“We can lay her in the boat she has down here,” continued Jacques. “Then, after we have tucked her in, pouf! the little boat sails from the shore, and is carried down the current of the mighty Mississippi! Day and night it floats on, the sport of wind and waves. And the Armstrongs will never know what became of the girl!”
Even the cruel Henri seemed to be a little disturbed at the inhumanity exhibited in this plan of revenge; but, as he remembered the fate of his brother, he crushed any objections he might have advanced, and nodded his head, as though agreeing with his mate.
“You are right, it is a beautiful idea,” he declared. “The only thing that I like not is the fact that we cannot ourselves see how they feel when they not be able to find the daughter. Ah! it is a noble scheme! Let us then begin the good work by fastening the hands of our captive.”
He took out some stout buckskin thongs, of which every borderer carried a supply, as they were useful in many ways. Kate tried the best she knew how to interfere with his brutal designs, but in the power of those two men she was as weak as a babe, and before three minutes had passed her hands had been tightly lashed together behind her back.
After that the trapper proceeded to secure her ankles in the same way, so that she felt herself absolutely helpless.
“Now for the beautiful gag,” said Jacques, when this part of the undertaking had been completed.
He took out of the pack he carried a piece of cloth, which he managed to fasten across the mouth of the girl in such a fashion that, while she could still breathe with some effort, speech was impossible.
At any rate, they apparently did not mean to bring about her immediate death. Perhaps they feared lest, in such a case, some of those hardy English rangers might set out on their trail, with the determination never to leave it until they had avenged the fate of Armstrong’s daughter.
“How will that do, Henri, mon cher?” asked Jacques, gaily, stepping back to admire his own handwork, with the air of an expert.
“Capital! I congratulate you, Jacques, on being such a good hand at such work,” the other answered. “Perhaps Armstrong will follow the boat down the river, and rescue the girl; but it will put them to great trouble, and perhaps they will regret raising a hand to injure Jacques Larue and Henri Lacroix.”