y be back soon, and we had best not lose a
moment."

"In an hour it might be dark enough to start."

"I think that there is rain in those clouds, and that will make it
darker still."

The women and children were assembled and their places in each boat were
assigned to them. The wives of the censitaires, rough hardy women whose
lives had been spent under the shadow of a constant danger, were for the
most part quiet and collected, though a few of the younger ones
whimpered a little. A woman is always braver when she has a child to
draw her thoughts from herself, and each married woman had one now
allotted to her as her own special charge until they should reach the
fort. To Onega, the Indian wife of the seigneur, who was as wary and as
experienced as a war sachem of her people, the command of the women was
entrusted.

"It is not very far, Adele," said De Catinat, as his wife clung to his
arm. "You remember how we heard the Angelus bells as we journeyed
through the woods. That was Fort St. Louis, and it is but a league or
two."

"But I do not wish to leave you, Amory. We have been together in all
our troubles. Oh, Amory, why should we be divided now?"

"My dear love, you will tell them at the fort how things are with us,
and they will bring us help."

"Let the others do that, and I will stay. I will not be useless, Amory.
Onega has taught me to load a gun. I will not be afraid, indeed I will
not, if you will only let me stay."

"You must not ask it, Adele. It is impossible, child I could not let
you stay."

"But I feel so sure that it would be best."

The coarser reason of man has not yet learned to value those subtle
instincts which guide a woman. De Catinat argued and exhorted until he
had silenced if he had not convinced her.

"It is for my sake, dear. You do not know what a load it will be from
my heart when I know that you are safe. And you need not be afraid for
me. We can easily hold the place until morning. Then the people from
the fort will come, for I hear that they have plenty of canoes, and we
shall all meet again."

Adele was silent, but her hands tightened upon his arm. Her husband was
still endeavouring to reassure her when a groan burst from the watcher
at the window which overlooked the stream.

"There is a canoe on the river to the north of us," he cried.

The besieged looked at each other in dismay. The Iroquois had then cut
off their retreat after all.

"How many wa