The first thing he had meant to tell the Mohawk was unnecessary. Kawque was quite sure already of Ned's innocence, and Edgar looked visibly younger as he heard what Kawque could tell him--"Blessings on that Methodist after all," he thought, then spoke earnestly to the Indian about Bee. Kawque nodded; he never wasted words. "Bee Goode not marry till you say so, all right," he said decidedly. And so Edgar went off, not stopping to think that the methods of an Iroquois warrior in preventing a formally arranged aristocratic wedding might prove startling. CHAPTER XI. Kawque Takes a Hand in the Game. It was the morning of Sunday, July 3, 1814; Ferguson was preaching in Warner's Chapel (the third Methodist church erected in Upper Canada), at St. Davids, when, like a hideous spectre of advancing war, Kawque stood in the doorway, half-naked, and frightful in his war-paint. "The Longknives have crossed the river," he cried, for his hard black eyes picked Percy out among the congregation. Gliding toward him, he gave him the note calling him to a council of war. All the congregation were running out, the women to bury silver, and the men to prepare their arms in readiness for the summons which would soon call them out. Percy said a few words to his wife, then rode off, to look round as Ferguson trotted his mount after him--"You have not been sent for yet, Ferguson," said Percy, "and I wonder your religion lets you travel on Sunday when you are not compelled to." "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, sir." "Oh, certainly have it your own way, but now I want you to take my keys. We are going to have the most desperate fighting of this war, and I have made you my executor in my will. You can see that my trunk, now at Fort George, goes to Mrs. Haslem, some plate and a considerable sum in gold are in it." That Sunday morning seven thousand Americans entered the Niagara peninsula, and supported by the gun boats of Lake Erie, took Fort Erie. Their plans were to surround and capture the army of the defence--instead of chasing it into the bush--also taking Fort George. Then with the co-operation of the Lake Ontario fleet they meant to seize and fortify Burlington Heights. The plan was a good one, but to keep it from being carried out, were fourteen hundred regulars, sixteen hundred militia, and three hundred Indians, stationed in Niagara itself. Behind them, Burlington and York had been stripped of men to make their numbers what they were. Behind them too, round Burlington and York were the ripening wheat fields, that must be saved unless Upper Canada was to be starved into surrender the next winter. Kingston had sent her fleet to blockade Sackett's Harbour, and was herself blockaded by the American gun boats of Lake Ontario. In Lower Canada the enemy had massed a huge army at Lake Champlain, and every available man and gun on the Canadian side had been called out to guard the roads to Montreal.