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But his nostrils quivered. He might rebel at poisoned arrows, but he revelled in the fight that involved the triumph of a policy. His mind was abstracted, the blood was still in his brain as he entered Mrs. Croix's drawing-room. For a moment he had a confused idea that he had blundered into a shop. The chairs, the sofas, the floor, were covered with garments and stuffs of every hue.
"Ay," panted De Croix painfully, "I truly thought the savages were upon me, and sought to frighten them by the only means I could devise. Sacre! but you hit me a sore blow in the ribs! If I have frightened you, 't was no worse than the terror that took me at your entrance here." For a time none spoke, and no sound, save De Croix's labored breathing, broke the silence.
Well, I have no quarrel with you, but perchance I may have more reason to be the protector of this young lady than you suppose. Stand aside, Monsieur." She had risen from the sand, and now stood erect beside me. I saw Jordan grinning in great enjoyment of the scene, and that De Croix's eyes were full of anger; but I would not stir.
A moment before, two figures had been standing there, De Croix's and hers; and although my eyes never once wavered, suddenly there remained but one, that of De Croix, peering forward with bent body as if he also knew not how or when the girl had vanished from his side.
"Most surely you have," I retorted, "and the reward has already been given you." "Been given?" she questioned, "and by whom?" "The girl Josette." She looked from the one to the other of us, puzzled for a brief moment at the odd situation. Then, as her eyes settled upon De Croix's flushed and angry face, she laughed gaily, even as she daintily drew aside her skirts to pass us by.
"What is it, my little philosopher, that you can't understand?" "Pa, I can't understand slavery; that man made me think it was something very bad. Do you think it can be right?" Le Croix's face flushed suddenly, and he bit his lip, but said nothing, and commenced reading the paper. "Why don't you answer me, Pa?"
It might, of course, be merely a strategic movement on Saint Croix's part; but if, on the other hand, he happened to be situated like ourselves, with all his work cut out to defend himself, and a way open to him down stream only, as we had a clear road before us up stream only, then indeed matters were beginning to look extremely serious for us.
De Croix's effort was to lift me to his hip for a throw; mine, to press him backward by bodily strength. Both of us were sadly hindered by the sliding sand on which we strove. Twice I thought I had him, when my footing failed; and once he held me fairly uplifted from the ground, yet could not make the toss.
As I rose to the surface and shook the moisture from my face and ears, a light laugh rang out high above me, and Mademoiselle's clear voice cried mockingly: "The backwoodsman has taken the first trick, Monsieur." I saw De Croix's body dart, like a black arrow, far out into the air, and come sweeping down. He struck to my left, and a trifle behind me; but I waited not to learn just how.
"'T was a most brave and womanly act." "A strange exercise of power, indeed, Monsieur," and she looked directly into my eyes; "and the savages tell me she claimed to have knowledge of him." Surely I had a right to relate the whole story of De Croix's confession; yet somehow I did not deem it the manly thing to do.
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