t supposin', for the sake of argument, that all does
_not_ go well--what then?"

"Why, then," answered the young man with a laugh, "we shall be no worse
off than other people, who have to make the best of things as they find
them."

"No doubt--no doubt--that iss the true an' pheelosophical way to look at
the matter. But don't you think, Taniel, that it would be as well to
putt off till our munister arrives? I would not be havin' my daughter
marrit without a munister if I can help it. An' you know his Lordship
has promised more than wance to send us wan. He will not be long o'
coming now."

"Yes, a minister has been promised again an' again," returned Dan,
somewhat bitterly, "an' I suppose he will go on promising again and over
again, but I have not much faith in these promises. The Earl has too
many agents who are not as true as himself. I would rather not delay my
marriage on that account. What ails you at Mr Sutherland?"

"Well, Taniel, I hev nothing to say against Muster Sutherland. He iss a
ferry goot man--I will not be denyin' that, but--he iss not an ordained
munister."

"What of that?" retorted Dan. "He is an ordained elder of the Church of
Scotland, and that is much the same thing. And he is a good, Christian
man, respected by every one in the Settlement."

"Well, well, Taniel; hev it your own way," returned old Duncan with a
resigned look. "Of course, it would have been pleesanter if he had been
a regular munister, whatever; but, as you say, my boy, `what of that?'
So, as things look a little more peaceable than they wass--though not
ferry much--I will be--"

He was interrupted at this point by the sudden entrance of Jacques
Bourassin with the astounding intelligence that a band of North-Westers
had gone up the Settlement to attack Fort Garry.

"Hoot! nonsense, man!" exclaimed old McKay, starting up and flinging his
pipe away in the excitement of the moment.

"No--not nonsense!" said Bourassin in broken English; "it be true. I
knows it. I come to say that we go to the fort to help them."

"Right, boy, right!" exclaimed the old man, hastily belting on his
capote. "Fergus! Tuncan!--Elspie! where are these boys?"

"In the stable, father. I saw them just--"

"Let them saddle all the nags--quick," cried the old man. "Taniel, you
better--"

He stopped; for Daniel had already run out to saddle and mount his own
horse.

In a few minutes a cavalcade of a dozen powerful young fellows, h