eer in his head,
he got it up.

"The first time the company was ranged along the deck he gave the order
to load with ball cartridges. There was twenty-six of us, all told.

"`We've got no cartridges for 'em, sir,' whispered the man nearest him.

"`If you don't obey orders,' growled the leftenant 'tween his teeth,
`I'll have ye strung up for mutiny every man Jack of you--_load_!' he
repeated in a kind of a yell.

"We had our or'nary belts and pouches on, so we out wi' the or'nary
cartridges--some three, some four,--an', biting off the ends, poured in
the powder somehow, shoved in the balls anyhow, an' rammed the whole
consarn down.

"`Present--fire!' roared the leftenant.

"Bang! went the six an' twenty blunderbusses, an' when the smoke cleared
away there was fourteen out o' the twenty-six men flat on their backs.
The rest o' us was raither stunned, but hearty.

"`Take these men below,' cried the leftenant, `an' send fourteen strong
men here. We don't want weaklings for _this_ company.'

"After that we loaded in moderation, an' got on better."

"And the pirates--what did _they_ think o' the new weapon?" asked Peter
Davidson, with an amused expression.

"O! they couldn't stand it at all," answered the sailor, looking up from
his work, with a solemnity that was quite impressive. "They stood fire
only once. After that they sheered off like wild-cats. I say, Mistress
La Certe, how long is that lobscouse--or whatever you call it,--goin' to
be in cookin'?" Slowfoot gave vent to a sweet, low giggle, as she
lifted the kettle off the hook, and thus gave a practical answer to the
question. She placed before him the robbiboo, or pemmican, soup, which
the seaman had so grievously misnamed.

During the time that the hunters were appeasing their appetites, it was
observed that Antoine Dechamp, the leader of the expedition, was
unusually silent and thoughtful, and that he betrayed a slight look of
anxiety. It therefore did not surprise Dan Davidson, when the supper
was nearly ended, that Dechamp should rise and leave the fire after
giving him a look which was a silent but obvious invitation to follow.

Dan obeyed at once, and his leader, conducting him between the various
camp-fires, led him outside the circle of carts.

A clear moon lit up the prairie all round, so that they could see its
undulating sweep in every direction.

"Anything wrong, Antoine?" asked Dan in a low voice, when they were out
of earshot of