starting
for work, he was surprised at being ordered to leave the one to which
he belonged and to fall in with another, and was greatly pleased when he
found that this took its way to the spot at which they were at work on
the previous day.

At the end of the week, when the work of the day was finished, the head
mason came down to the prison and spoke to the governor; a few minutes
afterwards Gervaise was called out. The governor was standing in the
courtyard with an interpreter.

"This officer tells me that you are skilled in masonry," the governor
said, "and has desired that you shall be appointed overseer of the gang
whose duty it is to move the stones, saying he is sure that with half
the slaves now employed you would get as much work done as at present.
Have you anything to say?"

"I thank you, my lord, and this officer," Gervaise replied. "I will do
my best; but I would submit to you that it would be better if I could
have the same slaves always with me, instead of their being changed
every day; I could then instruct them in their work. I would also submit
that it were well to pick men with some strength for this labour, for
many are so weak that they are well nigh useless in the moving of heavy
weights; and lastly, I would humbly submit to you that if men are to
do good work they must be fed. This work is as heavy as that in the
galleys, and the men there employed receive extra rations to strengthen
them; and I could assuredly obtain far better results if the gang
employed upon this labour were to receive a somewhat larger supply of
food."

"The fellow speaks boldly," the governor said to the head mason, when
the reply was translated.

"There is reason in what he says, my lord. Many of the slaves, though
fit for the light labour of cleaning the streets, are of very little use
to us, and even the whip of the drivers cannot get more than a momentary
effort from them. If you can save twenty-five men's labour for other
work, it will pay to give more food to the other twenty-five. I should
let this man pick out his gang. He has worked in turn with all of them,
and must know what each can do; besides, it is necessary that he should
have men who can understand his orders."

Gervaise accordingly was allowed to pick out his gang; and he chose
those whom he had observed to be the strongest and most handy at the
work.

"You will be responsible," the governor said to him, "for the masons
being supplied with stone,