dian's throat tightly clasped in his
strong young hand.

The pony, frightened by the sudden addition of a second rider, at once
began to buck and rear, so that even its expert owner could hardly
retain his seat, doubly hampered as he was, holding Ailie, and being
held by Hector.

Noting his predicament, his companions closed in upon him to give him
help, and just at that moment Mrs. Macrae, her comely countenance
aflame with maternal anger, darted into their midst, and reaching up,
caught Ailie in her arms, crying: 'Ma bonnie bairn! Are ye hurt?' The
Indian let go his burden readily enough, and turned to attack Hector.

But the latter was too quick for him. He had seen his mother's action,
and the instant Ailie was safely in her arms, he let go of the Indian's
throat, and threw himself to the ground, narrowly escaping being
trampled upon by the ponies of the nearest Indians.

The whole thing happened so quickly that many of both parties saw
nothing of it but the excitement it occasioned, and, for the moment,
there was a complete break-up of the parley between Mr. Macrae and the
Indian leader.

When order was in some measure restored, and Mr. Macrae had assured
himself that neither of his children was in any wise injured, he once
more gave attention to the serious situation which had so unexpectedly
presented itself.

With considerable difficulty he made the Indian understand that he must
have time to consider his astounding communication, and to consult with
the other men of his party. To this the fellow, with much show of
reluctance, at last consented, and a gruff command sent the whole
cavalcade cantering off to a little distance, where they dismounted,
and, squatting upon the turf in a sort of circle, proceeded to light
their pipes, and talk in guttural tones of what had happened.

The Scots, that is to say the older men of the party, now gathered in a
little knot, their countenances grown suddenly haggard, for they all
realized that they were face to face with a crisis more menacing than
anything they had previously encountered.

''Tis unco strange. I canna understand it at all,' said Mr. Macrae.
'Noo that we are come here after sae great trouble they say we canna
bide, but maun gang away doon to the States, where we dinna want to be.'

'Let us gang ower to the fort there,' suggested Saunders, pointing to
the Hudson's Bay fort, which stood on the bank of the river, about a
quarter of a mile distant.