against us all. You cannot fight; you saved your life by boarding us.
Hospitality is sacred; you may not be a prisoner of war, for there is no
war between our countries."

"You came upon a private quarrel?" asked Gering.

"Truly; and for the treasure--fair bone of fight between us."

There was a pause, in which Gering stood half turned from them,
listening. But the Bridgwater Merchant had drifted away in the mist.
Presently he turned again to Iberville with a smile defiant and
triumphant. Iberville understood, but showed nothing of what he felt,
and he asked Sainte-Helene to show Gering to the cabin.

When the fog cleared away there was no sign of the Bridgwater Merchant
and Iberville, sure that she had made the port of Boston, and knowing
that there must be English vessels searching for him, bore away to Quebec
with Gering on board.

He parted from his rival the day they arrived--Perrot was to escort him a
distance on his way to Boston. Gering thanked him for his courtesy.

"Indeed, then," said Iberville, "this is a debt--if you choose to call it
so--for which I would have no thanks--no. For it would please me better
to render accounts all at once some day, and get return in different
form, monsieur."

"Monsieur," said Gering, a little grandly, "you have come to me three
times; next time I will come to you."