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He was only one of the five Directors who now decided the chief details of administration. His colleagues were Letourneur, Rewbell, La Réveillière-Lépeaux, and the great Carnot; and, as a matter of fact, it was the last-named who chiefly decided the appointment in question.
With all possible expedition Curtis and his crew were labouring away at their raft, but the violence of the swell materially impeded their operations, and it became a matter of doubt as to whether the woodwork would not fall asunder before it could be properly fastened together. As I watched the men at their work M. Letourneur, with one arm supporting his son, came and stood by my side.
I was transfixed with horror, and much as I wished to throw myself between M. Letourneur and his executioners, I seemed to be rooted to the spot where I was standing. Meantime the sailors had been taking off some of M. Letourneur's clothes, and his neck and shoulders were already bare. "Stop a moment!" he said in a tone in which was the ring of indomitable courage. "Stop!
The raft followed the motions of the increasing swell, and was tossed up and down, to and fro, and from side to side with the most violent oscillations "Lash yourselves tight," cried the boatswain, as he threw us some ropes; and in a few moments, with Curtis's assistance, M. Letourneur, Andre, Falsten, and myself were fastened so firmly to the raft, that nothing but its total disruption could carry us away.
Some time afterwards, when I was alone with him, M. Letourneur whispered in my ear, "Mr. Kazallon, I commend my boy to your care, and mark you, he must never know " His voice was choked with tears, and he could not finish his sentence.
Once again I talked to M. Letourneur about our situation, and endeavored to animate him with the hope that we should not be detained for long in our present pre- dicament; but he could not be brought to take a very san- guine view of our prospects.
M. Letourneur, it is true, did express his surprise that the crew of an ordinary merchant vessel should be distinguished by such extraordinary cleanliness, but as I replied to him in a very casual tone, he passed no further remark.
Kazallon," M. Letourneur began, in a low voice, "Andre is dying of hunger; he is growing weaker and weaker, and oh! I cannot, will not, see him die!" He spoke passionately, almost fiercely, and I fully under- stood his feelings. Taking his hand, I tried to reassure him. "We will not despair yet," I said; "perhaps some pass- ing ship "
M. Letourneur seems to have taken a peculiar fancy to myself, and constantly talks about Andre. This morning, in the course of conversation, I said: "You have a good son, M. Letourneur. I have just been talking to him. He is a most intelligent young man." "Yes, Mr. Kazallon," replied M. Letourneur, brighten- ing up into a smile, "his afflicted frame contains a noble mind.
However, it was done now; lots were to be drawn, and to each would be assigned his share of the body of the one ordained by fate to be the victim. For my own part, I profess that I was quite resigned for the lot to fall upon myself. I thought I heard Andre Letourneur beg for an exception to be made in favor of Miss Herbey; but the sailors raised a murmur of dissent.
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