important fact was that our hero Daniel Davidson took the side of
the Hudson's Bay Company. Being a stout fellow, with a good brain, a
strong will, an independent spirit, and a capable tongue, he was highly
appreciated by the one side and considerably hated by the other,
insomuch that some of the violent spirits made dark suggestions as to
the propriety of putting him out of the way. It is not easy, however,
or safe, to attempt to put a strong, resolute man out of the way, and
his enemies plotted for a considerable time in vain.

The unsettled state of the colony, and the frequent failure of the crops
had, as we have seen, exerted an evil influence for a long time on poor
Dan's matrimonial prospects, and at last, feeling that more settled
times might yet be in the remote future, and that, as regarded defence
and maintenance, it would be on the whole better both for Elspie and
himself that they should get married without delay, he resolved to take
the important step, and, as old McKay remarked, have it over.

"You see, Taniel," said the old man, when the subject was again
broached, "it iss of no use hangin' off an' on in this fashion.
Moreover, this nasty stiff leg o' mine is so long of getting well that
it may walk me off the face o' the earth altogether, an' I would not
like to leave Elspie till this matter iss settled. Tuncan also iss a
little better just now, so what say you to have the weddin' the month
after next? Mr Sutherland will be back from the Whitehorse Plains by
then, an' he can tie the knot tight enough--whatever. Anyway, it iss
clear that if we wait for a munister o' the Auld Kirk, we will hev to
wait till doomsday. What say you, Taniel?"

It need hardly be said that Dan had nothing whatever to say in objection
to this scheme. It was therefore settled--under the proviso, of course,
that Elspie had no objection. Dan went off at once to see Elspie, and
found that she had no objection, whereupon, after some conversation,
etcetera, with which we will not weary the reader, he sought out his
friend Fred Jenkins, to whom he communicated the good news, and treated
him to a good many unanswerable reasons why young people should not
delay marriage when there was any reasonable prospect of their getting
on comfortably in life together.

The sailor agreed with effusive heartiness to all that he said, and Dan
thought while he was speaking--orating--as one of the American settlers
would have expressed it--th