u of a very terrible thing which has been said of my dear brother
Duncan, and which you must contradict at once, and then find out how it
was that the false report arose, and have the matter cleared up."

"Dear Elspie," returned Dan, "I think I know what you are going to tell
me."

"Have you heard the report, then?" said Elspie, turning pale, "and--and
do you believe it?"

"I have suspected--I have--but let me hear first what the report is, and
who it came from."

"I got it from Annette Pierre, and I am sure she would not have told it
me if she did not think it true; but, then, poor Annette is not very
intelligent, and she may be--must be--mistaken. She says that it was
Duncan who killed poor Henri Perrin, and that some of the half-breeds
are determined to avenge the death of their comrade. Now, it cannot be
true; and I want you at once to go and ferret out the truth, so as to
prove the report false."

"Have you spoken to Duncan on the subject?" asked Dan.

"No, I cannot bear to let him imagine even for a moment that I could
believe him guilty of murder--that I even suspected him of it. But you
say you have heard something, Dan--that you suspect something. What is
it?"

"It is difficult to say, Elspie dear. I, too, have heard the rumour
that has come to your ears, and I have seen--but it is useless talking
of our mere conjectures. I will go at once and ferret out all about it
if possible. My first business will be to see Annette and get from her
all that she knows. Where is Duncan?"

"In the wheat-field. They have begun to shear to-day, and, as the crop
is heavy, they will be glad of your help."

Dan went to the field, after visiting Annette Pierre, and lent good
assistance to the shearers, but, like Elspie, he found that he had not
courage to say anything to Duncan that would indicate his suspicion. He
longed to put the question straight to him, but could not prevail on
himself to do so.

Next morning, however, he and Elspie were both saved the necessity of
doing such violence to their feelings, by the arrival of two men from
Fort Garry. They were members of a sort of police force that the
Company had enrolled, and had come to arrest Duncan McKay junior, on the
charge of murder!

There was not much of law in the colony at that time, but it was felt
that something had to be done in the way of governing a settlement which
was rapidly increasing, and in which Lynch and mob law would certainly
be