At last she had realized the truth and had turned from him in disgust, loathing herself because for a time she had tolerated him. So, when Cam came again, John Marston had shown him the door; and Red Cam, redder than ever with rage, restrained only by Ellen's presence from driving his fist into the old man's face, had sworn to have revenge. At most of his threats Marston smiled because they were too dire to be fulfilled; but there was one that worried him, since it was a threat which Cam might safely carry out if he could compass its execution. It was the recollection of this threat that plagued John Marston as he sat on his porch smoking his long-stemmed pipe, awaiting the coming of the ibis host.
Presently he saw it, at first a mere speck against the sky to the northward, a speck which grew and lengthened and widened. Soon it had the appearance of a wavering black line above the woods; and then as it drew swiftly nearer it became a regiment of great long-necked birds as big as geese sweeping through the air in a wide curved rank like a bent bow two hundred feet above the trees.
With shining eyes Marston watched them as they came on, planing downward as they left the woods behind them and drew nearer the edge of the wide marsh plain. The army was almost directly over him now, one great bird larger and whiter than the
