ed them with food for the winter. They were no longer
to be feared; but there was still danger from young Gillam. He had
wished to visit the French fort. Radisson decided to give him an
opportunity. Ben Gillam was escorted down to Hayes River. A month
passed quietly. The young captain had learned that the boasted forces
of the French consisted of less than thirty men. His insolence knew no
bounds. He struck a French servant, called Radisson a pirate, and
gathering up his belongings prepared to go home. Radisson quietly
barred the young man's way.

"You pitiful dog!" said the Frenchman, coolly. "You poor young fool!
Why do you suppose you were brought to this fort? We brought you here
because it suited us! We keep you here as long as it suits us! We
take you back when it suits us!"

Ben Gillam was dumfounded to find that he had been trapped, when he had
all the while thought that he was acting the part of a clever spy. He
broke out in a storm of abuse. Radisson remanded the foolish young man
to a French guard. At the mess-room table Radisson addressed his
prisoner:--

"Gillam, to-day I set out to capture your fort."

At the table sat less than thirty men. Young Gillam gave one scornful
glance at the French faces and laughed.

"If you had a hundred men instead of twenty," he jeered.

"How many have you, Ben?"

"Nine; and they'll kill you before you reach the palisades."

Radisson was not talking of killing.

"Gillam," he returned imperturbably, "pick out nine of my men, and I
have your fort within forty-eight hours."

Gillam chose the company, and Radisson took one of the Hudson Bay
captives as a witness. The thing was done as easily as a piece of
farcical comedy. French hostages had been left among the New
Englanders as guarantee of Gillam's safety in Radisson's fort. These
hostages had been instructed to drop, as if by chance, blocks of wood
across the doors of the guard-room and powder house and barracks. Even
these precautions proved unnecessary. Two of Radisson's advance guard,
who were met by the lieutenant of the New England fort, reported that
"Gillam had remained behind." The lieutenant led the two Frenchmen
into the fort. These two kept the gates open for Radisson, who marched
in with his band, unopposed. The keys were delivered and Radisson was
in possession. At midnight the watch-dogs raised an alarm, and the
French sallied out to find that a New Englander had run to the H