Howland. "Surely this is England's war."

Then Barry appeared to awake as from a dream.

"Yes, it is England's war, it is Britain's war, and when Britain is at war my country is at war, and when my country is at war I ought to be there."

"God in heaven!" shouted Duff, striking him on the back, "you have said it! My country is at war, and I must be there. As God hears me, I am off to-day--now."

"Me, too!" said Knight with a shout.

"I'm going with you, sir," said little Harry Hobbs, ranging himself beside Barry.

"Count me in," said Tom Fielding quietly. "I have a wife and three kids, but--"

"My God!" gasped Duff. "My wife." His face went white. He had not yet fully adjusted himself to the fact of war.

"Why, of course," said Mr. Howland, "you married men won't be called upon. You must be reasonable. For instance you, Mr. Duff, cannot leave your wife."

But Duff had recovered himself.

"My wife, sir? My wife would despise me if I stayed up here. Sir, my wife will buckle on my belt and spurs and send me off to the war," cried Duff in a voice that shook as he spoke.

With a single stride Barry was at his side, offering both his hands.

"Thank God for men like you! And in my soul I believe the Empire has millions of them."

"Does your Empire demand that you desert those you have pledged yourself to?" enquired Brand in a sneering tone.

"Oh, Cornwall!" exclaimed Paula, "how can you?"

"Why, Brand," said Mr. Howland, "that is unworthy of you."

"We will see you into safety, sir," said Duff, swinging round upon Brand, "either to the Hudson's Bay Company's post, where you can get Indians, or back to Edmonton, but not one step further on this expedition do I go."

"Nor I," said Knight.

"Nor I," said Fielding.

"Nor I," said Barry.

"Nor I," said Harry Hobbs.

"You are quite right, sir," said Mr. Howland, turning to Barry. "I apologise to you, sir, to all of you Canadians. I am ashamed to confess that I did not at first get the full meaning of this terrific thing that has befallen your Empire. Were it the U.S.A. that was in a war of this kind, hell itself would not keep me from going to her aid. Nor you either, Brand. Yes, you are right. Go to your war. God go with you."

He shook hands solemnly with them one by one. "I only wish to God that my country were with you, too, in this thing," he said when he had performed this function.

"Father," cried Paula, "do you think for one minute that Uncle Sam won't be in this? You put it down," she said, swinging 'round upon Barry, "where it will jump at you some day: We will be with you in this scrap for all we are worth."

"And now for the march," said Barry, who seemed almost to assume command. Then removing his hat and lifting high his hand, he said in a voice thrilling with solemn reverence, "God grant victory to the right!

God save the king!"

Instinctively the men took off their hats and stood with bared and bent heads, as if sharing in a solemn ritual. They stood with millions upon millions of their kin in the old mother lands, and scattered wide upon the seas, stood with many millions more of peoples and nations, pledging to this same cause of right, life and love and all they held dear, and with hearts open to that all-searching eye, praying that same prayer, "God grant victory to the right. Amen and amen. We ask no other."

Then they faced to their hundred miles' trek en route to the war.

CHAPTER VI

THE MEN OF THE NORTH

"Fifty miles--not too bad, boy, not too bad for a one day's go. We'll camp right here at the portage. How is it, Knight?"

"Good place, Duff, right on that point. Good wood, good landing. Besides there's a deuce of a portage beyond, which we can do after supper to-night. How do you feel, Barry?" asked Knight. "Hard day, eh?"

"Feeling fit, a little tired, of course, but good for another ten miles," answered Barry.

"That's the stuff," replied Knight, looking at him keenly, "but, see here, you must ease up on the carrying. You haven't quite got over that ducking of yours."

"I'm fit enough," answered Barry, rather more curtly than his wont.

They brought the canoes up to the landing, and with the speed of long practice unloaded them, and drew them upon the shore.

Knight approached Duff, and, pointing toward Barry, said quietly:

"I guess we'll have to ease him up a bit. That fight, you know, took it out of him, and he always jumps for the biggest pack. We'd better hold him back to-morrow a bit."

"Can't hold back any one," said Duff, with an oath. "We've got to make it to-morrow night. There's the devil of a trip before us. That big marsh portage is a heartbreaker, and there must be a dozen or fifteen of them awaiting us, and we're going to get through--at least, I am."

"All right," said Knight, with a quick flash of temper. "I'll stay with you, only I thought we might ease him a bit."

"I'm telling you, we're going to get through," said Duff, with another oath.

"You needn't tell me, Duff," said Knight. "Keep your shirt on."

"On or off, wet or dry, sink or swim, we're going to make that train to-morrow, Knight. That's all about it."

Then Knight let himself go.

"See here, Duff. Do you want to go on to-night? If you do, hell and blazes, say the word and I'm with you."

His face was white as he spoke. He seized a tump-line, swung the pack upon his head, and set off across the portage.

"Come on, boys," he yelled. "We're going through to-night."

"Oh, hold up, Knight!" said Duff. "What the hell's eating you? We'll grub first anyway."

"No," said Knight. "The next rapid is a bad bit of water, and if we're going through to-night, I want that bit behind me, before it gets too dark. So come along!"