under the cover
of the fort rifle-fire.

This time, here he stayed. With him there were Andrew Scott, George
Green, his own wife Elizabeth McColloch Zane, her sister Miss
McColloch, his sister Elizabeth, her friend Molly Scott, and the slaves
Sam and wife Kate. That summed three white men and one black man; four
white women and one black woman. They were going to hold the cabin in
spite of "all the copper skins from Wheeling to Sandusky." But the
program spelled a rude welcome for the young and lively Elizabeth, who
had just arrived from a fashionable school in Philadelphia, to spend
part of her vacation!

Advancing with the flag and his whooping Indians, Captain Pratt the
British Ranger sent Simon Girty forward, to demand surrender.

"To all who will give themselves up we promise you the best protection,
in the name of King George," called Girty.

"Answer the villain with a bullet," Silas Zane ordered. "That is what
talks for us."

Simon dodged away.

"You may have till to-night," he shouted.

Captain Pratt posted his forces. In the fort and in the Ebenezer Zane
cabin everybody made ready. The women and girls molded bullets. There
were plenty of rifles; all were loaded and stacked handy to the
loop-holes. Water buckets were filled. Food was prepared. The fort
pickets, many of which had rotted, were braced and backed. Wheeling
had no idea of surrender. It had stood other attacks.

At sunset Girty tried again.

"Your treatment if you surrender shall be that of--"

"Colonel William Crawford!" old Captain Sullivan interrupted. "We know
you, Girty. We know you for a dirty dog, too cowardly to be honest,
and so filthy a beast that you feel yourself fit to live only among
savages. You're such a liar that you couldn't keep your promises if
you wanted to. You don't know how to tell the truth. If you think to
get us, you'll have to do better fighting than you and your sneaking
Injuns have ever done yet. We only hope you'll hang around till our
messenger fetches in the reinforcements."

"Yes; and we've got your messenger safe, my crowing buck," Girty
yelled. "He'll bring you no help."

"Really got him, have you? We want to know! What kind of a man is
he--how did he look?"

"A fine, smart, active young fellow."

"That's another of your lies," laughed Captain Sullivan. "He was an
old, gray-headed weazel and far too smart for _you_!"

Haw-haw-haw!

"Laugh while you can," Girty retorted.