REYNARD, BROS. ALEXIS, O.M.I. (2 part) (130 ENGLISH)
They left on JunThey left on June 1st. This was the time when the snow melted and made the rivers rise more than usual, and this made navigation difficult. Furthermore, wanting to bring a heavy load of choice moose-hides, instead of a canoe, Brother Reynard had a flat boat a “squit’ as the local people called it, but which made the trip even slower and more difficult…: it would take twelve days to reach the Fork. The water level in the river kept rising; however with Brother Reynard’s insistence, the caravan continued to advance. They had to add five or six, maybe seven or eight days to reach Grand Rapids: because the river carried tree trunks, the navigation became difficult and dangerous; furthermore their provisions were coming to an end. Huppé and Tremblé were advised to return to MacMurray to await the lowering of the water accepted that delay. The order he had received pushed him on…and the idea that he had to stay too long with the two Métis families didn’t please him because of the orphan-girl who was with them and because he had already found it necessary to admonish Louis Lafrance for his behavior with her.
On the road” said Bishop Grandin, “the Iroquois did not act correctly worphan-girl. So Brother Alexis made a few comments to him then Brother Alexis decided that he’d walk to Lac La Biche following the route that he and the Iroquois knew well: through the forest. They still had food for two or three days; they were also good hunters, and they had hunting ammunition and there was a lot of wild life in the forest; this route would also shorten the distance they had to pursue. They still had 10and to get more provisions.
Brother Alexis Reynard did not seem to mind to have100 miles (160 km) which was six or seventh the days of walking. They were sure there was nothing imprudent or dangerous in this adventure.
Seeing that his mind was made up, someone suggested he take the orphan-girl with him. “Brother Alexis refused definitely foreseeing that this young person would be an encumbrance.” One of the Métis men agreed with him and said, “The orphan-girl will not be able to walk that far.” But the Iroquois wanted her to be with them on the road. “If need be” he said, “I will carry her on my back.”
The other Métis watched them disappear in the distance,
still following the river which they had to go forward up to the Fort which had
been abandoned by others before they went into the forest. There they turned
toward MacMurray, worried about what would happen.
Bishop Faraud arrived in Lac La Biche on July
17th with Father Rémas who had gone ahead of him. To his surprise he didn’t see Brother Alexis
nor had anyone in Lac La Biche even heard that Brother Alexis should be coming
so no one worried about him; however everyone was now worried.
Searches were started.
The young Tremblay chap, going back over the route had tried to discover
what had happened to those they had left. Arriving at the mouth of the Fort and House
rivers, he found Brother Alexis’ blanket and hood and his rifle thrown in the
branches. The travelers’ footprints were
still visible in the sand.
“Twenty-six days have passed” said Bishop Faraud, “since
these travelers were seen and neither Brother Alexis nor anyone else has arrived
here.” They could not have gone astray: Brother Alexis and Louis knew the road
very well., and we’ve found Brother Alexis’ blanket and hood and his rifle in
the branches.”
The next day, two men and four horses with provisions
sent from Father Leduc, superior of the Mission, returned on August
10th. Here is the report from
one of them: “Julien Cardinal, one of the best and most faithful friends of the
missionaries, later told Father Grouard, “I went through the forest and when I
arrived at the House River, I noticed on the side some half erased tracks; I
followed them and discovered a little
sandy hillock which I dug into. There I
found Brother Alexis’ head! I
pulled it out by its hair but only the
head came, not the body. It had a
gun-shot wound in it. Scattering the
rest of the sand, I found fleshless bones! There was nothing more to wonder about:
Brother Alexis had been killed and eaten by the Iroquois.
“It is my opinion” said Bishop Grandin that Brother
Alexis died of the same kind of death as that of St. John the Baptist; he died a
martyr to honor the virtue of chastity.
I’m preserving his clothes and his ax as relics.” At Brother Alexis’ first communion in his own
native church dedicated to St. John the Baptist, he had asked for the grace of
martyrdom like John the Baptist.” His
prayers have been granted.
Bishop Grandin, the first bishop of Alberta, has quoted what Father Husson (of Dunvegan) of the Peace River area had often said, “ The Beavers (an Indian tribe) have said
lately that a long time ago, someone in their camp had been visited by a
ghost. A white phantom wandered at night
around their tents. Everyone was
afraid. Some dogs had disappeared. No one dared to go out of their hut or cabin
into the darkness. One night, an Indian
who had lost one of his dogs loaded up his rifle and lay in wait. He saw the phantom, so he fired on it and
then threw himself onto a wall at the back end of his hut. The next day, a body was found in the woods
with a gun-shot wound. This man was
wrapped in rags made from an old tent; the toes were missing on one foot; he did
not look like the other Indians; no one recognized him. Afraid of being pursued
and worried of being suspected of murder, those who found the body kept a rigid,
stony silence.
It sometimes happens that travelers talking of the olden
days and the old members of the area would mention the mysterious adventures of
Brother Alexis and the Iroquois, he who had toes missing. The Beaver Indians
heard of this report and from one to another, the adventure came to the ears of
those who had seen the white phantom, a
real man with flesh and bones, dressed in rags made from the cloth of a tent,
and the body with the missing toes…
Brother Lambert went to get Brother Alexis’ remains; it
was speculated that Brother Alexis probably died on June 10th. A
funeral was held on September 8th. The service was sung in the
Sisters’ chapel which was used as a church and the casket was interred in the
St. Albert, AB cemetery.
Here is the conclusion reached by Bishop Grandin and
other missionaries:
After continuing to behave incorrectly with the
orphan-girl, the Iroquois also killed her, then having eaten her, he would have
lived miserably by hunting and pillaging and depredation until the night one of
the Beaver Indians shot and killed him.
And now the story which appeared in the Plamondon AB
history book which does not contradict father Aristide Philippot’s
research:
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| Brother Alexis Reynard resting place in St-Albert, AB |
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