"Mille
tonneurs!" he exclaimed, as he reached the end of the gang-plank
and struck a bed of gravel. "Those goats are possessed of the
devil!"
The Doctor was beside him in an instant. "I hope you are not
injured," she cried. "Is there anything I can do for you? I am a
doctor."
"No, Madame," said the agent, bowing politely, as he got himself
on his feet again, "I am hurt only in my pride, and you have no
medicine for that!"
"Oh," cried Mademoiselle, "how brave it was of you! It's as you
say--they need a man to manage them!"
The station agent looked at the goats, who were now grazing
peacefully, attended by Kathleen and Louise, and then, a little
thoughtfully, at Mademoiselle. "It is indeed better that a man
should take these risks," he said, throwing out his chest. "And
there are still the pigs! I doubt not they are as full of demons
as the Gadarene Swine themselves!"
"What should we do without your help?" said Mademoiselle. "The
pigs cannot be roped!"
"No," said the agent sadly, "they cannot." He considered a
moment. Then he motioned to Pierre and Pierrette, who were
standing with Mary and Martha at a respectful distance. "Come
here, all of you," he said, addressing them from the top of the
gang-plank; "pigs must be taken by strategy. I am an old soldier.
I will engineer an encircling movement. Mademoiselle; will you
stand here at the left, and, Madame la Docteur, will you station
yourself at my right? The rest of you arrange yourselves in a
curved line extending westward from Madame.
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