hot through him. His medicine bundle, containing his
precious stones and the bear's claw, was still at the chateau. All his
spiritual power was collected in that bag. Whatever the risk, he must go
back and get it. And he wanted the bag of surgical instruments he'd
brought back from New York.

"I'll be out of here as soon as I can stand, sir," he said. "I have much
to do."

"No!" Nancy cried. "Auguste, you're not well enough to go anywhere. And,
Father, I told you what happened at the funeral. We've got to help
Auguste. If you speak, people will listen."

"I don't know the rights and wrongs of it," said Hale, looking
irritated, presented with a problem he did not want to try to solve.

Auguste said, "My father wanted me to inherit Victoire. There are
witnesses. There are two copies of his will, if Raoul hasn't already
destroyed them."

Reverend Hale glowered at Auguste. "What if Raoul de Marion's men come
looking for you?"

Suddenly, as when facing Raoul at the gateway to Victoire, Auguste felt
terribly alone. Nancy would do anything she could for him; after seeing
her loving look when he awoke he was sure of that. But there was little
enough she could do. Especially because of the way her father so
obviously felt about him.

"I'll be gone as quick as I can, Reverend Hale."

"If they come here while Auguste is here you'll have to tell them he's
not here and refuse to let them in," said Nancy firmly.

"Lie to them? I'm not a Jesuit."

"Father! Would you let Auguste be killed?"

The word "killed" set a storm of frightful thoughts whirling through
Auguste's head. Raoul's pistol had been pointed right at his chest. And
Greenglove had tried to brain him. They wouldn't stop until they had
killed him. Only then would Raoul be secure in his possession of
Victoire. Dazed and hurting though he was, Auguste had to get out of
Smith County if he was to live another day.

Hale turned and went back to his own room, shaking his head.

"Your father is no friend to me," said Auguste.

Nancy's face was like a lake whose surface was troubled by a wind. "He's
very strict. He didn't go to your father's funeral because it was a
Catholic service. But if anything happens he'll do the right thing. You
can count on him for that."

Auguste said nothing. But he didn't share her confidence.

Early that evening, Auguste, Nancy and Reverend Hale were sitting in
the front room of the Hales' one-story house. They had eaten a rabbit
s