ooner and send Zac home.

But Claude's feelings were somewhat embittered by this whole
incident, and were destined to be still more so before it was all
over.

The lieutenant remained on board. The boat rowed back to the Aigle,
carrying the passengers above named, after which the lieutenant
motioned to the other boat. This one moved alongside, and a
half-dozen armed seamen stepped on board.

"Monsieur," said the lieutenant, advancing to Claude, "I hope you
will pardon me for being the instrument in a very unpleasant duty. I
am pained to inform you that you are my prisoner, on the command of
his excellency the commandant of Louisbourg, whose instructions I am
ordered to fulfil. I deeply regret this painful necessity, and most
sincerely hope that it may prove only a temporary inconvenience."

At this Claude was so astounded that for some time he could only
stare at the officer, without being able to utter a syllable. At
length he said,--

"What, monsieur! A prisoner? You must be mistaken! And who--The
commandant of Louisbourg--is not that the Count de Cazeneau?"

"It is."

"But, monsieur, it must be a mistake. I have never injured him or any
one. I have done nothing but good to him. My friend here, the captain
of this schooner, and I, saved his life; and we have treated him with
the utmost kindness since he was on board here. Finally, we sailed
towards you, and put ourselves in your power, solely that these
shipwrecked passengers, of whom the Count de Cazeneau was one, might
reach their friends sooner. How, then, can he possibly mean to arrest
me?"

"Monsieur, I assure you that it grieves mo most deeply," said the
officer--"most exquisitely. I know all this--all, and so does Captain
Ducrot; but there is no mistake, and it must be."

"But what authority has he here, and why should your captain do his
orders?"

"Monsieur, I am only a subordinate, and I know nothing but my orders.
At the same time, you must know that the commandant of Louisbourg has
general control, by land and sea, and is my captain's superior."

Claude made no reply. He saw that this man was but, as he said, a
subordinate, and was only obeying his orders. But the officer had
something still on his mind. His words and his looks all showed that
the present business was exceedingly distasteful to him, and that he
was only doing it under pressure.

"Monsieur," said he, after a pause, "I have another painful duty to
perform. I am ordered to tak