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the spit. "My lord," said de Bouille, noting the bow and arrows under the big pine, and the plaited vines that tied the bird onto the tough branch.
"I plaited the vines, but m'sieur thought of it."
Joshua had fallen asleep at her side. He slept deeply, and de Bouille regarded him affectionately. "I have news," he began.
Almost as he said the word, Joshua stirred. He lifted his head, saw de Bouille. He turned over on his back, and looked up at him lazily. "You found us," he said.
"Yes," said de Bouille. "I followed the stream." He sat down. "I have news," he repeated.
Joshua yawned. "Out with it, man." He too sat up, hooking his arms around his knees and regarding de Bouille.
"Well, first, there must be four hundred of us in this forest. It's a dense wilderness. What officers there are have rounded up their own crews, and all resources have been pooled. They're catching fish for tonight. The big problem, of course, is going to be food. Considering the terrain, I think it most unlikely that the British will bother to send men in here after us. They will think hunger will force us to surrender." He was silent for a moment, and then he smiled. "Let that be, for the present. A few men have sneaked in from Lower Town. I gather the biggest brawl in history is going on down there; they're completely wrecking it. As far as I can gather, they're all drunk, and the British have completely lost control of their troops."
"Good God," said Joshua. "I can just see it."
"No, you can't," said de Bouille. "Listen. This one man was one of four Americans from the 'Salem Belle.' He and three pals barricaded themselves in a bawdy house, with the women screaming upstairs. For a long time they held off the attacking marines, throwing chairs out the windows at them, bottles of champagne, tables —everything. Finally the British forced them back into the dining room, one Yank passed out—two got hit on the head, and this man crawled into the kitchen and passed out himself. When he came to, the five marines were sitting in the dining room drinking. Before the Yank realized what was happening they got involved in a brawl with more marines. He left about a dozen marines completing the job. The house was shaking to its foundations. He stood in the kitchen doorway and fired everything in the kitchen at them, ducking behind the door after each shot. Then he left in a hurry."
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"Mon Dieu," said Lucie.
De Bouille rose. "We're having a meeting tomorrow morning sir. On the beach at Tumbledown Dick."
"I'll be there," said Joshua. "Won't you stay and have dinner with us?"
De Bouille had picked up the bow. He said, "We're cooking a mess of fish. I will bring you some tomorrow morning, and we can cook it for breakfast, together. I will tell Captain Black about your bow and arrow. I have seen how it is done, now."
"I'll see you in the morning, then," Joshua said. He was very preoccupied. Lucie kept on turning the roasting bird. Joshua stared at the ground, and drew patterns with a twig in the loose dirt. The sound of de Bouille's steps died away; the quiet was broken only by the birds and the sighing wind in the trees.
Lucie tested the bird with a sharp stick. "It is done, I think," she said, low.
Joshua roused from his revery. "Good," he said, and she was relieved to see him smile. He speared the bird with his pocket knife, laid it on a clean flat stone from the pool, and disjointed it expertly. Once more he speared a brown leg, and presented it to Lucie.
They ate in silence, hungrily. They quarreled a little over who should eat the last two pieces. "But no," Lucie said. "I have enough. You are much bigger."
Joshua ate them both. "I feel guilty," he announced, through mouthfuls.
She shook her head firmly. "You have bigger appetite than me."
Joshua swallowed. "Oui." Nothing was left of the bird but clean bones. Joshua piled them neatly. "Savages use bones for lots of things, but I'll be damned if I know what."
"They put them in their noses," said Lucie.
Joshua grinned. "I doubt if this wishbone would become you." He stretched out again lazily. "For some reason I feel good."
"You have accomplished much." She hesitated. "Are you going to close your eyes?"
"What?" asked Joshua.
"I wish you would close them." She was going toward the little pool. "I am so hot; I wish to sit in the water." She stopped. Then she said, "Please don't look."
Joshua laughed. "I won't." He turned over on his stomach; the grave way she had asked him not to look continued to amuse him,
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and he chuckled. All the same this was not a laughing matter, this situation. Right now he saw no way out for himself and de Bouille and the other Americans. But perhaps tomorrow, in the meeting, they could think of something, some way to lay hands on boats or make them. He was puzzling over this, how he could hollow out a log, when he heard Lucie say:
"You may look."
He sat up and turned, wondering what he would see. He saw her face and shoulders; they rose above the clear water; she had evidently bathed her face for water dripped off her, and stuck her long eyelashes together in points. "Oh, I am happy," she said.
"Are you, Lucie?" he asked.
"I sit here long time."
"Not too long," he admonished. "It grows late, and the evening air is cooler, and we have nothing for towels."
She considered this. "Oui," she said. "C'est vrai. I emerge soon then." She paused. "I tell you when I emerge."
"You mean I may look, then?"
She shook her head. "No," she answered.
Joshua laughed, and after a moment she smiled, too, dimpling. Then she said, "Allans! I emerge."
Joshua obediently turned over on his stomach and put his head in his hands. He waited what he thought was a long time. Finally he felt her hand on his shoulder. "I am here," she said.
"So I see," said Joshua, sitting up.
She was dressed in her blouse and petticoat; the low necked underblouse showed her rounded white shoulders and soft arms. She held one arm up. "The scratch is better."
She was unpinning her hair. It fell around her shoulders in shining waves of auburn. "Was it not good fortune I had two combs in my coiffure?"
"Very," said Joshua, watching, fascinated, as she combed out the long hair. "Are you Circe?"
"She had yellow hair," Lucie said. "Mine is red."
"And red is better?"
"I think so." She smiled. Then she sighed. She threw him a sideways glance. "Is it time to go to bed?"
Joshua said, "Yes."
She watched him as he got to his feet. He leaned down and pulled her up. She looked up at him. "I hung my dress in the cave."
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They walked toward the cave. As they approached the entrance she said, "You're sure it is time, m'sieur?"
"You're sleepy," said Joshua.
"Non." Her voice was uncertain. They were at the low doorway. "Nous sommes arrives," she whispered.
"Yes," said Joshua.
She looked up at him with enormous eyes. Then she entered the cave. He had spread his coat across the top of the pine needle bed for her head. She lay down and put her head down on the coat. She was lying way over to one side of the bed. "I leave you much room, m'sieur."
His back was to her. He was wrapping the lock and stock of the musket in his waistcoat. He said over his shoulder, "I want to protect this."
"I see," murmured Lucie.
He turned then and saw her lying way over on the pine bed. He smiled; he came over to the bed and knelt down. "Lucie," he said. "Today is really no different from yesterday. At least that's what I'm trying to tell myself. I don't get any better with time."