ith's
shop. Hurriedly McLeod, with a cart, carried thither the three-pounder
cannon in his possession, then cut up lengths of chain to be his shot
and shell, used with care his small supply of powder and with three or
four men, his only garrison, stood to his gun and awaited the attack of
the Bois-Brules. Being on horseback his assailants could not long face
his one piece of artillery. It is not known to what extent the
assailants suffered in the skirmish, but John Warren, a gentleman of the
Hudson's Bay Company, was killed in the encounter. The siege of McLeod's
improvised fort continued for several days, but the defence was
successful, and McLeod saved for the Company L1,000 worth of goods.

CHAPTER VIII.

NO SURRENDER.

The crisis has come. The Colony seems to be blotted out. The affair may
appear small, being nothing more than the defence of the smithy, with
one gun and the most primitive contrivances, yet as Mercutio says of his
wound: "'Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door; but it
is enough."

The plucky McLeod, with three men held his fort and though the dusky
Bois-brules on their prairie ponies for a time hovered about yet they
did not dare to approach the spiteful little field piece. The Metis soon
betook themselves westward to their own district of Qu'Appelle.

The danger being over for the present, John McLeod began to restore the
Colony buildings and even to aim at greater things than had been before.

One of the most discouraging things in connection with the Selkirk
Colony was the long sea voyage and the difficult land-journey necessary,
not only to gain assistance, but even to receive information from the
founder in Britain for the guidance of the officers in Red River
settlement. This being the case McLeod could not wait for orders and so
as being temporarily in charge of the Hudson's Bay Company district at
Red River, he planned a fort and proceeded at once to build a portion of
it. Fortunately across the Red River in what is now the town of St.
Boniface, he found the freemen who were willing to help him. He
immediately hired a number of these and began work on the new fort.

Somewhat lower down the Red River than the Colony gardens he selected a
site on the river banks, now partially fallen in, where George Street at
the present days ends. Here McLeod began to erect a Governor's House,
having confidence that the founder would not desert his Colony. Along
with this imp