"Are you aware, Bellew, that these McLeods have settled themselves on
the Company's reserve lands?"
"No, sir, I wasn't aware of it."
"Well, then, I now tell you that they have," said Redding, who,
unfortunately for himself and others, possessed an easily-roused spirit
and was apt to become irascible when the rights--real or supposed--of
the Company which he represented appeared in danger of violation. "At
least," he continued, in a less positive tone, "I have reason to believe
that such is the case, and I am now on my way to--"
He paused abruptly, feeling the impropriety of revealing his plans to
one who, although a quiet and sensible man, and not given to talk too
much, was, nevertheless, by his own admission, an aider and abettor of
the enemy.
"Whereabouts is the boundary line?" asked Bellew, after a short silence.
"At Jenkins Creek--_that_ creek is the boundary," answered the
fur-trader. "On which side of the creek have they begun to build the
mill?"
"They haven't begun yet, sir, but I believe they intend to commence on
the south side."
"So far well," replied Redding, "but if I find that they have raised a
stone or planted a stake on the _north_ side of the creek, I'll--"
Here feeling that he was about to give way to a boastful spirit, he got
himself out of the difficulty of having to finish the sentence by making
a sudden and somewhat stern demand for "more bear-steak."
"Vid pleasieur, Monsieur," said Le Rue, placing a huge slice on his
master's plate.
"Well, sir, I hope you'll find that they haven't overstepped the
boundary," said Bellew, "because the McLeods look as if they'd be
troublesome customers to deal with."
The fur-trader made no reply. He felt indignant at the bare idea of his
being checked in doing his duty by any man, or men, who were
"troublesome," by which expression he understood Bellew to mean that
they were resolute and physically powerful in opposition; he therefore
thought it best to avoid any further tendency to boast by holding his
tongue.
Not so his volatile retainer, who stuck his fork into a lump of meat
vindictively, as if it had been the body of a McLeod, and exclaimed:--
"Hah! vat you say? troblesom, eh? who care for dat? If de Macklodds do
touche, by von small hinch, de lands of de Companie--ve vill--hah!"
Another stab of the fork was all that the savage Le Rue vouchsafed as an
explanation of his intentions.
In this frame of mind Reginald Redding and his man started off next
morning on foot at an early hour, slept that night at a place called
Sam's hut, and, the following evening, drew near to the end of their
journey.