He marked, moreover, a short cut by
which, taking advantage of the curve in the main river, he could cut
off five or six miles and strike the banks of the Piziquid without
difficulty or risk.
"By this time to-morrow, if all goes well, we'll be safe in Piziquid,
cherie!" he cried joyously to the child, who responded with a mirthful
stream of babble. Pierre's conversation she regarded as a huge and
perpetual joke.
That night Pierre built a rough lean-to under the shelter of a great
white plaster-rock, and there in a heap of fragrant branches, the child
wrapped closely in the lad's arms, the lonely pair slept warm and secure.
The next day was mild and our travelers found their path easy. Ere noon
they arrived within sight of Piziquid.
They were on a hill with the Acadian village stretched out before them
far below, but a broad river rolling between them and their destination.
Pierre had forgotten about the St. Croix, but he recognized it now from
description. He saw, to his disappointment, that he would have to make
a long detour to pass this obstacle, so he sat down on the hill to rest
and refresh his little companion. The little one was now so tired that
she fell instantly to sleep, and Pierre thought it wise to let her sleep
a good half hour. Even he himself appreciated well the delay; and the view
that unrolled beneath him was magnificent.
Right ahead, in the corner of land between the Piziquid River and the
St. Croix, rose a rounded hill crowned with the English post of Fort
Edward.
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