"Sir!" roared young Gillam with a rumbling of oaths, and he fumbled his sword.
But his sword had not left the scabbard before M. de Radisson sent it spinning through mid-air into the sea.
"I must ask your forgiveness for that, boy," said the Frenchman to Ben, "but a gentleman fights only his equals."
Ben Gillam went white and red by turns, his nose flushing and paling like the wattle of an angry turkey; and he stammered out that he hoped M. de Radisson did not take umbrage at the building of a fort.
"We must protect ourselves from the English," pleaded Ben.
"Pardieu, yes," agreed M. de Radisson, proffering his own sword with a gesture in place of the one that had gone into the sea, "and I had come to offer you twenty men to hold the fort!"
Ben glanced questioningly to his second officer.
"Bid that fellow draw off!" ordered M. Radisson.
Dazed like a man struck between the eyes, Ben did as he was commanded.
"I told you that I came in friendship," began Radisson.