She was quiet and very pale while I was speaking, and at moments her grey eyes widened with the unearthly horror of the thing; but never a tremour touched her, nor did lid or lips quiver or her gaze falter.

And when I had done she remained silent, looking out over the river at our feet, which was now all crinkling with the sun’s bright network through the tracery of leaves.

“There is a danger to you,” I said, “which will not cease until this army has left the Red Priest dead amid the sacrilegious ashes of his own vile altar.  My Indians have made a vow to leave no Erie, no blasphemous and perverted priest alive.  Amochol, the Wyoming Witch, the Toad-Woman—­ all that accursed spawn of Frontenac must die.

“Major Parr is of the same opinion; Clinton sees the importance of this, having had the sense to learn of Amherst how to stop the Seneca demons with a stout hempen rope.  Two Sachems he hung, and the whole nation cowed down in terror of him while his authority remained.

“But Amherst left us; and the yelps of the Toad-Woman aroused the Sorcerers from their torpor.  But I swear to you by St. Catharine, who is the saint of the Iroquois also, that the sway of Amochol shall end, and that he shall lie on his own bloody altar, nor die there before he sees the flames of Catharines-town touch the very heaven of an affronted God!”

“Can you do this?”

“With God’s help and General Sullivan’s,” I said cheerfully.  “For I daily pray to the One, and I have the promise of the other that before our marching army alarms Catharines-town, I and my Indians and Boyd and his riflemen shall strike the Red Priest there at the Onon-hou-aroria.”

“What is that, Euan?”

“Their devil-rites—­ an honest feast which they have perverted.  It was the Dream Feast, Lois, but Amochol has made of it an orgy unspeakable, where human sacrifices are offered to the Moon Witch, Atensi, and to Leshi and the Stone-Throwers, and the Little People—­ many of which were not goblins and ghouls until Amochol so decreed them.”

“When is this feast to be held in Catharines-town?”

“On the last day of this month.  Until then you must not leave this camp; and after the army marches you must not go outside this fort.  Amochol’s arm is long.  His acolytes are watching.  And now I think you understand at last.”

She nodded.  Presently she rested her pale cheek on her arms and looked at the reddening edges of the woods.  Northwest lay Catharines-town, so Mayaro said.  And into the northwest her grey eyes now gazed, calmly and steadily, while the sun went out behind the forest and the high heavens were plumed with fire.

Under us the river ran, all pink and primrose, save where deep, glassy shadows bounded it under either bank.  The tips of the trees glowed with rosy flame, faded to ashes, then, burnt out, stood once more dark and serrated against the evening sky.