ll the Frenchies!" cut in Paul; "calling out that he
would never have acted pilot to an English ship except under
compulsion, and declaring that it was a dismal tale the survivors
would take to their own country--that Canada should be the grave of
the whole army, and the St. Lawrence should bury beneath its waves
nine-tenths of the British ships, and that the walls of Quebec
should be lined with English scalps!"

"The wretch!" cried Corinne. "I wonder the sailors did not throw
him overboard to find his own grave!"

"I verily believe they would have done so, had it not been for
strict orders from the Admiral that the pilots were to be well
treated," answered Arthur. "Our English Admirals and officers are
all like that: they will never have any advantage taken of helpless
prisoners."

"I know, I know!" answered Corinne quickly; "that is where they
teach the French such a lesson. But go on--tell me more. What about
old Killick? and where were you all the while?"

"Holding on to the side of the transport, where we could see and
hear everything, and telling the sailors who were near about Quebec
and what was going on there. But soon we were too much interested
in what was going on aboard to think of anything else.

"Old Killick roared out after a bit, 'Has that confounded French
pilot done bragging yet?' And when somebody said he was ready to
show them the passage of the Traverse, he bawled out:

"'What! d'ye think I'm going to take orders from a dog of a
Frenchman, and aboard my own vessel, too? Get you to the helm, Jim,
and mind you take no orders from anybody but me. If that Frenchman
tries to speak, just rap him on the head with a rope's end to keep
him quiet!'

"And with that he rolled to the forecastle with his trumpet in his
hand, and got the ship under way, bawling out his instructions to
his mate at the wheel, just as though he had been through the place
all his life!"

"Had he ever been there before?" asked Corinne breathlessly.

"No, never. I heard the commanding officer and some of the
gentlemen on board asking him, and remonstrating; but it was no
use.

"'Been through before! no, never,' he cried; 'but I'm going through
now.'

"Then they told him that not even a French vessel with an
experienced sailing master ever dared take the passage without a
pilot, even though he might know it well. Whereupon old Killick
patted the officer upon the back, and said, 'Ay, ay, my dear,
that's right enough for