twas only a war-party," she answered. "The rest is at
McAfee's. And if they beat 'em off--" she stopped abruptly.

"We shall be saved," I said.

I shall never forget that day. Polly Ann left my side only to feed the
children and to keep watch out of the loopholes, and I lay on my back,
listening and listening to the shots. At last these became scattered.
Then, though we strained our ears, we heard them no more. Was the fort
taken? The sun slid across the heavens and shot narrow blades of light,
now through one loophole and now through another, until a ray slanted
from the western wall and rested upon the red-and-black paint of two
dead bodies in the corner. I stared with horror.

"I was afeard to open the door and throw 'em out," said Polly Ann,
apologetically.

Still I stared. One of them had a great cleft across his face.

"But I thought I hit him in the shoulder," I exclaimed.

Polly Ann thrust her hand, gently, across my eyes. "Davy, ye mustn't
talk," she said; "that's a dear."

Drowsiness seized me. But I resisted.

"You killed him, Polly Ann," I murmured, "you?"

"Hush," said Polly Ann.

And I slept again.

CHAPTER II. "THE BEGGARS ARE COME TO TOWN"

"They was that destitute," said Tom, "'twas a pity to see 'em."

"And they be grand folks, ye say?" said Polly Ann.

"Grand folks, I reckon. And helpless as babes on the Wilderness Trail.
They had two niggers--his nigger an' hers--and they was tuckered, too,
fer a fact.

"Lawsy!" exclaimed Polly Ann. "Be still, honey!" Taking a piece of
corn-pone from the cupboard, she bent over and thrust it between little
Peggy's chubby fingers "Be still, honey, and listen to what your Pa
says. Whar did ye find 'em, Tom?"

"'Twas Jim Ray found 'em," said Tom. "We went up to Crab Orchard,
accordin' to the Colonel's orders and we was thar three days. Ye ought
to hev seen the trash we turned back, Polly Ann! Most of 'em was scared
plum' crazy, and they was fer gittin 'out 'n Kaintuckee at any cost.
Some was fer fightin' their way through us."

"The skulks!" exclaimed Polly Ann. "They tried to kill ye? What did ye
do?"

Tom grinned, his mouth full of bacon.

"Do?" says he; "we shot a couple of 'em in the legs and arms, and bound
'em up again. They was in a t'arin' rage. I'm more afeard of a scar't
man,--a real scar't man--nor a rattler. They cussed us till they was
hoarse. Said they'd hev us hung, an' Clark, too. Said they hed a right
to go back to Virginny