ver
their fortification. Thus these murderous wretches went on, burning, and
destroying before them.

At length they came and beset our own house, and quickly it was the
dolefulest day that ever mine eyes saw. The house stood upon the edge of
a hill; some of the Indians got behind the hill, others into the barn,
and others behind anything that could shelter them; from all which
places they shot against the house, so that the bullets seemed to fly
like hail; and quickly they wounded one man among us, then another,
and then a third. About two hours (according to my observation, in that
amazing time) they had been about the house before they prevailed to
fire it (which they did with flax and hemp, which they brought out of
the barn, and there being no defense about the house, only two flankers
at two opposite corners and one of them not finished); they fired it
once and one ventured out and quenched it, but they quickly fired it
again, and that took. Now is the dreadful hour come, that I have often
heard of (in time of war, as it was the case of others), but now mine
eyes see it. Some in our house were fighting for their lives, others
wallowing in their blood, the house on fire over our heads, and the
bloody heathen ready to knock us on the head, if we stirred out. Now
might we hear mothers and children crying out for themselves, and one
another, "Lord, what shall we do?" Then I took my children (and one of
my sisters', hers) to go forth and leave the house: but as soon as
we came to the door and appeared, the Indians shot so thick that the
bullets rattled against the house, as if one had taken an handful of
stones and threw them, so that we were fain to give back. We had six
stout dogs belonging to our garrison, but none of them would stir,
though another time, if any Indian had come to the door, they were ready
to fly upon him and tear him down. The Lord hereby would make us the
more acknowledge His hand, and to see that our help is always in Him.
But out we must go, the fire increasing, and coming along behind us,
roaring, and the Indians gaping before us with their guns, spears,
and hatchets to devour us. No sooner were we out of the house, but my
brother-in-law (being before wounded, in defending the house, in or near
the throat) fell down dead, whereat the Indians scornfully shouted, and
hallowed, and were presently upon him, stripping off his clothes, the
bullets flying thick, one went through my side, and the same