“Amen!” said Humphrey solemnly; and the brothers sat in silence for a great while, the gloom hiding them the one from the other, though they knew that their hearts were beating in sympathy.

“The war has broken out,” said Humphrey at last.  “We can perchance find our place in the ranks of those who go to drive out the oppressive race, whose claims are such as English subjects will not tolerate.”

“Ay, there will be fighting, fighting, fighting now till they are driven forth, and till England’s flag waves proudly over this great land!” cried Charles, with a strange confidence and exultation in his tones.  “England will fight, and I will fight with her.  I will slay and slay, and spare not; and I will tell this tale to all wherever I go.  I will hunt out mine enemy until I compass his death.  They have despoiled me of home, of wife, of children.  They have taken away all the joy of life.  The light of my eyes is gone.  Henceforth I have but one thing to live for.  I bare my sword against France.  Against her will I fight until the Lord gives us the victory.  The world shall know, and all ears shall tingle at the tale which I will tell.  There shall be no quarter, no pity for those who use such means as those which have left me what I am tonight!”

Humphrey could not marvel at the intensity of the ferocity in Charles’s tones.  It sounded strange in one of so gentle and placable a nature; but he had cause—­he had cause!

“Think you that the man was other than one of those wild fellows who run from all law and order in the townships and become denizens of the wood, and little better than the wild Indians themselves?  We. have heard of these coureurs de bois, as they are called.  There are laws passed against them, severe and restrictive, by their own people.  Perchance it were scarce just to the French to credit them with all that this man has done.”

“Peace, Humphrey,” was the stern reply.  “We know that the French are inciting the Indians against our peaceful settlers, and that what has happened here today is happening in other places along our scattered frontier.  The work is the work of France, and against France will I fight till she is overthrown.  I have sworn it.  Seek not to turn me from my purpose.  I will fight, and fight, and fight till I see her lying in the dust, and till I have met mine enemy face to face and have set my foot upon his neck.  God has heard my vow; He will fight for me till it be fulfilled.”

Chapter 2:  Friends In Need.

It was not to be surprised at that, after that terrible day and night, Charles should awake from the restless sleep into which he had dropped towards dawn in a state of high fever.

He lay raving in delirium for three days, whilst Humphrey sat beside him, putting water to his parched lips, striving to soothe and quiet him; often shuddering with horror as he seemed to see again with his brother’s eyes those horrid scenes upon which the fevered man’s fancy ever dwelt; waking sometimes at night in a sweat of terror, thinking he heard the Indian war whoop echoing through the forest.