"It's there! it's there!" he cried, hoarsely, as our horses swung round in terror.
"Look!" muttered Dorothy.
Then a thing occurred that stopped my heart's blood. For straight through the forest came running a dark shape, a squattering thing that passed us ere we could draw breath to shriek; animal, human, or spirit, I knew not, but it ran on, thuddy-thud, thuddy-thud! and we struggling with our frantic horses to master them ere they dashed us lifeless among the trees.
"Jesu!" gasped Van Horn, dragging his powerful horse back into the road. "Can you make aught o' yonder fearsome thing, like a wart-toad scrabbling on two legs?"
Dorothy, teeth set, drove her heels into her gray's ribs and forced him to where my mare stood all a-quiver.
"It's a thing from hell," panted Van Horn, fighting knee and wrist with his roan. "My nag shies at neither bear nor wolf! Look at him now!"
"Nor mine at anything save a savage," said I, fearfully peering behind me while my mare trembled under me.
"I think we have seen a savage, that is all," fell Dorothy's calm voice. "I think we have seen Catrine Montour."
At the name, Van Horn swore steadily.
"If that be the witch Montour, she runs like a clansman with the fiery cross," I said, shuddering.