u com' on ze deck, M'sieur?" he asked, his eyes threatening.
"By Gar, I thought you down below, locked in all tight," and he waved
an expressive hand aft.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE NEW PERIL

I laughed, but without paying him the compliment of looking at him.

"I 've changed allegiance, that's all, Broussard. It's money which
makes the mare go with all of us, eh? The Captain turned me loose last
night."

"You wif us? You go volunter?"

"Well, something like that. I 'm to be drill-master, or general, for
those tattered battalions down in the jungles. What do you think of
the job?"

He shrugged his shoulders, and then grinned.

"What ze dif!" and he swept his hands about in expressive gesture.
"Sea--land, if only one gets the price, M'sieur. But for me I like to
go, to move; not lie still an' rot."

"Of course," falling into his mood, "that's in your blood, I reckon,
but the Captain said we were only to hide here for a day."

"Maybe day, maybe week. No one knows how long. We wait till the sea
is clear. Bah! the man 'fraid of shadow. He give me sheep, an' I show
heem."

"You 'd take a chance?"

"Oui, M'sieur. I wait till dark, no more, den I take ze chance. But
ze Capitaine, he no sailor, M'sieur; I know heem long while."

"How long?"

"Oh, seek, eight year."

"Then you can tell me if he is really Judge Henley's son?"

"Oui, M'sieur; 'tis sure I can. I hav' been with heem there," his
brown hand outstretched landward, "where we got you, hey, many the
time; besides, the Judge he been on zis sheep. Of course he was son;
why you think not?"

I shook my head, unwilling to discuss the affair with the fellow, yet
impressed by his statement.

"I am beginning to believe I do not know very much about it,
Broussard," I explained briefly, moving aside to the rail. "I came
down South with another story pumped into me, that's all."

"And ze young woman," he persisted, following me closely, "why she
come?"

"For the same reason I did."

He laughed, his eyes sparkling.

"More like 'cause she love you, hey! Sacre, she was fine-lookin' girl,
but," shrugging his shoulders, "'t is the Capitaine, not ze mate, who
may admire."

I turned on the fellow, my blood boiling.

"What do you mean by that! That Henley will dare intrude himself?"

"_Sacre_, an' why not, M'sieur! He is ze Capitaine; nobody tell him
not on ze _Sea Gull_. I know him seek, eight year, an' he devil with
women. She not ze f