rm would remove their greatest danger,
the well would fill up again, and behind the wooden walls they could
defy the savage foe.

The sky was cut across by a flash of lightning so bright that it dazzled
them, the thunder burst with a terrible crash directly overhead, and
then the rain came in a perfect wall of water. It poured for hours out
of a sky that was made of unbroken clouds, deluging the earth, swelling
the river to a roaring flood, and rising higher in the well than ever
before. The forest about them was almost hidden by the torrents of rain
and they did not forget to be thankful.

Toward afternoon the fall abated somewhat in violence, but became a
steady downpour out of sodden skies, and the air turned raw and chill.
Those who were not sheltered shivered, as if it were winter. The night
came on as dark as a well, and Henry Ware went out again. When he came
back he said tersely to his father:

"They are gone."

"Gone?" exclaimed Mr. Ware scarcely able to believe in the reality of
such good news.

"Yes; the storm broke their backs. Even Indians can't stand an all-day
wetting especially when they are already tired. They think they can
never have any luck here, and they are going toward the Ohio at this
minute. The storm has saved us now just as it saved our band in the
flight from the salt works."

They had such faith in his forest skill that no one doubted his word and
the village burst into joy. Women, for they were the worst sufferers
gave thanks, both silently and aloud. Henry took Ross, Sol and others to
the valley in the forest, where the savages had kept their war camp.
Here they had soaked in the mire during the storm, and all about were
signs of their hasty flight, the ground being littered with bones of
deer, elk and buffalo.

"They won't come again soon," said Henry, "because they believe that the
Manitou will not give them any luck here, but it is well to be always on
the watch."

After the first outburst of gratitude the people talked little of the
attack and repulse; they felt too deeply, they realized too much the
greatness of the danger they had escaped to put it into idle words. But
nearly all attributed their final rescue to Henry Ware though some saw
the hand of God in the storm which had intervened a second time for the
protection of the whites. Braxton Wyatt and his friends dared say
nothing now, at least openly against Henry, although those who loved him
most were bound to confess