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"Monsieur be meditating of something this morning," observed little Francois Xavier, glancing at Rollo with a twinkle in his sharp grey eye. "He may meditate on what he likes, for all that I care," said Rollo with a scornful laugh. "He'll find it difficult to cow me, as I'll let him know before long." Ladoc coughed, and an unmistakable sneer curled his lip as he relighted his pipe.
That the salmon fishery was situated on a river twenty miles below the fort, and was progressing favourably; but that the five men engaged there were a quarrelsome set and difficult to keep in order. Teddy thought, however, that it was all owing to one of the men, named Ladoc, a bully, who kept the other four in bad humour. But the point on which poor Teddy dilated most was his solitude.
These last were filled with water to such an extent, that they resembled inflated bladders! "Breakfast is ready, sir," said one of the men, as the boat-party leaped ashore. "Very good," replied Jack; turning to Ladoc, "now, my man, are you ready to start for the upper fishery?" "Eh? ah oui, monsieur."
"Now, Ladoc," said Jack, "get breakfast ready, while I look over matters here." It need not be said that the man obeyed most willingly. His master went to examine into details.
Ladoc was annoyed at having been silently found fault with and superseded; Rollo was aggrieved at being left behind; both men were therefore enraged for it is wonderful how small a matter is sufficient to enrage a bully but Jack ordered Ladoc to lead the way, so the rivals, or enemies, parted company with another glance of defiance.
Almost in the act of striking he changed his mind, and, instead of delivering one of those scientific blows with which he had on more than one occasion in his past history terminated a fight at its very commencement, he seized Ladoc by the throat, tripped up his heels, and hurled him to the ground with such force, that he lay quite still for at least half a minute!
Raising big eyes to the roof of the low shed in which the salt-boxes stood, he touched with his stick a torn piece of its tarpaulin covering, through which rain had found its way in bad weather. He "hummed" again, but said nothing, for he saw that Ladoc was a little disconcerted. After some minutes Jack turned to his companion with a bland smile, and said
Immediately after, Ladoc was seen to walk away in the direction of an old Indian burying-ground, which lay in the woods about a quarter of a mile from the fishery. Five minutes later Jack hailed Rollo, who obeyed the summons, and after a few words with his master, went off in the same direction as Ladoc. There seemed something mysterious in these movements.
Poor Teddy would have fired up under other circumstances, but he felt so deeply ashamed of having caused the undignified mishap to his master, that he pocketed the affront, and quietly retired towards his kitchen. On his way thither, however, he was arrested by the tremendous tone in which Jack demanded of Ladoc the reason of his appearance at such an untimely hour.
Just as he spoke, Ladoc sprang from his seat, seized Jack's gun, which leant against the wall, shouted, "A bear!" and, levelling the piece through the open doorway, took aim at the bushes in front of the hut.
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