s the
Colonel, lifting up his wife's hair.

"The murderous villains!" says Harry, again. "Hunt 'em down, sir! Hunt
'em down!"

"I know not how long I lay in my fever," George resumed. "When I awoke
to my senses, my dear Florac was gone. He and his company had been
despatched on an enterprise against an English fort on the Pennsylvanian
territory, which the French claimed, too. In Duquesne, when I came to
be able to ask and understand what was said to me, there were not above
thirty Europeans left. The place might have been taken over and over
again, had any of our people had the courage to return after their
disaster.

"My old enemy the ague-fever set in again upon me as I lay here by the
river-side. 'Tis a wonder how I ever survived. But for the goodness of
a half-breed woman in the fort, who took pity on me, and tended me, I
never should have recovered, and my poor Harry would be what he fancied
himself yesterday, our grandfather's heir, our mother's only son.

"I remembered how, when Florac laid me in his bed, he put under my
pillow my money, my watch, and a trinket or two which I had. When I
woke to myself these were all gone; and a surly old sergeant, the only
officer left in the quarter, told me, with a curse, that I was lucky
enough to be left with my life at all; that it was only my white cockade
and coat had saved me from the fate which the other canaille of Rosbifs
had deservedly met with.

"At the time of my recovery the fort was almost emptied of the garrison.
The Indians had retired enriched with British plunder, and the chief
part of the French regulars were gone upon expeditions northward. My
good Florac had left me upon his service, consigning me to the care of
an invalided sergeant. Monsieur de Contrecoeur had accompanied one of
these expeditions, leaving an old lieutenant, Museau by name, in command
at Duquesne.

"This man had long been out of France, and serving in the colonies. His
character, doubtless, had been indifferent at home; and he knew that,
according to the system pursued in France, where almost all promotion is
given to the noblesse, he never would advance in rank. And he had made
free with my guineas, I suppose, as he had with my watch, for I saw it
one day on his chest when I was sitting with him in his quarter.

"Monsieur Museau and I managed to be pretty good friends. If I could be
exchanged, or sent home, I told him that my mother would pay liberally
for my ransom; and I supp