on," he felt decidedly anxious regarding the result of the
attack.

During an hour the men and boys remained on watch, while the women
attended to their portion of the work, and hardly a sound was heard,
save when the brothers whispered together. After the first shot had been
fired the enemy remained completely hidden in the thicket which
surrounded the house.

Then, and almost at the same instant, each of the watchers discharged
his weapon. On either side of the stockade plumed heads had suddenly
come into view, and a hundred bullets struck the building.

There was a low moan from that portion of the room where Mr. Kilburne
was stationed; but owing to the reports of the fire-arms, it was not
heard by the inmates.

The first intimation the defenders had that one of their number had
fallen under the heavy fire was when Ben turned to take up the spare gun
his mother had placed by his side, and saw his father lying on the floor
with a thin stream of blood issuing from his lips.

"Oh, father!" he cried, as he ran toward the wounded man; but when he
would have raised the dear head he was motioned away:

"Remember your mother, my boy! You can do me no good, and now there is
additional reason why you should not neglect your duty."

By this time Mrs. Kilburne was at her husband's side, and Ben took his
station at the loop-hole once more; but the tears blinded him, until it
became necessary to brush them away before he could see the
feather-bedecked bodies which were here and there upon the stockade
ready to leap into the enclosure.

During the next half-hour neither of the boys had an opportunity to so
much as glance toward their father. Should the enemy succeed in getting
into the enclosure, the result might, and probably would, be fatal to
the defenders of the house.

John Pike made valiant battle, nor were the boys lacking in skill and
courage. More than one of the foe had met death before he could leap
down from the top of the stockade, and four who did succeed were met by
bullets while creeping up close to the building, where the timbers would
shelter them from the deadly aim of those within.

After this desperate struggle there was a lull in the storm of battle,
and Arthur said, in a low tone, as he stood with his eye to the
loop-hole,

"Is father badly wounded?"

"I fear so. The blood was gushing from his mouth when I saw him, and
he--"

"I will take your place, my son, while you bid your father good-by