SEGUIS, Chief Free-Trader.
“Free-traders! Free-traders!” he gasped. “By heaven, this is too much! For thirty years, I have been factor in this district, and kept the hunters in line. But, now, there's a brotherhood of free-traders. They'll flout the Company, will they? They'll flout me, eh? I'll show them, by heaven! I'll show them!”
The factor heaved himself out of his chair, and lumbered excitedly up and down the room.
“And Seguis is at the head of it. I wonder where that man, McTavish, is? If he has done his duty, that sneaking half-breed is either dead or tied to a sledge on his way here. That'll break 'em up quick enough—taking their leader! It's up to him, now... Cardepie, send the chief trader of the fort and the doctor to me, at once. We'll have to organize to meet this situation.”
The Frenchman, frightened at the anger of the fierce old man, was glad enough to make his escape. Fitzpatrick turned to his daughters.
“Girls, please have your dinners brought upstairs to you to-night. I want to talk business with my chiefs at the table.”
Obediently, the two young women rose and left the room, glad, in their turn, to avoid the tantrum of the irate factor.
Morning found Fort Severn in a tumult of excitement. The news of the free-trading organization had spread until even the dullest Indian had been made aware of it.
The council of department heads, at dinner the night before, had unanimously decided that but one course lay open to them—to crush the rebellion against the Company before it could reach any larger proportions. At the same time, it was agreed that a wait of a few days would be judicious, for in that time McTavish might come in with Charley Seguis as his prisoner.
No one doubted for a moment that, if McTavish came at all, it would be either to announce the death of the man he had set out to capture, or to hand his prisoner over to the authorities. Such was Donald's reputation in the district.