en
after Monsieur Genet had ridden away."

'I saw Talleyrand was guessing again, for Red Jacket hadn't told him a
word about the white men's pow-wow.'

'Why hadn't he?' Puck asked.

'Because Red Jacket was a chief. He told Talleyrand what the President
had said to him and Cornplanter; but he didn't repeat the talk, between
the white men, that Big Hand ordered him to leave behind. 'Oh!' said
Puck. 'I see. What did you do?'

'First I was going to make some sort of tale round it, but Talleyrand
was a chief too. So I said, "As soon as I get Red Jacket's permission
to tell that part of the tale, I'll be delighted to refresh your memory,
Abbe." What else could I have done?

'"Is that all?" he says, laughing. "Let me refresh your memory. In a
month from now I can give you a hundred dollars for your account of the
conversation."

'"Make it five hundred, Abbe," I says. '"Five, then," says he.

'"That will suit me admirably," I says. "Red Jacket will be in town
again by then, and the moment he gives me leave I'll claim the money."

'He had a hard fight to be civil, but he come out smiling.

'"Monsieur," he says, "I beg your pardon as sincerely as I envy the
noble Huron your loyalty. Do me the honour to sit down while I explain."

'There wasn't another chair, so I sat on the button-box.

'He was a clever man. He had got hold of the gossip that the President
meant to make a peace treaty with England at any cost. He had found
out--from Genet, I reckon, who was with the President on the day the two
chiefs met him. He'd heard that Genet had had a huff with the President
and had ridden off leaving his business at loose ends. What he
wanted--what he begged and blustered to know--was just the very words
which the President had said to his gentlemen after Genet had left,
concerning the peace treaty with England. He put it to me that in
helping him to those very words I'd be helping three great countries as
well as mankind. The room was as bare as the palm of your hand, but I
couldn't laugh at him.

'"I'm sorry," I says, when he wiped his forehead. "As soon as Red Jacket
gives permission--"

'"You don't believe me, then?" he cuts in. '"Not one little, little
word, Abbe," I says; "except that you mean to be on the winning side.
Remember, I've been fiddling to all your old friends for months."

'Well, then his temper fled him and he called me names.

'"Wait a minute, ci-devant," I says at last. "I am half English and half