in the other's mind, and the
humor of it brought a smile to his lips.

Instantly Concombre's face split into a wide grin. "MON DIEU, w'at if
you was on'y brother to Concombre Bateese, m'sieu. T'ink of
zat--you--me--FRERE D'ARMES! VENTRE SAINT GRIS, but we mak' all
fightin' men in nort' countree run lak rabbits ahead of ze fox! OUI, we
mak' gr-r-r-eat pair, m'sieu--you, w'at knock down Bateese--an'
Bateese, w'at keel polar bear wit hees naked hands, w'at pull down
trees, w'at chew flint w'en hees tobacco gone."

His voice had risen, and suddenly there came a laugh from outside the
door, and Concombre cut himself short and his mouth closed with a snap.
It was Joe Clamart who had laughed.

"I w'ip heem five time, an' now I w'ip heem seex!" hissed Bateese in an
undertone. "Two time each year I w'ip zat gargon Joe Clamart so he
understan' w'at good fightin' man ees. An' you will w'ip heem, eh,
m'sieu? Oui? An' I will breeng odder good fightin' mans for you to
w'ip--all w'at Concombre Bateese has w'ipped--ten, dozen, forty--an'
you w'ip se gran' bunch, m'sieu. Eh, shall we mak' ze bargain?"

"You are planning a pleasant time for me, Bateese," said Carrigan, "but
I am afraid it will be impossible. You see, this captain of yours,
Black Roger Audemard--"

"W'at!" Bateese jumped as if stung. "W'at you say, m'sieu?"

"I said that Roger Audemard, Black Roger, the man I thought was St.
Pierre Boulain--"

Carrigan said no more. What he had started to say was unimportant
compared with the effect of Roger Audernard's name on Concombre
Bateese. A deadly light glittered in the half-breed's eyes, and for the
first time David realized that in the grotesque head of the riverman
was a brain quick to grip at the significance of things. The fact was
evident that Black Roger had not confided in Bateese as to the price of
the wager and the confession of his identity, and for a moment after
the repetition of Audemard's name came from David's lips the half-breed
stood as if something had stunned him. Then slowly, as if forcing the
words in the face of a terrific desire that had transformed his body
into a hulk of quivering steel, he said:

"M'sieu--I come with message--from St. Pierre. You see windows--closed.
Outside door--she locked. On bot' sides de bateau, all de time, we
watch. You try get away, an' we keel you. Zat ees all. We shoot. We
five mans on ze bateau, all ze day, TOUTE LA NUIT. You unnerstan'?"

He turned sullenly, waitin