“I believe you’re right.” Dick stared moodily into the fire. “Come to think about it, I saw Lamont talking to them.”
“Well,” said Sandy, “we’d better watch him. And the others, too. You know what it will mean if they decide to leave us.”
Dick’s face shadowed, then brightened quickly. Such a possibility seemed remote. Surely, they’d do nothing of the kind. They wouldn’t dare.
“They’ll soon forget,” he said.
But in this, as it subsequently proved, he was mistaken. That night a deputation came to him. The face of each of the drivers was set and determined. Altogether they were an ominous crew. They gathered around him and abruptly Fontaine, who acted as their spokesman, spoke up:
“M’sieur Dick, these fellow,” indicating his following, “they tell me no want to go any farther. No want to die. Smallpox get ’em sure. You know that. You know everybody die pretty soon jus’ like them fellow in cabin.”
“Nonsense,” said Dick. “You’re all vaccinated.”
Fontaine shook his head with great emphasis.
“No good that. Nothing stop smallpox. Very bad. Make ’em all die, these fellow.”
“But you know better yourself, Fontaine. You know that isn’t true. We’re all safe enough. Tell them not to worry. They need not be afraid.”