ped a peppermint lozenge.

"Fie!" laughed Sir Alexander to my uncle's right, "Fie to cheat the
little man!"

"His is the best wine of the cellar," vowed His Lordship; and I drank my
peppermint with as much gusto and self-importance as any man of them.

Then followed toasts, such a list of toasts as only men inured to tests
of strength could take. Ironical toasts to the North-West Passage, whose
myth Sir Alexander had dispelled; toasts to the discoverer of the
MacKenzie River, which brought storms of applause that shook the house;
toasts to "our distinguished guest," whose suave response disarmed all
suspicion; toasts to the "Northern winterers," poor devils, who were
serving the cause by undergoing a life-long term of Arctic exile; toasts
to "the merry lads of the north," who only served in the ranks without
attaining to the honor of partnership; toasts enough, in all conscience,
to drown the memory of every man present. Thanks to my Uncle Jack
MacKenzie, all my toasts were taken in peppermint, and the picture in my
mind of that banquet is as clear to-day as it was when I sat at the
table. What would I not give to be back at the Beaver Club, living it
all over again and hearing Sir Alexander MacKenzie with his flashing
hero-eyes and quick, passionate gestures, recounting that wonderful
voyage of his with a sulky crew into a region of hostiles; telling of
those long interminable winters of Arctic night, when the great explorer
sounded the depths of utter despair in service for the company and knew
not whether he faced madness or starvation; and thrilling the whole
assembly with a description of his first glimpse of the Pacific! Perhaps
it was what I heard that night--who can tell--that drew me to the wild
life of after years. But I was too young, then, to recognize fully the
greatness of those men. Indeed, my country was then and is yet too
young; for if their greatness be recognized, it is forgotten and
unhonored.

I think I must have fallen asleep on my uncle's knee; for I next
remember sleepily looking about and noticing that many of the gentlemen
had slid down in their chairs and with closed eyes were breathing
heavily. Others had slipped to the floor and were sound asleep. This
shocked me and I was at once wide awake. My uncle was sitting very erect
and his arm around my waist had the tight grasp that usually preceded
some sharp rebuke. I looked up and found his face grown suddenly so hard
and stern, I was all a