The Incredible Escape. The Adventures of Radisson 3 (12 page)

Radisson then led another Iroquois-style dance. Three Frenchmen beat the drums with all their might, beating and beating and shouting at the top of their voices. They made a real din. Radisson went to make sure that Ononta still posed no threat. Overcome by the celebrations, the shaman's body had been left so tired and heavy that he seemed to be permanently dozing off.

“Be strong!” Radisson shouted into his ears to wake him. “The celebrations are almost over. Eat for me and Lavionkié! To our happiness!”

Radisson then went in search of Andoura.

“Thank you. Our feast has been a great success. It was worth making at least one last try. Thank you for helping me. The French will perhaps be saved thanks to you. Tell Lavionkié I wish she could have been here with us. Tell her I love her…”

Andoura slurred his reply. He would eat right to the end to save the French, he said.

In fact, the best dishes of all were still to come, to finish off their guests and give the French a clear path.

At the end of the second day, they brought out turtles boiled in their shells, smoked sturgeon, and bear fat thickened with cornmeal. The Iroquois were served one dish at a time, with the French always claiming it was the last. Their allies were making themselves ill to honour their custom. Others held both hands over their mouths to keep in the food they had made such an effort to swallow. Some were forced to give in, their eyes rolled upward, their stomachs ready to explode. They had never seen such a lavish feast. A handful of Frenchmen played the drum, blew into a bugle, and danced like madmen to keep the Iroquois awake.

“Do you see how the French love you and honour you?” Radisson cried. “Do not sleep! Be strong! There's only one more dish to come!”

But the Iroquois had had their fill. They begged Radisson and the Jesuits to put them out of their agony.

“Have mercy! Let us sleep! That's enough! Enough!”

And so it was. The French agreed to bring an end to the celebrations with one final precaution.

It was even colder than the night before. As well as stirring the fires in front of the shelter, Radisson handed out enough pelts to keep the Iroquois warm until the Last Judgment. He wanted them to sleep like bears in winter. As they unwrapped all the beaver pelts they were unable to bring back to the colony, he could barely contain his anger. Even the pelts that belonged to him would have to be left behind. He had traded away all his goods in vain. A dead loss. But many people had lost even more.

The trip had been a waste from start to finish. The blacksmiths' tools, bellows, and anvil would also be abandoned, along with piles of farming and carpentry tools and even the powder they couldn't carry with them. Not to mention all the buildings they had put up… What a waste. It all left a bitter taste in Radisson's mouth. The sole consolation was being able to escape with their lives. And even then, many obstacles would have to be overcome before they ever reached Montréal.

To give themselves every chance, Radisson told the Iroquois not to head back to their villages until the French had given them valuable gifts when they woke up. He asked them to be patient, since the French needed to rest, too. Once he had bade them goodnight, his role as operations chief was over.

The gate to the fort closed behind him. Once the main entrance had been locked tightly, all the men gathered in the fort's biggest room, where Commander Dupuys took charge.

“There's no time to lose!” he cried. “Be sure to bring the bags you are entitled to and carry them to the boat you were assigned. As soon as we are ready, I will give the signal to leave. We will file out in silence. We will put our boats in the water, starting with the flat-bottomed boats, which will lead. The canoes will follow behind. Once we are beyond the bend that takes us out of sight of the fort, we will light torches to guide the way. But not before. There is too much risk the Iroquois might see us. Be careful—and silent! Every one of you must follow this instruction to the letter. Our lives depend on it.”

“Why not massacre them before we leave?” shouted out René Dufresne, standing so that everyone could see him. “They won't catch us if they're dead! Who's with me?”

“Let's get them while they sleep!” a strapping man replied. “Death to the traitors!”

“Follow me!” cried Dufresne, grabbing his musket.

The six Jesuits leapt to their feet to block the way.

“I'm in charge here, not you!” Zacharie Dupuys cried.

Father Ragueneau walked right up to Dufresne until their chests were touching. His arms were outstretched and his eyes were furious.

“We came to this country to convert the Iroquois to the faith of Jesus Christ, not to massacre them! The cross of Christ is our only sword. Damn you if you kill a single one of them!”

“One more word out of you and I'll leave you here bound hand and foot,” added Dupuys.

Dufresne hesitated, took a step back, looked at the commander and the Jesuits, then began to shout again.

“Our lives before the Iroquois'! Your plan is too risky. All I'm trying to do is protect us. The men agree.”

Dupuys unsheathed his sword and waved it at the rebel.

“Shut up or you'll be the one dying!”

“We need to hold the fort,” suggested Simon, another strapping man who stood up at the back. “Thirty men could stay here while the others fetch reinforcements. When they come back, we'll attack! Death to the Iroquois!”

Radisson intervened.

“Simon is right! I want to stay with him! I'm not afraid of starving to death or being tortured. I want to sacrifice my life for the honour of the French! All those willing to die with us raise your hands!”

No one moved. Even Dufresne was lost for words.

“Anyone who stays here has no chance of survival,” Radisson went on. “Reinforcements will never arrive in time. And if you massacre the Iroquois who are outside, all the others will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. They know you. They'll find you, wherever you are, and roast you slowly over a fire!”

“Enough!” said Dupuys, still brandishing his sword. “I've heard enough! Any man who does not follow orders immediately will be thrown to the Iroquois! Gather your belongings! We're leaving!”

The rebels gave in. Better to flee like hunted animals than perish as nameless heroes, far from their own. Running away was the only way to escape with everyone's life.

The night was cold and windy. It began to snow.

As he lifted the heavy flat-bottomed boat that would lead the expedition with Dupuys, Ragueneau, and eight other men, Radisson was sorry he had to leave without a word of explanation to Lavionkié and Andoura. His plan had been a total secret, and it had worked like a charm. They were leaving without a trace. But the hearts of those he had loved would be filled with bitterness. Life could sometimes be thankless.

When they reached the shoreline, a nasty shock was waiting for them. Not only was it snowing heavily, but a layer of ice had formed on the water. Too bad. They would have to force their way through. The flat-bottomed boats were sturdy enough to clear a path for the birch-bark canoes. With the clouds masking the moon and the stars, the night was inky black. They had trouble slipping the boats into the water without making a sound. More than a few men were thigh deep in water before they could clamber on board. But they managed it. Now they were all moving forward on the river.

Progress in the total darkness was desperately slow. They feared they might wake the Iroquois at any moment. Two men were posted at the front of the flat-bottomed boat that took the lead and they smashed the ice with heavy sticks while six paddlers worked tirelessly to force a path through. At last they were around the first bend in the river and could light their torches. Radisson piloted the expedition from the first flat-bottomed boat, given his experience at the helm of the
Zeelhaen
, on Touchet's barge, and in Iroquois canoes. Robert Racine led the other boat. The six Jesuits travelled separately so that at least one of them would be able to explain to the colony's authorities why the Gannentaha mission had ended on such a sour note.

They travelled all night, despite the ice and the half-light, giving their all to put as much distance as possible between them and the Iroquois who would soon be awake. Daylight freed them from fears of capsizing and drowning. It became easier to navigate. The sunshine comforted the men, especially those whose legs had been in the icy water and who had almost frozen during the night. Little by little, the ice disappeared in the sun.

They had agreed to keep going until they reached the great lake of the Iroquois. The mighty spring thaw pushed the boats along at a surprising speed. The crews of the two flat-bottomed boats worked miracles every time there was a bend in the river, to avoid the party being swept against the trees and rocks.

***

The first Iroquois awoke. Their sole concern was to put more wood on the dying fires and return to the warmth of their furs. They were slowly recovering from the feast. The day was well underway and all was silent in the fort. The Iroquois supposed the French must still be asleep. That was fine with them. They would wait as long as they had to for their gifts.

***

The French reached the mouth of the river in record time. The day was drawing to a close. The waves on the lake were so big that they had to stop. They were so afraid of being hunted down and caught that they would rather have pressed on. But it was too risky in such weather, in such darkness. They beached the boats on a small island, where they felt relatively safe. Dupuys set up a system of nightwatchmen while small fires were lit on the side of the lake where the Iroquois would not see them easily. They spread out on the ground the twenty or so beaver pelts they had brought with them to keep warm. They ate leftovers from the feast. The night was again very cold.

In the first light of day, Dupuys, the Jesuits, Radisson, Racine, and some of the more experienced men consulted each other. The wind had died down, but the waves were still threatening. Too bad. They had no choice but to set off again immediately, in spite of the poor conditions. Radisson had asked to install a small retractable mast on the flat-bottomed boats, as on a barge. The wind was blowing in the right direction and the sail would pull them along as well as the paddles. The canoes were lighter and faster but had more trouble with the waves. As a precaution, they stayed close to the shoreline and kept together as a group.

They hoped they would not have to stop again before they reached the smattering of islands where the river flowed out of the great lake and into the St. Lawrence River. The moonlight helped them navigate at night, but the torches were kept permanently lit on the flat-bottomed boats to help them keep their bearings.

***

On the morning of the second day following the feast, the Iroquois chiefs held a council. They agreed to wait until the French were well rested before receiving their gifts and returning home. But the long silence seemed strange. They decided to show their impatience by calling the French.

Awenissera cupped his hands around his mouth before the main gate and cried:

“Hu-llo! We are well rested now! We are waiting. Are you asleep?”

No answer. Only a small bell could be heard on the other side of the gate. Awenissera called out again.

“Can you hear me? Is anyone there?”

Still no answer. It looked as though the French had disappeared.

Takanissorens wanted to be sure. He suggested going inside to look around the fort. He put together a makeshift ladder, scaled to the top of the palisade, swung one leg over the spiked posts, and got a foothold on the parapet. He took a good, long look around, but there was no one to be seen. Not a sound to be heard, not a mark on the melting snow. Fear gripped him in the face of the inexplicable. He motioned to those waiting below to walk over to the main gate and he would let them in. Ever so carefully, he climbed back down from the parapet and walked over to the gate, which he hurriedly opened. A pig was tied up right beside it, a string of little bells around its neck.

Dozens of Iroquois poured into the fort, every one of them on high alert. They split into groups of ten or fifteen to inspect their surroundings. There was no sign of the French, not the slightest trace of them having been there. The canoes had disappeared into thin air. Takanissorens consulted Ononta the shaman about this marvel. How could the French have vanished? Where could they be?

“The Great Spirit of the French is more powerful than it seems I believed,” concluded Ononta. “They have gone. They have escaped.”

***

The French at last reached the river that led out of the great lake of the Iroquois. The tension came down a notch. Some set up a temporary camp, while others explored the maze of beautiful islands to find the best way to the St. Lawrence. The current was so powerful that it would be hard to come back in the flat-bottomed boats if they lost their way. A few Frenchmen stood watch in the evergreens that hid their camp. The others prepared something to eat and made provisions for the next part of the trip. It took them two days to find their way. They left at dawn with shouts of joy. This time, there was no way the Iroquois could catch them. They had shaken them off. They had gotten the better of them. The river in full spate was all that stood between them and Montréal.

***

“And that wasn't counting the ice and the awful rapids we had to cross,” said Radisson. “The closer we got to Montréal, the less progress spring had made. We even had to break the ice with an axe at one point, the river was so frozen. Then the sun came out, it warmed up, and the ice suddenly fell away in great chunks. It was breaking up all around us, with a terrible cracking sound. Huge chunks of it floated past us in the current, banging against our boats, crashing into us. Any one of them might have crushed us, but God was with us. We made it home.

“We couldn't ever stop because the shore was still covered in ice. We had to push on. Ever onward. The water was so high that we floated over the rapids. The canoes had a rough time of it. One day, my boat got beached on a sandbank and filled with water. We managed to empty it and press on. A canoe capsized the very next day. Three men tried to swim to shore, but the waves and current were too strong… they drowned. God rest their souls. We saved the other two men, who had managed to cling to the canoe.