."

"No, no, my lads; you've heard what Monsieur Choteau says. You need not
think of such a thing. It cannot be had. And I have written to the
Prince, too. I have as good as promised him!"

As the old Colonel uttered these words, his countenance and gestures
expressed disappointment and chagrin.

Lucien, who had observed this with a feeling of pain, now interposed.

"Papa," he said, "it is true that Monsieur Choteau has great experience
in the fur-trade; but the facts do not correspond with what he has
stated,"--(Lucien, you will observe, was a keen reasoner). "Hugot has
seen two or three of these skins in Saint Louis. Some one must have
found the animals to which these belonged. Moreover, I have heard, as
Monsieur Choteau asserts, that they are highly prized by the Indian
chiefs, who wear them as robes; and that they are often seen among the
tribes. This, then, proves that there _are_ white buffaloes upon the
prairies; and why should _we_ not happen upon them as well as others? I
say with Francois and Basil, let us go in search of them."

"Come in, my lads; come in!" said their father, evidently pleased, and
to some extent comforted, with the proposal of his boys. "Come in to
the house--we can talk over it better when we have had our suppers."

And so saying, the old Colonel hobbled back into the house followed by
his three boys; while Hugot, looking very jaded and feeling very hungry,
brought up the rear.

During the supper, and after it, the subject was discussed in all its
bearings. The father was more than half inclined to consent to the
proposal of his sons from the first; while they, but particularly Basil
and Francois, were enthusiastic in proving its practicability. I need
hardly tell you the result. The Colonel at length gave his consent--the
_expedition was agreed upon_.

The naturalist was greatly influenced by the desire he felt to gratify
his friend the Prince. He was influenced, too, by another feeling. He
felt secretly pleased at the bold and enterprising character thus
exhibited in his children, and he was not the man to throw cold water
upon any enterprise they might design. Indeed, he often boasted to his
neighbours and friends how he had trained them up to be men, calling
them his "boy-men," and his "_jeunes chasseurs_." And truly had he
trained them to a complete self-reliance, as far as lay in his power.
He had taught them to ride, to swim, to dive deep rivers, to fling the