rious
family in their lonely habitation had retired, with the exception of one
of the daughters and one of the sons who was keeping her company. Some
indications of danger had alarmed the young man, though he kept his
fears to himself.

"The cry apparently of owls in an adjoining forest was heard, answering
each other in rather an unusual way. The horses in the enclosure by the
side of the house, who seemed to have an instinct informing them of the
approach of the Indians, seemed much excited and galloped around
snorting with terror. Soon steps were heard in the yard, and immediately
several loud knocks were made at the door, with some one enquiring, in
good English, 'Who keeps this house?' The young man very imprudently was
just unbarring the door when the mother sprang from the bed, exclaiming
that they were Indians.

"The whole family was immediately aroused, and the young men seized
their guns. The Indians now threw off all disguise, and began to thunder
at the door, endeavoring to break it down. Through a loop hole prepared
for such an emergency, a rifle shot, discharged at the savages,
compelled a precipitate retreat. Soon, however, they cautiously
returned, and attacking the other end of the cabin, where they found a
point not exposed to the fire from within, they succeeded at length in
breaking through, and entered the room occupied by the three girls. One
of them they seized and bound. Her sister made desperate resistance, and
stabbed one of the Indians to the heart with a large knife which she was
using at the loom. They immediately tomahawked her and she fell dead
upon the floor. The little girl in the gloom of midnight they had
overlooked. The poor little thing ran out of the door, and might have
escaped had she not, in her terror, lost all self-control, and ran round
the house wringing her hands and crying bitterly.

"The brothers, agonized by the cries of their little sister, were just
about opening the door to rush out to her rescue, when their more
prudent mother declared that the child must be abandoned to its fate,
that any attempt to save her would not only be unavailing, but would
ensure the certain destruction of them all. Just then the child uttered
a most frantic scream. They heard the dull sound as of a tomahawk
falling upon the brain. There were a few convulsive moans, and all again
was silent. It was but too evident to all what these sounds signified.

"Presently the crackling of flames was