Unmindful of the pain of the blow
in his excitement, he replaced the slab of bark over the mouth of the
tunnel, and crawled on his hands and knees from beneath the building,
which, as soon as he passed beyond it, he recognized as that occupied
by his uncle Laudonniere.
A profound silence reigned throughout the great enclosure, nor was any
light to be seen save a faint gleam that found its way through a
crevice in one of the lower window-shutters of the building in front of
which Rene stood. He was surprised not to meet the sentry who used
formerly to pace always before the dwelling of the commandant; for he
knew nothing of the mutiny, nor that all save the sentinels at the
gates had been withdrawn. After listening for a moment, and hearing
nothing, he made his way to the window from which came the ray of
light, and tapped gently upon its shutter. He was compelled to repeat
the noise several times before it attracted attention from within. At
last he heard the well-known voice of his old tutor, Le Moyne, the
artist, who called out,
"What ho, without! Who goes there?"
Making no answer, Rene tapped again. This caused the light to be
extinguished and one leaf of the shutter to be cautiously opened, while
Le Moyne asked, in a nervous voice,
"Who is here, and what is thy business with me at this hour?"
"Sh!" replied Rene, in a whisper. "It is I, Rene de Veaux. Ask me
nothing, but admit me, that I may instantly communicate with my uncle
the commandant.
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