ose instructions we carried out I leave untold.
Certainly we could not have been less grateful as guests than Ben
Gillam's men were inhospitable as hosts. A more sottish crew of rakes
you never saw. 'Twas gin in the morning and rum in the afternoon and
vile potions of mixed poisons half the night, with a cracking of the
cook's head for withholding fresh kegs and a continual scuffle of
fighters over cheating at cards. No marvel the second officer flogged
and carved at the knaves like an African slaver. The first night the
whole crew set on us with drawn swords because we refused to gamble the
doublets from our backs. La Chesnaye laid about with his sword and I
with my rapier, till the cook rushed to our rescue with a kettle of
lye. After that we escaped to the deck of the ship and locked
ourselves inside Ben Gillam's cabin. Here we heard the weather-vanes
of the fort bastions creaking for three days to the shift of fickle
winds. Shore-ice grew thicker and stretched farther to mid-current.
Mock suns, or sun-dogs, as we called them, oft hung on each side of the
sun. La Chesnaye said these boded ill weather.

Sea-birds caught the first breath of storm and wheeled landward with
shrill calls, and once La Chesnaye and I made out through the ship's
glass a vast herd of caribou running to sniff the gale from the crest
of an inland hill.

"If Radisson comes not back soon we are storm-bound here for the
winter. As you live, we are," grumbled the merchant.

But prompt as the ring of a bell to the clapper came Pierre Radisson on
the third day, well pleased with what he had done and alert to keep two
of us outside the fort in spite of Ben's urgings to bring the French in
for refreshments.

The wind was shifting in a way that portended a nor'easter, and the
weather would presently be too inclement for us to remain outside.
That hastened M. Radisson's departure, though sun-dogs and the long,
shrill whistling of contrary winds foretold what was brewing.

"Sink me, after such kindness, I'll see you part way home! By the Lord
Harry, I will!" swore Ben.

M. Radisson screwed his eyes nigh shut and protested he could not
permit young Captain Gillam to take such trouble.

"The young villain," mutters La Chesnaye, "he wants to spy which way we
go."

"Come! Come!" cries Ben. "If you say another word I go all the way
with you!"

"To spy on our fort," whispers La Chesnaye.

M. Radisson responds that nothing would give gr