and then dispersing a portion of my enemies. "Fly,
sir!" said my liberator; "now that I am here, no one will touch a
hair of your head." In fact the crowd divided, and left me a free
passage. I was saved, without knowing by whom, or for what reason,
until the native soldier called after me: "You attended my wife who
was sick, and you never asked payment of me. I now settle my debt."

As Captain Drouant had doubtless gone off in the cutter, it was
impossible for me to return on board the Cultivateur. I directed
my steps towards my lodgings, creeping along the walls, and taking
advantage of the obscurity, when, on turning the corner of a street,
I fell into the midst of a band of dockyard workmen, armed with axes,
and about to proceed to the attack of the French vessels then in
harbour. Here again I owed my preservation to an acquaintance, to whom
I had rendered some service in the practice of my profession. A Metis,
or half-breed, who had quickly pushed me into the entry of a house,
and covered me with his body, said: "Stir not, Doctor Pablo!" [1] When
the crowd had dispersed, my protector advised me to conceal myself,
and, above all, not to go on board; he then started off to rejoin
his comrades. But all was not yet over. I had scarcely entered my
lodgings when I heard a knocking at the door.

"Doctor Pablo," said a voice, which was not unknown to me.

I opened, and I saw, as pale as death, a Chinese, who kept a tea-store
on the ground-floor of the same house.

"What's the matter, Yang-Po?"

"Save yourself, Doctor!"

"And wherefore?"

"Because the Indians will attack you this very night; they have
decided upon it!"

"Is it not your apprehension on account of your shop, Yang-Po?"

"Oh, no! do not treat this matter lightly. If you remain here you
are doomed; you have struck an Indian, and his friends cry aloud
for vengeance."

The fears of Yang-Po were, I saw, too well-founded; but what could
I do? To shut my door and await was the safest plan.

"Thank you," said I to the Chinese; "thank you for your kind advice,
but I shall remain here."

"Remain here, Signor Doctor! Can you think of so doing?"

"Now, Yang-Po, a service: go and say to these Indians that I have,
at their service, a brace of pistols and a double-barreled gun,
which I know how to use."

The Chinese departed sighing deeply, from a notion that the attack
upon the Doctor might end in the pillage of his wares. I barricaded
my door with the f