor in his nerves 
 he watched the thief's approach as well as the 
 dusk of the evening would permit until he saw 
 his faint outlines near the herds and felt (rather 
 than saw) him throw a lassoo on the neck of 
 the finest horse. Fleet as the wind the olden 
 drummer's son sped through the gloom and round 
 the field to where the road led to the brakes 
 upon the Rigolet and unperceived came on the 
 thief just as he was about to make his exit from 
 the close. With agile bound he fell upon the cul- 
 prit, with such a force as to fell him to the 
 ground, where with strong arms he pinioned 
 him until his cry of pain awoke the echoes of 
 the early night. 
 
 "Kinneboo," said Lambert retaining him in 
 his clutches, "You are the worst half-breed in 
 the Valley. You never did anything but lie and 
 steal. I have caught you now but will let you 
 go this time. But if you ever cross my path again 
 you will not have so easy a settlement." With 
 this he lifted Kinneboo and with a violent shove 
 
16 The Jeivel of Cahokia 
 
 he thrust him away amid the darkness. And 
 while Lambert Roubasse led his horse back and 
 wended his way homeward, the half-breed Peoria 
 savage v/andered back to the Indian camp-fires 
 near the village, muttering curses on the whites 
 in general and on Lambert in particular. These 
 curses bore their fruits in subsequent events in 
 which both Lambert and Kinneboo figured again 
 among the principals. The bitterest fruit too 
 fell amid a scene where joyous sports were 
 crowned with festive wreaths. It was on the 
 occasion of a great ball given at Cahokia. The 
 early-time French Settlers were very fond of 
 gayety and dancing parties were formed fre- 
 quently at which mirth flourished in all its pris- 
 tine vigor. It was at one of these parties that a 
 great catastrophe took place which has made 
 the ancient village famous. This was the assass- 
 ination of Pontiac, the great Ottawa Indian 
 Chieftain. Pontiac has justly been styled the 
 Bonaparte of North American Indians. He it 
 was who originated the great plan of forming 
 all the Western Indian tribes into a great con- 
 federacy to resist the encroachments of the Eng- 
 glish. Year after year the red children of the 
 country had seen the tide of white settlement 
 sweeping westward. As they beheld their posses- 
 sions receding before this onward sweep they 
 realized that the future had in store for them 
 naught but ultimate extinction unless some pro- 
 vidence should turn back the ruthless march 
 of progress. Hence they were ripe for ven- 
 geance and resistance. The great Master-Spirit 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 17 
 
 arose among them. This was Pontiac — the most 
 famous chieftain of history, a warrior of renown 
 and courage and a man of his people. He had 
 won his laurels at Detroit against the northern 
 Indians. He was heard of at the great defeat 
 of Braddock. He was in the French-Indian War 
 at Quebec and received a uniform from Mont- 
 calm, the celebrated French Commander. Then 
 he organized what is known as his great "Con- 
 spiracy." There was a general uprising and in 
 a month nearly all the English posts were cap- 
 tured. Detroit held out and the siege was pro- 
 tracted into a twelve-month. Finally when Brad- 
 street came to relieve it, the war came to a sud- 
 den termination. Pontiac's tribes and allies ask- 
 ed for quarter. He himself refused to enter into 
 submission for two years longer. When at last 
 he was almost alone and his great army scat- 
 tered, he too finally yielded. For four long years 
 he had planned and battled but at last his power 
 was broken. During all of this time he lived in 
 friendship with the Frenchmen. When the crisis 
 came he sought a refuge among them. He came 
 to see his friend, the elder Chouteau of St. Louis, 
 who was a protege of Laclede's. While there he 
 heard of a ball at Cahokia; and dressed in his 
 uniform (the one Montcalm had given him) he 
 came across the river to mingle with his friends 
 in the little village. All the French were his 
 friends. But the hatred still existed among the 
 British. And the village, in fact the entire Valley 
 was in the military possession of the British. 
 They had companies of soldiers stationed at all 
 
18 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 of the principal trading stations. When it be- 
 came known that Pontiac had arrived in the 
 village a British trader bribed a half-breed 
 Peoria Indian to accomplish his assassination. 
 This assassin thus selected was so steeped in 
 degeneracy that a barrel of rum was all the 
 bribe required. During the evening of the ball 
 while the festival was at its height and "eyes 
 looked love to eyes which spake again" a shock 
 came to the assemblage as terrible as when the 
 cannon's roar was heard at Belgium's Capital. 
 Kinneboo burst into the ball-room and announc- 
 ed that he had seen the killing of Pontiac in 
 the edge of the village by a white man. And 
 vowing vengeance (pretendingly) unless the 
 murderer were immediately delivered, he told 
 the astonished dancers that all the Indian tribes 
 had been notified and had gathered on the spot 
 of the murder, ready to wreak vengeance on the 
 whole village unless reparation should be swift- 
 ly made. The moment was critical. The sounds 
 of mirth were hushed. The merry-makers stood 
 around in awe until the drummer of Malplaquet 
 stepped up before the crowd and addressing Kin- 
 neboo said: 
 
 "Who saw this deed committed?" 
 
 "I saw it," grunted Kinneboo. 
 
 "Who else was witness to this crime atrocious?" 
 further queried then the drummer. 
 
 "I was alone," responded the half-breed. 
 
 "Alone and what was your mission near this 
 scene which you claim to have witnessed?" de- 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 19 
 
 manded further the Hero of Malplaquet. To 
 which Kinneboo gave no answer. Whereon the 
 old Alsatian drummer turned toward his neigh- 
 bors. His words were quick and pointed. 
 
 "Friends," he said, "no Frenchman ever laid 
 a hand except in friendship on the form of Pon- 
 tiac. He was a friend to us and we were friends 
 to him. Hence we ourselves will seek the slayer 
 —nous le trouverons plus tard nous-memes." 
 
 Just as he had finished his exhortation a wild 
 and savage cry of exultation broke upon the ears 
 of those in the assembly. Rushing to the outside 
 they beheld the lurid glare of firelights near the 
 fringe of forest, which was upon the outskirts. 
 And in the glare they saw a human form drag- 
 ged forward by a squad of savages. At sight 
 of this many of the villagers began to tremble. 
 The old Alsatian felt by instinct that now some 
 closer danger boded. He called for Lambert. But 
 Lambert was not among the crowd of lookers- 
 on. No one had seen him since the early part 
 of the ball. The thought flashed through the 
 drummer's brain that Lambert was in the 
 clutches of the savages. Fiercely turning on Kin- 
 neboo he demanded what further information 
 he was ready to impart. Kinneboo, pointing in 
 the direction of the form which could be des- 
 cried by the glare of the fagots, said: 
 
 "There is the slayer and he is your son!" 
 
 "Fiend and liar," hissed the old man; but ere 
 he had the chance to seize his son's accuser, 
 
20 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 Kinneboo had escaped in the direction of the 
 Indian assemblage. The crowd of villagers just 
 then saw another figure burst upon the scene. 
 It was the form of a woman. She ran among 
 the excited Indians and throwing herself be- 
 tween them and the accused she defied them 
 to slay her. A shout went up from the villagers: 
 
 "That is Nannette; there is the jewel of the 
 village!" 
 
 Louis Roubasse, the Alsation drummer of Mal- 
 plaquet, called upon the little band and said 
 to them: "I do not ask that others shall risk 
 their lives for me and mine, but I must save 
 my son." 
 
 Whereon Nannette's father (Jean Pierre Fal- 
 liere) spoke up quickly: "And I, my daughter; 
 though her own bravery may save both him and 
 her without us." 
 
 "We will help you at the peril of our lives," 
 shouted the villagers in chorus. And with this 
 cry upon their lips, they rushed toward the place 
 where Nannette knelt, as Grandsire Vieuxtemps 
 had seen her kneel just as he opened wide his 
 cabin door. Had seen her kneeling, but not 
 kneeling at her vespers! For amid the glare of 
 firelights which thrust their glimmerings on the 
 village she was kneeling and imploring, though 
 defiant. But she knelt before no Shrine of Saint 
 nor Virgin, nor yet implored the powers of 
 heaven. She knelt before a power whose char- 
 acter was savage and relentless. 
 
 The savages were in the vlilage! 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 21 
 
 CHAPTER FOUR 
 THE JEWEL OF THE VILLAGE 
 
 In the ceiiter of the village of Cahokia stood 
 the Mission Church of St. Sulpice. In its little 
 tower swung the bell which had been given to 
 the inhabitants by the French King Louis in 
 1740. Every evening the bell rang out the Ange- 
 lus and as its tones fell upon the ears of the 
 devout worshippers in the Valley they would 
 stop from their work to offer up their prayers. 
 A>mong them all none was more devout than 
 Nannette Falliere — the loveliest daughter of the 
 village. 
 
 On the evening of the grand fete the Angelus 
 had been sounded; the villagers had returned 
 to their homes from the fields; the evening meal 
 had been finished; the belles and beaux were 
 preparing lor the ball-room. Nanette went to 
 the Mission of St. Sulpice to her evening devo- 
 tions. After rendering her religious tribute she 
 received the benediction of the pious Mission 
 Priest and started homeward. But on her way 
 she passed the ball-room where the throng had 
 gathered and where the festivities were just be- 
 ginning. Lambert Roubasse arrived just as she 
 was passing. The announcement was made with- 
 in that all should select their partners. Just 
 as this announcement was made Lambert made 
 his salutation to Nannette and as if the an- 
 nouncement carried with it a suggestion he gaily 
 remarked: 
 
 "They may need one more couple." 
 
22 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 To which she replied: 
 
 "I have often helped them; and have often 
 been your partner; but tonight you will excuse 
 me/' 
 
 "Why Nannette they will wonder what has 
 happened if this evening is not enlivened by 
 your presence." 
 
 "Yes, I know they'll wonder and I'm very 
 sorry." 
 
 "Then there must be something serious to pre- 
 vent you. For you have always been the charm 
 of every festival." 
 
 "Yes, there is something serious." 
 
 "Can it be possible that anything or anyone 
 should mar your pleasure?" 
 
 '•There is everything to mar our pleasure. But 
 this is no place to talk of matters over which 
 my heart is well-nigh broken." 
 
 "Then while the merry-makers dance the gay 
 cotillion I will walk with you upon your solemn 
 journey homeward. But, as your friend from 
 childhood, you should tell me something of your 
 troubles and as a friend I'll promise to betray 
 no lack of interest and will render what assist- 
 ance I can feebly give you." 
 
 Together then they walked upon the "solemn 
 journey homeward"; past the cabins where the 
 inmates were preparing to retire early; between 
 the rows of houses where soon would settle 
 nightly stillness like that which in older coun- 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 23 
 
 tries follows curfew. On they journeyed in the 
 gloom and in silence. On, until they reached the 
 Rigolet, a little rippling streamlet on whose other 
 bank there stood the Vieuxtemps homestead. On 
 this spot amid the solemn silence, only broken 
 by the ripplings of the streamlet, Nannette found 
 an utterance. 
 
 "Lambert." said the maiden, "we have played 
 upon the banks of this little stream in our child- 
 hood; we scattered sands upon its gurgling cur- 
 rent and laved our hands and feet beneath its 
 waters. In the fringe of forest yonder too we 
 wove our garlands in the springtime and gath- 
 ered nuts in autumn. Many happy days were 
 showered on our lot in simple fashion; many 
 happy evenings too were spent in pleasure as 
 in yonder ball-room which tonight we did not 
 enter. Now, when you have grown to manhood 
 and I am almost a woman, these happy scenes 
 are but the memories of a former golden epoch." 
 
 And as these words were uttered the Rigolet 
 almost hushed its gurglings as if it tried to 
 listen to the story of its old-time playmates. 
 And as if at times it caught the meaning it would 
 now and then give forth a little murmur just 
 as though it too had found a lodgment for some 
 sadness in its bosom. 
 
 Then continued the maiden with her plain- 
 tive story: "Yes, memories of a former golden 
 epoch; when St. Ange de Belle Rive, our last 
 and noblest of the French Commandants, gave 
 the Keys of our Fort Chartres to the English, and 
 
24 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 foreign troops were quartered on us, the memor- 
 ies of the past were all they left us. This is why 
 I am so sad. Already many of our neighbors 
 have gone to cast their fortunes elsewhere. And 
 Grandsire Vieuxtemps acts so strangely that he 
 may contemplate, for aught I know, this very 
 minute a removal from these loved and early 
 scenes of ours." 
 
 Then they thought they heard a sound as if 
 the Rigolet had choked with anguish. Ere an- 
 other word was spoken their ears were met with 
 sounds as if the choke of death had fallen on 
 the streamlet. Turning in that direction they 
 did behold the choke of death but not of their 
 favorite streamlet. But close beyond it, under- 
 neath a spreading poplar, by the glare of a sin- 
 gle fagot, they discerned the cause of that almost 
 unearthly gurgle which had attracted their at- 
 tention. There they saw the form of a human 
 being, dressed in the uniform of a French sol- 
 dier, amid the throes of final expiration and 
 above him the form of a savage with a burning 
 fagot in his left hand by the glare of which they 
 saw the deadly weapon held aloft in his right 
 hand. 
 
 Lambert pressed the maiden from the scene 
 of horror and led her to the door of her home- 
 stead. But she felt a longing to find the out- 
 come of this latest catastrophe. Hence she linger- 
 ed alone in the darkness. While thus she tar- 
 ried, Lambert crossed the stream but in clamber- 
 ing up its little bank he made a noise which at- 
 tracted the savage who was just leaving the 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 25 
 
 neighborhood and amid the darkness Lambert 
 suddenly found himself pounced upon by the 
 slayer whose murderous act he had witnessed. 
 The murderer immediately gave the signal 
 which brought the rest of the Indians to the 
 spot where they found Lambert wrestling in the 
 clutches of Kinneboo and accused by the latter 
 of the murder of Pontiac. Lambert Roubasse, 
 overpowered by numbers, was dragged to the 
 Indian camp in the forest near the edge of the 
 village while Kinneboo hurried through the 
 streets and burst into the ball-room with his 
 startling announcement. Nannette had heard 
 and witnessed all of this commotion. Had heard 
 the signal and the tumult of the savages. And 
 she hastened from the doorstep of her home- 
 stead to come to the rescue. Just as the Indians 
 were dragging Lambert before their campfires 
 she burst between them and him and falling on 
 her knees declared him innocent and asked that 
 she herself be slain to appease their savage ven- 
 geance. Just then the door of the cabin was 
 opened from which Grandsire Vieuxtemps saw 
 his grandchild and in horror gasped, "the sav- 
 ages are in the village." Just then too the villag- 
 ers poured from the ball-room and when they 
 looked upon the scene shouted: 
 
 "There is Nannette; there is the jewel of the 
 village." 
 
26 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 CHAPTER FIVE 
 THE WANTON INSULT 
 When the crowd of villagers arrived upon the 
 tragic scene they found Nannette insisting on 
 Lambert's innocence and begging that the Brit- 
 ish Officer in command of the garrison be call- 
 ed. The presence of the villagers had the effect 
 of enforcing her appeals and a messenger was 
 dispatched to the little fort to inform the British 
 Captain of the grave situation and request his 
 presence. The officer soon arrived and after a 
 brief hearing, ordered Lambert to the military 
 prison pending further investigation. He deem- 
 ed it necessary (so he said) to probe the matter 
 to the bottom in order to find the guilty crim- 
 inal and also deemed this action necessary for 
 the safety of the prisoner and the peace of the 
 village. 
 
 Lambert was sent to the fort that night; the 
 villagers dispersed and Nannette started home- 
 ward. As she had crossed the Rigolet and be- 
 fore she came to the entrance of her gateway 
 she was accosted by someone, whose voice was 
 not unfamiliar. It was the voice of a young 
 British trader stationed at the village. 
 
 "A bad night's work," he said, "but what will 
 come tomoirow?" 
 
 "The proof of Lambert's innocence," the guile- 
 less village maiden promptly answered. 
 
 "I wish him well," the trader responded. "But, 
 I fear his sole testimony may not be strong 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 27 
 
 enough to overcome the circumstances which go 
 to corroborate the charge of Kinneboo. It is 
 known that Lambert was abroad and was found 
 near the scene of Pontiac's murder. He was 
 absent from the ball-room; and suppose no wit- 
 ness can reinforce his own denial!" 
 
 "Nevertheless the morrow will prove him guilt- 
 less," insisted Nannette. 
 
 "Maiden," said the young trader," you seem 
 to take a lively interest in this matter. Of 
 course the years of friendship passed together 
 have perhaps cemented ties that do not yearn 
 to be dissevered." 
 
 Then she replied: "Years of pure, unsullied 
 friendship always form a tie which does not 
 yearn to be dissevered. He has been my play- 
 mate from the days of childhood. We have 
 grown in years together in this village. He is of 
 our people and now, more than ever, since this 
 hated British conquest scatters blight and mil- 
 dew on this Valley, do I hold to our own people. 
 Lambert Rcubasse and I belong to the same race 
 and nation. He is innocent; for no Frenchman 
 ever laid an angry hand on Pontiac." 
 
 To which the trader ventured farther: "One 
 must admire the stand you take for your own 
 people and certainly when your motives are de- 
 void of every selfish interest. As I see that they 
 are simply, purely those of friendship for your 
 race and nation it makes me wish that I were 
 included in that race and nation. I would rather 
 
28 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 bask in rays of such devoted friendship than to 
 sit upon the throne of Britain." 
 
 Nannette most firmly replied to this: "If your 
 Captain heard this vow of treason you would 
 sleep tonight within the cell with Lambert." 
 
 The trader responded: "Yes, but he shall not 
 hear it from my lips and you certainly would 
 not betray a friendly neighbor even though he 
 be a Briton." 
 
 Nannette simply said: "I hate no individual; 
 but in the abstract I hate the system which your 
 rule has foisted on us." 
 
 The wily trader continued: "I am glad your 
 hatred of the system does not quite extend to 
 individuals. Otherwise I should not hope for 
 any sort of friendly recognition. Your hatred 
 of the system may be the outgrowth of your 
 training. And as incident thereto I can well 
 understand your zeal for him who may fall a 
 victim before our British tribunal," 
 
 A faint glimmer of worldly reason began to 
 dawn upon Nannette. She began to wonder why 
 she heard these words from the lips of a foe- 
 man. Turning sharply upon the young trader 
 she asked him how he came to take such a live- 
 ly interest in this matter himself. What prompt- 
 ings had led him along the path to her gateway 
 at this nightly hour! 
 
 "Since you ply me with these questions," said 
 the Briton, "I will answer. I had thought your 
 underlying motives were far deeper than mere 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 29 
 
 friendship for Lambert Roubasse. If my guess 
 had been correct I know you would gladly have 
 accepted proffered assistance. Since, by impli- 
 cation, you disavow these stronger motives you 
 may still accept the proffer of assistance in be- 
 half of what you are pleased to call a member 
 of your race and nation. And by your disavowal 
 I have been encouraged to make still farther 
 proffers." 
 
 "What service would you render that you come 
 to speak of proffers of assistance ?" queried Nan- 
 nette. 
 
 "A service which would release your country- 
 man. A service which to him means freedom. 
 Which to you means satisfaction for the sake 
 of friendship. Which to me means joy because 
 of your satisfaction, ,, responded he. 
 
 "Release my countryman?" said she; "what 
 service can you render which might more se- 
 curely prove his innocence than what I know it 
 can be proved? And what joy could you feel over 
 my satisfaction?" 
 
 "If you will listen," said the young trader, "I 
 will tell you." 
 
 This young trader was a handsome fellow in 
 the years of early manhood. Vigorous in physi- 
 cal make-up, cunning in intellect and susceptible 
 to all the charms of beauty. He had often seen 
 Nannette and in his heart had experienced many 
 a flutter on account of the village maiden. He 
 secretly had admitted to himself that she was 
 
30 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 what every one else openly called her — the jewel 
 of Cahokia. Hence he brought with his proffer 
 of assistance that lurking passion which had long 
 doted for the opportunity. Thinking the oppor- 
 tunity had at last presented itself, he boldly ven- 
 tured thus to unfold his proffers with their ill- 
 concealed intentions. And therefore he boldly, 
 almost brazenly continued: "The answer is, a 
 profligate of the profligates. This Kinneboo has 
 sunk even lower in the scale of degeneracy than 
 his Peoria-Indian ancestry. He is susceptible to 
 the charms of rum and money. A very little of 
 either would bribe him. If he were thus spirit- 
 ed away, his absence would leave no accuser and 
 your friend would regain his freedom over which 
 you could then rejoice and in your rejoicing I 
 would feel that happiness which has long thirst- 
 ed for an utterance. What man, who has ever 
 fallen under your charms, would not partake of 
 this happiness? And in order to merit a share 
 I would willingly undertake to secure the pro- 
 tracted absence of Lambert's accuser." 
 
 Nannette fairly hissed: "Fiend; I have patient- 
 ly listened to your words of insult. Now the 
 warm blood of my dead mother's kinsmen from 
 the south of France mounts through all my 
 veins and my heart becomes as resolute as that 
 of my honest French-Swiss father, whose coun- 
 trymen in the days of William Tell galled under 
 the Austrian yoke as we in this Valley are now 
 galling beneath the yoke of British tyranny. Not 
 another word. No more insults. Not even a 
 whisper or 3 shall arouse the whole village even 
 
The Jewel of CahoJria 31 
 
 at this hour of the night-time. Within a few 
 paces yonder is my Grandsire's cabin. He is 
 anxiously awaiting my coming from my evening 
 vespers. I know he has not yet retired. Old, 
 feeble and decrepit, he now awaits me ere he 
 goes to slumber. But, old, feeble and decrepit, 
 he would crawl upon his hands and knees to 
 mete out vengeance for these insults. You would 
 bribe this profligate and also throw upon me the 
 odium of profligacy. Rather than have me sub- 
 mit to such humiliation my friend would ask to 
 suffer physical torture or rot in his cell and he 
 would bless me with his expiring breath for pre- 
 serving the honor of his race and nation. He is 
 innocent and the morrow will prove it to the 
 world as it is already proved to me. Get your- 
 self away now. I leave you to the darkness of 
 the night and the blackness of your foul con- 
 science." 
 
 With this she left him, entered the little gate- 
 way, opened the cabin door and found Grand- 
 sire Vieuxtemps seated by his hearthstone, old, 
 feeble and decrepit but waiting for this jewel of 
 Cahokia. 
 
 CHAPTER SIX 
 THE TRIAL 
 The night dragged slowly on for Lambert Rou- 
 basse. The hours were long for Nannette Fal- 
 liere. The night was filled with feverish dreams 
 for Kinneboo, the half-breed; while the British 
 trader's ears were ringing with the constant 
 
32 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 repetition of seething words of womanly defi- 
 ance which sounded like the echoes of the just 
 rebuke administered by the village maiden. 
 
 At last the morrow came. Came for Lambert, 
 the son of the drummer of Malplaquet. Came 
 for Nannette, the jewel of the village. Came for 
 Kinneboo, the half-breed. Came for the insolent 
 young trader. 
 
 The morrow dawned upon the village of Ca- 
 hokia. 
 
 The inhabitants arose from their slumbers. 
 The smoke began to curl up from the wooden 
 chimneys of their cabins. The simple breakfasts 
 were prepared by the good housewives. The sun 
 of the early springtime had risen on the Valley. 
 The streets began to be filled with an air of com- 
 motion. Soon the villagers were all out in their 
 best attire. In a sense, the place assumed a holi- 
 day appearance though one could perceive that 
 it was a day of anxiety. All business was sus- 
 pended without the formality of proclamation. 
 The anxiety was heightened when a squad of 
 soldiers marched from the fort through the long 
 street to the scene of the catastrophe of the 
 night before. This squad was headed by the 
 British Captain in command of the garrison. 
 They were going to form the military tribunal 
 to hold the grand inquest. It was an important 
 day in the annals of Cahokia. Its importance 
 was realized by everybody. Every homestead was 
 deserted; every occupant realizing that the great- 
 er safety of his homestead was bound up in the 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 33 
 
 fairness of the pending investigation. Men, wo- 
 men and children flocked to the place of meet- 
 ing. It was an orderly assembly. The French 
 inhabitants of the Mississippi Valley were an 
 orderly people. For three quarters of a century 
 they had lived under the mild sway of their 
 own Commandants with but little need of gov- 
 ernment. Long years of peace and quiet had 
 habituated them to a state of orderly behavior. 
 On this occasion they assembled with respectful 
 demeanor around the military tribunal. In their 
 midst was exposed to view the body of the as- 
 sassinated Chieftain dressed in the uniform 
 which he had received from General Montcalm 
 at the siege of Quebec. It was an impressive 
 sight! The dead Chief, as he thus appeared in 
 his soldier dr&ss, was looked upon by every 
 Frenchman almost with an eye which dimmed be- 
 neath the halo of some sacred image. And as 
 he lay in quiet and impressive pomp, the halo 
 of his image could almost be fancied to be seen 
 reflected in the morning mist above him. 
 
 The inquest began. With the preliminary pro- 
 ceedings over, Kinneboo was called to take his 
 place beside the body of Pontiac. As he did so 
 it was plainly evident that he was ill at ease. 
 While clearly anxious to implicate the French- 
 man with the murder yet he manifested a ner- 
 vousness which cast suspicion on his charges 
 and gave a semblance of self-incrimination. He 
 told of how he came upon the scene just as Rou- 
 basse committed the assassination of Pontiac 
 and how Roubasse tried to flee but was caught 
 
34 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 by him (Kinneboo) just as he tried to cross the 
 Rigolet and, at the signal given, was prevented 
 from escaping by the timely arrival of the other 
 Indians, who secured him. This latter part of 
 his story was partly corroborated by these other 
 Indians, who testified to hearing the signal 
 given, their hastening to the place from whence 
 it came, finding Roubasse and Kinneboo in a 
 struggle and finally the capture of Roubasse by 
 them. In addition to this testimony many of the 
 visitors to the ball-room were called upon to 
 speak and in answer admitted that Roubasse 
 had not been present during the evening of the 
 ball. No one, who was called, had seen him after 
 he had left his homestead after supper. During 
 the progress of the interrogation, the young 
 trader, whose insolence had been so meritorious- 
 ly rebuked the night before, was skulking through 
 the outer fringes of the populace and at the 
 close of Kinneboo's testimony sought that "pro- 
 fligate" with whom he held close consultation. 
 After the very honest but damaging admission 
 by the villagers of Lambert's absence from the 
 ball-room this trader could have been seen to 
 leer upon the accused. But his leer was soon dis- 
 pelled by one who forced her way through the 
 crowd just as the Captain of Militia was demand- 
 ing of Roubasse what he had to say in his own 
 behalf. Pushing aside the bystanders, Nannette 
 stepped before the tribunal and said: "I will 
 answer for him." 
 
 There was no tumult at this interruption. 
 There was no applause, no outburst. But in each 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 35 
 
 Frenchman's breast a heart was whispering, 
 "There is Nannette; there's the jewel of Caho- 
 kia." 
 
 With the tacit consent of everybody, Nannette 
 proceeded to give her account of the momentous 
 happenings to which she had been a witness dur- 
 ing the past twelve hours. It was a simple, plain, 
 unvarnished story, and as the truth fell from 
 her lips, in accents clear, her listeners heard and 
 felt and saw the mystery clear away. The veil 
 which hung around the awful deed was brushed 
 aside. And as the morning mists, which hover- 
 ed near till then, began to rise, that veil seemed 
 lifted in their upward course. Then while the 
 sun of nature shone, undimmed by fog, the sun 
 of truth cast forth its rays which made the Val- 
 ley smile in gladdened thankfulness. 
 
 Nannette told it all. Told of her evening pil- 
 grimage to the Mission of Saint Sulpice; her 
 return and meeting with the accused outside the 
 ball-room; their "solemn journey homeward"; 
 their confidential talk upon the Rigolet; the aw- 
 ful deed they witnessed. Intense interest follow- 
 ed every utterance. When she described how the 
 weapon was used upon Pontiac by a savage foe, 
 all eagerness was riveted upon her. When at 
 this juncture her eyes began to search through 
 the crowd for some object, the eyes of the crowd 
 followed hers. Her look was so searching that 
 everything quailed before it. But her search was 
 momentary. She realized suddenly, but too late, 
 that in her zeal she had allowed something to 
 
36 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 happen. Her eyes flashed and with a sudden 
 shriek she exclaimed: "Kinneboo, the assassin, 
 is gone!" 
 
 A shudder ran through the crowd. But the 
 crowd soon recovered from its shudder. Then 
 came a current of steadiness. Then a calm, 
 noiseless determination seized the crowd to hunt 
 the slayer. But from this they were dissuaded 
 by the drummer of Malplaquet who said: "Per- 
 haps it is better that he has been allowed to 
 flee; but let us finish the matter under consider- 
 ation." 
 
 Lambert then was questioned by the Captain 
 touching the incidents of the previous evening 
 and in as far as he was allowed to answer he 
 corroborated Nannette's story. The inquest was 
 now nearly concluded. Again the maiden stepped 
 forward and asked permission to add a statement 
 which she had neglected to make during the 
 excitement over the escape of Kinneboo. This 
 statement was with reference to the corrupt pro- 
 position made to her by the British trader. At 
 this statement the crowd was thrown into a per- 
 fect frenzy. Although all had been orderly and 
 peaceable, now, vows of vengeance were uttered 
 in open and unmeasured terms. A tumult seem- 
 ed impending. A riot seemed inevitable. But the 
 angry waves of passion were again subdued by 
 a young subaltern who was stationed at the gar- 
 rison. This young English officer was well known 
 and respected by all the villagers. Although no 
 countryman of theirs yet in their intercourse 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 37 
 
 with him they had learned to look upon him as 
 the very soul of honor. He stepped forward and 
 said: "If a scoundrel has cast a stain upon the 
 name of Briton, there are yet enough of us who 
 love our nation's honor to blot away the stain." 
 At which the villagers cried "Bravo," and were 
 ready to listen to the young subaltern, who said 
 he had purposely come to see that their country- 
 man should have justice dealt out to him. And 
 in order to contribute toward securing the re- 
 lease of Lambert Roubasse he would add his 
 testimony of what he saw and heard during the 
 afternoon of the day before at the garrison. 
 Lieutenant Speedwell then proceeded to detail 
 how, immediately after the arrival of Pontiac, 
 he overheard a conversation between Kinneboo 
 and the trader, who had so gravely insulted Nan- 
 nette. This conversation took place in the store- 
 house of the garrison. His attention was called 
 to it by the excited yet subdued tones of which 
 the participants made use. While he did not 
 know then whom the matter involved he never- 
 theless overheard enough to be able to say that 
 the Indian had been promised a barrel of rum 
 by the trader for some purpose. When he heard 
 the messenger call for the Captain, the night 
 before, to attend at the place of assassination, 
 the thought immediately flashed across his mind 
 that he had unintentionally overheard the plot 
 which ended so fatally. Rather than submit his 
 nation to any further stigma he had come to 
 denounce the real culprits. The crowd applaud- 
 ed the bearing and conduct of the young subal- 
 
38 The Jeivel of Cahokia 
 
 tern Speedwell; though both the culprits were 
 now missing. Kinneboo and the trader had es- 
 caped as the developments were unfolding. There 
 was nothing left now on the part of the tribunal 
 but to order the release of Roubasse. Searching 
 parties were instituted to find the escaped as- 
 sassins. The body of Pontiac was taken by his 
 friends across the Mississippi and buried near 
 the Spanish Fort in the infant settlement of St. 
 Louis (founded five years previously by Pierre 
 Laclede) . 
 
 CHAPTER SEVEN 
 THE HAPPY CULMINATION 
 Time rolled on at its accustomed pace. The 
 British possession of the Mississippi Valley, how- 
 ever, was short-lived. From the time that the 
 Scotch Highlanders, under Captain Sterling, 
 took up their headquarters at Fort Chartres in 
 1765 to the taking of Kaskaskia and Cahokia 
 and Vincennes in 1778 by Clark and a handful 
 of Virginians and Kentuckyans and the delivery 
 of the Northwest to the Old Dominion of Virginia 
 was but the span of thirteen years — an illfated 
 number. From the date of the assassination of 
 Pontiac the renowned Ottawa Indian Chieftain 
 in 1769 to the time of the transfer to the Colony 
 of Virginia under Patrick Henry as its Governor 
 was a still shorter span of only nine years. Yet 
 in these years and those succeeding until the 
 Treaty of Peace at the conclusion of the War of 
 Independence in 1783, many transformations took 
 place. After the conquest of the Northwest came 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 39 
 
 the influx of American settlers, mainly from the 
 Southland, into the Valley; and the Grand 
 Marais even had its name transformed and was 
 mis-nomered by the newcomers as the "Grand 
 Murray Lake." The original French inhabitants 
 or at least many of them moved away from their 
 original habitats. Whatever became of Kinne- 
 boo and the English trader has never been ade- 
 quately solved by the historians. They seem to 
 have dropped out of the picture. Grandsire 
 Vieuxtemps passed from under the "blight" after 
 the Americans came to lift it through the advent 
 of their coming; but he also finally passed from 
 under all the cares of this world by going to the 
 Great Beyond after having attained many years 
 beyond the age allotted to most men. His relict, 
 the good Madame, in her loneliness followed, 
 leaving the impress of her many years of ex- 
 emplary bearing. Jean Pierre Falliere, their 
 Franco-Swiss son-in-law (the father of the vil- 
 lage maiden so fondly named "The Jewel of 
 Cahokia") , still tended the arpents of the Vieux- 
 temps homestead and Nannette kept the house- 
 hold affairs in good order. She had grown into 
 comely and mature womanhood. The elder Rou- 
 basse had parted with the drum which he had 
 seized on the battlefield of Malplaquet and left 
 it as an heirloom, with his arpents, to his son, 
 Lambert. Lambert religiously kept and guarded 
 both the drum and arpents. During this keeping 
 and guarding he had witnessed the advent of a 
 new government and the establishment of a new 
 nation and had added to his ancestral arpents 
 
40 The jewel of Cahokia 
 
 until he had acquired a competency, on the 
 strength of which he began to yearn for a con- 
 genial settled future. 
 
 All the while the friendship which had con- 
 tinued through infancy and youth, through joy 
 and sorrow, through blight and sunshine was 
 still as constant between Nannette and Lambert 
 as when they played together on the Rigolet 
 nearly three decades before. Chancing one 
 evening to meet at the selfsame spot 
 where just ten years before they had met, outside 
 the ball-room, they made their friendly saluta- 
 tions to ono another after which Lambert said: 
 "Suppose in honor of the anniversary of the 
 event, which occurred several years ago this 
 evening, we repeat the march together as we 
 did then toward your homestead. You are re- 
 turning now from vespers as you did upon that 
 fateful evening." To which she assented and 
 together they again made a "solemn journey 
 homeward." On, they walked between the rows 
 of houses till they reached the Rigolet, where 
 years before they had stopped and where she 
 had told him "her plaintive story." Recalling 
 the occasion, Lambert said in addressing her: 
 "Now as I listened to your story many years ago 
 will you listen to mine on the bank of this gurg- 
 ling streamlet? Mine is likewise plaintive. Mine 
 is one of longing which I oft have yearned to 
 tell you. And the only reason I have hesitated 
 until this moment is because I wanted to wait 
 until Time, with all its opportune accompani- 
 ments, should warrant that the arrival of the 
 
The Jewel of Cahokia 41 
 
 proper occasion had made its advent." 
 
 Then gently taking her hand in his, he ad- 
 verted to their uninterrupted acquaintance 
 which had continued from their earliest child- 
 hood until that moment; how he owed her not 
 only a debt of gratitude for that acquaintance 
 but also a debt for what had brought his rescue 
 from the grasp which the "blight" had cast upon 
 the Valley end the circumstance which almost 
 engulfed his own personal safety. All this now 
 was numbered with the bygone in which they 
 had lived and grown to man's and woman's 
 estate. The future lay before them; under a new 
 regime, with the promise of a growing better- 
 ment. What now should prevent the realization 
 of that mutual longing which long acquaintance 
 and kindly acts toward one another naturally 
 should ripen into more than mere friendship 
 and acquaintance? And in the gloaming of that 
 evening, Nannette understood his meaning. 
 Neither withdrew the handgrasp from the other 
 and there en the bank of that Rigolet (A) , whose 
 gentle murmurs still carried the echoes of the 
 expiring throes of Pontiac, they plighted their 
 troth to one another. 
 
 In due time the bans were announced in the 
 village church and when the time arrived for 
 their final announcement the date was set for 
 the consummation of the most important event 
 which ever happened on the Grand Marais. 
 When that time arrived, all the habitans of the 
 village gathered for the occasion and as they 
 
42 The Jewel of Cahokia 
 
 witnessed the joining together of Lambert Rou- 
 basse and Kannette Falliere, after the Reverend 
 Father had pronounced his benediction on their 
 union, a loud acclaim came from all the villagers 
 like a mighty chorus; "God bless Lambert, the 
 son of the Drummer of Malplaquet, and Nan- 
 nette, the Jewel of Cahokia.'' 
 
BELLEVILLE ADVOCATE PRINTING CO. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA 
 
 813P422J C001 
 
 THE JEWEL OF CAHOKIA BELLEVILLE, ILL. 
 
 3 0112 025325025