he fort. If any have disappeared, it is a matter of
the white trappers and the Indians, not my affair."

"Yes," agreed the other suavely; "but who is in charge of Fort
Dickey?"

"I am."

"Then, how can you say it is not your affair when the Company is
losing twenty thousand pounds a year from your district?"

The young man ground his teeth helplessly, torn between the desire
to throttle ugly old Fitzpatrick where he sat, or to turn on his
heel, and walk out without another word. He did neither. Either
would have been disastrous, as he well knew. He had not come up
three years with the spring _brigade_ from the Dickey and Lake
Bolsover without knowing the autocratic, almost royal, rule of old
Angus. Fitzpatrick, factor at Fort Severn for these two decades.

So, now, he choked back his wrath, and walked quietly up and down,
pondering what to do. The room was square, low, and heavily raftered.
Donald had to duck his head for one particular beam at each passage
back and forth. Beneath his feet were great bearskins in profusion;
a moose's head decorated one end of the place. The furniture was
heavy and home-made.

At last, he turned upon the factor.

"Look here!" he said simply. "What have you got against me? You
know as well as I do that there isn't another man in your whole
district you would call in from a winter post to accuse in this
way. What have I done? How have I failed in my duty? Have I taken
advantage of my position as the chief commissioner's son?"

Fitzpatrick pawed his beard again, and shot a sharp, inquisitive
glance at the young captain. That mention of his father's position
was slightly untoward. In turn, he pondered a minute.

"Up to this time," he said at last, "you have done your work well.
You know the business pretty thoroughly, and your Indians seem to
be contented. I have nothing against you--"

"No," burst out McTavish, "you have nothing against me. That's just
it. Virtues with you are always negative; never have I heard you
grant a positive quality in all the time I have known you. And,
to be frank, I think that you have something against me. But what
it is I cannot find out." He paused eloquently before the white-haired
figure that seemed as immovable as a block of granite.

"This is hardly the time for personalities, McTavish," said the
other, harshly. "What I want to know is, what steps will you take
to restore the furs that have disappeared from your district?"

"How do you know