--killing him," he urged, between his painful gasps,
"because I will be doing that myself some day, by God's help."

His words and the eager hate in his face seemed to quiet Macdonald.

"Alas! alas!" he said, sadly, "it is not allowed me to smite him as
he deserves--'Vengeance is mine saith the Lord,' and I have solemnly
promised the minister not to smite for glory or for revenge! Alas!
alas!"

Then turning to LeNoir, he said, gravely: "It is not given me to punish
you for your coward's blow. Go from me!" But LeNoir misjudged him.

"Bah!" he cried, contemptuously, "you tink me one baby, you strike me on
de head side like one little boy. Bon! Louis LeNware, de bes bully on de
Hottawa, he's not 'fraid for hany man, by Gar!" He pranced up and down
before Macdonald, working himself into a great rage, as Macdonald grew
more and more controlled.

Macdonald turned to his men with a kind of appeal--"I hev given my
promise, and Macdonald will not break his word."

"Bah!" cried LeNoir, spitting at him.

"Now may the Lord give me grace to withstand the enemy," said Macdonald,
gravely, "for I am greatly moved to take vengeance upon you."

"Bah!" cried LeNoir again, mistaking Macdonald's quietness and
self-control for fear. "You no good! Your brother is no good! Beeg
sheep! Beeg sheep! Bah!"

"God help me," said Macdonald as if to himself. "I am a man of grace!
But must this dog go unpunished?"

LeNoir continued striding up and down, now and then springing high in
the air and knocking his heels together with blood-curdling yells.
He seemed to feel that Macdonald would not fight, and his courage and
desire for blood grew accordingly.

"Will you not be quate?" said Macdonald, rising after a few moments from
his brother's side, where he had been wiping his lips and giving him
water to drink. "You will be better outside."

"Oui! you strike me on the head side. Bon! I strike you de same way! By
Gar!" so saying he approached Macdonald lightly, and struck him a slight
blow on the cheek.

"Ay," said Macdonald, growing white and rigid. "I struck you twice,
LeNoir. Here!" he offered the other side of his face. LeNoir danced up
carefully, made a slight pass, and struck the offered cheek.

"Now, that is done, will it please you to do it again?" said Macdonald,
with earnest entreaty in his voice. LeNoir must have been mad with his
rage and vanity, else he had caught the glitter in the blue eyes looking
through the shaggy hair. A