His face had a pinched look, with thousands of little wrinkles leading away from the corners of the wide mouth, and about the narrow, glinting gray eyes.

But there was a sly gleam of humor about the expression of it, which, taken in connection with that fiery headpiece, nearly caused me a fit of laughter.

I noticed, however, that Madame drew slightly away from his side of the boat, as if close proximity to the fellow were repugnant to her.
"Well, friend," said I, as we drew up in shoal water under lee of the rock, and I noted his short legs and stocky chest, "no doubt you are well water-logged, and a little healthful exercise will help to warm your blood, especially as we dare not light a fire for such purpose.
So bend that broad back of yours, and aid us in lifting the boat to cover." He performed his portion of the work well, bearing with apparent ease fully one-half the burden, while De Noyan and I staggered beneath the remainder, until together we sank the boat well out of sight behind the thick brush.
"And why not a fire ?" the stranger questioned abruptly, noticing Eloise spreading forth our stock of provisions on the grass.

"It was in hope of thus warming the inner man that I consented to come ashore and companion with you.

Are you refugees, fleeing from danger ?" I glanced aside at De Noyan and muttered hastily in French, "It will be best to tell him our story--'tis not likely he will prove an emissary of Spain." "As you please; he is more of your class than mine," he returned indifferently, and, with a shrug of the shoulders, strolled away.
"You have made fairly correct guess," I said to our new acquaintance; "so we may as well understand each other first as last.