Heralds of Empire

ring, Pierre Radisson set sail over

m and stern with deep sinking of the waist, before M. Radisson had climbed the ship's ladder and scattered quick commands that sent sailors shinning up masts, for all the world like so many monkeys. The St. Pierre, our ship was called, in honour of Pierre Radisson; for admiral and captain an

him down to poverty and ruin; but deeds are proof of the inner man. And look

m the prow. Green shores slipped to haze of distance. With her larboard lipping low and that long break of swishing waters against her ports which is as a croon to the seaman's ear, the St. Pierre dipped and rose and sank again to the swell of the

-Man, the king undaunted, coming to his own! Children oft get closer to the essences of truth than older folk grown foolish with too much learning. As a child I used to think what a wonderful moment that was when Man, the master, first appeared on face of earth. How did the beasts and the seas and the winds feel about it, I asked. Did they laugh at this fellow, the mos

osition wa

ld victor takes up the unfinished work left by generations of men. Your New World hero begins at the pristine task. I pray you, who are born to the nobility of the New World, forget not the glory of your heritage

of fortune from Quebec, with titles as long as a tilting lance and the fighting blood of a Spanish don and the airs of a king's grand chamberlain. Their seamanship you may guess. All of them spent the

asks M. de Radisson, with a quiet wink, not sp

ng," growls that young gentle

on, "you might be better occupied l

kly, "'tis all I can do to ba

," vows Radisson. "Men are

calloping in blind zigzags for the stair. "May I be shot

prince is taken by the marquis with a face the gray

y when he wore his airs too mightily-was better manned, havin

you shall

razy pace of our ship, whose gait I can compare only to the bouncings of loose timber in a heavy sea. Nor

reef; and a monster silver-stripe heaved up on our lee. 'Twas a finback whale, M. Radisson explained; and he protested against the impudence of scratching its back on our keel. As we sailed farther north many a school of rolling finbacks glistened silver in the sun or rose higher than our masthead, when one took the death-leap to escape its leagued foes-swordfish and thrasher and shark. And to

sps an ironwood bar to hoist the monster home. I wish you had seen their faces when the shark's great head with six rows of teeth in its gaping upper jaw came abreast the deck! Half the fellows were for throwing down the bars and running, but the other half would not show white feather before the common sailors; and two or three clankin

with the spirit of that wild, tempestuous world where the storm never sleeps and the cordage pipes o

are much mistaken. I doubt if lamentations ever did as much to lift mankind to victory as th

ther commoner. And M. de Radisson was as great a stickler for fine points as any of the new-fledged colonials. When he called a conference, he must needs muster to the quarter-deck by beat of drum, with a tipstaff, having a silver bauble of a stick, leading the way. This office fell to Godefroy, the trader, a fellow with the figure of a slat and a scalp tonsured bare as a billiard-

re, deputy-governo

cuffs the fe

ightiness give place to a merchant's son? Heaven he

Radisson's cabin and sit d

Radisson; and Godefroy goes off

iting for the merchant; and the end of it is M. Radisson must give Godefroy the wink, who knocks both their hats off at once, explaining that a landsman can ill keep his legs on the sea, and the sea is no respecter o

Forêt!" roared the merchan

p righted, whipped out his rapier, vowed he would dust somebody's jacke

there's nothing spilt but the beer and the dignity! The beer can be mopped. Ther

e wretch scuttled up-stairs out of reach. Sailors wiped up the beer, and al

ublet, and fine old Mechlin came back over his sleeves in deep

M. Radisson drew his blade from the sca

Across his breast were medals and stars of honour given him by many monarchs. I think as we looked at our leader

uneasily at his chin, and in h

forecasting weather, "gentlemen, I seem to have hea

and leagues from res

th his voice all athrill. "Mutinied

to floor with a thwack that mi

La Chesnaye, or-or a fife?"

s abeam, with the surly wail that portends storm. I do not believe any of us ever realized what a frail chip was between l

ken than before, "if any one here is for turni

ling through lee scuppers above with the hiss of a cataract. M. Radisson inverts a sand-g

s the driving spray, but never a ma

eam in his deep-set eyes, "am I to understand tha

urst like a clari

isson smil

tand up so that I could run him through to the hi

inied. There's another trifle to keep under your caps, gentlemen-the mu

per was ever crackling off like grains of gunpowder

's face was a

bing his chin with a wrinkling smile, "y

h fear but a moment before came lau

t found h

en of the mutineers

êt," retorted Radisson, "and the

as they do in Queb

t astern. Crowding to the glazed window we saw a dozen sc

Radisson advise?"

s Radisson, "I nev