three or four hours at most; which consideration not only
satisfied him under the delay, but almost made him resolve to defer his
setting-out until the following morning, that his kinswoman might have
the advantage of sleeping a second time under the shelter of a roof,
rather than be compelled to exchange it for the chill and humid forest.

It was while he was balancing this thought in his mind, and watching with
a gladdened eye the first flash of sunshine, breaking through the parted
clouds, that a shout, louder than that which had proclaimed the recovery
of his steed, but of a wild and mournful character, arose from the outer
village, and a horseman, covered with mud, reeking with rain, and reeling
in the saddle with fatigue and exhaustion, rode into the fort, followed
by a crowd of men, women, and children, all testifying, by their looks
and exclamations, that he was the bearer of alarming news. And such
indeed he was, as was shown by the first words he answered in reply to
Bruce's demand "what was the matter?"

"There are a thousand Indians," he said, "Shawnees, Delawares, Wyandots,
Miamies,--all the tribes of the North,--laying siege to Bryant's Station,
and perhaps at this moment they are burning and murdering at Lexington.
Men, Colonel Bruce! send us all your men, without a moment's delay; and
send off for Logan and his forces: despatch some one who can ride, for I
can sit a horse no longer."

"Whar's Dick Bruce?" cried the Kentuckian; and the son answering, he
continued, "Mount the roan Long-legs, you brute, and ride to St. Asaph's
in no time. Tell Cunnel Logan what you h'ar; and add, that before he can
draw girth, I shall be, with every fighting-man in my fort, on the north
side of Kentucky. Ride, you brute, ride for your life; and do you take
car' _you_ come along with the Cunnel; for it's time you war trying your
hand at an Injun top-knot. Ride, you brute, ride!"

"Wah--wah--wah--wah!" whooped the boy, like a young Indian, flying to
obey the order, and exulting in the expectation of combat.

"Sound horn, you Samuel Sharp!" cried the father. "You, Ben Jones, and
some more of you, ride out and rouse the settlement; and, some of you,
hunt up Tom Bruce and the Regulators: it war a pity they hanged Ralph
Stackpole; for he fights Injuns like a wolverine. Tell all them that
ar'n't ready to start to follow at a hard gallop, and join me at the ford
of Kentucky; and them that can't join me thar, let them follow to