o was prompt, and turning about he watched
the birch leaving the shadow of the forest and heading for himself. It
was soon alongside and Ricord's excited voice was shouting his good
news:

"Run him up to seven hundred and fifty!"

"But I thought there wasn't money enough anywhere to buy him!"

Pierre cocked his dark head on one side and winked.

"Madoc sick and Madoc well are different."

"Oh! you wretch. Would you sell a sick moose and cheat the buyer?"

"Would I lose such a pile of money for foolishness? I guess not."

"But suppose, after you parted with him, he got well?"

Again the woodlander grinned and winked.

"Could you drive the king?"

"No."

"Well, that's all right. I buy him back, what you call trade. One do
that many times, good enough. If----"

Pierre was silent for some moments, during which Adrian had steadily
paddled backward to the island, keeping time with the other boat, and
without thinking what he was doing. But when he did remember, he
turned to Pierre and asked:

"Will you take me across the lake again?"

"What for?"

"No matter. I'll just leave Margot's canoe and you do it. There's time
enough."

"What'll you give me?"

"Pshaw! What can I give you? Nothing."

"That's all right. My mother, she wants the salt," and he kicked the
sack of that valuable article, lying at his feet. "There. She's on the
bank now and it's not she will let me out of sight again, this long
time."

"You'd go fast enough, for money."

"Maybe not. When one has Angelique Ricord for mere---- Umm."

But it was less for Pierre than for Adrian that Angelique was waiting,
and her expression was kinder than common.

"Carry that salt to my kitchen cupboard, son, and get to bed. No.
You've no call to tarry. What the master's word is for his guest is
nothin' to you."

Pierre's curiosity was roused. Why had Adrian wanted to leave the
island at nightfall, since there was neither hunting nor fishing to be
done? Sport for sport's sake, that was forbidden. And what could be
the message he was not to hear? He meant to learn, and lingered,
busying himself uselessly in beaching the canoes afresh, after he had
once carefully turned them bottom side upward; in brushing out
imaginary dirt, readjusting his own clothing--a task he did not often
bother with--and in general making himself a nuisance to his impatient
parent.

But, so long as he remained, she kept silence, till unable to hold
back her rising anger she