Asa in an altered voice, "I have it." And the hams and
bucket came tumbling down the chimney, and Asa after them all covered
with blood.

"In God's name, man, are you hurt?" cried Rachel.

"Hush! wife," replied Asa; "keep quiet. I have enough for the rest of my
life, which will not be long: but never mind, lads; defend yourselves
well, and don't fire two at the same man. Save your lead, for you will
want it all. Promise me that."

"Asa! my beloved Asa!" shrieked Rachel; "if you die, I shall die too."

"Silence! foolish woman; and our child, and the one yet unborn! Hark! I
hear the Spaniards! Defend yourselves, and, Nathan, be a father to my
children."

I had barely time to press his hand and make him the promise he wished.
The Spaniards, who had doubtless guessed our loss, rushed like mad
wolves up to the mound, twenty on one side, and upwards of thirty on the
other.

"Steady!" cried I. "Righteous, here with me; and you, Rachel, show
yourself worthy to be Hiram Strong's daughter, and Asa's wife; load this
rifle for me while I fire my own."

"O God! O God!" cried Rachel, "the hellhounds have murdered my Asa!"

She clasped her husband's body in her arms, and there was no getting her
away. I felt sad enough myself, but there was scanty time for grieving;
for a party of Spaniards, headed by one of the Acadians, was close up to
the mound on the side which I was defending. I shot the Acadian; but
another, the sixth, and last but one, took his place. "Rachel!" cried I,
"the rifle, for God's sake, the rifle! a single bullet may save all our
lives."

But no Rachel came, and the Acadian and Spaniards, who, from the
cessation of our fire, guessed that we were either unloaded, or had
expended our ammunition, now sprang forward, and by climbing, and
scrambling, and getting on one another's shoulders, managed to scale the
side of the mound, almost perpendicular as you see it is. And in a
minute the Acadian and half a dozen Spaniards, with axes, were chopping
away at the palisades, and severing the wattles which bound them
together. To give the devil his due, if there had been only three like
that Acadian, it would have been all up with us. He handled his axe like
a real backwoodsman; but the Spaniards wanted either the skill or the
strength of arm, and they made little impression. There were only
Righteous and myself to oppose them; for, on the other side, a dozen
more soldiers, with the seventh of those cursed Acadians,