Nation. Black
Hugh had a temper fierce and quick, and when in full flame he was a man
to avoid, for from neither man nor devil would he turn. The only man
who could hold him was his brother Macdonald Bhain, for strong man as
he was, Black Hugh knew well that his brother could with a single swift
grip bring him to his knees.

It was unfortunate that the command of the party this day should have
been Macdonald Dubh's. Unfortunate, too, that it was Dan Murphy and his
men that happened to be blocking the river mouth. For the Glengarry men,
who handled only square timber, despised the Murphy gang as sawlog-men;
"log-rollers" or "mushrats" they called them, and hated them as Irish
"Papishes" and French "Crapeaux," while between Dan Murphy and Macdonald
Dubh there was an ancient personal grudge, and to-day Murphy thought he
had found his time. There were only six of the enemy, he had ten times
the number with him, many of them eager to pay off old scores; and
besides there was Louis LeNoir as the "Boss Bully" of the river. The
Frenchman was not only a powerful man, active with hands and feet, but
he was an adept in all kinds of fighting tricks. Since coming to the
Ottawa he had heard of the big Macdonald, and he sought to meet him. But
Macdonald avoided him once and again till LeNoir, having never known
any one avoiding a fight for any reason other than fear, proclaimed
Macdonald a coward, and himself "de boss on de reever." Now there was
a chance of meeting his rival and of forcing a fight, for the Glengarry
camp could not be far away where the big Macdonald himself would be.
So Dan Murphy, backed up with numbers, and the boss bully LeNoir,
determined that for these Macdonald men the day of settlement had
come. But they were dangerous men, and it would be well to take all
precautions, and hence his friendly invitation to the tavern for drinks.

Macdonald Dubh, scorning to show hesitation, though he suspected
treachery, strode after Murphy to the tavern door and through the crowd
of shanty-men filling the room. They were as ferocious looking a lot
of men as could well be got together, even in that country and in those
days--shaggy of hair and beard, dressed out in red and blue and green
jerseys, with knitted sashes about their waists, and red and blue and
green tuques on their heads. Drunken rows were their delight, and fights
so fierce that many a man came out battered and bruised to death or to
life-long decrepitude. They w