inmates, among whom was the wife and mother-in-law of
Isaac. "Farewell, dearest Ella; we may never meet again on earth.
Farewell--farewell!" and pressing her hand to his lips, he rushed
forth with a heaving heart, not daring to trust himself longer in her
presence.

Isaac and his father-in-law followed the example of Reynolds, moved away
with weeping eyes, and all were quickly in their saddles.

A few minutes later the roll was called, and the order given by the
commanding officer to form in double file and throw open the eastern
gate. Scarcely were the words uttered, when there arose a series of
terrific Indian yells, accompanied by a volley of firearms, and every
face became blanched with surprise and dismay, and looked from one to
the other in astonishment.

"By heavens!" cried a voice; "our fighting 'll be at home, I reckon,
judging by the specimen before us."

Dismounting from their horses, the garrison, together with many of the
women and children, now rushed to the southern pickets, where, through
loop-holes and crevices, they beheld, only a few rods distant, about
a hundred savages, running to and fro, jumping up and down, whooping,
yelling, screeching and firing at the station, accompanied with all
the wild, fantastic gestures of loosened madmen.

"Thar's not more nor a hundred o' the varmints, any how," cried Isaac;
"and I reckon as how we can jest lick them, and no mistake. Hurray for
a fight."

"Hurray for a fight!" echoed a dozen voices, as they rushed back to
remount their horses.

"Hold!" cried the deep voice of Father Albach. "Hold! lads; don't do
things rash! Them Indians wouldn't be dancing and sky-larking round that
way, ef thar warn't some object in it, you may depend on."

"And that's my opinion too," answered another gray-headed veteran. "The
fact is, they're only a decoy party, sent our thar from the main body,
jest to draw us out, so that the others can rush on and make an easy
conquest on't. I tell you, friends, thar's no mistaking it; we're
surrounded by a tremendous body o' the red heathen, and we're likely to
have warm work on't. I've lived in the woods all my life, and I know the
nater of the painted varmints as well as I know my own. Ef them war all
thar war on 'em, we'd have seen very different proceedings, I assure
you."

"But what's to be done?" cried several voices in consternation.

"I would suggest that we send immediately to Lexington for a
reinforcement," spoke up Reyno