send him back to be imprisoned in the Bastile.

Now Charnace was known to have great influence at Court, and in those
days, when the French kings so lightly valued their possessions in
America, and did pretty much what those who had most influence over
them advised, there was no telling how far Charnace might succeed in
his hostile plans.

Accordingly La Tour set himself to prepare for the danger then
threatening him, while his good wife prayed that, in some way, further
conflict might be averted.

With the coming of spring, the news was confirmed by the appearance of
Charnace in the ship _St. Francis_ and his sending a messenger to
demand La Tour's surrender.

To this La Tour defiantly replied that he would not give up either
himself or his fort, so long as he had a pound of powder left; and
Charnace, not being ready for an attack just then, withdrew to the
Penobscot, where he had a fort of his own, to prepare for another siege.

Great was the concern now at Fort La Tour, whose commander bestirred
himself in every way to meet the crisis. Unfortunately, circumstances
were not in his favour. His trading had not prospered of late, and he
had been compelled to mortgage his fort and all his real and personal
property to a merchant in Boston as security for a large loan, in order
to meet the demands upon him, and now he required a larger supply of
ammunition, and, if possible, some more men. In this emergency he
decided to make a flying trip to Boston in quest of both, trusting to
get back ere Charnace reappeared.

Ere he left he called his wife, Raoul, Joe Takouchen, and Jean
Pitchebat to him, and explained his purpose.

"I know it's a risk," he said, "but there seems no help for it.
Without powder we cannot hold the fort, but with a good supply of it we
can beat off this villain Charnace. Constance, I leave you in command.
You, Raoul, will be her lieutenant, and you, Joe and Jean, her
right-hand men. I know that I can trust you all to the uttermost."
And, having thus spoken, he was about to dismiss them, when Madame,
whose beautiful countenance had of late worn an anxious expression, for
she fully realized the danger, said softly--

"Charles, let us kneel down and ask for God's protection from the
enemy, for without His blessing your best plans will be of no avail."

So they all knelt, while Madame prayed with profound fervour for divine
help, and, when they rose, her face had regained its wonted serenity.