"What do you mean?" I asked as he turned to walk back beside us, his fat face as solemn as ever.
"I hafe hadt a scare," he said. "I came back to De-o-nun-da-ga-a from a hundting-party to find a Tahsagrondie messenger from Joncaire who says he is to tell me you fooled der Gofernor of Jagara, but now you are caught andt hafe gone to La Vierge du Bois. Andt der Tahsagrondie says Joncaire is sorry. Ha, ha! I thought it was a funny message."
"Funny mayhap," I replied feelingly. "But 'twas amazingly true."
Ta-wan-ne-ars nodded confirmation, and for an instant I thought Corlaer was going to betray surprize. But he shut his gaping mouth with resolution.
"What has happened?" he demanded. "I hafe come here to scout der Doom Trail andt learn how you diedt—andt you are alife."
So we told him, whilst the lieutenant in command of the post and his garrison of twenty lusty frontiersmen gathered in a knot to listen over each other's shoulders.
"Budt—budt," expostulated Peter, "you hafe been in La Vierge du Bois!"
"True."
"Budt nobody has efer been in La Vierge du Bois——"
"And come out alive," I amended. "I fear many poor souls have been sacrificed by those fiendish priests."