birds and beasts and plants, strange secrets
of the hills? It was only westward-ho! for a week or two, with good
company and good drink--

The woodsman shifted from one foot to the other, but his wife, who had now
crossed the grass to his side, had no doubts.

"You'll not go, William!" she cried. "Remember the smoke that you saw
yesterday from the hilltop! If the Northern Indians are on the warpath
against the Southern, and are passing between us and the mountains, there
may be straying bands. I'll not let you go!"

In her eagerness she clasped his arm with her hands. She was a comely,
buxom dame, and the circle on horseback, being for the most part young and
gallant, and not having seen a woman for some days, looked kindly upon
her.

"And so you saw a smoke, goodwife, and are afraid of roving Indians?" said
the gentleman who had spoken before. "That being the case, your husband
has our permission to stay behind. On my life, 't is a shame to ride away
and leave you in danger of such marauders!"

"Will your Excellency permit me to volunteer for guard duty?" demanded a
young man who had pressed his horse to the leader's side. "It's odds,
though, that when you return this way you'll find me turned Papist. I'll
swear your Excellency never saw in Flanders carved or painted saint so
worthy of your prayers as yonder breathing one!"

The girl Molly had followed her parents, and now stood upon a little
grassy knoll, surveying with wide brown eyes the gay troop before her. A
light wind was blowing, and it wrapped her dress of tender, faded blue
around her young limbs, and lifted her loosened hair, gilded by the
sunshine into the likeness of an aureole. Her face was serious and
wondering, but fair as a woodland flower. She had placed her hand upon the
head of the child who was with her, clinging to her dress. The green knoll
formed a pedestal; behind was the sky, as blue as that of Italy; the two
figures might have been some painted altar-piece.

The sprightly company, which had taken for its motto "Sic juvat
transcendere montes," looked and worshiped. There was a moment of silent
devotion, broken by one of the gentlemen demanding if 't were not time for
dinner; another remarked that they might go much farther and fare much
worse, in respect of a cool, sweet spot in which to rest during the heat
of the afternoon; and a third boldly proposed that they go no farther at
all that day. Their leader settled the question by annou