The factor knelt and severed Jules’s bonds with his own knife for answer, while the rest stood aghast and Le Pendu fell back step by step, muttering angrily.
“Ye aire Verbaux?” the Scotchman asked then.
“Oui, M’sieu’ le Facteur,” Verbaux answered as he rose to his feet.
“Thrree min bring him to the store,” the factor said, and went away.
The sheen of the flames was on the angry faces that threatened with black looks and growlings; three big Indians stepped forward and fell in beside Jules. One hit him on the back with his fist; like lightning Verbaux turned to retaliate, but he restrained himself and walked ahead quietly between his guards. They led him to the store, showed him up the steps and in the low door; four candles flared uncertainly by a table at which the factor and another stranger sat.
“Get out!” the factor ordered, and the Indians disappeared.
“Weel, Verbaux! we have ye mon nou! What d’ ye say is to be doune wid ye?”
Jules was silent; in his brain was the thought, the wild fear, for Marie and Le Grand.
“Speak oop, mon, speak oop!” the stranger said harshly, and Verbaux turned to him.
“Ah comme ici loook for ma wife an’ ma fr’en’; Ah tin’k dat dees poste ees to Nor’ouest,” he said.
The two men chuckled. “So she war, lad, so she war, tull four days ago; thin the Hudson Coompany tookit posseesion,” the factor grunted.
Jules stepped backward and leaned against the log wall, tumultuous and furious thoughts passing in whirlwinds through his mind.
“Den ma wife and ma fr’en’?” he asked huskily.
“Don’t know who they may be, but the place was gien oop tae us quiet-like; there was nae fecht; them that wanted to leave I let gang, an’ mony deed go, bad luck to ’em!”
A cold grip of despair came over Jules and he staggered. “Parti! Parti!” he whispered dully.
“Now, Verbaux, ye can bide here, an’ hount for us, or I wull hae to keel ye, mon!”
“Nevaire Ah mak’ la chasse for you; Ah mus’ go. Oh, bon Dieu!” and Jules shook in his pain.
“Aweel, mon, me bruither was to Posht Fearless, an’ he told me ab’ut ye. Now look here, lad: gie me yere promeese to stay an’ not try to jump yere work an’ I’ll let ye go free to hount for us, an’ tell us whut ye knaw. Coome, what d’ ye say?” the factor asked, and waited.