they weren't so sure that Pierre's little game was
so jovial as it had promised.

Even Pierre had hardly looked for so much from his giant as yet. In a
little while he had got Macavoy back to his old humour.

"What was I made for but war!" said the Irishman, "an' by war to kape
thim at peace, wherever I am." Soon he was sufficiently restored in
spirits to go with Pierre to Bareback's lodge, where, sitting at the
tent door, with idlers about, he smoked with the chief and his braves.
Again Pierre worked upon him adroitly, and again he became loud in
speech, and grandly patronising.

"I've stood by ye like a father, ye loafers," he said, "an' I give you
my word, ye howlin' rogues--"

Here Bareback and a half-dozen braves came up suddenly from the ground,
and the chief said fiercely: "You speak crooked things. We are no
rogues. We will fight."

Macavoy's face ran red to his hair. He scratched his head a little
foolishly, and gathered himself up. "Sure, 'twas only me tasin',
darlins," he said, "but I'll be comin' again, when y'are not so narvis."
He turned to go away.

Pierre made a sign to Bareback, and the Indian touched the giant on the
arm. "Will you fight?" said he.

"Not all o' ye at once," said Macavoy slowly, running his eye carefully
along the half-dozen; "not more than three at a toime," he added with
a simple sincerity, his voice again gone like the dove's. "At what time
will it be convaynyint for ye?" he asked.

"At sunset," said the chief, "before the Fort." Macavoy nodded and
walked away with Pierre, whose glance of approval at the Indians did not
make them thoroughly happy.

To rouse the giant was not now so easy. He had already three engagements
of violence for sunset. Pierre directed their steps by a roundabout to
the Company's stores, and again there was a distinct improvement in the
giant's spirits. Here at least he could be himself, he thought, here
no one should say him nay. As if nerved by the idea, he plunged at once
into boisterous raillery of the Chief Trader. "Oh, ho," he began, "me
freebooter, me captain av the looters av the North!" The Trader snarled
at him. "What d'ye mean, by such talk to me, sir? I've had enough--we've
all had enough--of your brag and bounce; for you're all sweat and
swill-pipe, and I give you this for your chewing, that though by the
Company's rules I can't go out and fight you, you may have your pick of
my men for it. I'll take my pay for your insults in pounded