ar life. One of the boys recognized
him as Seguis, and figured that his men must have come down to try
to rescue the trains, but that, when they saw the number in the
party, they decided to return to their camp and fight in the last
ditch. Naturally, when they found you in possession--and I must
tell you that was a clever piece of work for a boy--they started
in to drive you out. It was their only chance."

Donald smiled again. If he were fifty years old, he would always
be a "boy" to his father.

"By that stubborn defense of yours, you have wiped the Free-Traders'
Brotherhood out of existence, as well as saved a lot of exceptionally
fine furs (so I'm told) for the Company. I don't think the bullets
made much headway against that toughness. I'm awfully sorry so
many men lost their lives, and, of course, we'll look out for their
families, if they have any.

"Now, about the matter that brought me here." The father plunged
into this delicate subject with his son fearlessly, but with a deep
breath, like a man diving into cold water. "I see, I've got to be
pretty much alive if you and I are to get out of it with a whole
skin. What I'd like to know is, how they saddle this half-breed
on me."

"If you don't know, who does?" The eyes of the son were steady in
their wordless accusation. "It's this way, father: If you never
married this woman Maria, it ought to be easy enough to prove."

"I didn't marry her."

"Well, then, there oughtn't to be any trouble."

"Oh, yes, there ought, my boy. I didn't say she never had a place
in my life."

Donald looked at his father with something of the elder man's
piercing gaze, and understood.

"Then, there were--"

"Relations. Exactly! But no children. After three years, we agreed
to separate, and she went back to her people, well provided for,
for the rest of her life. She was considered to have done very
well. Therefore, having Seguis forced upon me is no light matter."

"I hate to say it, father," Donald said, "but if you look at him
carefully, you will see unmistakable signs that spell 'McTavish'
as plainly as though it were printed. You know, our family has very
distinctive gray eyes and curly hair, with a lick of white on the
crown. He has them both. But, tell me, what led you into any such
relation? If you had warned me when I was old enough, I would have
been prepared for it."

"My boy, I had none of the advantages that you have had all your
life. I was born at a littl