Fort Amity

ringue sur

ringue sur

h over his right, feathered with forest and so far away that, swiftly as the strokes carried him forward, its serrated pines and notches of naked rock crept by him inch by inch. He stared at these and prayed for the moment when the sun should drop behind them. For hours it had been beating down on

across his thighs, so pointed that John looked straight down its barrel. Doubtless it was loaded: but John had plenty to distract his thoughts from such a trifle-in the heat, the glare, the torment of his wou

d of comfort to the dying lad, in Gaelic or in broken English. And always the bowman sang high and clear, setting the chorus for the attendant boats, and from the chorus

laire f

lant pr

uvé l'ea

m'y sui

gtemps que

e ne t'o

ic as water only can. John remembered the abattis and all its slaughter, and marvelled

ergeant. "For God's sake, Chameau, what kin

his growls, and t

plus hau

ignol c

rossigno

as le c?

rossigno

as le

e c?ur

ai-t à pl

ously over the gunwale. "La-la-la, rossignol! et la-la-l

n, m'sieur, and your com

mething more in their line." He inflated his

s la ville

vé trois be

vé trois be

ots qui s

sont de jol

hout quality; but he used it affectedly, and sang with a simper on his face. His face, brick

e dame de

ureuse d'u

ew soldiers took up the

rvante, va

ot pour

t a success, and the brick red darkened on the singer's face; darkened almost to purple when a voice in the distance took up the air and retu

olitely, "they do not know it very well, o

d a lurch which sent the canoe rocking, and was scanni

keeps barking!" he growled, and let out a k

the wounded prisoner behind John-the

n. Go on singing your sculdudde

he reproof into French. "He says-and I also-that you are a cowardly bully; and we implore

at you are half dead, or I would whip you again as we whipped you yesterday, and as my regiment is even now again whipping you

ng your fort, maybe,"

re like-or their boats. But af

had only used

only arrivéd '; and 'if the brigadier Chose had brought up the reserves as ordered'; and 'if the right had extended itself, and that devil of a left had not straggled'-why then we should all be heroes, we ros-bifs. Whereas we came on four to one, and we were beaten; and we are being ca

is vanity on its legs again, pulle

tleman desires better music than mine. Sin

recognised the note and knew to whose singing he had lain aw

e beat of the paddles drove him forward. He stared up at the peering stars and tried to bethink him that they looked down on the same world that

endra-z;

mironton,

ndra-z à

la Tr

life ahead, towards which these paddles were faithfully guiding him; and if the hope had died out of it, and all the colour, what better lay behind that he should seek back to it?-a mother,

s troubled him with no thought of death. On the contrary, he felt quite sure

nité se

mironton,

nité s

k ne rev

s and amid all nations of men. There were Jesuits, he knew, up yonder, beyond the rivers, beyond the forests. He would find that Church there, steadfast as these stars and, alone with them, bridging all this long gulf. In his momentary weakness the repose She offered came on him as a temptation. Had he but anchored himself upon her, all these leagues had been as nothing. But he had cut himself adrift; and now the world, too, had cut him o

of repose. He craved after it, but set his teeth. "Yes, you are right, so far. The future has gone from me, and I have no hopes. But it seems I

en and set it to the wick of a second lantern rigged on a stick astern. As the wick took fire, the Indian, who had been steering hitherto hour after hour, grunted out a syllable or two and handed his comrade the paddle. The pair ch

e the end, let it come now and be done with; he would not cry out. The Highland lad had ceased his coughing and lay unconscious, panting out the last of his life more and more feebly. The elder

osening them gently until his wound felt the edge of the night

elt it laid on the wound again, with a touch which charmed awa

a sob shook the la

ced and drew close the bandage with rapid hands, and so with another grunt craw

one, and he felt infinitely restful. The vast heavens were a protect

h

. But he had found a f

der had died in the night, and Sergeant Barboux an

thward through the night, down the long r