tlemen
alone entered upon the scene without any more deadly weapons than their
heavy riding-whips. Young Harry Somerville, who had been strongly
advised not to take a gun, lest he should shoot himself or his horse or
his companions, was content to take the field with a small
pocket-pistol, which he crammed to the muzzle with a compound of ball
and swan-shot.

"It won't do," said Mr Grant, in an earnest voice, to his friend, as
they walked towards the horses--"it won't do to check him too abruptly,
my dear sir."

It was evident that they were recurring to the subject of conversation
of the previous day, and it was also evident that the father's wrath was
in that very uncertain state when a word or a look can throw it into
violent agitation.

"Just permit me," continued Mr Grant, "to get him sent to the
Saskatchewan or Athabasca for a couple of years. By that time he'll
have had enough of a rough life, and be only too glad to get a berth at
headquarters. If you thwart him now, I feel convinced that he'll break
through all restraint."

"Humph!" ejaculated Mr Kennedy, with a frown.--"Come here, Charley," he
said, as the boy approached with a disappointed look to tell of his
failure in getting a horse; "I've been talking with Mr Grant again
about this business, and he says he can easily get you into the
counting-room here for a year, so you'll make arrangements--"

The old gentleman paused. He was going to have followed his wonted
course by _commanding_ instantaneous obedience; but as his eye fell upon
the honest, open, though disappointed face of his son, a gush of
tenderness filled his heart. Laying his hand upon Charley's head, he
said, in a kind but abrupt tone, "There now, Charley, my boy, make up
your mind to give in with a good grace. It'll only be hard work for a
year or two, and then plain sailing after that, Charley!"

Charley's clear blue eyes filled with tears as the accents of kindness
fell upon his ear.

It is strange that men should frequently be so blind to the potent
influence of kindness. Independently of the Divine authority, which
assures us that "a soft answer turneth away wrath," and that "_love_ is
the fulfilling of the law," who has not, in the course of his
experience, felt the overwhelming power of a truly affectionate word;
not a word which possesses merely an affectionate signification, but a
word spoken with a gush of tenderness, where love rolls in the tone, and
beams in the eye