144 THE CAST-AWAY. 



had solemn and guilty thoughts in his heart, which 

 were roused into terrible activity by Burkett's 

 ill-chosen chanty. Yet no one spoke. The men 

 were squatting on the boat-house floor, leaning 

 lazily against the white walls. The yellow 

 lantern was smoking dismally. 



At this junction, so ominous of sullen resent- 

 ment and its possible result in blows, if not 

 bloodshed, a sudden interruption changed the 

 scene abruptly. 



There was a loud rapping on the door and cries 

 of " Ouvrez la porte, ouvrez aux gens d'armes, 

 vous etes nos prisonniers ! Place aux officiers ! " 



A dozen uniformed Frenchmen, armed to the 

 teeth, dashed into the boat-house ; great con- 

 fusion ensued ; several pistol-shots were fired into 

 the air ; there were grapplings and blows here 

 and there ; and then the biggest of the gens 

 a" amies, no doubt a sort of prefect of police, 

 screamed out in broken English, " Silence ! Je 

 command silence ; you think you pouvez raise le 

 diable in zis place ! You think you pouvez 

 embrace tons les da?nes ! I tell you non, non, 

 NON, messieurs ! " 



Amazed at the brilliant behavior of the prefect, 

 the whalemen " came to order." In an instant 

 the boathouse seemed transformed from a field 

 of battle to a court of justice. 



