Lafarge turned on his heel with an oath, and stood watching the
Ninety-Nine.
"She'll laugh at me till I die!" he said to himself presently, as the
tug turned up stream and pointed for Quebec. "Well, I'm jiggered!" he
added, as a cannon shot came ringing over the water after them. He was
certain also that he heard loud laughter. No doubt he was right; for as
the tug hurried on, Tarboe ran to Joan, hugged her like a bear, and
roared till he ached. Then she paid out the sheet, they clapped on all
sail, and travelled in the track of the enemy.
Tarboe's spirit was roused. He was not disposed to let his enemy off on
even such terms, so he now turned to Joan and said: "What say you to a
chase of the gentleman?"
Joan was in a mood for such a dare-devil adventure. For three people,
one of whom was a girl, to give chase to a well-manned, well-armed
Government boat was too good a relish to be missed. Then, too, it had
just occurred to her that a parley would be amusing, particularly if she
and Lafarge were the truce-bearers. So she said: "That is very good."
"Suppose they should turn and fight?" suggested Bissonnette.
"That's true--here's m'am'selle," agreed Tarboe. "But, see," said Joan.
"If we chase them and call upon them to surrender--and after all, we can
prove that we had nothing contraband--what a splendid game it'll be!"
Mischief flicked in her eyes.
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