"Cast your eyes over to the west," called a voice, and the master found Sir Thomas at his side. A glow in that direction filled the sky, making the surroundings weird, and from time to time a red tongue of fire leapt up. "'Tis a French ship bringing provisions," said the knight, pointing into the unfathomable mass. "She has signalled, and yonder fire burns to guide her in." "Wreck her!" cried a Cornishman. "Let us build another fire on the cliff to the east. With fortune, she shall steer for our beacon instead of theirs." "We should but make ourselves known," growled Upcliff. A terrified shout broke upon his speech, and one of the men jumped against the huddled party, shrieking in fear. "What ails you, Jacob Sadgrove?" cried the skipper. "God save me! A foul spirit close at my side. She grinned out of the snow and floated away, her feet never touching ground. A warning--a death warning, and I a miserable sinner." The man grovelled upon his knees up to his waist in snow, flapping his hands and groaning. "Speak up, man!" said Sir Thomas. "What is that you saw?" "He has seen a wyvern," spoke the master contemptuously. "Was always a man to see more than other folk." "Stood at my side and grinned in a fearsome manner," whined the sailor. "The nose of her was slit like man yonder, and the ears of her were like a dog's, and she breathed fire out of her mouth." "Stay!" cried Hough, stepping out. "Say you that her face was marked like mine?" "The same," panted the man. "But dead and cold, and her eyes like fish----" The Puritan drowned his wailings by a bitter cry. "Forgive me, friends," he cried. "The Lord delivered me that woman to slay, and I, weak vessel that I am, drew back, and now am punished, and in my punishment you must share. We are discovered." "The name of that woman?" demanded Sir Thomas. "The sister of your wife." "I knew it," groaned the knight. "The agent of my son's death. Which way went she?" he cried at the terrified sailor. "She flew there--there," stuttered the man. "Follow the tracks!" "Nay, there are none. The snow already covers them." "Her feet ne'er touched the snow," wailed the man. "Her feet were hot from the everlasting fire." "Peace, fool," said Upcliff. He turned to Hough. "Are our lives in danger?" "Never in greater. The woman is an Indian spy, who is now on her way to the settlement, where rules a hot-headed priest who has sworn to kill every Englishman in the land. They will be on us ere morning." "There is only one way," said the master. "We must break the ice, release our barque, and put out. The sea is calm." "She will not float." "She shall float."