ephew ran away with the duchess? Is it true that he raised his
allowance to fifty thousand livres for having done it?" Such were the
two-year-old questions which had not been answered yet upon the banks of
the Richelieu River. Long into the hours of the night, when his
comrades were already snoring under their blankets, De Catinat, blinking
and yawning, was still engaged in trying to satisfy the curiosity of the
old courtier, and to bring him up to date in all the most minute gossip
of Versailles.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE SLAYING OF BROWN MOOSE.

Two days were spent by the travellers at the seigneury of Sainte Marie,
and they would very willingly have spent longer, for the quarters were
comfortable and the welcome warm, but already the reds of autumn were
turning to brown, and they knew how suddenly the ice and snow come in
those northern lands, and how impossible it would be to finish their
journey if winter were once fairly upon them. The old nobleman had sent
his scouts by land and by water, but there were no signs of the Iroquois
upon the eastern banks, so that it was clear that De Lhut had been
mistaken. Over on the other side, however, the high gray plumes of
smoke still streamed up above the trees as a sign that their enemies
were not very far off. All day from the manor-house windows and from
the stockade they could see those danger signals which reminded them
that a horrible death lurked ever at their elbow.

The refugees were rested now and refreshed, and of one mind about
pushing on.

"If the snow comes, it will be a thousand times more dangerous," said
Amos, "for we shall leave a track then that a papoose could follow."

"And why should we fear?" urged old Ephraim.

"Truly this is a desert of salt, even though it lead to the vale of
Hinnom, but we shall be borne up against these sons of Jeroboam.
Steer a straight course, lad, and jam your helm, for the pilot will see
you safe."

"And I am not frightened, Amory, and I am quite rested now," said Adele.
"We shall be so much more happy when we are in the English Provinces,
for even now, how do we know that that dreadful monk may not come with
orders to drag us back to Quebec and Paris?"

It was indeed very possible that the vindictive Franciscan, when
satisfied that they had not ascended to Montreal, or remained at Three
Rivers, might seek them on the banks of the Richelieu. When De Catinat
thought of how he passed them in his great canoe th