Monsieur Vigo threw out his hands, and laughed exactly as he had done in his log store at Kaskaskia.
``Congress have never repay me one sou,'' said Monsieur Vigo, making a face.``I have try--I have talk--I have represent--it is no good.Davy, it is your fault.You tell me tek dat money.You call dat finance?''
``David,'' said Mr.Marshall, sharply, ``what the devil is this I hear of your carrying a torch in a Jacobin procession?''
``You may put it down to liquor, Mr.Marshall,'' Ianswered.
``Then you must have had a cask, egad,'' said Mr.
Marshall, ``for I never saw you drunk.''
I laughed.
``I shall not attempt to explain it, sir,'' I answered.
``You must not allow your drum to drag you into bad company again,'' said he, and resumed his conversation.
As I suspected, it was a vigorous condemnation of General Clark and his new expedition.I expressed my belief that the government did not regard it seriously, and would forbid the enterprise at the proper time.
``You are right, sir,'' said Mr.Marshall, bringing down his fist on the table.``I have private advices from Philadelphia that the President's consideration for Governor Shelby is worn out, and that he will issue a proclamation within the next few days warning all citizens at their peril from any connection with the pirates.''
I laughed.
``As a matter of fact, Mr.Marshall,'' said I, ``Citizen Genet has been liberal with nothing except commissions, and they have neither money nor men.''
``The rascals have all left town,'' said Mr.Marshall.
``Citizen Quartermaster Depeau, their local financier, has gone back to his store at Knob Licks.The Sieur de St.
Gre and a Mr.Temple, as doubtless you know, have gone to New Orleans.And the most mysterious and therefore the most dangerous of the lot, Citizen Gignoux, has vanished like an evil spirit.It is commonly supposed that he, too, has gone down the river.You may see him, Vigo,''
said Mr.Marshall, turning to the trader; ``he is a little man with a big nose and grizzled chestnut eyebrows.''
``Ah, I know a lil 'bout him,'' said Monsieur Vigo; ``he was on my boat two days ago, asking me questions.''
``The devil he was!'' said Mr.Marshall.
I had another disquieting night, and by the morning Ihad made up my mind.The sun was glinting on the placid waters of the river when I made my way down to the bank, to a great ten-oared keel boat that lay on the Bear Grass, with its square sail furled.An awning was stretched over the deck, and at a walnut table covered with papers sat Monsieur Vigo, smoking his morning pipe.
``Davy,'' said he, ``you have come a la bonne heure.At ten I depart for New Orleans.'' He sighed.``It is so long voyage,'' he added, ``and so lonely one.Sometime I have the good fortune to pick up a companion, but not to-day.''
``Do you want me to go with you?'' I said.
He looked at me incredulously.
``I should be delighted,'' he said, ``but you mek a jest.''
``I was never more serious in my life,'' I answered, ``for I have business in New Orleans.I shall be ready.''
``Ha,'' cried Monsieur Vigo, hospitably, ``I shall be enchant.We will talk philosophe, Beaumarchais, Voltaire, Rousseau.''
For Monsieur Vigo was a great reader, and we had often indulged in conversation which (we flattered ourselves)had a literary turn.
I spent the remaining hours arranging with a young lawyer of my acquaintance to look after my business, and at ten o'clock I was aboard the keel boat with my small baggage.At eleven, Monsieur Vigo and I were talking ``philosophe'' over a wonderful breakfast under the awning, as we dropped down between the forest-lined shores of the Ohio.My host travelled in luxury, and we ate the Creole dishes, which his cook prepared, with silver forks which he kept in a great chest in the cabin.
You who read this may feel something of my impatience to get to New Orleans, and hence I shall not give a long account of the journey.What a contrast it was to that which Nick and I had taken five years before in Monsieur Gratiot's fur boat! Like all successful Creole traders, Monsieur Vigo had a wonderful knack of getting on with the Indians, and often when we tied up of a night the chief men of a tribe would come down to greet him.