Page 81 (1/1)

He cast up his eyes in pious affectation, his lips h he meditated in prayer

"Then your name is Cairnes?"

"Ezekiel Cairnes, late of the Connecticut colony, and am permitted by the Lord's mercy to write Reverend before my unworthy appellation"

"A Puritan preacher!" I exclaiust "I have heard of your sort before, yet have been spared a ?"

"The Lord leadeth His anointed, young man Even as Jonah abode in the belly of the whale, so doth the water beareyes rested thoughtfully uponlistlessly along the sandy shore

"I know not, friend, who you may be, save as you have seen fit to reveal," he said shrewdly "Yet I would venture a guess as to yonder gayly attired cavalier"

"A guess?" I echoed, taken coht--what uess be?"

"Chevalier Charles de Noyan"

"Ho you that?"

He chuckled grimly, evidently well pleased at my astonishment

"'Tis no work of the evil one, friend I am but just escaped also frory at the thought, and ducking his red head veheray-bellied son of Belial questioned entlely wroth athis jabbering crew of papists to heave me overboard"

"How far away did this occur?" I asked, looking anxiously up the river

"Oh, ues," he returned indifferently, his gaze idly following mine "Let me reflect; it was at the hour for sunset prayer I fell in with their party I have heard it said this stream hereabout hath a sweep of seven or more miles the hour, and I kept well in the current of it"

"Do yousince sunset yesterday?"

"Nay, friend; I beg be not over-hasty in conclusions I htening out of the legs to keep my nose fairly up-tilted above the streae with much comfort of body, and relaxation of mind 'T is no serious trick for one unafraid of the water although iton cramps were I to keep on as far as New Orleans"

I stared at him with an astonishment which for the moment precluded speech Before I found voice hich to express doubt of his story, Madarass, where our rude meal waited