And yet these men spoke his own tongue, and seemed to be friends and brothers.
"That was the chimera of the French Monarch more than a century ago.

Methinks it is little nearer its accomplishment now than when our forefathers, acting as pioneers, made a small settlement in a green valley near to the mouth of the giant river, waiting for the King to send his priests and missionaries to convert the heathen from their evil ways, and found a fair Christian realm in that fair land." "Then were your forefathers French subjects ?" asked Humphrey, rather bewildered.

"If so, how come you to speak mine own tongue as you do ?" "I come of no French stock!" cried the companion stranger, who had remained silent until now, looking searchingly round the clearing, and examining Humphrey himself with curiosity; "I have no drop of French blood in my veins, whatever Julian may have.

I am Fritz Neville.

I come of an English family.