ped up from the rushes, brushing the priest's face with
its wings.

"Holy Mary save us!" he ejaculated panting to keep up with our guide.
"Faith! I thought 'twas the devil himself!"

"Do you really mean it? Would it be right to get hold of Le Grand
Diable?" I asked. Frances Sutherland had slackened her pace and we were
all three walking abreast. A dry cane crushed noisily under foot and my
head ducked down as if more arrows had hissed past.

"Mane it?" he cried, "mane it? If ye knew all the evil he's done ye'd
know whether I mane it." It was his custom when in banter to drop from
English to his native brogue like a merry-andrew.

"But, Father Holland, I had him in my power. I struck him, but I didn't
kill him, more's the pity!"

"An' who's talking of killin', ye young cut-throat? I say get howld of
his body and when ye've got howld of his body, I'd further advise
gettin' howld of the butt end of a saplin'----"

"But, Father, he was my canoeman. I had him in my power."

Instantly he squared round throwing the torchlight on my face.

"Had him in your power--knew what he'd done--and--and--didn't?"

"And didn't," said I. "But you almost make me wish I had. What do you
take traders for?"

"You're young," said he, "and I take traders for what they are----"

"But I'm a trader and I didn't----" Though a beginner, I wore the airs
of a veteran.

"Benedicite!" he cried. "The Lord shall be your avenger! He shall
deliver that evil one into the power of the punisher!"

"Benedicite!" he repeated. "May ye keep as clean a conscience in this
land as you've brought to it."

"Amen, Father!" said I.

"Here we are," exclaimed Frances Sutherland as we emerged from the
reeds to the brink of the river, where a skiff was moored. "Go, be
quick! I'll stay here! 'Twill be better without me. The Hudson's Bay are
keeping close to the far shore!"

"You can't stay alone," objected Father Holland.

"I shall stay alone, and I've had my way once already to-night."

"But we don't wish to lose one woman in finding another," I protested.

"Go," she commanded with a furious little stamp. "You lose time!
Stupids! Do you think I stay here for nothing? We may have been followed
and I shall stay here and watch! I'll hide in the rushes! Go!" And there
was a second stamp.

That stamp of a foot no larger than a boy's hand cowed two strong men
and sent us rowing meekly across the river.

"Did ye ever--did ever ye see such a little termagant,