Margot cried bitterly, and got into the boat. The old Acadian followed. The boat rowed away. "_Adieu, et au revoir, cher Zac_," said Margot, calling back and waving her hat. "Goo-oo-d by-ye," said Zac, in a wail of despair. For hours Zac stood looking after the boat in perfect silence. At last he turned away, gulping down a sigh. "Darned ef I know what on airth's the matter with me," he murmured. CHAPTER XIV. MANOEUVRES OF ZAC. Zac slept but little that night. There were two causes for wakefulness. The first was Margot, who had wrought such mischief with his thoughts and feelings that he did not know what was the matter with him. The second cause was the condition of Claude. Gradually Margot's image faded away, and he began to turn his thoughts towards the problem of delivering Claude. How was that to be done? Over this he thought for the greater part of that night. Towards morning he called Terry, who was to watch for the remainder of the night, and proceeded to hold a council of war. First of all he acquainted Terry with the general state of affairs. Part of Margot's information had been overheard by him; but Terry, seeing how things were, had discreetly withdrawn aft, and kept up a loud whistle, so as to prevent himself from overhearing their words; so that now the greater part of this information was news to the Irish boy. "And have ye thought of anythin' at all, at all?" he asked. "Wal, I've thought over most everythin'," said Zac. "You see, the state of the case is this: they've got one of us a prisoner ashore over there, but we've got six of them a prisoner out here." "Thrue for you," said Terry. "Wal, now, you see, if this Cazeneau was here, he hates Motier so like pison that he'd sacrifice a hundred Frenchmen rayther'n let him go--an' in my 'pinion he's worth a hundred Frenchmen, an' more. But now, bein' as Cazeneau's goin' away to-morrer, we'll be in a position to deal with the people here that's a keepin' Motier; an' when it comes to them--why, they won't feel like losin' six of their men for the sake of one stranger." "I wonder," said Terry, "whether the owld boy that came out in the boat found out anythin'. 'Deed, if he'd had his wits about him, an' eyes in his head, he'd have seen it all,--so he would." "Wal, we'll hev to let 'em know, right straight off." "To-morra'd be best." "Yes; an' then Cazeneau'll be off. I'd rayther wait till then; it'll be better for us to have him out of the way." "What'll ye do?" "Wal, I'll sail up, and send word ashore." "How'll you sind word? We can't spake a word of the lingo." "Wal, I ben a thinkin' it over, an' I've about come to the conclusion that the old Frenchman down thar in the cabin'll be the best one to send." "Sure, an' ye won't sind the Frenchman ashore in yer own boat!" "Why not?" "He'll niver bring it back; so he won't." "Then we'll keep the other five Frenchmen."