ere

'We'll na give o'er till we've searched the

ing the conclusion of the colloquy at the factor's, and now bounded across the

ous as to what was up, and, had Mr. Macrae been alone, their sinist

w in numbers, were not the kind to invite hasty attack; so, paying no heed to threate

with his pistol-butt, calling ou

ior a muffled cry of joy, and the faint

prised this off, and tore the door open. Out of the interior darkness

nd then asked in a tone of surprise a

'The man that shut me up took bo

ll Dandy.' Without a moment's hesitation, the well-trained creature poured forth a

r the answer,' said Mr.

st a chorus of canine music that fairly made the welkin ring, and how Dandy

at subsided, and then, pointing to the northern end of the en

ner of one of the most remote buildings, they found the object of their search

crae, in a tone of fervent gratitude; and then, his voice changing to righteous indi

right to this vast wilderness was vigorously disputed by a company formed in Lower Canada and called the North-West Fur Company. The rivalry between the two companies for control of the fur-trade was intense and unscrupulous. They resorted to all sorts of stratagems to injure

d it to be a shrewd device of their rivals to get a firmer grip upon the country. The new-comers would not be rovers like themse

nipped in the bud, and forthwit

udson's Bay Company, although, of course, they would take no part against the immigrants, were little more in favour of their coming than the Nor-Westers. They di

prairie air was clear and bracing without being too cool. The sun shone from an azure sky upon a vast expanse of golden

stony meadows of their 'ain countree,' looked with wonder a

ied appreciation. He was the senior member of the party, and had been rather given

d dogs romped and rolled joyously in the rich, soft grass. It was altogether

n out of the ground itself, there charged down upon the defenceless settlers a band of Indians in full war paint, mounted upon their piebald ponies, ar

en huddled together in a panic-stricken group, while the doughty dogs faced the enemy with flashing teeth and threa

ans seemed ripe for mischief and the stalwart Scots were

and ceased their hideous howlings. The leader then drew out from his mob of followers, and holding up

ly, some of the men had shown themselves stronger and shrewder than others. Presently all eyes turned towards Andrew Macrae. No m

tell me what ye mean by a' this claverin' and s

for which he had a reputation, to bait the strangers for the amusement of his followers, before proceeding to rougher measures, underwent a change. Such a man ne

that would have sorely puzzled poor Mr. Macrae, were it not helped out by a v

normally grave countenance grew graver s

haven, after so long and perilous a journey over sea and land,