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Updated: June 18, 2025
"They've spoke sharp words in me teeth," he continued, "and they'll pay for it. Bounce! sweat! brag! wind! is it? There's dancin' beyant this night, me darlins!" "Are you sure you'll not run away when they come on?" said Pierre, a little ironically. "Is that the word av a frind?" replied Macavoy, a hand fumbling in his hair. "Did you never run away when faced?" Pierre asked pitilessly.
Macavoy stopped short, open-mouthed, breathing hard in his great beard. He was astonished at Wonta's raillery; the more so when she presently snapped her fingers, and the other maidens, laughing, did the same. Some of the half-breeds snapped their fingers also in sympathy, and shrugged their shoulders. Wonta came up to him softly, patted him on the head, and said: "Like Macavoy there is nobody.
The fires still burned brightly, and the breathing of the pines, as a slight wind rose and stirred them, came softly over. The Indians stood off at the command of the chief. Macavoy drew back to the wall, dropped the musk-ox skin to the ground, and stripped himself to the waist. But in his waistband there was what none of these Indians had ever seen a small revolver that barked ever so softly.
There was a moment's pause, and then Macavoy, whose blood ran high, stood forth again. The Trader came to him. "Must this go on?" he said; "haven't you had your fill of it?" Had he touched Macavoy with a word of humour the matter might have ended there; but now the giant spoke loud, so all could hear. "Had me fill av it, Trader, me angel? I'm only gittin' the taste av it.
Pierre made a sign to Bareback, and the Indian touched the giant on the arm. "Will you fight?" said he. "Not all o' ye at once," said Macavoy slowly, running his eye carefully along the half-dozen; "not more than three at a toime," he added with a simple sincerity, his voice again gone like the dove's. "At what time will it be convaynyint for ye?" he asked.
"At sunset," said the chief, "before the Fort." Macavoy nodded and walked away with Pierre, whose glance of approval at the Indians did not make them thoroughly happy. To rouse the giant was not now so easy. He had already three engagements of violence for sunset. Pierre directed their steps by a roundabout to the Company's stores, and again there was a distinct improvement in the giant's spirits.
Pierre knew quite well that this was a bull caribou, travelling wildly till he found another herd. He would carry on the deception. "Wail for the dead, as your women do in Ireland. That will finish them," he said to Macavoy. The giant threw his voice up and out, so that it seemed to come from over the Fort to the Indians, weird and crying.
Even Pierre had hardly looked for so much from his giant as yet. In a little while he had got Macavoy back to his old humour. "What was I made for but war!" said the Irishman, "an' by war to kape thim at peace, wherever I am."
Macavoy had nothing to say to the head-shakes of the others, and they did not try to dissuade him; for women and children were in the question, and there they were below beside the house, the children gathered round the mother, she waiting waiting. Macavoy, stripped to the waist, and carrying only a hatchet and a coil of rope tied round him, started away alone up the river.
The last words were, "There mayn't be any help for me and my sweet chicks, but I am still hoping, and you must send a man or many. But send soon, for we are cut off, and the end may come any hour." Macavoy and Pierre were soon at the Post, and knew from Hilton all there was to know. At once Pierre began to gather men, though what one or many could do none could say.
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