canoemen and return in all haste to your school. Do
you realize that MacNair, now that he has lost his winter provisions,
will stop at nothing to obtain more?"

"He would not dare!" cried the girl, her eyes flashing.

Lapierre laughed. "You do not know MacNair. You, personally, he would
not venture to molest. He will doubtless try to buy supplies from you
or from the Hudson Bay Company. But, in the meantime, while he is upon
this errand, his Indians, with no one to hold them in check, and
knowing that the supplies are in your storehouse, will swoop down upon
it, and your own Indians, without a leader, will fall an easy prey to
the hungry horde."

"But surely," cried the girl, "LeFroy is capable----"

"Possibly, if he were at the school," interrupted Lapierre. "But
unfortunately the day before we ourselves departed, I sent LeFroy upon
an important mission to the eastward. I think you will agree with me
upon the importance of the mission when I tell you that, as I swung out
of the mouth of Slave River at the head of the canoe brigade, I saw a
fast canoe slipping stealthily along the shore to the eastward. In
that canoe, with the aid of my binoculars, I made out two men whom I
have long suspected of being engaged in the nefarious and hellish
business of peddling whiskey among the Indians. I knew it was useless
to try to overtake them with my heavily loaded canoe, and so upon my
arrival at the school, as soon as we had concluded the outfitting of
the trappers, I dispatched LeFroy to hunt these men down, to destroy
any liquor found in their possession, and to deal with them as he saw
fit."

He paused and gazed steadily into the girl's face. "This may seem to
you a lawless and high-handed proceeding, Miss Elliston," he went on;
"but you have just witnessed one exhibition of the tragedy that whiskey
can work among my people. In my opinion, the end justifies the means."

The girl regarded him with shining eyes. "Indeed it does!" she cried.
"Oh, there is nothing--no punishment--too severe for such brutes, such
devils, as these! I--I hope LeFroy will catch them. I
hope--almost--he will kill them."

Lapierre nodded. "Yes, Miss Elliston," he answered gravely, "one could
sometimes almost wish so, but I have forbidden it. The taking of a
human life is a serious matter; and in the North the exigencies of the
moment all too frequently make this imperative. As a last resort only
should we kill."

"You are rig