a moment McElroy looked closely at him.

"Of the Company?" he asked sharply.

"Aye," said the other, with a little of wonder in voice and look, "of
the Company, M'sieu most assuredly."

The momentary flicker of uneasiness that had gripped the factor with
the stranger's speech died at his words.

So, of a surety, why not?

Had not he himself, born in the smoke of a London street, accepted with
the ingenious adaptability of the Irish blood within him the very
speech he now wondered at in the other?

As the young man sprang lightly to land he held out his hand, and it
was gripped with a force that showed the spirit behind the beauty of
this new guest.

"Welcome, M'sieu," said the factor, "to Fort de Seviere and all it
contains."

"Bien!" laughed the other with a show of fine white teeth, "but it is
good to behold neighbours in so deadly a wilderness as we have passed
through for these many days. Naught but God-forgotten loneliness and
never-ending forest. Yet it is for these that we barter the comforts of
civilisation, eh, M'sieu, and waste ourselves on solitude and the
savage?" He turned and waved his gloved hand over the five canoes, now
curving one by one in to the landing, and shouted a few terse orders