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"You may; your heart is large, and you would buy from a poor Canadian;most Yorkers would steal the skins and kill the Canadian."
"You are wrong. The Yorkers are very anxious to be friends with thepeople of Canada."
"They hate the Anglais?"
"No, they do not hate the English, though they would like to see theEnglish leave the country, so that the Canadians and the Americanscould govern themselves."
"Do you think there will be war?"
"Perhaps."
"Monsieur knows there will be."
"I do not know. I hope not. War would interfere with business."
The Canadian laughed heartily, as though Allen had perpetrated a goodjoke.
Then he broke into a French song, full of life and character, such asthe French peasantry love to indulge in.
Eben took advantage of the song to walk beside Alien and whisper to himhis doubts.
"That man is not a Canadian, or if he is, he is an English Canadian."
"What makes you think so?"
"His accent."
"But, Eben, he speaks French fluently."
"Yes, like a Frenchman, not a Canadian."
"What do you know about it?"
"In my young days"--Allen had to smile at the boy referring to hisyoung days--"in my young days I used to know a French boy and aCanadian Frenchman, and they could scarcely understand one another.The French boy used to say, 'You talk French, bah, bah!' and theCanadian used to ask the other why he did not speak proper French."
"I had no idea that you were a linguist."
"If you mean by that that I can talk languages, you are wrong, for Icannot, but I am sure that our guide is not a French Canadian."
"You are too suspicious, and I really do not see what difference itmakes what he is; we shall get to know the country and----"
"Miss our way back."
"You think that it is all a trap?"
"I do."
"You will see that you are wrong."
"I hope so, but I am going forward a little."
Eben did not wait for permission, but ran ahead of the party like awild boy out for a holiday.
The Canadian called him back, but Eben professed not to hear.
In a few minutes he was seen running back toward them.
"Where have you been, Eben?"
