e suddenly stood upright:

"Halt!" he shouted. "It's all up with you, Skeel! Keep away from that
boat, or I order my men to fire!"

There was a dead silence for a moment; then Skeel's voice:

"Better not bother us, my good man. We know our business and you'd
better learn yours."

"Skeel," retorted Renoux, "my business is other people's business,
sometimes. It's yours just now. I warn you to keep away from that
boat!" He turned and hailed the boat in the next breath: "Boat ahoy!
Keep off or we open fire!"

The metallic bang of a rifle cut him short and his straw hat was
jerked from his head. Then came Skeel's voice, calmly dangerous:

"I know you, Renoux! You have no standing here. Keep away or I'll kill
you!"

"What lawful standing have you--leading an armed expedition from the
United States into Canada!" retorted Renoux, red with anger and
looking about for his hat.

"If you don't get back I shall surely kill you!" replied Skeel. "I
count three, Renoux:--one--two--three." Bang! went another rifle, and
Renoux shrugged and dropped reluctantly back into the ditch.

"They're crazy," he said. "Barres, fire across that boat out yonder."

Westmore also fired, aiming carefully at Ferez. It was too far; they
both knew it. But the ricochetting bullets seemed to sting the rowers
to frantic exertion, and Ferez, at the rudder, ducked and squatted
flat, the tip of his hat alone showing over the gunwale.

"We can't stop them," said Renoux desperately. "They're certain to
reach that boat."

Now, suddenly, Skeel's six rifles cracked viciously and the bullets
came screaming over the ditch.

Renoux fairly gnashed his teeth:

"If a bluff won't stop them, then I'm through," he said bitterly. "I
haven't any authority. I haven't the audacity to fire on them--to so
insult your Government. And yet, by God!--there's the canal to
remember!"

Another volley from the Green Jackets, and again the whizzing scream
of bullets through the cat-tails above their heads.

"Look!" cried Barres. "They're embarking already! There isn't a chance
of holding them."

It was true. Pell-mell through the shallow water and into the boat
leaped the Green Jackets, holding their rifles high in the early
sunshine; Skeel sprang in last of all; the oars flashed.

Pistols hanging helplessly, Renoux and his men stood there foolishly
on the edge of their ditch and watched the boat pull back to the big
power-craft.

Nobody said anything. The Green Jac