With Lieutenant-Governor Gore, formerly a soldier in Guernsey, our hero was on intimate terms.  When the grind of duty let him, he would travel “the worst road in the country—­fit only for an Indian mail-carrier—­in order to mix in the society of York.”  He periodically returned these hospitalities by a grand ball at Niagara—­always the event of the season.  Brock, while fond of women’s society, preferred brain to beauty.  Had his old Guernsey friends been present on these occasions they would not have recognized in the soldier, resplendent in a general’s uniform, now dancing a mazurka, the handsome stripling who only a few years since had waltzed his way into the hearts of all the women of St. Peter’s Port.

The unrest of the Indians at Amherstburg troubled him.  He had seen over eight hundred in camp there, receiving rations for a month while waiting presents of blankets, powder and shot from King George.  They asked British support if they took the warpath against the Americans—­the Long-knives—­Gitchi-mokohmahn, their sworn enemies.  Tecumseh, a Shawanese chief, had demanded from the United States the restoration of violated rights.  This demand had not been complied with.  The position was critical.  Great tact was required to retain the friendship of the Indians, while not complying with their request.

In Lower Canada there was still discord among the French Canadians.  The Governor, Sir James Craig, in a dying condition, relinquished office.  In answer to Brock’s application for leave, still hoping for a staff appointment in Portugal, the Governor-General implored him to remain.

“I must,” he told him, “leave the country in the best state of security I can; your presence is needed here.  I am sending you as a mark of my sincere regard my favourite horse, Alfred.”  This was a high-bred animal, and our hero’s charger in the war that followed.

It was not, however, until war was regarded as unavoidable, and not until after he was promoted to be a major-general and appointed President and Administrator of Upper Canada, as successor to Governor Gore, that Isaac Brock became reconciled to life in Canada, and with set purpose assumed the duties of his high calling.

* * * * *

Our hero had passed his third milestone.

FOOTNOTE: 

[2] Miss Carnochan, as the Curator of the Niagara Historical Society the custodian of many relics of the war of 1812, has in her keeping this identical cocked hat.  It arrived “shortly after Brock’s death, and was given by his nephew to Mr. George Ball, near whose residence the 49th was stationed.  The hat measures twenty-four inches inside, and was used at the funeral obsequies of 1824 and 1853, when many old soldiers requested, and were permitted, to try it on.”  The usage that the cocked hat then received has not improved its appearance.

CHAPTER XII.