Barre, the new governor.

"Hm," says M. Radisson, looking in his half-savage buckskins a wild
enough figure among all those young jacks-in-a-box with their gold lace
and steel breastplates. "Hm--let the governor come to us! An you will
not go to a man, a man must come to you!"

"I am indisposed," says he to the cadets. "Let the governor come to
me."

And come he did, with a company of troops fresh out from France and a
roar of cannon from the ramparts that was more for the frightening than
welcoming of us.

M. de Radisson bade us answer the salute by a firing of muskets in
mid-air. Then we all let go a cheer for the Governor of New France.

"I must thank Your Excellency for the welcome sent down by your
cadets," says M. de Radisson, meeting the governor half-way across the
gang-plank.

M. de la Barre, an iron-gray man past the prime of life, gave spare
smile in answer to that.

"I bade my cadets request you to _report_ at the castle," says he, with
a hard wrinkling of the lines round his lips.

"I bade your fellows report that I was indisposed!"

"Did the north not agree with Sieur Radisson?" asks the governor dryly.

"Pardieu!--yes--better than the air of Quebec," retorts M. Radisson.

By this the eyes of the listeners were agape, M. Radisson not budging a
pace to go ashore, the governor scarce courting rebuff in sight of his
soldiers.

"Radisson," says M. de la Barre, motioning his soldiers back and
following to our captain's cabin, "a fellow was haltered and whipped
for disrespect to the bishop yesterday!"

"Fortunately," says M. Radisson, touching the hilt of his rapier,
"gentlemen settle differences in a simpler way!"

They had entered the cabin, where Radisson bade me stand guard at the
door, and at our leader's bravado M. de la Barre saw fit to throw off
all disguise.

"Radisson," he said, "those who trade without license are sent to the
galleys----"

"And those who go to the galleys get no more furs to divide with the
Governor of New France, and the governor who gets no furs goes home a
poor man."

M. de la Barre's sallow face wrinkled again in a dry laugh.

"La Chesnaye has told you?"

"La Chesnaye's son----"

"Have the ships a good cargo? They must remain here till our officer
examines them."

Which meant till the governor's minions looted both vessels for His
Excellency's profit. M. Radisson, who knew that the better part of the
furs were already crossing the ocean, nodded h