If Marie-Anne was awake, she was
very still. There was noise ashore. Across the river he could hear
the singing of men, and through his window saw the white smoke of
early fires rising above the tree-tops. It was the Indian who
unlocked the door and brought in his breakfast, and it was the
Indian who returned for the dishes half an hour later.
After that Carrigan waited, tense with the desire for action to
begin. He sensed no premonition of evil about to befall him. Every
nerve and sinew in his body was alive for the combat. He thrilled
with an overwhelming confidence, a conviction of his ability to
win, an almost dangerous, self-conviction of approaching triumph
in spite of the odds in weight and brute strength which were
pitted against him. A dozen times he listened at the bulkhead
between him and Marie-Anne, and still he heard no movement on the
other side.
It was eight o'clock when one of the bateau men appeared at the
door and asked if he was ready. Quickly David joined him. He
forgot his taunts to Concombre Bateese, forgot the softly padded
gloves in his pack with which he had promised to pommel the half-
breed into oblivion.
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