en you might send a dozen brace o' partridges, some oil, and
candles."

With that they fell to talking in lower tones; and M. Radisson came
away with quiet, unspoken mirth in his eyes, leaving Captain Gillam in
better mood.

"Curse me if he doesn't make those partridges an excuse to go back
soon," exclaimed La Chesnaye. "The ship would be of some value; but
why take the men prisoners? Much better shoot them down as they would
us, an they had the chance!"

"La Chesnaye!" uttered a sharp voice. Radisson had heard. "There are
two things I don't excuse a fool for--not minding his own business and
not holding his tongue."

And though La Chesnaye's money paid for the enterprise, he held his
tongue mighty still. Indeed, I think if any tongue had wagged twice in
Radisson's hearing he would have torn the offending member out. Doing
as we were bid without question, we all filed down to the canoe. Less
ice cumbered the upper current, and by the next day we were opposite
Ben Gillam's New England fort.

"La Chesnaye and Foret will shoot partridges," commanded M. de
Radisson. Leaving them on the far side of the river, he bade the
sailor and me paddle him across to young Gillam's island.

What was our surprise to see every bastion mounted with heavy guns and
the walls full manned. We took the precaution of landing under shelter
of the ship and fired a musket to call out sentinels. Down ran Ben
Gillam and a second officer, armed cap-a-pie, with swaggering insolence
that they took no pains to conceal.

"Congratulate you on coming in the nick of time," cried Ben.

"Now what in the Old Nick does he mean by that?" said Radisson. "Does
the cub think to cower me with his threats?"

"I trust your welcome includes my four officers," he responded. "Two
are with me and two have gone for partridges."

Ben bellowed a jeering laugh, and his second man took the cue.

"Your four officers may be forty devils," yelled the lieutenant; "we've
finished our fort. Come in, Monsieur Radisson! Two can play at the
game of big talk! You're welcome in if you leave your forty officers
out!"

For the space of a second M. Radisson's eyes swept the cannon pointing
from the bastion embrasures. We were safe enough. The full hull of
their own ship was between the guns and us.

"Young man," said M. Radisson, addressing Ben, "you may speak less
haughtily, as I come in friendship."

"Friendship!" flouted Ben, twirling his mustache and sh