udson's
Bay Company for aid, and Governor Bridgar's men were attacking the
ships. All of the assailants fled but four, whom Radisson caught
ransacking the ship's cabin. Radisson now had more captives than he
could guard, so he loaded the Hudson's Bay Company men with provisions
and sent them back to their own starving fort.

Radisson left the New England fort in charge of his Frenchmen and
returned to the French quarters. Strange news was carried to him
there. Bridgar had forgotten all benefits, waited until Radisson's
back was turned, and, with one last desperate cast of the die to
retrieve all by capturing the New England fort and ship for the fur
company, had marched against young Gillam's island. The French threw
open the gates for the Hudson's Bay governor to enter. Then they
turned the key and told Governor Bridgar that he was a prisoner. Their
_coup_ was a complete triumph for Radisson. Both of his rivals were
prisoners, and the French flag flew undisputed over Port Nelson.

Spring brought the Indians down to the bay with the winter's hunt. The
sight of threescore Englishmen captured by twenty Frenchmen roused the
war spirit of the young braves. They offered Radisson two hundred
beaver skins to be allowed to massacre the English. Radisson thanked
the savages for their good will, but declined their offer. Floods had
damaged the water-rotted timbers of the two old hulls in which the
explorers voyaged north. It was agreed to return to Quebec in Ben
Gillam's boat. A vessel was constructed on one of the hulls to send
the English prisoners to the Hudson's Bay Company forts at the south
end of the bay.[11] Young Jean Groseillers was left, with seven men,
to hold the French post till boats came in the following year. On the
27th of July the ships weighed anchor for the homeward voyage. Young
Gillam was given a free passage by way of Quebec. Bridgar was to have
gone with his men to the Hudson's Bay Company forts at the south of the
bay, but at the last moment a friendly Englishman warned Radisson that
the governor's design was to wait till the large ship had left, head
the bark back for Hayes River, capture the fort, and put the Frenchmen
to the sword. To prevent this Bridgar, too, was carried to Quebec.
Twenty miles out the ship was caught in ice-floes that held her for a
month, and Bridgar again conspired to cut the throats of the Frenchmen.
Henceforth young Gillam and Bridgar were out on parole duri