He hurled out the words in hot hate. His voice pierced the noise of the
room. Macdonald stood still, gazing at the fierce, dark face in solemn
silence. Then he sadly shook his head.

"My lad, 'Vengeance is mine saith the Lord.' It would have pleased me
well, but the hand of the Lord was laid upon me and I could not kill
him."

"Then it is myself will kill him," he shrieked, springing like a wildcat
at LeNoir. But his uncle wound his arms around him and held him fast.
For a minute and more he struggled fiercely, crying to be set free,
till recognizing the uselessness of his efforts he grew calm, and said
quietly, "Let me loose, uncle; I will be quiet." And his uncle set him
free. The boy shook himself, and then standing up before LeNoir said, in
a high, clear voice:

"Will you hear me, LeNoir? The day will come when I will do to you what
you have done to my father, and if my father will die, then by the life
of God [a common oath among the shanty-men] I will have your life for
it." His voice had an unearthly shrillness in it, and LeNoir shrank
back.

"Whist, whist, lad! be quate!" said his uncle; "these are not goot
words." The lad heeded him not, but sank down beside his father on the
floor. Black Hugh raised himself on his elbow with a grim smile on his
face.

"It is a goot lad whatever, but please God he will not need to keep his
word." He laid his hand in a momentary caress upon his boy's shoulder,
and sank back again, saying, "Take me out of this."

Then Macdonald Bhain turned to Dan Murphy and gravely addressed him:

"Dan Murphy, it is an ungodly and cowardly work you have done this day,
and the curse of God will be on you if you will not repent." Then he
turned away, and with Big Mack's help bore his brother to the pointer,
followed by his men, bloody, bruised, but unconquered. But before he
left the room LeNoir stepped forward, and offering his hand, said, "You
mak friends wit' me. You de boss bully on de reever Hottawa."

Macdonald neither answered nor looked his way, but passed out in grave
silence.

Then Yankee Jim remarked to Dan Murphy, "I guess you'd better git them
logs out purty mighty quick. We'll want the river in about two days."
Dan Murphy said not a word, but when the Glengarry men wanted the river
they found it open.

But for Macdonald the fight was not yet over, for as he sat beside his
brother, listening to his groans, his men could see him wreathing his
hands and chanting in an un