at of Captain Duhamel?"

I disclaimed all knowledge of Duhamel, but he looked entirely
unconvinced.

"It is a pity, _monsieur_, that you are not acquainted with Captain
Duhamel," he said dryly, "because I cannot take you to St. Boniface.
But undoubtedly Captain Duhamel will assist you and your friend on your
way to the Chateau Duchaine."

"Why do you suppose that I am going to the Chateau Duchaine?" I
inquired angrily.

He flared up, too. "_Diable_!" he burst out, "do you suppose all
Quebec does not know what is in the wind? But since you are so
ignorant, _monsieur_, I will enlighten you. We will assume, to begin
then, that you are not going to the chateau, but only to St. Boniface,
perhaps to engage in fishing for your support. Eh, _monsieur_?"

Here he looked mockingly at my fur coat, which hardly bore out this
presumption of my indigence.

"_Eh bien_, to continue. Let us suppose that the affairs of M. Charles
Duchaine have interested a gentleman of business and politics whom we
will call M. Leroux--just for the sake of giving him a name, you
understand," he resumed, looking at me maliciously. "And that this M.
Leroux imagines that there is more than spruce timber to be found on
the seigniory. _Bien_, but consider further that this M. Leroux is a
mole, as we call our politicians here. It would not suit him to appear
openly in such an enterprise? He would always work through his agents
in everything would he not being a mole?

"Let us say then that he arranges with a Captain Duhamel to convey his
party to St. Boniface to which point he will go secretly by another
route and that he will join them there and--in short, _monsieur_, take
yourself and your friend to the devil, for I won't give you passage."

His face was purple, and I assumed that he bore no love for Simon,
whose name seemed to be of considerable importance in Quebec. I was
delighted at the turn affairs were taking.

"You have not a very kindly feeling for this mythical person whom we
have agreed to call Leroux," I said.

Captain Dubois jumped out of his chair and raised his arms passionately
above him.

"No, nor for any of his friends," he answered. "Go back to him--for I
know he sent you to me--and tell him he cannot hire Alfred Dubois for
all the money in Canada."

"I am glad to hear you say that," I answered, "because Leroux is no
friend of mine. Now listen to me, Captain Dubois. It is true that I
am going to the chateau, if