“Why,” answered Rene, hardly knowing what to say to this sudden and unexpected proposal, “thou art a prisoner, Has-se, and dost not even know if my uncle will release thee.  How then dost thou speak with such confidence of journeying to the land of these Alachuas?”

With a meaning smile Has-se answered: 

“Walls and bars may answer to cage men, but they cannot confine a sunbeam.  If thou wilt go with me, then meet me when the light of the second moon from now touches the waters where Allapatta the great alligator delivered us from Catsha the tiger.  With my life will I answer for thy safety, and at the next full moon, or soon after it, thou shalt return to thy people.”

Rene would have talked more of this plan, but just then the door of the guard-house was opened and the sergeant appeared, saluting, and saying, “’Tis the hour of sunset, Master De Veaux; the guard is about to be relieved, and I must request you to retire and leave the prisoner for the night.  Surely you must be tired of talking with such a pig-headed young savage.”

Not caring to exhibit his real feelings towards Has-se before the sergeant, Rene bade him good-night very formally, and added, “Mayhap I will see thee on the morrow; but count not on my coming, for I may not deem it worth my while to visit thee.”

“I should think not,” said the sergeant, as he closed the door behind them and barred it.  “A young gentleman such as Master De Veaux can find but little pleasure in intercourse with such ignorant creatures.  For my part, were I commandant of this fort, I would make slaves of them all, and kindly persuade them to my will with a lash.  They—­”

“Hold there!” cried Rene, as he turned towards the sergeant with flashing eyes.  “An thou speakest another word in such strain of those who have favored us with naught save kindness, I will report thee to that same lash of which thou pratest so glibly.”

The astonished sergeant muttered something by way of apology, but Rene, not waiting to hear it, hurried away to report to his uncle the result of his mission to the prisoner, and then to his own quarters to think over the startling proposal made to him by his friend.

The next morning Has-se had disappeared, and was nowhere to be found.  With a troubled countenance the sergeant of the guard reported to Laudonniere that he had looked in on the prisoner at midnight, and found him quietly sleeping.  He had visited the room again at sunrise, and it was empty.  The sentinels at the gates, and those who paced the walls, had been closely questioned, but declared they had seen nobody, nor had they heard any unusual sound.  For his part he believed there was magic in it, and that some of the old Indian witches had spirited the prisoner up the chimney, and flown away with him on a broomstick.