to the motive, Natel replied that 'nothing had impelled
them, except that they had imagined that by giving up
the place into the hands of the Basques or Spaniards they
might all become rich, and that they did not want to go
back to France.' Duval, with five others, was then seized
and taken to Tadoussac. Later in the summer Pontgrave
brought the prisoners back to Quebec, where evidence was
taken before a court-martial consisting of Champlain,
Pontgrave, a captain, a surgeon, a first mate, a second
mate, and some sailors. The sentence condemned four to
death, of whom three were afterwards sent to France and
put at the discretion of De Monts. Duval was 'strangled
and hung at Quebec, and his head was put on the end of
a pike, to be set in the most conspicuous place on our
fort, that he might serve as an example to those who
remained, leading them to deport themselves correctly in
future, in the discharge of their duty; and that the
Spaniards and Basques, of whom there were large numbers
in the country, might not glory in the event.'

It will be seen from the recital of Duval's conspiracy
that Champlain was fortunate to escape the fate of Hudson
and La Salle. While this cause celebre was running its
course to a tragic end, the still more famous habitation
grew day by day under the hands of busy workmen. As fruits
of a crowded and exciting summer Champlain could point
to a group of three two-storeyed buildings. 'Each one,'
he says, 'was three fathoms long and two and a half wide.
The storehouse was six fathoms long and three wide, with
a fine cellar six feet deep. I had a gallery made all