to our
boyhood,--a venerable old building of wood, with brick between
the weather-boards and ceiling, with a massive balustrade over the
door, constructed of oak timber and plank, with holes through the
latter for firing upon assailants. The door opened upon a
stone-paved hall, or entry, leading into the huge single room of the
basement, which was lighted by two small windows, the ceiling black
with the smoke of a century and a half; a huge fireplace, calculated
for eight-feet wood, occupying one entire side; while, overhead,
suspended from the timbers, or on shelves fastened to them, were
household stores, farming utensils, fishing-rods, guns, bunches of
herbs gathered perhaps a century ago, strings of dried apples and
pumpkins, links of mottled sausages, spare-ribs, and flitches of
bacon; the fire-light of an evening dimly revealing the checked
woollen coverlet of the bed in one far-off corner, while in another--

"The pewter plates on the dresser
Caught and reflected the flame as shields of armies the
sunshine." [2]

Tradition has preserved many incidents of life in the garrisons. In
times of unusual peril the settlers generally resorted at night to the
fortified houses, taking thither their flocks and herds and such
household valuables as were most likely to strike the fancy or
minister to the comfort or vanity of the heathen marauders. False
alarms were frequent. The smoke of a distant fire, the bark of a
dog in the deep woods, a stump or bush, taking in the uncertain
light of stars and moon the appearance of a man, were sufficient to
spread alarm through the entire settlement and to cause the armed
men of the garrison to pass whole nights in sleepless watching. It is
said that at Haselton's garrison-house the sentinel on duty saw, as
he thought, an Indian inside of the paling which surrounded the
building, and apparently seeking to gain an entrance. He promptly
raised his musket and fired at the intruder, alarming thereby the
entire garrison. The women and children left their beds, and the
men seized their guns and commenced firing on the suspicious
object; but it seemed to bear a charmed life, and remained
unharmed. As the morning dawned, however, the mystery was
solved by the discovery of a black quilted petticoat hanging on the
clothes-line completely riddled with balls.

As a matter of course, under circumstances of perpetual alarm
and frequent peril, the duty of