Macdonald turned to his men with a kind of appeal--"I hev given my
promise, and Macdonald will not break his word."

"Bah!" cried LeNoir, spitting at him.

"Now may the Lord give me grace to withstand the enemy," said Macdonald,
gravely, "for I am greatly moved to take vengeance upon you."

"Bah!" cried LeNoir again, mistaking Macdonald's quietness and
self-control for fear. "You no good! Your brother is no good! Beeg
sheep! Beeg sheep! Bah!"

"God help me," said Macdonald as if to himself. "I am a man of grace!
But must this dog go unpunished?"

LeNoir continued striding up and down, now and then springing high in
the air and knocking his heels together with blood-curdling yells.
He seemed to feel that Macdonald would not fight, and his courage and
desire for blood grew accordingly.

"Will you not be quate?" said Macdonald, rising after a few moments from
his brother's side, where he had been wiping his lips and giving him
water to drink. "You will be better outside."

"Oui! you strike me on the head side. Bon! I strike you de same way! By
Gar!" so saying he approached Macdonald lightly, and struck him a slight
blow on the cheek.

"Ay," said Macdonald, growing white and rigid. "I struck you twice,