"By God!" shouted Bill Cowan, "ye will take Virginny paper, and Congress
paper, or else I reckon we'll have a drink and tobacey, boys, take or no
take."

"Hooray, Bill, ye're right," cried several of our men.

"Lemme in here," said Cowan. But the frightened Creole blocked the
doorway.

"Sacre'!" he screamed, and then, "Voleurs!"

The excitement drew a number of people from the neighborhood. Nay, it
seemed as if the whole town was ringed about us.

"Bravo, Jules!" they cried, "garde-tu la porte. A bas les Bostonnais! A
bas les voleurs!"

"Damn such monkey talk," said Cowan, facing them suddenly. I knew him
well, and when the giant lost his temper it was gone irrevocably until a
fight was over. "Call a man a squar' name."

"Hey, Frenchy," another of our men put in, stalking up to the clerk, "I
reckon this here store's ourn, ef we've a mind to tek it. I 'low you'll
give us the rum and the 'bacey. Come on, boys!"

In between him and the clerk leaped a little, robin-like man with a red
waistcoat, beside himself with rage. Bill Cowan and his friends stared
at this diminutive Frenchman, open-mouthed, as he poured forth a
veritable torrent of unintelligible words, plentifully mixed with sacres,