aude remained in the hold, and Marguerite was
too ill to leave her cabin.

The next morning, when Roberval came on deck, a strong southerly wind
was sweeping across the harbour. Herbert was at once ordered to get the
vessel ready for sea. Crew and sailing-master were alike eager to leave
the place which had been the scene of so many horrors, and willing hands
soon had the sails unfurled, the anchor on the cat-head and the helm
hard down, as the vessel swung round and sped away for the broad
Atlantic.

"To the north," said De Roberval, as Herbert came to him to learn which
direction he should take. "It is the shorter course, if the more
dangerous. We will follow in the tracks of Jehan Alfonse. And I may want
to touch at the barren lands of Labrador. Gold is ever found in regions
of barrenness, and gold is needed for our colony."

Herbert was a rugged sailor, who thought more of a bit of salt beef and
a bottle of brandy than of ingots of gold. Gold, to him, was only good
for the spending; and what use it would be in the New World, where there
was nothing to buy that could not be had for a few glass beads and a
leaden trinket or two, was more than his intellect could conceive. He
shrugged his shoulders at the nobleman's whim, as he deemed it, but
answered a cheerful "Ay, ay, Monsieur." And as the vessels stood out
past the headland, and on towards the white stretch of rolling waters,
his trumpet voice rang out: "Starboard your helm! 'Tend to the sheets!"

In a moment the gallant craft was sweeping on her northward way, with
her sails swelling before the following breeze, riding over the summits
of the chasing waves. All night she sailed, and all through the
following day, and still the rugged shores of Newfoundland stood on
their left. On the third day a small, misty cloud appeared on the
horizon ahead. At first, the seamen thought it was another ship, but
one, more keen-sighted than the others, declared it was an island.

"An island?" said a hardy fisherman who had made many voyages to the New
World for fish since Columbus discovered it, "then it must be the 'Isle
of Demons.' I have been on the lookout for it. The air has for some
hours been hot and stifling."

"Nonsense, Laurent! It is your imagination."

"Steer away from it," insisted the sailor. "Let us hug the main shore. I
know the spot; no vessel ever sails near it. Several did in early times,
but the demons pounced upon them, shattered their crafts on the ro