lared war after the murder at Yellow
Creek," declared Dale. "They stripped and painted and struck the post and
danced around it."

"They'll be through mighty soon now, Ericus," soothed Davis, who was
uneasy between his fears of displeasing his wife's cousin and giving
offense to the young men. "They meant well."

"All such actions mean ill for the settlers," growled Dale. "They'd best
finish at once."

Davis did not have to incur his neighbors' ill-will by asking the dancers
to cease their ceremony, as Dale's speech was closely followed by a volley
from the west side of the clearing. A dancer went down, coughing and
clawing at his throat, while yelps of surprise and pain told me others had
been wounded. I raised my rifle and fired toward the flashes.

With the promptness of seasoned veterans the young men kicked the fire to
pieces and grabbed up their rifles and advanced toward the hidden foe,
their movements being barely perceptible even while within reach of the
light streaming from the cabins.

It was not until I had fired and was reloading that I was conscious of
Patsy's ear-splitting shrieks. I heard her father fiercely command her to
be still, then command Davis to recall the young men now lost in the
darkness. A stentorian voice began shouting:

"All women to the fort! Put out all lights!"

One by one the candles were extinguished. Patsy was silent, and across the
clearing came the low voices of the women, driving their children before
them and urging them to hurry. Dark forms were discernible close at hand
and were those settlers apportioned to defend the fort.

Davis was commanding his wife to take Patsy to the fort while there was
yet time, and she was refusing. The savages must have heard the men and
women leaving the outlying cabins, for they started to rush from the woods
only to fall back before a brisk volley from the young men now scouting
well to the front.

I walked to the cabin door just as the war-whoop of the Shawnees announced
an attack in force. I was standing by Patsy's side, but she did not see
me. She had both hands clapped over her ears, her lips parted but uttering
no sound. Now there came a rush of feet and the young men fell back, some
making into the fort, others, as previously assigned, entering the cabins
close to the fort. Three came to the Davis cabin, and I entered with them,
leading Patsy. Some one, I think it was Davis, dragged Dale inside.

The trader seemed to be paraly