It was late in the afternoon when the warden returned from Fort Douglas.
I was busy over my desk. Father Holland was still with us awaiting the
departure of traders to the south, and Duncan Cameron was stamping about
the room like a caged lion. There came a quick, angry tramp from the
hall.

"That's Grant back, and there's no one with him," muttered Cameron with
suppressed anger; and in burst the warden himself, his heavy brows dark
with fury and his eyes flashing like the fire at a pistol point.
Involuntarily I stopped work and the priest glanced across at me with a
look which bespoke expectation of an explosion. Grant did not storm.
That was not his way. He took several turns about the room, mastered
himself, and speaking through his teeth said quietly, "There be some
fools that enjoy playing with gunpowder. I'm not one of them! There be
some idiots that like teasing tigers. 'Tis not sport to my fancy! There
be some pot-valiant braggarts that defy the law. Let them enjoy the
breaking of the law!"

"What--what--what?" sputtered the Highland governor, springing first on
one side of Grant and then on the other, all the while rumbling out
maledictions on Lord Selkirk, and Governor McDonell and Fort Douglas.
"What do ye say, mon? Do I understand ye clearly, there's no prisoners
with ye?"

"Laughs at the _Bois-Brules_. The fool laughs at the _Bois-Brules_! I've
seen gophers cock their eye at a wolf, before that same wolf made a
breakfast of gophers! The fool laughs at your warrant, Sir! Scouted it,
Sir! Bundled us out of Fort Douglas like cattle!" The warden went on in
a bitter strain to tell of the effect of the posted proclamations on his
followers.

"So the lordly Captain Miles McDonell of the Queen's Rangers,
generalissimo of all creation, defies us, does he?" demanded Cameron in
great dudgeon, scarcely crediting his ears.

"Aye!" answered Grant, "but he can ill afford to be so high and mighty.
We went through the settlement and half the people are with us----"

"That's good! That's good!" responded Cameron with keen relish.

"They're heartily sick of the country," continued the warden, "and would
leave to-morrow if we'd supply the boats. Last winter they nearly
starved. The company's generous supply was rancid grease and wormy
flour."

"Fine way o' colonizing a country," stormed Cameron, "bring men out as
settlers and arm them to fight! We'll spike his guns by shipping a score
more away."

"We've spiked h