“No; but my father remembered him well.  He was well grown towards manhood before the venerable old man died at a great age.  My grandfather has told me story after story of him.  I have been brought up to love and revere his memory, and to hold fast the things which he taught us.  But after his death, alas! a new spirit gradually entered into the hearts of our people.  They began to grow covetous of gain, to trade with the Indians for their own benefit, to fall into careless and sometimes evil practices.  Before my father died he said to me that the Home of Peace was no longer the place it once had been, and that he should like to think that I might find a better place to live in, since I was young and had my life before me.”

“Was that long ago?”

“Just a year.  My mother had died six months earlier.  The dissensions of the parent countries had begun to reach to us.  We had been French and English from the beginning, but had dwelt in peace and brotherly goodwill for nigh upon eighty years.  We had married amongst ourselves, so that some amongst us scarce knew whether to call themselves French or English.  But for all that disunion grew and spread.  Stragglers of Louisiana found their way to us.  They brought new fashions of thought and teaching with them.  Some Romish priests found us out, and took possession of the little chapel which Father Fritz had built with such loving care, and the Mass was said instead of that simpler service which he had drawn up for us.  Many of us the priests dubbed as heretics, and because we would not change our views for them, they became angry, and we were excommunicated.  It has been nothing but growing strife and disunion for the past two years.  I was glad to turn my back upon it at last, and find my way to a freer land, and one where a man may worship God according to his conscience; albeit I have no desire to speak ill of the priests, who were good men, and sought to teach us what they deemed to be the truth.”

“I am a Protestant,” said Humphrey; “I know little about Romish devices.  I was taught to hate and abhor them.  We dwelt among the Quaker folk of Pennsylvania. but we are not Quakers ourselves.  Out here in the wilds we must live as we can.  We have the Bible—­and that is all.”

“People say of the Quakers that they will not fight!” said Fritz suddenly.  “Is that so?”

“I know not,” answered Humphrey; “I think I have heard my father say something of that sort.  But surely they will fight to avenge such things as that!” and he made a gesture with his hand as though indicating the burnt homestead and the graves of the murdered woman and children.

“If they be men they surely will.  You will go and tell them your story, Humphrey?”

“Ay, that I will!” answered Humphrey, between his shut teeth.

Fritz sat staring into the fire for some time, and then he too broke out with some heat.