d for a long and dismal period she was unprotected
save by her own remarkable courage.

At that period the houses were built of logs, and the chimneys were
built of sticks plastered with clay. They were called "stack chimneys."
One evening Aunt Nancy and her children were sitting around the fire, on
which a pot of soap was boiling. Now, a pot of soap must be constantly
stirred, and for this the strong, muscular arms of Aunt Nancy were
peculiarly fitted. So she stirred the soap, and, as she stirred, told
the youngsters the latest news of the war. Presently one of her children
chanced to discover some one peeping through the crack of the chimney,
eavesdropping. By a gesture or a nod of the head Aunt Nancy was informed
of what was going on. She smiled, and grew more spirited in her talk,
rattling away and laughing as she gave exaggerated accounts of the
recent defeats of the Tories. As she talked, she stirred the bubbling
soap, and kept her keen eyes on the crack where the eavesdropper had
been seen. Suddenly she dashed a ladleful of boiling soap through the
crack full into the face of the intruder. It was so quickly and deftly
done, that the eavesdropper had no time to dodge the scalding stuff. He
received the full benefit of it Blinded and half crazed by the pain,
he howled and screamed at a tremendous rate. Aunt Nancy went out,
and, after amusing herself at his expense, bound him fast and held
him prisoner. The probability is that the next day she H tucked up her
petticoats, shouldered her gun, and compelled the unlucky Tory to ford
the river ahead of her; and that, once on the other side, she kept in
constant communication with the Clarkes and with other partisans of the
American cause.

[Illustration: Aunt Nancy Hart 079]

Her husband, whom she sometimes jokingly described as "a poor stick,"
assisted her in her communications. A conch shell was kept at the
spring, some distance from the house. On this conch shell the children
were taught to blow the blasts that gave Mr. Hart information. One
signal was, "The enemy is at hand;" another was, "Keep close;" another,
"Make tracks for the swamp;" and still another was that he and his
friends were wanted at the cabin.

At the very darkest hour of the Revolution in Georgia, Aunt Nancy
performed one of her most remarkable feats,--one that brought into play
all the courage and devotion of her strong nature, and all the tact and
audacity that belonged to her character.

Br