e to
the count and his daughter.

Some hours had passed when, as Tecumah was eagerly waiting on the beach
for the moment fixed for the expedition to set out, he saw a canoe
paddling down the harbour. He recognised it as one of those sent up the
estuary to keep watch and to give timely notice of the approach of an
enemy. As the occupant leapt on shore, he exclaimed--

"Haste! haste! The Portuguese and Tuparas, and several other tribes in
alliance with them, are on the war-path. They have hundreds of canoes,
and they will soon after nightfall attack the island unless they first
land and try to destroy us."

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

CAPTURE OF THE FORT.

Constance and her father, rudely dragged from their home, were hurried
off to the fort. No allowance was made for the weakness of her sex, and
no pity was shown her by the savage priests, who, supposing that she was
not aware of her husband's escape, endeavoured still more to wound her
feelings by telling her that he was condemned to death, and that, unless
she and her father recanted, they would meet with the same fate.

"Silence, priest, silence! It is cowardly and unmanly to speak thus to
my daughter," exclaimed the count. "Add not insult to the injury you
have already inflicted. We have broken no laws; we have done harm to no
one; and we find ourselves treated as if we were the vilest of
malefactors."

The count's address had no effect upon the priest, who took a cruel
pleasure in annoying them. Such is ever the character of the emissaries
of Rome when they are in the ascendency and are opposed; when in the
minority, they are humble and meek, plausible and silver-tongued; and
when there are none to oppose them, haughty, indolent, sensual, and
self-indulgent. Such they have been in all ages and in every country,
with the exception of the devoted Jesuit slaves, who have gone forth to
carry their spurious gospel into heathen lands.

On arriving at the fort, the mockery of a trial was gone through; the
priest's myrmidons swore to having seen Constance reading the Bible, and
that, as the crime had been committed on the count's property, he was
therefore equally guilty. Having been a lawyer in his youth, the count
was able to defend himself, and had a jury of twelve honest men been
present, he would have undoubtedly been acquitted; but, unhappily, that
system being unknown among the French, he had no such advantage. The
governor and the priest, exasperated