Law of the North (Originally published as Empery): A Story of Love and Battle in Rupert's Land

In Short

This novel is a rugged adventure set in the Canadian north during the cutthroat era of the competing fur-trading companies. It tracks the intense rivalry between Hudson’s Bay Company trader Bruce Dunvegan and the villainous "Black" Ferguson, a conflict that expands from economic competition into a desperate, high-stakes game of survival and romance. The story captures the harsh beauty and brutal demands of the frontier, where loyalty is tested by isolation and the sheer will to dominate the landscape. It remains a classic example of early twentieth-century wilderness fiction.

The Story

The narrative follows Bruce Dunvegan, a capable and disciplined chief trader for the Hudson’s Bay Company, as he navigates the treacherous politics of the northern fur trade. Dunvegan is a man defined by his unwavering loyalty to his Company and his deep, often jealous, affection for Desirée Lazard, a woman living under the care of her uncle at a nearby post. His antagonist is the formidable "Black" Ferguson, an agent of the rival Northwest Fur Company, whose lack of morality and cunning tactics pose a constant threat to the Company’s operations.

As the conflict deepens, both sides engage in aggressive maneuvers, including the interception of dispatches, the sacking of supply trains, and the strategic occupation of trading posts. Dunvegan’s path is complicated by the presence of a clerk named Edwin Glyndon, whose arrival at Oxford House triggers Dunvegan’s intense possessiveness over Desirée. The tension reaches a breaking point when rumors of betrayal and shifting allegiances circulate through the wilderness, forcing Dunvegan to move quickly to protect his interests and the woman he loves.

While Dunvegan leads his men across frozen lakes and through dangerous rapids, he finds himself constantly outmaneuvered by the machinations of his enemies and the volatile environment. The plot converges at Fort La Roche, where Ferguson holds Desirée captive. Flora Macleod, the daughter of a local factor, plays a pivotal role in these final stages, risking her life to thwart Ferguson’s attempts to force Desirée into a marriage. In a climactic confrontation within the storehouse, Dunvegan battles Ferguson in a brutal, hand-to-hand struggle that results in the villain’s back being broken. Even in his crippled state, Ferguson tries to summon his men for a final attack, but Dunvegan manages to escape through a fur-chute with Desirée, narrowly avoiding the surrounding Nor’wester forces. The story concludes with the triumph of the Hudson's Bay Company, as the wilderness shifts into the vibrant, fleeting heat of summer, signaling a new, uncertain chapter for the survivors.

How It Unfolds

The encounter at the portage Basil Dreaulond, a courier, spots a large party of men while navigating a difficult route. He initially suspects they are enemies, but recognizes his own Company’s men led by the steadfast Bruce Dunvegan.

The mission of the trader Dunvegan travels through the wilderness, driven by his duty to the Company and a burning desire to see Desirée Lazard. Along the way, he encounters suspicious characters who attempt to gauge his knowledge of a mysterious man in a photograph.

The shadow of a rival The men at the post discuss the terrifying reputation of Black Ferguson, a Nor’wester who stops at nothing to secure power. Tensions escalate when a local "idiot" named Gaspard Follet brings word of further threats, and the post prepares for a looming, inevitable war.

The race against the elements Dunvegan and his men brave the biting cold, traveling across hazardous, ice-covered terrain to intercept a Nor’west fur train. They successfully track their rivals, maintaining strict silence and discipline to ensure they are not discovered before the decisive moment.

The siege at the fort Dunvegan reaches Fort Brondel and finds it occupied by drunken, unsuspecting rivals, revealing the depth of their mismanagement. He secures the post, but soon learns that Desirée has been taken to the heart of enemy territory at Fort La Roche.

The final confrontation Dunvegan penetrates Fort La Roche, where he finds Ferguson. A desperate, violent fight ensues in the powder-filled warehouse, forcing a narrow escape that leaves the Nor’wester defeated and the lovers finally free to flee into the wild.

The People

Bruce Dunvegan is the central figure, a man of immense physical strength and rigid professional discipline. He is defined by his unwavering allegiance to the Hudson’s Bay Company, yet his judgment is frequently clouded by a fierce, jealous love for Desirée Lazard. Desirée, the object of his affection, is portrayed as both elegant and resilient, caught in the middle of a power struggle she only partially understands. Her presence serves as the primary catalyst for Dunvegan’s more reckless actions. Black Ferguson is the dark mirror of the protagonist; he is a man of "steel spirit" and "black soul," who represents the unrestrained greed of the Northwest Fur Company. His eventual downfall is as much a result of his hubris as it is of Dunvegan’s skill. Finally, Flora Macleod acts as a vital, if tragic, catalyst; her internal conflict and hatred for Ferguson’s methods drive her to intervene in ways that ultimately save Desirée, marking her as a character of significant moral complexity.

In Its Own Voice

"This power had grown within him with every successive year of his wilderness life, and at once he was aware that a party of considerable size was packing across the boulder-strewn strip of woodland separating Kinistina Creek from Lac Du Longe."

The narrator describes the acute, almost supernatural senses Dunvegan developed after years of living in the isolated wilderness.

"He hungered for a sight of Desirée singing gayly within the stockades."

This line captures the intensity of Dunvegan's longing, which drives much of his decision-making throughout the story.

"Could Black Ferguson have witnessed the scene, he would have understood that he was combating not iron determination alone; not reckless strength, not unswerving pertinacity, but a stern faith in a power so vast as to be almost beyond comprehension."

This passage explains the ideological divide between the two companies, suggesting that Dunvegan's strength comes from a belief in a larger institutional ideal.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the conflict between individual desire and the demands of rigid institutional duty. Dunvegan must constantly choose between his professional obligation to the "Ancient and Honorable Company" and the personal risks he takes for his own happiness. The book also examines the nature of civilization in an untamed landscape; the trading posts represent islands of order, yet the men who occupy them are frequently as volatile as the wilderness itself. It questions whether true power lies in the strength of one’s hand—as Dunvegan believes—or in the spirit of the cause one serves. Ultimately, it is a study of how isolation and the "law of the north" strip away social pretensions, leaving only the primal struggle between different systems of survival.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy high-stakes adventure and the atmospheric, unforgiving settings of frontier fiction will find much to admire here. The book captures the physical sensation of the north—the biting cold, the silence of the snow, and the sudden, violent transitions of the seasons—with a vivid, almost tactile precision. It is an honest look at a time when competition was synonymous with physical survival.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes prevalent in the early twentieth century. The text reflects the colonial perspective of the era, particularly in its depictions of Indigenous characters and the "civilizing" mission of the trading companies. The dialect occasionally employed to represent the voyageurs and the "Little Fool" can feel dated or stylized to contemporary ears. Furthermore, the pacing is reflective of a slower, more deliberate era of storytelling, where long periods of travel and reflection are as important as the action scenes. If you are willing to navigate these historical markers, the book offers a compelling, visceral experience of a world that feels both distant and immediate. The sheer intensity of the rivalry between the two protagonists provides a narrative engine that rarely lets up, making it a classic, if challenging, read.