me if I stayed up here. Sir, my
wife will buckle on my belt and spurs and send me off to the war," cried
Duff in a voice that shook as he spoke.

With a single stride Barry was at his side, offering both his hands.

"Thank God for men like you! And in my soul I believe the Empire has
millions of them."

"Does your Empire demand that you desert those you have pledged yourself
to?" enquired Brand in a sneering tone.

"Oh, Cornwall!" exclaimed Paula, "how can you?"

"Why, Brand," said Mr. Howland, "that is unworthy of you."

"We will see you into safety, sir," said Duff, swinging round upon
Brand, "either to the Hudson's Bay Company's post, where you can
get Indians, or back to Edmonton, but not one step further on this
expedition do I go."

"Nor I," said Knight.

"Nor I," said Fielding.

"Nor I," said Barry.

"Nor I," said Harry Hobbs.

"You are quite right, sir," said Mr. Howland, turning to Barry. "I
apologise to you, sir, to all of you Canadians. I am ashamed to confess
that I did not at first get the full meaning of this terrific thing that
has befallen your Empire. Were it the U.S.A. that was in a war of this
kind, hell itself would not keep me from going to her aid. Nor you
either, Brand. Yes, you are right. Go to your war. God go with you."

He shook hands solemnly with them one by one. "I only wish to God that
my country were with you, too, in this thing," he said when he had
performed this function.

"Father," cried Paula, "do you think for one minute that Uncle Sam won't
be in this? You put it down," she said, swinging 'round upon Barry,
"where it will jump at you some day: We will be with you in this scrap
for all we are worth."

"And now for the march," said Barry, who seemed almost to assume
command. Then removing his hat and lifting high his hand, he said in a
voice thrilling with solemn reverence, "God grant victory to the right!
God save the king!"

Instinctively the men took off their hats and stood with bared and bent
heads, as if sharing in a solemn ritual. They stood with millions upon
millions of their kin in the old mother lands, and scattered wide upon
the seas, stood with many millions more of peoples and nations, pledging
to this same cause of right, life and love and all they held dear, and
with hearts open to that all-searching eye, praying that same prayer,
"God grant victory to the right. Amen and amen. We ask no other."

Then they faced to their hundred miles' trek en rou