Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14
CHAPTER NLIN.
he Battle With the Were wolves.

ne E1llBr =" TN the were " owes
Let us get out of this helIish place.
cried James Douglas so soon as he had seen
with his eyes that which lay within the bed
chamber of the witch woman. and made
certain that it was all over with Caesar
Martin.
So the three men issued out into the
gloom of the night and made their way to
the stable wherein they had disposed
their horses so carefully the night before.
The door lay on the ground smashed and
broken. 1t had been driven TO kindling
wood from within. Its inner surface was
dinted and riyen by the iron shoes of the
frightened steeds but the horses them
selves Were nowhere to be found. They
had broken their halters and vanished. The
three Scots were left in the heart of the
enemies country without means of escape
save upon their own feet.
But the horror which lay behind them in
the house of La Meffraye drove them on.
Almost without knowing whittier they
went. they turned their faces toward the
west in the direction In which lay Mache-
couI. the castle Of the dread lord of all the
Pays du ketz- Manse, was his custom,
walked in front. ShOIto and the Lord James
Douglas step behind.
a chill wind from the sea blew through
the forest. The pines bent sOughing toward
The adventures. The night grew denser
waters Of the marisInas On one side and the
Spmber arches of the forest on the other
they advanced. sword in hand, praying that
that which should happen should happen
quickly.
But as they went the woods about them
grew ciamUrOus with hOrrid noises. Ali the
eNll beasts OF the world seemed abroad that
HlSht IN the woods OF MachecOul. Present
iy they issued forth into d more uuen space
The Erayish dark of the turf beneath their
Ieet spread further off The black blank
wan OF the pines retreated, and they found
themselves suddenly with the stars twin
King infinitely chill and remote above
them.
They were now, however, no more alone
Tor round them circled ana echoed the crv-
ing OF many packs of wolves. In the forest
81 Machecoul the guardian demons of its
lord mai been let loose. and throughout all
ITS borders the poor peasant folk sbiysred
III ihclT beds. or crOuched behind the weak
drienses OF their barred doors For tbev
knew that the fun pack never hunted in tha
iays du Retz without bringing death to
some Wdnderer found defenssleSs within III
boiueFs OF that region of dread
Let Us stay here said Sholto eff
i'ieSe ho"iing demons attack US we are at
IvaSL IN somewhat better case to meet Them
ana ught II out till the morning tbsn in -
dense darkness Of the woods '-'e
IN The center of the open glade in which
lnty found themselves they stumbled
ISsdlSt Jle trunk of a pine which had haeT
biaSttd by lightning. 1t stiU stood erect
~" ils "lthered branches stretching hare
go aus didEr away from the Abor.
ms the three Scots posted themselves +bat
packs 70 the corrugations OF ~. 80 80
S'-HP ana their swords ready in tbeir
H..idS ~ deal out death to whatever sbonid
attack them. shoulu
Well might Maiise declare tn. ->,,,,..u.
- "tF- abroad that night At times tho
thiec men seemed wholly riDee4 VIII a.,
No. ,IivS- 1e!is and bowls, as of Triumph
ant teudS. were borne to their - - 80
tht western wind. The noises aT,TTr,,Iti,i
htarer and presently out Of the dark ~
~ woods Shadowy forms giided. ana again
r,Ia,,i '',iiu me soft pad-paf of many feet
1i.g,'Illns eyes gidred upon them as tbe
Mo'E's rotted out. and sat down in a u,ija
SlIG.e 10 wait for the full muster of fhe
p5 s5.I pei2 1 rushing on their prey.
Sh"tIo knew well how those in tho Gov
vices Of Satan were able to cba,,,. ,t 81
selves INTO the scmblance of woIvps AMI ~,
never doubted for moment that he ard
,. ' I'I were lace to face with the di-
49, mamie stations of the neither mir NJ
eitl'ieNs. SAolio Mackim was by nature Of
49, HeaF'' ana he resolved that if he
ii'I 70 ole II would be as well to ,iiel as be-
came captain Of the Douglas guard
Ihe blue lene of summer l;ShT1jro, ~,
IleutarHy NJ up the western sky The men
C"utH see the great, gaunt pack of woIl-ee
sitting upon their launches ar moi, - -
LHsSiS 70 ana trG across each other ub;ia
from the denSer woods behind rose ~
towing oil fresh levies Fastening to the as
ISSUANCE OF the first Sholto noticed i'm esne-
tl4t one gigantic she wolf which anr.sa "a
AT every point of the circle and seanne1 80
muster and encourage the pack to the az ~
tack " 'iie dt-
The wildhre fickered behind the tat b,acl
sHhouettes OF :he dense trees so that their
,vPS stood against the pale sky as if carved
iil ebony. Ihen the night shut down darker
th&n before As the soundless lightning
MaEered ana frightened the shadows of the
wolves appeared to start forward and re-
tgeat. while the noise of their howline car
rec WIZ II some diabolical suggestion of
ciscOrdant human voices. VI
La MenraNef Ia Ms,rgr
rayer' Id Nell
80 10 the excited minds of the three Scots
ihe Won leglons seemed to be CRYING with
one voice as they came nearer. All the wild
beasts OF the wood were obeying the sIInn
mons of the witch woman
Inc strain Of the situation first told upon
the Lord James Douglas. Great saintsr;
he cried, let us attack them and die sword
IN hand- l cannot endure much more of
this" -
stand still where you are. 1t is our only
chance! commanded Sholto. as abruptly as
II James Douglas had been a doubtful sol
der of his company.
1T was better to find . tree that we cnuld