he day, however, Michel drank heavily and was attacked by
apoplexy, from which he died thirty-five hours later, without exhibiting
any signs of repentance.

The commander Kirke appears to have acted somewhat strangely on this
occasion, for instead of having Michel quietly buried, he ordered a
splendid funeral, accompanied with military honours. When the remains
were lowered into the grave, a salute of eighty guns was fired, as if
the deceased had been an officer of high rank. Whatever may have been
the reasons for showing these tokens of honour to the remains of Michel,
we know not, but the savages seem to have resented the proceedings, for
they unearthed his body and gave it to the dogs. Michel had been a
traitor to his country and to his God, and this was the method of his
punishment.

We have already mentioned the names of the Frenchmen who betrayed
Champlain, particularly Etienne Brule, Le Baillif, Pierre Reye and
Marsolet. Let us examine their conduct. Etienne Brule, in his capacity
of interpreter, had rendered many good services to his compatriots.
Unfortunately, his private actions while dwelling with the Hurons were
not above reproach, and he would certainly have been compelled to
expiate his offences had he not been adopted as one of their family.
Brule worked for the benefit of the Hurons, and their gratitude towards
a good officer perhaps outweighed their memory of an injury. On retiring
from the Huron country in 1629, Brule went to Tadousac, where he entered
the service of Kirke, and some years after he was killed by a savage.

Marsolet's case is nearly identical with that of Brule, although it is
not proved that he was as licentious during the time that he lived with
the Algonquins. He and Brule asserted that they were compelled by Kirke
to serve under the British flag. Champlain severely blamed their
conduct, saying: "Remember that God will punish you if you do not amend
your lives. You have lost your honour. Wherever you will go, men will
point at you, saying: 'These are the men who have threatened their king
and sold their country.' It would be preferable to die than to live on
in this manner, as you will suffer the remorse of a bad conscience." To
this they replied: "We well know that in France we should be hanged. We
are sorry for what has happened, but it is done and we must drain the
cup to the bottom, and resolve never to return to France." Champlain
answered them: "If you are captured anywhere, y