But he had not time to see more, for just then he was called by the governor, and passed into the room where Mammon, for the moment, perched like a leering, little dwarf upon the shoulders of adventurous gentlemen grown avaricious on a sudden.
"Monsieur, there is but one way.

Well ?" repeated Iberville.
"I am ready," replied Gering, also getting to his feet.

The Frenchman was at once alive to certain difficulties.

He knew that an envoy should not fight, and that he could ask no one to stand his second; also that it would not be possible to arrange a formal duel between opposites so young as Gering and himself.

He sketched this briefly, and the Bostonian nodded moody assent.