The rows of corn stood up finely, shaking out their silken heads, turning to a bronze red. Then there were potatoes. These were of the Dubrays' planting, as well as some of the smaller beds.
"M'sieu Hébert gave father some of these plants. He knows a great deal, and he can make all kinds of medicine. It is very fine to know a great deal, isn't it?"
"But it must be hard to study so much," returned Rose, with a sigh.
"I don't think so. I wish I had ever so many books like the Sieur and M. Hébert. And you can find out places—there are so many of them in the world. And do you know there are English people working with all their might down in Virginia, and Spanish and Dutch! But some day we shall drive them all out and it will be New France as far as you can go. And the Indians——"
"You can't drive the Indians out," exclaimed Pani decisively. "The whole country is theirs. And there are so many of them. There are tribes and tribes all over the land. And they know how to fight."
"They are fighting each other continually. M. Hébert says they will sweep each other off after a while. And they are very cruel. You will see the French do not fight the French."
Alas, young Pierre Gaudrion, already Catholic and Huguenot were at war: one fighting for the right to live in a certain liberty of belief, the other thinking they did God a service by undertaking their extermination.
The argument rather floored Pani, whose range of knowledge was only wide enough to know that many tribes were at bitter enmity with each other.
"Do you want to work in the garden? There are weeds enough to keep you busy," said Pierre presently.
"No," returned Pani stoutly.