ich they had erected, ground the corn into meal, shouldered the sacks
once more, and started homeward, their faithful watch-dogs trotting in
advance, paying no attention to squirrels or partridges, or game of that
sort.

Suddenly the dogs came back, growling, the hair on their backs in a
ruff.

"There are Indians about. Throw down your sacks," said Colonel Bellows.

The men threw their sacks on the ground, dropped into the ferns, and
looked to the priming of their guns. The ferns were tall, and completely
concealed them. Colonel Bellows suspected that the Indians had laid an
ambuscade at a narrow place in the path which they must pass. He crept
slowly forward to see what he could discover, careful not to break a
twig or make any noise. He crept to the top of a little hill, peeped
through the ferns, and discovered a great number of Indians, nearly two
hundred, crouching behind trees, or lying on the ground, waiting for the
white men to enter the trap. He made his way back to his men, issued his
orders in a whisper, and all crawled through the ferns toward the
Indians till they were only a few rods from them.

All were ready. Every man sprang to his feet, and yelled as loud as he
could, "Hi-ya! hi-ya!" It was a terrific howl.

The next moment not a settler was to be seen; all had dropped upon the
ground, and were concealed by the ferns.

In an instant every Indian was on his feet, firing his gun, but hitting
nobody.

There was an answering flash from the ferns, each settler taking aim,
and the Indians sprang into the air, or fell headlong before the
bullets.

The red men outnumbered the settlers five to one, but were so astounded
by the surprise that, picking up the wounded, they made a hasty retreat
into a swamp, and the settlers made all haste to their block-house,
anticipating an attack. Not one of them had been injured.

This body of Indians was a part of a band of more than three hundred,
led by Captain Philip, who had come from Canada with the expectation of
wiping out the settlements along the Connecticut, and of returning to
Canada with many prisoners and no end of scalps. It was at the
pleasantest season of the year. The woods were full of game, and with
the provisions they would get in the settlements which they intended to
destroy they would have an abundance of food.

Captain Philip, with the rest of the Indians, was creeping stealthily
through the woods toward John Kilburn's house. Mr. Kilburn and