“I don’t think anything very serious can happen to me here, Pepin.  They will be too afraid to harm me, seeing that they must know the British are so near.  It is my father and the others that I am concerned about And Sergeant Pasmore—­”

The girl hesitated.  Could she bring herself to speak about it, and to this dwarf?  But she realised that she must hesitate at nothing when the lives of those who were dear to her hung in the balance; and she knew that he was chivalrous.  Pepin tilted his head to one side, and, looking up suspiciously, asked—­

“Bien! and this Sergeant Pasmore, have you also designs on him?  Eh?  What?”

“Designs!  The idea!—­but, of course, how can you know?  No, and I will tell you, Pepin Quesnelle, for I believe you are a good man, and you have been our friend, and we are in your debt—­”

“Bah!  Debt!  What is that?  I am a man, Mam’selle, and beg you will not talk about debt!  Pouf!” He shrugged his shoulders and spread out his great hands.

“Very well, this Sergeant Pasmore, I love him, and I have promised to be his wife.”

She drew herself up proudly now, and felt that she could have said so before the whole world.

“Parbleu!” exclaimed Pepin, who did not seem to hail the news with any particular satisfaction.  “You are quite sure it was not any one else you wanted to marry?  What?  You are quite sure?”

“Of course, who could there be?”

“Perhaps Mam’selle aspired.  But who can tell?  After all, a woman must take whom she can get I dare say that he will do just as well as another.”

Pepin Quesnelle, now that his own safety was assured, did not seem to value it as he thought he would.  After all, if the girl’s nose did “stop short too soon,” it was by no means an unpretty one; its sauciness was decidedly taking, and if he saw mischief lurking away back in her eyes, he admitted it was an uncommonly lovable sort of mischief.  Being only human, he now began to wish for what he had despised.

As for Dorothy, she could have rated Pepin roundly for his conceit and his sentiments.  But it was all too absurd, and she must bear with him.  She continued—­

“Pepin Quesnelle, you have a good heart, I know, and you can understand how it is.  If I had not known that you were not like other men, I would hardly have dared to ask you to come all this long distance to me.  I know what you do is not for reward, so I am not afraid to ask you.  Will you find out about my father and Mr. Pasmore and the others, and will you do what you can to save them?  I feel sure there is no man on the Saskatchewan can do more than you.”

Pepin drew himself up to his full height, smiled complacently, and stroked his black moustache.  His dark eyes twinkled as he turned to gaze encouragingly at Antoine, who with his tongue out was seated on his hind quarters, watching him meditatively.