Helm's face was congested with excitement.

Some scouts had come in with the news that Governor Hamilton, at the head of five or six hundred soldiers and Indians, was only three or four miles up the river.
"Where are all the men ?" Helm repeated.
"Buffalo hunting, most of them," said Beverley.
"What in hell are they off hunting buffaloes for ?" raged the excited captain.
"You might go to hell and see," Beverley suggested, and they both laughed in sheer masculine contempt of a predicament too grave for anything but grim mirth.
What could they do?
Even Oncle Jazon and Rene de Ronville were off with the hunters.

Helm sent for M.Roussillon in the desperate hope that he could suggest something; but he lost his head and hustled off to hide his money and valuables.

Indeed the French people all felt that, so far as they were concerned, the chief thing was to save what they had.

They well knew that it mattered little which of the two masters held over them--they must shift for themselves.