r pa. The minute I'm killed the scalps is
yourn, and the scalpin' knife, too. And there's Timothy Grant for
witness. Did you hear, Timothy?"

Timothy said he had heard, and I lay there speechless in the stifling
trench, too overcome by my greatness of good fortune to be able to utter
a word of gratitude.

I was rewarded for my foresight in going to the trench. Another general
attack was made at sundown, and thousands of shots were fired into us.
Nobody on our side was scratched. On the other hand, although we fired
barely thirty shots, I saw Laban and Timothy Grant each get an Indian.
Laban told me that from the first only the Indians had done the shooting.
He was certain that no white had fired a shot. All of which sorely
puzzled him. The whites neither offered us aid nor attacked us, and all
the while were on visiting terms with the Indians who were attacking us.

Next morning found the thirst harsh upon us. I was out at the first hint
of light. There had been a heavy dew, and men, women, and children were
lapping it up with their tongues from off the wagon-tongues,
brake-blocks, and wheel-tyres.

There was talk that Laban had returned from a scout just before daylight;
that he had crept close to the position of the whites; that they were
already up; and that in the light of their campfires he had seen them
praying in a large circle. Also he reported from what few words he
caught that they were praying about us and what was to be done with us.

"May God send them the light then," I heard one of the Demdike sisters
say to Abby Foxwell.

"And soon," said Abby Foxwell, "for I don't know what we'll do a whole
day without water, and our powder is about gone."

Nothing happened all morning. Not a shot was fired. Only the sun blazed
down through the quiet air. Our thirst grew, and soon the babies were
crying and the younger children whimpering and complaining. At noon Will
Hamilton took two large pails and started for the spring. But before he
could crawl under the wagon Ann Demdike ran and got her arms around him
and tried to hold him back. But he talked to her, and kissed her, and
went on. Not a shot was fired, nor was any fired all the time he
continued to go out and bring back water.

"Praise God!" cried old Mrs. Demdike. "It is a sign. They have
relented."

This was the opinion of many of the women.

About two o'clock, after we had eaten and felt better, a white man
appeared, carrying a wh