ing to persuade our friends to remain with us at Sainte
Marie instead of journeying on to Lake Champlain."

"At least leave your White Lily at Sainte Marie," said the dusky
princess, speaking in excellent French, and clasping with her ruddy
fingers the ivory hand of Adele. "We will hold her safe for you until
the ice softens, and the leaves and the partridge berries come once
more. I know my people, monsieur, and I tell you that the woods are
full of murder, and that it is not for nothing that the leaves are the
colour of blood, for death lurks behind every tree."

De Catinat was more moved by the impressive manner of his hostess than
by any of the other warnings which he had received. Surely she, if
anyone, must be able to read the signs of the times.

"I know not what to do!" he cried in despair. "I must go on, and yet
how can I expose her to these perils? I would fain stay the winter, but
you must take my word for it, sir, that it is not possible."

"Du Lhut, you know how things should be ordered," said the seigneur.
"What should you advise my friend to do, since he is so set upon getting
to the English Provinces before the winter comes?"

The dark silent pioneer stroked his beard with his hand as he pondered
over the question.

"There is but one way," said he at last, "though even in it there is
danger. The woods are safer than the river, for the reeds are full of
_cached_ canoes. Five leagues from here is the blockhouse of Poitou,
and fifteen miles beyond, that of Auvergne. We will go to-morrow to
Poitou through the woods and see if all be safe. I will go with you,
and I give you my word that if the Iroquois are there, Greysolon du Lhut
will know it. The lady we shall leave here, and if we find that all is
safe we shall come back for her. Then in the same fashion we shall
advance to Auvergne, and there you must wait until you hear where their
war-parties are. It is in my mind that it will not be very long before
we know."

"What! You would part us!" cried Adele aghast.

"It is best, my sister," said Onega, passing her arm caressingly round
her. "You cannot know the danger, but we know it, and we will not let
our White Lily run into it. You will stay here to gladden us, while the
great chief Du Lhut, and the French soldier, your husband, and the old
warrior who seems so wary, and the other chief with limbs like the wild
deer, go forward through the woods and see that all is well before you
ven