True to the Old Flag | Page 9

Our watch might just as well have been asleep for any good
they did, for it was not till the redskins had crept up to the stockade all
round and opened fire between the timbers on 'em that they knew that
they were near. I'll do 'em justice to say that they fought stiff enough
then, and for four hours they held the line of houses; every redskin who
climbed the stockade fell dead inside it. Four fires had been lighted
directly they attacked to enable us to keep 'em from scaling the
stockade, but they showed us to the enemy, of course.
"The redskins took possession of the houses which we had wanted to
pull down, and precious hot they made it for us. Then they shot such
showers of burning arrows into the village that half of the houses were
soon alight. We tried to get our men to sally out and to hold the line of
stockade, when we might have beaten 'em off if all the village had been
burned down; but it were no manner of good; each man wanted to stick
to his wife and family till the last. As the flames went up every man
who showed himself was shot down, and when at last more than half
our number had gone under the redskins brought up fagots, piled 'em
against the stockade outside, and then the hull tribe came bounding
over. Our rifles were emptied, for we couldn't get the men to hold their
fire, but some of us chaps as knew what was coming gave the redskins
a volley as they poured in.
"I don't know much as happened after that. Jack Robins and Bill Shuter,
who were old pals of mine, and me made up our minds what to do, and
we made a rush for a small gate that there was in the stockade, just
opposite where the Injuns came in. We got through safe enough, but
they had left men all round. Jack Robins he was shot dead. Bill and I
kept straight on. We had a grapple with some of the redskins; two or
three on 'em went down, and Bill and I got through and had a race for it
till we got fairly into the forest. Bill had a ball in the shoulder, and I
had a clip across the head with a tomahawk. We had a council, and Bill

went off to warn some of the other settlements and I concluded to take
to the water and paddle back to you, not knowing whether I should find
that the redskins had been before me. I thought anyway that I might
stop your going down to Gloucester, and that if there was a fight you
would be none the worse for an extra rifle."
Mr. Welch told the hunter of the visit of the two Indian spies two nights
before.
"Waal," the hunter said, "I reckon for the present you are not likely to
be disturbed. The Injuns have taken a pile of booty and something like
two hundred scalps, counting the women and children, and they moved
off at daybreak this morning in the direction of Tottenham, which I
reckon they'll attack tonight. Howsomever, Bill has gone on there to
warn 'em, and after the sack of Gloucester the people of Tottenham
won't be caught napping, and there are two or three old frontiersmen
who have settled down there, and War Eagle will get a hot reception if
he tries it. As far as his band is concerned, you're safe for some days.
The only fear is that some others of the tribe, hurrying up at hearing of
his success, may take this place as they go past. And now I guess I'll
take a few hours' sleep. I haven't closed an eye for the last two nights."
A week passed quietly. Pearson, after remaining two days, again went
down the lake to gather news, and returned a day later with the
intelligence that almost all the settlements had been deserted by their
inhabitants. The Indians were out in great strength and had attacked the
settlers at many points along the frontier, committing frightful
devastations.
Still another week passed, and Mr. Welch began to hope that his little
clearing had been overlooked and forgotten by the Indians. The hands
now went about their work as usual, but always carried arms with them,
while one was constantly stationed on the watch-tower. Harold
resumed his fishing; never, however, going out of sight of the house.
Sometimes he took with him little Nelly Welch; it being considered
that she was as safe in the canoe as she was in the house, especially as
the boat was always in sight, and the way up from the landing to the