those of a great ape; and, indeed, there was something animal about his
whole appearance, something for he was bearded up to his eyes, and it
was a paw rather than a hand which still clutched me by the collar. As
to his expression, he was too thatched with hair to show one, but his
large black eyes looked with a sinister questioning from me to the
others. If they were the judge and jury, it was clear who was to be
executioner.

'Whence did he come? What is his business? How came he to know the
hiding-place?' asked the thin man.

'When he first came I mistook him for you in the darkness,' Lesage
answered. 'You will acknowledge that it was not a night on which one
would expect to meet many people in the salt-marsh. On discovering my
mistake I shut the door and concealed the papers in the chimney. I had
forgotten that he might see me do this through that crack by the hinges,
but when I went out again, to show him his way and so get rid of him, my
eye caught the gap, and I at once realised that he had seen my action,
and that it must have aroused his curiosity to such an extent that it
would be quite certain that he would think and speak of it. I called
him back into the hut, therefore, in order that I might have time to
consider what I had best do with him.'

'Sapristi! a couple of cuts of that wood-axe, and a bed in the softest
corner of the marsh, would have settled the business at once,' said the
fellow by my side.

'Quite true, my good Toussac; but it is not usual to lead off with your
ace of trumps. A little delicacy--a little finesse--'