kes like the thoughts
ferreting through his brain. We had made bare a dozen miles when
paddles clapped athwart as if petrified.

Up the wide river, like a great white bird, came a stately ship. It
was the Prince Rupert of the Hudson's Bay Company, which claimed sole
right to trade in all that north land.

Young Gillam, with guns mounted, to the rear! A hostile ship, with
fighting men and ordnance, to the fore! An unknown enemy inland! And
for our leader a man on whose head England and New England set a price!

Do you wonder that our hearts stopped almost as suddenly as the
paddles? But it was not fear that gave pause to M. Radisson.

"If those ships get together, the game is lost," says he hurriedly.
"May the devil fly away with us, if we haven't wit to stop that ship!"

Act jumping with thought, he shot the canoe under cover of the wooded
shore. In a twinkling we had such a fire roaring as the natives use
for signals. Between the fire and the river he stationed our Indian,
as hunters place a decoy.

The ruse succeeded.

Lowering sail, the Prince Rupert cast anchor opposite our fire; but
darkness had gathered, and the English sent no boat ashore till morning.

Posting us against the woods, M. Radisson went forward alone to meet
the company of soldiers rowing ashore. The man standing amidships,
Godefroy said, was Captain Gillam, Ben's father; but the gentleman with
gold-laced doublet and ruffled sleeves sitting back in the sheets was
Governor Brigdar, of the Hudson's Bay Fur Company, a courtier of Prince
Rupert's choice.

The clumsy boat grounded in the shallows, and a soldier got both feet
in the water to wade. Instantly M. Radisson roared out such a
stentorian "Halt!" you would have thought that he had an army at his
back. Indeed, that is what the party thought, for the fellow got his
feet back in the boat monstrous quick. And there was a vast bandying
of words, each asking other who they were, and bidding each other in no
very polite terms to mind their own affairs.

Of a sudden M. Radisson wheeled to us standing guard.

"Officers," he shouted, "first brigade!--forward!"

From the manner of him we might have had an army under cover behind
that bush.

All at once Governor Brigdar's lace handkerchief was aflutter at the
end of a sword, and the representative of King Charles begged leave to
land and salute the representative of His Most Christian Majesty, the
King of France.

And land they d