CHAPTER II
A DISTINGUISHED TENANT
The next morning Betsy rose early. The night before the family had sat up later than their custom, talking about the arrival of the ship and the distinguished prisoners.
"Are General Bertrand and Count Montholon prisoners too?" asked one of the girls.
"No, my dear; I understand that they are at liberty to leave St. Helena whenever they wish. Of course while they are here they must obey whatever rules are made for them, but they would not be here if they had not chosen to share the fate of Napoleon."
"That is very noble," said Jane, "to leave one's home for the sake of such a man as Napoleon;" and the conversation changed into a discussion of the reasons that had induced those Frenchmen to follow their leader. The next morning Betsy awoke feeling that something unusual had happened.
Her little brothers plied her and Jane with questions about the landing of the Frenchmen.
"I wish we lived close to the town," complained Alexander, "that we might hear more about Napoleon."
"Look, look!" cried Betsy, before the little fellow had finished speaking. "What is that on the side of the mountain?"
Following the direction of her finger, the other children broke into excited cries. "The French, it must be the French! There are horses with men on them. There, see the swords flash! They must be guarding a prisoner."