But without hesitation François thrust Alaine in front of him, crying, “This is a fashion of defence employed in some of your colonies, I hear. One Monsieur Bacon has adopted the measure in Virginia, and I follow this excellent American custom, good Sir Avoirdupois. Elephants are clumsy creatures, and the nimble mouse can sometimes get the better of the large beast of the long nose.”
Lendert advanced steadily upon him, but, holding Alaine still as a shield, François sprang behind a tree. “A game, a merry game in the wildwood,” he cried. “Catch who can. Advance, monsieur; there are trees enough to enable us to keep up our pastime for many hours, and to resume it to-morrow, if we like. Yet, I fancy, Monsieur Le Gros, you will have lost the taste for sport by that time, judging from the amount of bloodletting I have caused you. Ah-h, mademoiselle, the toil in the fields has given you a peasant’s strength, yet it is not worth while to attempt escape; I am the stronger, you see.” For Alaine had tried, by a quick jerk, to extricate herself.
For two or three moments Lendert stood silently looking at them, then he gazed around him with a puzzled expression on his quiet heavy face.
“He is at a loss, that Monsieur Le Grand,” François whispered, leaning forward and saying the words close to Alaine’s ear. “He will presently leave us, since he does not care to have the sport prolonged. Did you think, Alaine, that I did not know the way to win a secret from Marie? Fool that she is, to be dazzled by a few paltry trinkets. I repeat, I am seldom at a loss, and she will do better the next time. You will not have a more vigilant guardian than Marie when she receives you into her keeping this evening. And to-morrow we commence our journey to Canada.”
The horses had wandered away some little distance, and were cropping the grass along the path. Toward first one and then the other Lendert advanced, slipped their bridles over their heads, and led them some little distance, where he fastened them. He next took off the deer-skin hunting-jacket which he wore and sat down upon the ground. Alaine saw that there was a deep red stain coloring the white shirt underneath. She watched him with fascinated eyes. What was he about to do? From his pocket he took his sharp hunting-knife, and, strip by strip, painfully and laboriously, he cut thongs from the deer-skin garment. It must be a painful operation, Alaine considered, for even the slightest movement of the wounded shoulder must give a pang.
“Monsieur Le Gros Cochon amuses himself,” said François. “I could compassionate him upon his lack of freedom of movement; I, too, can use but one arm, hampered as I am by the possession of this Naomi, to whom I have pledged myself, ‘Whither thou goest I will go.’”
“There is at least one place where monsieur cannot accompany me,” remarked Alaine, in cutting tones, and speaking for the first time to her captor.
“And where is that, my Mara, so bitter?”
“To heaven,” Alaine retorted.
François laughed. “Some would say otherwise, mademoiselle. I fancy those from whom you have parted company in la belle France would consign you to a more fiery abode, and since you refuse to conform, I may perhaps not be misunderstood if I employ any means which will still allow me to accompany you even to an uncomfortable place. But we will discuss this later. There will be time enough. At present I am rather curious to discover our large friend’s intention. It seems the work of an imbecile to cut one’s clothes to pieces, wanting something else to do. Perchance he wishes to take me off my guard and seeks to mislead me by playing the fool, so that I will release you, but I hold you fast, do I not, my falconet?”