“They think this a bay of demons,” Hugh chuckled. “The echoes served us well. But what was it you said to them, Blaise?”
“I said, ‘Beware! Come no farther or you die, every man!’ They heard and held their paddles motionless. Then I said, ‘Beware of the manitos of Minong, O Ohrante, murderer of our white son, Jean Beaupré.’”
“Blaise, I believe it was Ohrante who killed father.”
“I know not. The thought came into my head that if he was the man he might be frightened if he heard that the manitos knew of the deed. And he was frightened.”
“Did he order the canoe turned?”
“I heard no order. He sat quite still. He made no move to stay his men when they turned the canoe about. Ohrante is a bold man, yet he was frightened. That I know.”
“Was it one of those canoes we saw yesterday, do you think?”
“It may be, but Ohrante was not in it. He is so big, far away though they were, we should have seen him.”
“We couldn’t have helped seeing him. I wonder if they came around the end of the long point. How could they in such a sea?”
“It may be that the waves have gone down out there. See how still the water is in here now.”