yet many have made it; more, however, in the days of which we are writing than now, and with greater hardshi

the ice had not yet all left the Ottawa River, and they wound their way through crowding floes, or portaged here and there for miles, the eager sun of spring above with scarcely a cloud to trail behind him. At last th

t sunset was a vast rock stretching out from a ponderous shore-a colossal stone lion, resting Sphinxlike, keeping its faith with the ages. Alone, the warder of the West, stormy, menacing, even the vernal sun could give it little cheerfulness. But to Iberville and his followers it brought no gloom at night, nor yet in the m

lum. One followed the other with a space between, so that Iberville, in the first, looking back, could see a diminishing procession, the last seeming large and weird-almo

eing with a temperament. Often, as some of the woodsmen and river-men had seen this strange effect, they now made the sacred gesture as they ran on. The pure moisture lay like a fine exudation on their brown skins, glistened on their black hair, and hung from their beards, giving them a mysterious look. The colours of their canoes and clothes were softened by the dim air and long

e-Helene and Perrot, sat watching the canoes that followed, with voyageurs erect in bow and stern, a voice in the next canoe, with a half-chanting modulation, began a song of the wild-life. Voice after voice slowly took it up, until it ran along the whole procession.

i v

cries in

n the sta

comes thro

hat is fin

ike an ang

comes in

Qui vive!

i r

t passet

he dawn an

gneur of

d sword at

f gold at

it hurr

ui vive! in

years after, but he kept it. There came with this, what always comes to a man of great ideas: the woman who should share his prowess. Such a man, if forced to choose between the woman and the idea, will ever decide for the woman after he has married her, sacrificing what-however much he hides it-lies behind all. But he alone knows w

hanically dropped to his sword, and he glanced up proudly to the silver flag wit

eath. "The world and a woman by t

for all was to let the sword do its eager office. For they had one of the least-believed and most unpopular of truths, that a w

his hair a frosty coating, so that age and youth seemed strangely min

i v

eth into

e wind of

oh, follo

a dist

he is there

gneur of

ui vive! in

de Casson. Iberville turned to him, but they did

ceed, abbe,"

a just one, Pierre,"

s; the man is with my co

ake sorrow fo

t from her!" His fing

nglish, m

hat God m

e sworn to

ook his head incredulously

e y

lue better and

seen her for

n you for four

ly for a few days-an

ver. When I kissed King Louis' hand I knew that I loved my king; when De Montespan's. I hated, and shall hate always. Wh

the

y but this, Dollier. He is the enemy of my king, and he

art he was a soldier, a loyalist, a gentleman of France. Perhaps there came to him then the dreams of his youth,

ain softened and passed down the long line, and, as it

Qui vive! i

ently from out of the mists there came,

Qui vive! i

ll ran through the line of voyageurs-even I

cloaks, and feathers waved from their heads. In the centre of the canoe was what seemed a body under a pall, at its head and feet small censers. The sm

t even Iberville, could guess, though he thought it a pilgrimage of burial, such as was sometimes made by distinguish

he smell of the censers in his nostrils, made the sacred gesture; and had the Jesuit Silvy

d be seen on the path they had travelled but the pla

y reached this at last. Where the myster

now portaging over a stubborn country, now, placing the

Joval, the youngest of the party, whom Iberville had been at first loth to bring with him. But he had remembered his own ambitious youth, and had consented, persuading De Troyes that the lad was worth encouragement. His canoe was not far behind when the other ran on the rocks

r had made ready. It was the abbe, with his cassock gone, and his huge form showing finel

ngth served him royally. He saw Iberville tossed here and there, but with impossible strength and good fortune reach the lad. The two grasped each other and then struck out for the high shore. De Casson seemed to know what would happen. He altered his course, and, making for the shore also at a point below, reached it. He saw with a kind of despair that it was steep a

them and caught them as they came, having reserved his great strength until now. Throwing his left arm over the lad he relieved Iberville of his burden, but called to him to hold on. The blood was flowing into Iberville's eyes and he could do nothing else. But now came the fight between the

rville, battered as he was, would not stir until the abbe had gone up-a stout strain on the rope. Fortunately there were clefts and fissures in the wall, which could be used in the ascent. De Casson had consented to go first, chiefly because he wished to gratify th

his first care was for the boy,

y, Pierre," said the p

you saved us both. By heaven, but

e.... By the blessing of