or the wreck of the _Queen
Mary_. Are you going to leave the road clear for him, M. Dubosc?"

Simon did not at once reply. He was thinking. How could he fail to be
struck by the logic of the facts that had come to his notice? Nor
could he forget Rolleston's habits, his way of living, his love of
whisky and his general extravagance. Nevertheless, he once more
asserted;

"Rolleston is incapable of such a thing."

"All right," said the Indian. "But certain men have set out to seize
the _Queen Mary_. Are you going to leave the road clear for them? I'm
not. I have the death of my friend Badiarinos to avenge. You have
Miss Bakefield's letter to bear in mind. We will make a start then.
Everything is arranged. Four of my comrades have been notified. I have
bought arms, horses and enough provisions to last us. I repeat,
everything is ready. What are you going to do?"

Simon threw off his dressing-gown and snatched at his clothes:

"I shall come with you."

"Oh, well," said the Indian smiling, "if you imagine that we can
venture on the new land in the middle of the night! What about the
water-courses? And the quicksands? And all the rest of it? To say
nothing of the devil's own fog! No, no, we shall start to-morrow
morning, at four o'clock. In the meantime, eat, M. Dubosc, and sleep."

Simon protested:

"Sleep! Why, I've done nothing else since yesterday!"

"That's not enough. You have undergone the most terrible exertions;
and this will be a trying expedition, very trying and very dangerous.
You can take Lynx-Eye's word for it."

"Lynx-Eye?"

"Antonio or Lynx-Eye: those are my names," explained the Indian.
"Then to-morrow morning, M. Dubosc!"

Simon obeyed like a child. Since they had been living for the past few
days in such a topsy-turvy world, could he do better than follow the
advice of a man whom he had never seen, who was a Red Indian and who
was called Lynx-Eye?

When he had had his meal, he glanced through an evening paper. There
was an abundance of news, serious and contradictory. It was stated
that Southampton and Le Havre were blocked. It was said that the
British fleet was immobilized at Portsmouth. The rivers, choked at
their mouths, were overflowing their banks. Everywhere all was
disorder and confusion; communications were broken, harbours were
filled with sand, ships were lying on their sides, trade was
interrupted; everywhere devastation reigned and famine and despair;
the local authorities wer