she start up, and look around to see that all
was right, then fall asleep again. And yet she did not apprehend
danger to herself particularly. Sometimes she feared for her husband;
but the growing feeling was, that trouble for the settlers was at
hand, and a terrible fear of the Indians rested upon her.

It was far into the night now, and the lone watcher felt too uneasy to
retire. The moon shone with great brilliancy, and she sat without a
light, busying herself with some coarse sewing. The children were
peacefully sleeping, and not a sound was to be heard save their
breathing, and the whisper of the wind outside. The silence was
painful to her, and she arose and peered out of the window again.
Everything looked weird and ghastly. What a solitude! For miles over
the smooth prairie not a human habitation was to be seen. In the other
direction stood the mysterious forest. How black and dismal seemed the
trunks of the trees in the shimmering moonbeams! She gazed timidly at
their indistinct outlines, with strained eye.

"How foolish I am!" she murmured; but, as she turned from the window,
her attention was fixed once more upon the forest; for it seemed to
her that a dark object moved along its outskirts. "It's only the
trees!" she said, striving to reassure herself.

But in a moment more an ox appeared; then a dark figure followed, and
another, and another, walking in single file. As the strange
procession emerged more fully into view, she saw that the forms behind
the ox were those of Indians; they were driving off the settlers'
cattle. As their route lay near the cabin, fear that they would pay
her a visit, for a moment quite paralyzed her. It was but for a
moment, however; the instinct of the mother was roused. Her children
might be murdered. She glanced again at the advancing savages, and
then, softly opening the door,--which, fortunately, was on the other
side of the cabin,--she returned with the axe, the only weapon of
defence at hand, and, with flashing eyes, and a deadly resolution
depicted on her face, which seemed turned to marble, silently awaited
the onslaught. But the savages, in their soft moccasins, glided
noiselessly by, like so many snakes. They did not appear to notice the
cabin, and were soon out of sight. When they were gone, Mrs. Jones
sat down, feeling as weak as before she had felt strong. The reaction
was too great, and, a faintness coming on, her head sank upon the side
of the bed where Tom lay