rovince of Louisiana, than
does the story of many of the eastern States who hold this countree new,
raw, uncivilise'. I myself,"--continued the speaker, spreading out one
slender hand with an exquisite grace,--"have gr-r-own up in this State
of Missouri, at that St. Louis, with the most profound convincement,
aftaire much travel and observation, that for elegance we have in that
city the most to it belong people in the United States of America,
yessair!"

"Ah, well," admitted Steering, borne along rapidly on the vehement
current of Bernique's ardour, "with your sort of spirit in the people of
Missouri, whatever she was and whatever she is can be but a mighty
promise of what she will become----"

"Ah, there you have it, the note!" interrupted Francois Placide DeLassus
Bernique eagerly, "What she will become! That is the gr-r-and thought,
sair. I who say it have preserve' my belief in what she will become
through the discouragement ter-r-ible. I who speak have prospec' this
land from end to end. I know her largesse. Believe me, sair, the
tr-r-easures that were sought by the Castilian knights of old through
all thees parts are indeed to be found here,--not the white silvaire of
Castilian dreams, but iron! Coppaire! Lead! Zinc!"

"I suppose," ventured Steering, "that it would be foolish to hope for
deposits in this part of the State similar to the deposits about Joplin,
and all through the thirty-mile stretch?"

"Pouf!" Old Bernique made one of his pretty gestures, but said nothing.

"You have," went on Steering, "you have to the west here the Canaan
Tigmores, Mr. Bernique?"

"Eh? Yessair, the Canaan Tigmores," repeated old Bernique, looking out
over the ridges of hills and the flats listlessly; so listlessly that,
by one of those flashes of intuitive perception that light us far along
waiting paths, Steering knew suddenly that he had to deal with a man
whose experience had somehow crossed the Canaan Tigmores.--"And also,
Mistaire Steering, we have to the far south the Boston Range, in
Arkansas, and far to the west the Kiamichi, in the Territoree."

"Yes, but about these Canaan Tigmores, Mr. Bernique," insisted Steering,
not at all deflected by Bernique's effort, "what about your Canaan
Tigmores, Mr. Bernique?" Steering's experience with the French
Missourian had been too fragmentary for anything but conjecture to come
of it, and his own plans were too immature and too heavily conditioned
for him to project them dir