the river.

"I see nothing," responded his father. "The snow is blowing in our
faces, and my old eyes are very feeble."

Zulma remained buried in her buffalo robes and said nothing, but her
eyes were fixed intently at the distant summits, and her face bore an
expression of the most earnest interest.

"They are moving up and down," resumed Eugene, "as if busy storing their
provisions and ammunition. But they are very indistinct. I wonder if
they see us better than we see them?"

"They do," said his father. "The wind is behind them and they are not
incommoded by the drift."

After a pause, Eugene added:

"They seem to have no general uniform. They must belong to different
corps. Some have no uniform at all. Their appearance is not much that of
soldiers, and there are a good many small, young fellows among them."

"It must be the effect of refraction," said Zulma, in a low voice and
with a sneer. "But to me they seem like giants, towering on the heights
and stretching great arms toward us."

"In menace?" queried the Sieur with a strange affectionate look at his
daughter.

"That depends," she whispered smiling, but immediately subjoined:

"Let us drive on, papa."

A few minutes afterwards they reached the city. For some reason or other
Zulma declined accompanying her father and brother to the Seminary. The
pretext which she gave was that she had a few purchases to make in the
shops. But probably her real object was to visit some of her friends and
ascertain the real condition of things. Whether she did so or not we
need not stop to inquire, but an hour later she met Sieur Sarpy and
Eugene at the place agreed upon between them, to learn the decision that
they had come to.

"My fate is in your hands," said the youth opening the conversation in
high good humor. "You promised to give me your advice after you had set
your eyes on those gentlemen yonder, and now I have come to receive it."

"Yes," said the father, "we have determined to submit the matter to your
arbitration. Shall Eugene remain at the Seminary, or shall he return
with us?"

"What does M. Le Superieur say?" asked Zulma.

"He thoroughly appreciates the gravity of the situation. He believes
there will be a siege, perhaps a bloody one, certainly a long one. He
has strong opinions about the duty of every able-bodied man assisting in
the defence of the city. The young children he will send back to their
parents, but, at eighteen, Eugene ought to be