few moments a straight pillar of fire went leaping up into
the night.

[Illustration: "A straight pillar of fire went leaping up into
the night."]

CHAPTER XIX

ON THE ISLE AUX COUDRES

Now that the beacon was fairly alight my purpose was accomplished,
and I was free to return to the house; but the night was warm,
there was no sound save the lapping of the rising tide, or the
short quick puff of some slowly turning porpoise from out the
darkness beyond, and I stood there for what I suppose was a long
time, held by the spell of the perfect quiet. At length I roused
myself, and began to retrace my steps, but as I gained the line of
the pine wood I turned aside and stood a moment for a last look at
the friendly beacon flaring up into the darkness. The loud crackle
of the wood seemed like joyous cries of encouragement, and the
strong ruddy flame filled me with a fresh confidence. On the morrow,
if Gabriel should appear, I would announce our departure for Quebec,
and once there would place myself under the protection of M. de
Montcalm until...

"Oh, Heaven!" I almost screamed, for I heard footsteps hurriedly
approaching, and had only time to withdraw more completely into
the shadow of the trees when Luntook, the Indian, came running down
the path, and in an instant scattered the fire on all sides, hurling
the blazing brands over the cliff and covering up the embers until
not a spark remained.

When the fire was completely extinguished he looked about him
slowly, while I cowered there in mortal terror, believing he would
immediately search for and certainly discover me; but, to my
surprise, he walked silently past my shelter and kept his way along
the path.

I was simply paralysed with fear. I could not have screamed or made
a move had my life depended on it; the very presence of the man
struck terror to my soul, for he seemed the personification of all
the possibility of evil in his master. He it was, I well knew, who
would carry out any violence which might be determined against me,
and the fact of his remaining about the place when his master was
supposed to have left, filled me with alarm. I was persuaded I
was to be carried off, perhaps on the morrow, and the priest's
warning came back to me with renewed insistence.

My burden of fear so grew upon me that I dared not remain within
the shadow of the wood, for every sound in its depths shook me with
a new terror, and every moment I imagined I could feel