Chapter 12
July 23. 1777, morning
Jean-Marie, Mathurin and Mingo hid their canoe near the Richelieu Islet facing Deschambault's setttlement and trading post. They swam back to shore. They left most of their clothes and all their packs and supplies on the north shore, in a bush, by the trail known as Le Chemin du Roy. The St-Lawrence River water was cold, even on a warm summer day and the swim long. The current was heavy; it was an area where travelers would portage. But they wanted to avoid leaving any visible trail behind them. Mingo knew that Jean-Marie and Mathurin were as capable as any of traveling unseen.
They had traveled a little over four days. Mathurin and Jean-Marie had pulled quite a stunt helping Mingo escape, unscathed, from the British cell in Chambly. Mathurin had agreed to go north with Jean-Marie. A slightly disheveled Indian accompanied them. It had not been hard to convince Mingo to trade his Cherokee clothing for Jean-Marie's extra buckskins; he had even cut a few inches of hair and tied it as the white men did. Jean-Marie had begun to address him as Nicholas, as good a French name as any to discourage suspicion.
Henry Hartford had teased him mercilessly in jail, had taunted him, had even said Mingo's father was aware of his son's imprisonment and was relieved by it. Somehow Mingo doubted his father would rejoice in his death as a traitor. Mingo believed that his father respected his son's choices in life - even if it was to fight the British and side with the Colonials. It was more than the teasing that gnawed at Mingo at night; he worried for Daniel and Rain Cloud. Knowing Daniel and he had been played for fools by Henry Hartford, in a game pitting Colonials against British troops, troubled him all the more.
Jean-Marie and Mathurin spoke hardly any English; Mingo's French was too perfect, as different from French-Canadian French as his English was from that spoken by Americans. They found they could all speak Iroquois rather well and were often found exchanging tall tales of fighting Indians, English or each other at night in the language of the Iroquois nation.
Jean-Marie swore they could have reached the St. Charles River the following afternoon, if they had continued canoeing. It would take three days walking Le Chemin du Roy. Mingo knew Daniel was wily; the fact he spoke no French did not bother his companions. They were used to seeing American fur traders in Quebec City.
July 25, 1777, morning.
Mingo went for a quick swim as soon as he woke. They were near in a village called "Les Écureuils"; Les Écureuils (The Squirrels) was a prosperous village, with stone houses, its own church, a general store and absolutely no British. They made good speed on Le Chemin du Roy, a highway between Montreal and Quebec City. They should reach Neuville before mid-day, according to Jean-Marie and they could be in Quebec City tonight if they continued walking.
When he got back to the camp they had made just a few yards away from the village, food was waiting for him. Mingo was still pleased by the quick friendship given him by the two men. They had no reason to help him; they kept telling him anything to upset the British applecart was a good enough reason.
The St-Lawrence was very cold. He was glad for the warmth of the fire and when Mathurin handed him a hot cup of coffee, he gratefully accepted it as he dressed himself Jean-Marie's buckskins. Yesterday Mingo had insisted they use French as their main language of communication; he was trying hard to grasp their idioms and ways. He had no wish to remain silent when they reached Quebec City.
So they spoke of trapping, trading, and explained to him why portage was so popular and the most common means of exploring. The St-Lawrence had many rapids and a swift current that made canoeing between Montreal and Quebec near impossible; that was the main reason the French Governor had the Chemin du Roy built. Portage meant carrying the canoes on land, following the river's path, when canoeing proved impossible.
Every settlement Mingo had seen so far had a Catholic Church and religious orders were found near every Indian village as well. Catholic Jesuits had made it their duty to save the souls of North American heathens.
They shared a hearty meal of fish; there were plenty of fish in the St-Lawrence after all, easier to catch than setting snares daily. Sharing laughter and tall tales, they hefted their packs and started to walk toward Quebec City.