He stood like one spellbound, watching and waiting.  The sound of steps drew nearer to the fringe of obscuring forest trees; the sound of voices became plainer and more plain.  In another minute Humphrey saw them—­two bronzed and stalwart men—­advancing from the wood into the clearing.  They came upon it unawares, as was plain from their sudden pause.  But they were white men; they were brothers in this wild land.  There was something like a sob in Humphrey’s throat, which he hastily swallowed down, as he advanced with great strides to meet them.

“You are welcome,” he said.  “I had thought the Indians had left no living beings behind them in all this forest save my brother and myself.”

No introductions were needed in this savage place; the face of every white man lit up at sight of a like countenance, and at the sound of the familiar tongue.  The men shook hands with a hearty grip, and one said to Humphrey: 

“You have had Indians here?”

Humphrey made an expressive gesture with his hand.

“This was a week ago as fair a holding as heart of man could wish to see in this grim forest.  You see what is left today!”

“Your house is burnt down, as we plainly see.  Have you lost aught beside?  Has human blood been spilt?”

“The corpse of my venerable father, and that of a bold baby boy, lie beneath yon heap of ruins which made their funeral pyre.  In yonder grave lie the mingled corpses of my brother’s wife and four fair children, hacked to death and half burnt by the savages.  And yet this work is not the work of savages alone.  With them we have dwelt at peace these many years.  The shame, the horror, the disgrace of it is that we owe these horrors to the white sons of France, who hound on the savages to make these raids, and stand by to see them do their bloody work!”

The two strangers exchanged glances—­meaning glances—­and one of them laid a hand upon Humphrey’s shoulder, looking earnestly into his eyes the while.

“Is it so in very truth?  So have we heard in whispers, but it was a thing we could scarce believe.  We have travelled far from the lands of the south to join our brethren of the English race.  We heard rumours of wars cruel and bloody.  Yet it seemed to us too strange a thing to believe that here, amid the hostile, savage Indians, white man could wage war with white man, and take the bloody heathen man as his ally, instead of the brother who bears the name of Christ!”

Humphrey looked with some wonder and fascination into the face of the youth who spoke.  It was a refined and beautiful face, notwithstanding the evidences of long exposure to sun and wind.  The features were finely cut, sensitive and expressive, and the eyes were very luminous in their glance, and possessed strangely penetrating powers.  In stature the young man was almost as tall as Humphrey, but of a much slighter build; yet he was wiry and muscular, as could well be seen, and plainly well used to the life of the wild woodlands.  His dress was that of the backwoods, dressed deerskin being the chief material used.  Both travellers wore moccasins on their feet, and carried the usual weapons of offence and defence.