WITHOUT AUTHORITY.
Several times during the late afternoon of this day they heard gunshots
ahead, and from this judged that they were drawing very near the post;
which, like all such important places belonging to the great fur
company, must present quite an animated appearance with trappers and
hunters, whites, Indians and halfbreeds, coming and going.
Few went downstream, since the points of interest and profit were
further up in the wilderness; which accounted for the fact of their
having seen only a couple of boats during the whole afternoon, one of
these being manned by some _voyageurs_ belonging to the post, for they
wore picturesque uniforms, consisting of leather coats lined with
flannel, belts of scarlet worsted, breeches of smoked buckskin, and
moose moccasins, and carried shawls of Scotch plaid, as well as fur caps
with ear-flaps for the cold weather that was liable to visit the
Northwest country at any day now--at the bow of the large boat floated
the well-known blue and white flag of the Hudson Bay Company, showing
that this craft had undoubtedly carried a load of supplies to the post,
and was now taking back to civilization packages of belated furs that
had been brought in by trappers from the Arctic regions.
Cuthbert knew considerable about this vast concern which has had almost
a monopoly of the fur-gathering business in America for two
centuries--really it dates back to 1670, when a license to trade in furs
in the Hudson Bay region was granted to an English company.
Knowing that he would be likely to come in contact with the agents of
this corporation during his travels in the Saskatchewan country,
Cuthbert had taken pains to learn all he could about what history had to
say of their doings; and he found that in the far past they had been
merciless and unscrupulous in their dealings with their employers;
though, of course, much of this high-handed style of conducting business
is not tolerated nowadays.
The shadows were beginning to gather as the canoes rounded a bend in the
stream, and the post stood out before them in the clearing, with the
last glow in the western sky as a background.
The Union Jack had been hauled down with the setting of the sun, for at
these posts along the distant border something of military discipline
has to be maintained, lest those in charge find their rough wards and
employes breaking loose from their authority; for they have to deal
with reckless spirits at times, and, of course, liquor frequently brings
about trouble, just as in logging camps and all similar places.
Their coming had undoubtedly been signaled long before they arrived
within hailing distance of the fort, for there was quite a crowd down at
the landing to see them come in, a mixture of whites, natives and
halfbreeds, all of them no doubt connected in some manner with the great
fur company.
Some of these gave a noisy greeting to a boat load of Indians landing
about the same time as our friends, after the custom of their kind,
boisterous, but good-natured; but Cuthbert noticed that not one had a
word to say to his little party; which pleased him very much, since he
had worried over what they should do if the crowd proved unruly.
He understood from what Owen had let fall that the old factor ruled his
camp with a rod of iron, and that there was not a man who dared go
against his expressed wish--doubtless he had given his followers to
understand that they were to keep aloof, and let him do the honors of
the occasion.
So our young friends shoved their boats upon the shelving beach, sprang
out, and pulled the canoes up far enough to keep them safe from the
current of the river; Owen had already told them that a code of honor
existed at the post, and whatever they left in the boat would be
perfectly safe, for should so much as a trap be stolen, the vigilant
factor would visit the thief with punishment of a drastic nature--his
Scotch blood would not stand for such a breach of hospitality.
They knew that it was their duty to seek an audience with the commander
of the post immediately, explain their mission to these wilds, and, if
it could be done in a diplomatic manner, ingratiate themselves in his
favor by making him some sort of a present--Owen had hinted that the
factor's one weakness was a love for tea, which he used at every meal
with quite as much pleasure as the veriest old maid gossip at a sewing
circle; and as luck would have it this happened to coincide with a
leaning of his own, for he had made sure to fetch considerable of the
very finest that money could purchase in New York--Ceylon, Young Hyson
and Orange Pekoe.
Hence, when he told Eli that it was up to them to make a bee-line for
the headquarters of the factor, and announce their arrival, his first
act was to gather up a package he had prepared, consisting of a pound
each of the several kinds of tea carried by the expedition.
Thus armed and equipped, he sallied forth, under the belief that he was
able to propitiate the powers that be, without a single carnal weapon,
and loaded only with a gentle persuader.
Owen had pointed out the position of the lodge where the factor had his
office as well as his habitation; and indeed, even had they not a friend
at court, it would have been easy to determine the location of this,
since it turned out to be the largest building within the stockade, and
in front of which arose the tall pole that had evidently held the Union
Jack up to sunset.
No one followed them, but various were the curious glances cast in that
direction by the many personages who had a connection with the busy
post.
At the door stood a man, who appeared to be a guard, for he carried a
rifle, and stirred at their approach, as though it might be his business
to make inquiries of those who asked for an audience with the "little
czar" within.
"Is the factor, Mr. Gregory, in?" asked Cuthbert, pleasantly.
"He is--walk right inside," came the reply, and they obeyed.
The office of the trading post was a sight to Cuthbert, who had often
read of such a place, but never as yet, set eyes on one; a thousand
articles seemed to be crowded into the apartment, so that there was
little spare room on either side of the passage leading straight up to
the great desk, where the factor held his court, flanked by account
books that doubtless would have been rich reading to anyone interested
in figures connected with the prices paid the Indians for furs.
Through a door Cuthbert could see an adjoining room that was evidently
used for a general audience chamber in the wintry season, perhaps a
bunkroom also, for it had an enormous stove that was well calculated to
warm things when started.
Only a cursory glance did he bestow upon these inanimate things, for his
attention was immediately wrapped up in the lone figure sitting back of
the big desk, the factor of the whole region, Alexander Gregory, the
mysterious man whose past seemed to be connected in some way with that
of their new Canadian chum, Owen Dugdale.
Cuthbert rather prided himself on his ability to read faces, and it was
in this spirit that he approached the Scotch resident boss.
He saw a bearded face, with the sandy hue thickly sprinkled with
gray--a face marked with strong individuality, and passions such as were
common in the days of the Bruce and the Wallace of whom we read; indeed,
just such a sturdy character as he had expected to discover in this
strange man of the Northwest, judging from all the stories he had heard.
And yet he quickly discerned a bit of a twinkle in the corners of those
cold gray eyes that told Cuthbert the other was not wholly a man of
iron--there was another vein to his character not often seen by his
fellows, but which could be played upon by touching the right chord, if
one but knew what that was.
In that one moment of time Cuthbert knew that here was a man worthy of
his best efforts in the line of study, and that perhaps before he
quitted this faraway post on the frontier he would be able to see the
strong elements constituting Alexander Gregory's make-up unmasked.
Cuthbert was something of a diplomat, and he knew just how best to
address a man of authority whom he desired to placate; accordingly he
gave his name as well as that of his companion, told of the folly that
had brought him to the wilderness, and that he desired to see a genuine
trading post of the great company, now that he found himself in the
neighborhood, and that he was pleased to meet the factor, of whom he
had heard so many things in connection with the building up of the
company's trade.
Alexander Gregory listened, and it might be noticed that his face seemed
to relax a trifle of its grim aspect; when the precious packets of tea
were placed before him on the desk he could not refrain from smiling,
and thrusting forth his hand, with words of warm welcome that quite
tickled the young diplomat, for he knew that he had won a point in the
game.