proud to have for a companion; so that, by way of inflaming _his_
passions also, it occurred to him to make an attack on Jean, who
had thus far been tranquilly watching the proceedings out of his
half-closed eyes, unmoved among the general uproar. If there was any
remnant of resentment in the bosom of the volunteer since the time
when the corporal had inflicted such a bitter humiliation on him by
forcing him to resume his abandoned musket, now was a fine chance to
set the two men by the ears.

"I know some folks who talk of shooting us," Chouteau continued, with
an ugly look at Jean; "dirty, miserable skunks, who treat us worse
than beasts, and, when a man's back is broken with the weight of his
knapsack and Brownbess, _aie_! _aie_! object to his planting them in
the fields to see if a new crop will grow from them. What do you
suppose they would say, comrades, _hein_! now that we are masters, if
we should pitch them all out upon the track, and teach them better
manners? That's the way to do, _hein_! We'll show 'em that we won't be
bothered any longer with their mangy wars. Down with Badinguet's
bed-bugs! Death to the curs who want to make us fight!"

Jean's face was aflame with the crimson tide that never failed to rush
to his cheeks in his infrequent fits of anger. He rose, wedged in
though as he was between his neighbors as firmly as in a vise, and his
blazing eyes and doubled fists had such a look of business about them
that the other quailed.

"_Tonnerre de Dieu!_ will you be silent, pig! For hours I have sat
here without saying anything, because we have no longer any leaders,
and I could not even send you to the guard-house. Yes, there's no
doubt of it, it would be a good thing to shoot such men as you and rid