CHAPTER XVII—THE LOUPS GALOUPS.
At such times old Joe would shrug his shoulders and say:
“Zee wolves, hey? Les Loups Galoups? Ever you heard of zee Loups Galoups, mes enfants?”
“The galloping wolves?” said Tom, more for the sake of breaking the silence than for any great curiosity he felt. “No, what are they?”
Old Joe looked mysterious.
“We do not lak to talk of zem,” he said. “Dey are not of zee earth, comprenez vous? Dey are from above.”
He pointed upward at the heavens.
“Above?” repeated Tom, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Dat at night, when you hear dem rush tru zee air, howling and crying, you know dat you hear noteeng dat is of dees eart’. Dey are what you call zee ghosts, are zee Loups Galoups. Always before a pairson ees to die you hear dem rush tru zee air ovair zee house.”
“What a queer notion!” laughed Tom, although Jack’s face was long and serious. “Have you ever heard them?”