Louisbourg?"

My face flamed scarlet at the unexpected question, but I answered
that I had not, without further explanation.

"Then you cannot go to Louisbourg. It is quite impossible," he
declared, with authority. "Louisbourg is no place for women at any
time, least of all now. The important matter is to set you free
from these savages, but you may rest without alarm to-night, and
I will decide what is to be done before morning."

He spake these last words wearily, like a man who had received a
hurt, which moved my heart towards him in quick pity, and I waited
to see if he would speak again, but he only raised his hand and
blessed me.

Lucy received my report with her usual quiet; even the tidings that
we were not to go to Louisbourg did not disturb her. "He knows
better than we, and he will be guided in all his decisions."

Despite the assurances of our safety, we neither of us closed our
eyes that night. Apart from the anxiety as to our destination, the
strangeness of our situation, the crackling of the fire, and the
uncanny noises of the forest kept us at such a tension that sleep
was impossible, and we were awake before any of our captors were
astir.

I looked eagerly for the priest, and saw him kneeling at a little
distance, absorbed in his morning devotions. Thereupon we withdrew
quietly to the river, and soon returned, greatly refreshed, to find
the whole camp afoot, and the priest awaiting us at the water's
edge. Going directly to him, I asked, "Mon pere, what have you
decided?"

"That you go with me," he said, quietly. And I turned to Lucy, but
she had already caught the joyous message of our deliverance from
my face.

CHAPTER XIII

LE PERE JEAN, MISSIONARY TO THE INDIANS

Though the priest spake with confidence, I judged he had no small
difficulty in persuading the savages to part with us, for there
was much discussion and apparently grumbling on the part of the
chief; but at length the obstacle, whatever it was, was overcome,
and the priest announced we were free to depart.

"My canoe is small for four people, and would be too heavy when we
begin the ascent of the Matapediac," he said, "but I will borrow
another from the savages, with two men to paddle. Explain to your
woman that she is to go with my servant Andre in the one, and you
will follow in the other with me. She need have no fear; Andre is
to be trusted in all things."

These matters being settled, we were made spectators to