Sholto knew well how those in the service of Satan were able to change themselves into the semblance of wolves, and he never doubted for a moment that he and his friends were face to face with the direct manifestations of the nether pit.  Nevertheless Sholto MacKim was by nature of a stout heart, and he resolved that if he had to die, it would be as well to die as became a captain of the Douglas guard.

The blue leme of summer lightning momentarily lit up the western sky.  The men could see the great gaunt pack wolves sitting upon their haunches or moving restlessly to and fro across each other, while from the denser woods behind rose the howling of fresh levies, hastening to the assistance of the first.  Sholto noted in especial one gigantic she-wolf, which appeared at every point of the circle and seemed to muster and encourage the pack to the attack.

[Illustration:  ALL THE WILD BEASTS APPEARED TO BE OBEYING THE SUMMONS OF THE WITCH WOMAN.]

The wild-fire flickered behind the jet black silhouettes of the dense trees so that their tops stood out against the pale sky as if carved in ebony.  Then the night shut down darker than before.  As the soundless lightning wavered and brightened, the shadows of the wolves appeared simultaneously to start forward and then retreat, while the noise of their howling carried with it some diabolic suggestion of discordant human voices.

“La Meffraye!  La Meffraye!  Meffraye!”

So to the excited minds of the three Scots the wolf legions seemed to be crying with one voice as they came nearer.  All the wild beasts of the wood appeared to be obeying the summons of the witch woman.

The strain of the situation first told upon the Lord James Douglas.  “Great Saints!” he cried, “let us attack them and die sword in hand.  I cannot endure much more of this.”

“Stand still where you are.  It is our only chance,” commanded Sholto, as abruptly as if James Douglas had been a doubtful soldier of his company.

“It were better to find a tree that we could climb,” growled Malise with a practical suggestiveness, which, however, came too late.  For they dared not move out of the open space, and the great trunk of the blasted pine rose behind them bare of branches almost to the top.

“Your daggers in your left hands, they are upon us!” cried Sholto, who, standing with his face to the west, had a lower horizon and more light than the others.  The three men had cast their palmers’ cloaks from their shoulders and now stood leaning a little forward, breathing hard as they waited the assault of foes whom they believed to be frankly diabolic and instinct with all the powers of hell.  This required greater courage than storming many fortifications.