nd broil me, 'tis true, commandant,'
says I, coolly. 'But again, I say, you will never have the farm in
Normandy.'

"'Go get the whisky-bottle, La Biche,' says Museau.

"'And it is not too late, even now. I will give the guide who takes me
home a large reward. And again I say, I promise, as a man of honour,
ten thousand livres to--whom shall I say? to one who shall bring me any
token--who shall bring me, say, my watch and seal with my grandfather's
arms--which I have seen in a chest somewhere in this fort.'

"'Ah, scelerat!' roars out the commandant, with a hoarse yell of
laughter. 'Thou hast eyes, thou! All is good prize in war.'

"'Think of a house in your village, of a fine field hard by with a
half-dozen of cows--of a fine orchard all covered with fruit.'

"'And Javotte at the door with her wheel, and a rascal of a child,
or two, with cheeks as red as the apples! O my country! O my mother!"
whimpers out the commandant. 'Quick, La Biche, the whisky!'

"All that night the commandant was deep in thought, and La Biche, too,
silent and melancholy. She sate away from us, nursing her child, and
whenever my eyes turned towards her I saw hers were fixed on me. The
poor little infant began to cry, and was ordered away by Museau, with
his usual foul language, to the building which the luckless Biche
occupied with her child. When she was gone, we both of us spoke our
minds freely; and I put such reasons before monsieur as his cupidity
could not resist.

"'How do you know,' he asked, 'that this hunter will serve you?'

"'That is my secret,' says I. But here, if you like, as we are not on
honour, I may tell it. When they come into the settlements for their
bargains, the hunters often stop a day or two for rest and drink and
company, and our new friend loved all these. He played at cards with
the men: he set his furs against their liquor: he enjoyed himself at
the fort, singing, dancing, and gambling with them. I think I said they
liked to listen to my songs, and for want of better things to do, I was
often singing and guitar-scraping: and we would have many a concert,
the men joining in chorus, or dancing to my homely music, until it was
interrupted by the drums and the retraite.

"Our guest the hunter was present at one or two of these concerts, and I
thought I would try if possibly he understood English. After we had had
our little stock of French songs, I said, 'My lads, I will give you an
English song,' and to the t