"No, my dear, I wish to talk privately with Redding--go."
He patted her kindly on the head, and she left him with evident
reluctance.
"Good-morning, Mr McLeod," said Redding, as he approached.
"Good-morning," replied the other stiffly, without extending his hand.
Redding flushed, but restrained himself, and continued in a calm
matter-of-course tone:
"Thinking it probable that you might be in want of fresh provisions, I
have run down with a small supply, which is at your service."
"Thank you," replied McLeod, still stiffly, "I am not quite destitute of
fresh provisions, and happen to have a good supply of ammunition;
besides, if I were starving I would not accept aid from one who has
deceived me."
"Deceived you!" exclaimed Redding, waxing indignant more at McLeod's
tone and manner than his words, "wherein have I deceived you?"
As he put the question his mind leaped to the line of demarcation
between the properties at Jenkins Creek, and he racked his brains
hastily to discover what he could have said or done at their first
interview that could have been misunderstood. McLeod was one of those
men in whom anger is easily increased by the exhibition of anger in
others. It was therefore in a still more offensive tone that he said:--
"Sir, you deceived me by violating the laws of hospitality--by keeping
silence when candour required you to speak."
"Sir," exclaimed Redding, still thinking of the line of demarcation, and
losing his temper altogether, "in all that has passed between us I have
invariably spoken with candour, and if at any time I have kept silence I
consider that in so doing I have done you a favour."
When two fiery men clash, an explosion is the natural result.
"Very well, sir," said McLeod, with a look of withering contempt, "as I
don't accept your favours, I don't thank you for them, so you may take
yourself off as soon as you please."
He waited for no reply but turned abruptly on his heel and walked away,
while Redding, with a face of scarlet, strode down the beach and leaped
into his boat.
Not a word did he utter to his astonished men beyond ordering them to
pull back to the fort. Apparently the rate of rowing was not fast
enough to please him, for in a few minutes he ordered Michel to take the
helm, and himself seized the oar, which he plied with such vigour that,
as Michel afterwards averred, the rudder had to be kept nearly hard
a-port all the time to prevent the boat being pulled round even though
Le Rue was working like a steam engine and blowing like a grampus!
Towards the afternoon this exercise, coupled with reflection, cooled
Reginald Redding's spirit while it warmed his body, and at last he
deemed it right to pause for the purpose of letting the men have a pipe
and a mouthful of food. While they were busy refreshing themselves he
leant over the stern, gazed down into the water, and brooded over his
supposed wrongs.
Whether it was the clearness of the still water, through which he could
see the little fish and crabs floating and crawling placidly among the
pebbles at the bottom, or the soothing influence of the quiet afternoon,
or the sedative effect of a reflective condition of mind, we know not,
but it is certain that, before the pipes were smoked out, he fur-trader
observed that his reflected visage wore a very unpleasant-looking frown,
insomuch that a slight smile curled his lips. The contrast between the
frowning brows and the smiling lips appeared so absurd that, to prevent
the impropriety of becoming too suddenly good-humoured, he turned his
eyes towards his men, and encountered the perplexed gaze of Le Rue, as
that worthy sat with his elbows on his knees in the calm enjoyment of
his pipe.
Redding at once resumed his frown.
"Francois," said he, "did you have much conversation with McLeod before
he dismissed you on the way down?"
"Oui, Monsieur, we had ver moche conversatione."
"Can you remember what it was about?"
"Oh oui. 'Bout a'most all tings. I tell him de mos' part of my
histoire,--me fadder, me moder, broder, sister, an' all dat, 'bout vich
he seem not to care von buttin. Den ve convarsatione 'bout de
fur-trade, an' de--"
"Well well," interrupted Redding, "but what was the last thing, just
before he sent you off?"
"Ah let me zee. Oui--it was 'bout you'self. I tell him 'bout de
property--de Lock Doo vat you was--"
"Le Rue," exclaimed Redding, suddenly and very angrily, "you're a
consummate ass!"
"Vraiment," said Le Rue, with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "I am so
for remaining in de service of von goose!"
There was such good-humoured impudence in the man's face as he said this
that Redding laughed in spite of himself.
"Well," he said, "your readiness to talk has at all events caused bad
feeling between me and the McLeods. However, it don't matter. Ship
your oars again and give way with a will."
The men obeyed, and as Redding sat buried in meditation at the helm he
became convinced that McLeod's anger had been aroused by his silence in
regard to the purchase of Loch Dhu, for he himself had almost forgotten
that the sudden entrance of the Indian had checked the words which were
at the moment on his lips. When he thought of this, and of Flora, he
resolved to pull back and explain matters, but when he thought of
McLeod's tone and manner he determined to proceed to the fort. Then,
when he thought of Roderick's precarious state, his mind again wavered,
but, other thoughts and plans suggesting themselves, he finally decided
on returning home.
That night he encamped in the woods and continued to brood over the
camp-fire long after his men were asleep. Next day he reached the Cliff
Fort, when, after seeing to the welfare of the wrecked men, he informed
Bob Smart that he meant to absent himself for about a week, and to leave
him, Bob, in charge. He also gave orders that no one should quit the
post, or furnish any assistance to the McLeods.
"But, sir," said Bob Smart, in surprise, "they will be sure to starve."
"No fear of them," replied Redding, "Kenneth is young and active, and
they have plenty of ammunition."
"If report be true," returned Bob, "neither Kenneth nor any of his kin
can hit a sheep at twenty yards off. Bellew says they are as blind as
bats with the gun."
"No matter. They have a boat, and one of them can row back to Jenkins
Creek for fresh meat. Anyway, do as I bid you, and be very careful of
the wrecked men."
Smart, although fond of discussion, knew how to obey. He therefore said
no more, but bade Redding good-night and retired to his humble couch,
which, he was wont to say, was a fine example of compensation, inasmuch
as the fact of its being three inches too narrow was counterbalanced by
its being six inches too long.