atriots. He will stan' dem
against de wall and shoot dem to death--kill dem dead. When dey come,
de Cure he is not in Pontiac--non, not dat day; he is gone to anudder
village. De English soldier he has de ten men drew up before de church.
All de children and all de wives dey cry and cry, and dey feel so bad.
Certainlee, it is a pity. But de English soldier he say he will march
dem off to Quebec, and everybody know dat is de end of de patriots.

"All at once de colonel's horse it grow ver' wild, it rise up high, and
dance on him hind feet, and--voila! he topple him over backwards, and de
horse fall on de colonel and smaish him--smaish him till he go to die.
Ver' well; de colonel, what does he do? Dey lay him on de steps of de
church. Den he say: 'Bring me a priest, quick, for I go to die.' Nobody
answer. De colonel he say: 'I have a hunder sins all on my mind; dey
are on my heart like a hill. Bring to me de priest,'--he groan like dat.
Nobody speak at first; den somebody say de priest is not here. 'Find
me a priest,' say de colonel; 'find me a priest.' For he tink de priest
will not come, becos' he go to kill de patriots. 'Bring me a priest,' he
say again, 'and all de ten shall go free.' He say it over and over. He
is smaish to pieces, but his head is all right. All at once de doors
of de church open behin' him--what you tink! Everybody's heart it stan'
still, for dere is Mathurin dress as de priest, with a leetla boy to
swing de censer. Everybody say to himself, What is dis? Mathurin is
dress as de priest-ah! dat is a sin. It is what you call blaspheme.

"The English soldier he look up at Mathurin and say: 'Ah, a priest at
last--ah, M'sieu' le Cure, comfort me!' Mathurin look down on him and
say: 'M'sieu', it is for you to confess your sins, and to have de office
of de Church. But first, as you have promise just now, you must give up
dese poor men, who have fight for what dey tink is right. You will let
dem go free dis women?' 'Yes, yes,' say de English colonel; 'dey shall
go free. Only give me de help of de Church at my last.' Mathurin turn to
de other soldiers and say: 'Unloose de men.'

"De colonel nod his head and say: 'Unloose de men.' Den de men are
unloose, and dey all go away, for Mathurin tell dem to go quick.

"Everybody is ver' 'fraid becos' of what Mathurin do. Mathurin he say to
de soldiers: 'Lift him up and bring him in de church.' Dey bring him
up to de steps of de altar. Mathurin look at de man for a w