e laid waste, crops destroyed, cattle
butchered; and often, for days and nights together, the smoke could be
seen in many directions at once, as it rose from burning barns and
dwellings, and hung like a pall over the ill-fated land. At last, so
great became the audacity of these pestilent savages, that they
carried their depredations within cannon range of the very walls of
Winchester; and, under their destroying hand, the rich and beautiful
Valley of the Shenandoah seemed likely soon again to become a waste
and desert place. It was a boast of theirs, that they could take any
fort that could be fired; and round these places of refuge they would
skulk and lurk with the greatest patience for a week at a time, quite
content could they but get a single shot at such of the garrison as
dared to show themselves beyond shelter of the walls. Sometimes,
suddenly darting from their hiding-place, they would pounce upon
little children playing in the woods, and, in full view of the fort,
bear them away captives, never more to be seen by their bereaved
parents, who could only listen in helpless anguish to the piteous
cries of their little innocents, that grew fainter and fainter as
their savage captors hurried them farther and farther into the gloomy
depths of the wilderness.

Often, in their excursions along the frontier, Washington and his men
would come upon the still smoking ruins of a happy home, or the hacked
and mangled body of an unfortunate traveller who had been waylaid and
murdered by the Indians in some lonely mountain glen. In after-life,
the recollection of these harrowing scenes was to Washington so
painful, that he could but seldom be brought to speak of them. Now and
then, however, he would relate to a few friends some of these dark
experiences; among which is the following, given in his own words, as
a fair example of all the rest:--

"One day," said he, "as we were traversing a part of the
frontier, we came upon a small log-house, standing in the
centre of a little clearing, surrounded by woods on all sides.
As we approached, we heard the report of a gun,--the usual
signal of coming horror. Our party crept cautiously through the
underwood, until we had approached near enough to see what we
had already foreboded. A smoke was slowly making its way
through the roof of the house; when, at the same time, a party
of Indians came forth, laden with plunder,--consisting of