“Who are you?” asked Henry boldly.

“Me? Ah, I am not much, my bold little troopair, I am plain Jacques Volnier, a hunter and trappair.”

“Then why have you captured us?” went on Henry curiously.

At this the Frenchman shrugged his shoulders.

“Because—yes, because we want ze company,” he answered, with a smile.

Henry frowned, and so did Silvers, and at this both Frenchmen laughed at what they thought was a good joke. Then they talked to each other in their own tongue, leaving the prisoners to themselves.

“What do you think they will do with us?” asked Henry, in a low voice.

“Throw us into a French prison, more than likely,” answered Silvers gloomily.

“What did you do with Sir William’s message?”

“Hush! I threw it overboard,” said the other, in a still lower voice.