ken English, "le
capitaine, he is fatigue. He is back--voila--how you for speak
it?--avec, monsieur! Le capitaine, he has need, he has want for you to
go with food."

At that, with a deal of unguarded gabbling, they must hail us inside
for refreshments, while half a dozen men ran in the direction Godefroy
pointed with the food for their master. No sooner were their backs
turned than Godefroy whispers instructions to the marquis and his man,
who had been left as hostages. Foret strolled casually across to the
guard-room, where the powder was stored. Here he posted himself in the
doorway with his sword jammed above the hinge. His man made a
precipitate rush to heap fires for our refreshment, dropping three logs
across the fort gates and two more athwart the door of the house.
Godefroy and I, on pretext of scanning out the returning travellers,
ran one to the nigh bastion, the other to the fore-deck of the ship,
where was a swivel cannon that might have done damage.

Then Godefroy whistled.

Like wolves out of the earth rose M. Radisson and his five men from the
shore near the gates. They were in possession before the lieutenant
and his men had returned. On the instant when the surprised New
Englanders ran up, Radisson bolted the gates.

"Where is my master?" thundered the lieutenant, beating for admission.

"Come in." M. Radisson cautiously opened the gate, admitting the
lieutenant alone. "It is not a question of where your master is, but
of mustering your men and calling the roll," said the Frenchman to the
astounded lieutenant. "You see that my people are in control of your
powder-house, your cannon, and your ship. Your master is a prisoner in
my fort. Now summon your men, and be glad Ben Gillam is not here to
kill more of you as he killed your super-cargo!"

Half an hour from the time we had entered the fort, keys, arms, and
ammunition were in M. de Radisson's hands without the firing of a shot,
and the unarmed New Englanders assigned to the main building, where we
could lock them if they mutinied. To sound of trumpet and drum, with
Godefroy bobbing his tipstaff, M. Radisson must needs run up the French
flag in place of the pirate ensign. Then, with the lieutenant and two
New Englanders to witness capitulation, he marched from the gates to do
the same with the ship. Allemand and Godefroy kept sentinel duty at
the gates. La Chesnaye, Foret, and Jack Battle held the bastions, and
the rest stood gu