r their opponents, and
standing shoulder to shoulder, with their backs to the wall, they
taunted Murphy and his gang with all the wealth of gibes and oaths at
their command.

"Where's the rest of your outfit, Murphy?" drawled Yankee. "Don't seem's
if you'd counted right."

"It is a cold day for the parley voos," laughed Big Mack Cameron. "Come
up, lads, and take a taste of something hot."

Then the Murphy men, clearing away the fallen, rushed again. They strove
to bring the Highlanders to a clinch, but Yankee's voice was high and
clear in command.

"Keep the line, boys! Don't let 'em draw you!" And the Glengarry men
waited till they could strike, and when they struck men went down and
were pulled back by their friends.

"Intil them, bhoys!" yelled Dan Murphy, keeping out of range himself.
"Intil the divils!" And again and again his men crowded down upon the
line against the wall, but again and again they were beaten down or
hurled back bruised and bleeding.

Meantime LeNoir was devoting himself to Black Hugh at one end of the
line, dancing in upon him and away again, but without much result. Black
Hugh refused to be drawn out, and fought warily on defense, knowing the
odds were great and waiting his chance to deliver one good blow, which
was all he asked.

The Glengarry men were enjoying themselves hugely, and when not shouting
their battle-cry, "Glengarry forever!" or taunting their foes, they were
joking each other on the fortunes of war. Big Mack Cameron, who held the
center, drew most of the sallies. He was easy-tempered and good-natured,
and took his knocks with the utmost good humor.

"That was a good one, Mack," said Dannie Ross, his special chum, as a
sounding whack came in on Big Mack's face. "As true as death I will be
telling it to Bella Peter. Bella, the daughter of Peter McGregor, was
supposed to be dear to Big Mack's heart.

"What a peety she could not see him the now," said Finlay Campbell. "Man
alive, she would say the word queeck!"

"'Tis more than she will do to you whatever, if you cannot keep off that
crapeau yonder a little better," said Big Mack, reaching for a Frenchman
who kept dodging in upon him with annoying persistence. Then Mack began
to swear Gaelic oaths.

"'Tain't fair, Mack!" called out Yankee from his end of the line, "bad
language in English is bad enough, but in Gaelic it must be uncommon
rough." So they gibed each other. But the tactics of the enemy were
exceedingly ir