. At length he said,--

"O, Pere Michel, must I stay here when she goes? Can you tell me what
they are going to do with me?"

"It is about yourself that I am going to speak, and it was for this
that I came," said the priest.

"Can I go with the others to Louisbourg?" asked Claude, eagerly; for
he thought only of being near Mimi.

"Heaven forbid!" said the priest. "It is in a for different way that
you are to go. Listen to me. The Count de Cazeneau is going to set
out to-morrow, with a party of Indians as escort. Mimi is to be taken
with him. I am going, too. It is his intention to leave you here for
a time, till his escort can return. They will then take you to
Louisbourg. If he can find any Indians on the way whom he can make
use of, he will send them here for you. But meantime you are to be
kept imprisoned here.

"Now, I am acquainted with the Indians better than most men. I lived
in Acadie formerly, long enough to be well known to the whole tribe.
I am also well known to the Acadians. Among the Indians and the
Acadians there are many who would willingly lay down their lives for
me. I could have delivered you before this, but I saw that you were
not in any immediate danger; so I preferred postponing it until the
Count de Cazeneau had left. I do not wish him to suspect that I have
any interest in you; and when he hears of your escape, I do not wish
him to think that I had anything to do with it. But I have already
made all the plans that are necessary, and the men are in this
neighborhood with whom I have arranged for your escape."

"What is the plan?" asked Claude, eagerly.

"I will tell you," said the priest. "There are six Indians, all of
them devoted to me. They will guide you to a place of safety, and
will be perfectly faithful to you as long as they are with you. They
are ready to go anywhere with you, to do anything for you, even to
the extent of laying down their lives for you. It is for my sake that
they are willing to show this devotion. I have presented you to them
as my representative, and they look upon you as they would look upon
me. But, first of all, you are to get out of this. Can you open that
window?"

"It was fastened tight when I first came," said Claude; "but I have
loosened it, so that I can take it out very quickly."

"Very good. Now, one of these Indians will be here to-morrow night.
We shall leave to-morrow morning; and I do not want you to be rescued
till after our departure. At m