"Drunk or scurvy," commented M. Radisson. "An faith, Ramsay, 'twould be an easy capture if we had big enough fort to hold them all!"
Shaping his hands to a trumpet, he shouted, "How are you, there?"
As we were turning away a fellow came scrambling up the fo'castle and called back: "A little better, but all asleep."
"A good time for us to examine the fort," said M. de Radisson.
Aloud, he answered that he would not disturb the crew, and he wheeled us off through the woods.
"See!" he observed, as we emerged in full view of the stockaded fur post, "palisades nailed on from the inside—easily pushed loose from the outside. Pish!—low enough for a dog to jump."
Posting us in ambush, he advanced to the main edifice behind the wide-open gate. I saw him shaking hands with the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, who seemed on the point of sallying out to hunt.
Then he signalled for us to come. I had almost concluded he meant to capture Governor Brigdar on the spot; but Pierre Radisson ever took friends and foes unawares.
"Your Excellency," says he, with the bow of a courtier, "this is Captain Gingras of our new ship."
Before I had gathered my wits, Governor Brigdar was shaking hands.