trary."

"I am sure of that," I said warmly.

"As for your pledge Lieutenant Boyd," the captain continued. "I give you
my word I shall wait Mr. Ruthven's pleasure at Port Garry, and I defy
him to bring his witnesses before a competent tribunal. Indeed, I court
and desire a full investigation of the act with which I stand charged."
As he spoke he glared at Ruthven, and the latter's eyes fell.

"Well said!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "I perceive you have grasped the
delicate nature of this affair, Captain Rudstone. By the way, I
understand you are the bearer of dispatches. Do you still retain them?"

"That is a misapprehension, sir," was the reply. "I have no dispatches;
nor did I stop at any of the company's forts on my journey from the
north. I am bound for Fort Garry on a private and personal matter."

"You shall accompany us there at once," said Boyd. "I think we have
finished here." Turning to Ruthven, he added: "We are going now, sir.
Let me warn you to keep your men under control--to see that no shots are
fired treacherously."

"When we want to shoot it will not be behind your backs," Ruthven
replied significantly, and in a voice that trembled with suppressed
passion. "You will be sorry for this night's work!"

Without further words we left the house, gathered up our men outside,
and crossed the clearing to the woods. We pushed on more rapidly to the
horses, and one of the men gave his steed to Captain Rudstone and
mounted behind a companion. As we rode on a trot toward the fort, the
captain, who was in front, between Boyd and myself, related to us in
confidence the thrilling story of his adventures. He spoke in low tones,
for it was not advisable that the rest should hear a narrative which
ought properly to have come to the factor's ear first.

"I shall spin the yarn briefly and without going into details," he
began. "My disappearance on that night when we encamped near Fort
Charter was a very simple thing. I was on duty, you will remember, and I
either heard--or imagined I heard--the report of a musket within half a
mile. Hoping to learn what it meant, I ventured too far from camp. The
result was that I lost my bearings, and for several hours wandered about
in the blinding storm. I shouted at intervals, and fired a couple of
shots. At, last, when I was nearly exhausted I came across a recess
under a mass of rocks. I crawled into it--it was warm and tight--and
there I slept as I have never slept in my life