tle use
in the fight, they could lend their aid in casting bullets,
making cartridges, and loading rifles. Among them was one,
Elizabeth Zane, sister of the two men named, who was to
perform a far more important service. She had just returned
from school in Philadelphia, knew little of the horrors of
border warfare, but had in her the same indomitable spirit
that distinguished her brothers. A woman she was of heroic
mould, as the events will prove.

It was in the early morning of September 26 that Girty
appeared before the fort. A brief period sufficed, in the
manner related, to reduce the garrison to a mere handful.
Sure now of success, Girty advanced towards the palisades
with a white flag, and demanded an unconditional surrender.

Colonel Sheppard was ready with his answer. He had already
felt the pulse of his men, and found that it beat with the
same high spirit as his own. He mounted upon the ramparts,
stern and inflexible, and hurled back his reply,--

"This fort shall never be surrendered to _you_, nor to any
other man, while there is an American left to defend it."

"Are you mad, man?" cried Girty. "Do you know our force? Do
you know your own? Resistance is folly."

"I know _you_, Simon Girty. That is enough to know. You have
my answer."

In a rage, Girty hurled back a volley of dark threats, then
turned away, and ordered an instant attack. Unluckily for
the garrison, some of the deserted log-huts were
sufficiently near to shelter the Indians, and enable them to
assault the fort under cover. They swarmed into these
houses, and for six hours kept up an incessant fire on the
works, wasting their bullets, as it proved, for none of them
did harm to fort or man. As for the defenders, they had no
ammunition to waste. But most of them were sharp-shooters,
and they took good care that every bullet should tell.
Nearly every report from behind the walls told a story of
wound or death. As good fortune willed, the savages had no
artillery, and were little disposed to hazard their dusky
skins in an assault in force on the well-defended walls.

At midday the attack temporarily ceased. The Indians
withdrew to the base of Wheeling Hill, and the uproar of
yells and musketry was replaced by a short season of quiet.
It was a fortunate reprieve for the whites. Their powder was
almost exhausted. Had the assault continued for an hour
longer their rifles must have ceased to reply.

What was to be done? The Indians had w