young man, without saying a word, put on his hat and walked out of the room; but being the leading man among his countrymen, the whole community took fire at the insult.  ‘This is the way,’ said they, ’that we half-breeds are despised and treated.’  From that time they clubbed together in high dudgeon and joined the French Malcontents against their rulers.  The French half-breeds made a flag for use on the plains called ’The Papineau Standard.’  It is plain that rightly or wrongly, Recorder Thom has a thorny path to tread.”

CHAPTER XIX.

A half-breed patriot.

Canada looks with patriotic delight not only on her sons who remain at home to work out the problems of her developing life, but follows with keenest interest those Canadians who have gone abroad and made a name for themselves, and their country in other parts of the Empire or the world.  Some of these are Judge Haliburton, Satirist; Roberts and Bliss Carman, Poets; Gilbert Parker, Grant Allen and Barr, Novelists; Romanes and Newcombe, Scientists; Girouard, Kennedy and Scott in the Army, and many others who have won laurels in the several walks of life.  But Manitoba, or rather Red River Settlement has also its sons who have gone abroad to do distinguished service and bring honor to their place of birth.  One of them was Alexander K. Isbister, most commonly known as the donor of upwards of $80,000, given as a Scholarship Fund to the University of Manitoba, but really more celebrated still, for the service he rendered his native land.  A little less than thirty years ago the writer met Mr. Isbister in London and enjoyed his hospitality.  Isbister was a tall and handsome man, showing distinctly by his color and high cheekbones that he had Indian blood in his veins.  Receiving his early education in St. John’s School, he had gone home to England, taken his degrees, become a lawyer, and afterward had gone into educational work.  He was, at the time of the visit spoken of, Dean of the College of Preceptors in London, and had much reputation as an educationalist.  But the service he rendered to his native land out-topped all his other achievements.  We have already shown the tendency toward restriction being developed under Recorder Thom’s leadership, in Red River Settlement.  James Sinclair, a member of a most respectable Scotch half-breed family, had obtained the privilege from the Company to export tallow, the product of the buffalo, by way of York Factory to England.  The venture succeeded, but a second shipment was held at York Factory for nearly two years, and thus Sinclair was virtually compelled to sell it to the Company.