authorities. M. Riel is a fanatic, and counts not the
perilousness of his undertaking. He will succeed at the
first, I doubt not. You will hear of slaughtered whites,
and others who have incurred his private vengeance. He
will lord it over all like a tyrant, till he sees the
bayonets from Canada, when he will take good care to get
out of the way." Her father saw that her views were sound,
and consented to take her advice; but who was to acquaint
his brother with their needs, and to learn if he could
afford a harbourage?

"Paul can go. He can take the pony and ride the distance
in twelve hours." So it was agreed, and Marie busied
herself with the linen of her brother, and sewed missing
buttons upon his clothes. In the evening, when all were
seated at supper, a young half-breed who had long been
an intimate friend at the house of Marie's father, and
who cast many a languishing eye upon the piquant Violette,
came in. There was much concern in his face, and it was
some time before he knew how to begin to break the news
which he possessed.

"Monsieur Riel was at my father's house to-day, and he
talked long there. He is not your friend," looking at
Jean. "He declares that you are in league with the
enemies of our colony, and has asked my father to keep
a strict watch on the doings of every member of your
family. I know that he talked in the same strain at every
house he visited; and I think there is no threshold in
our settlement that he hasn't crossed. About twenty-five