Nathaniel could not repress a shudder as he looked.  Screened behind each of the three fires was a cannon.  He figured that there were more than a hundred rifles in that silent cordon of men.  What was there on the opposite side of the temple?

He turned with the old woman and joined the throng that was seething about the temple doors.  There were women, children and old men, crushing and crowding, fighting with panic-stricken fierceness for admittance to the thick log walls.  Through the doors there came the low thunder of countless voices pierced by the shrill cries of little children.  Foot by foot Nathaniel fought his way up the steps.  At the top were drawn a dozen men forming barriers with their rifles.  One of them shoved him back.

“Not you!” he shouted.  “This is for the women!”

Nathaniel fell back, filled with horror.  A glance had shown him the vast dimly lighted interior of the temple packed to suffocation.  What sins had this people wrought that it thus feared the vengeance of the men from the mainland!  He felt the sweat break out upon his face as he thought of Marion being in that mob, tired and fainting with her terrible day’s experience—­perhaps dying under the panic-stricken feet of those stronger than herself.  He hoped now for that which at first had filled him with despair—­that Strang had hidden Marion away from the terror and suffocation of this multitude that fought for its breath within the temple.  Freeing himself of the crowd he ran to the farther side of the building.  A fourth fire blazed in his face.  But on this side there was no cannon; scarcely a score of men were guarding the rear of the temple.

For a full minute he stood concealed in the gloom.  He realized now that it would be useless to return to Obadiah.  The old councilor could probably have told him all that he had discovered for himself; that Marion had gone to the castle—­that Strang intended to make her his bride that night.  But did Obadiah know that the castle had been abandoned?  Did he know that the king’s wives had sought refuge in the temple, and did he know where Marion was hidden?  Nathaniel could assure himself but one answer; Obadiah, struck down by his strange madness, was more ignorant than he himself of what had occurred at St. James.

While he paused a heavy noise arose that quickened his heart-beats and sent the blood through his veins in wild excitement.  From far down by the shore there came the roar of a cannon.  It was closely followed by a second and a third, and hardly was the night shaken by their thunder than a mighty cheering of men swept up from the fire-rimmed coast.  The battle had begun!  Nathaniel leaped out into the glow of the great blazing fire beyond the temple; he heard a warning shout as he darted past the men; for an instant he saw their white faces staring at him from the firelight—­heard a second shout, which he knew was a command—­and was gone.  Half a dozen rifles cracked behind him and a yell