The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-04-14

a braWny savage, bearing lighted brand,
came from behind the barn. Another fol-
lowed him with bundle of hay.
Nicholas face was grave.
They're going to do what I've been
afraid of-build fire against the front
door. 1t is perfectly dry, you know, for
the roof projects over it. They have the
advantage, too, for when they are there we
cannot see to shoot them. Beside, still
more gravely, ''our ammunition is getting
low-have you noticed it p
"Yes," said Elsie with little choking
sob. Father was intending to get SOME
moro at the fort this very day when he
came home from the mill.
''Help me down stairs" dearest" said
Nicholas. II will stay by the door, and,
believe me, no one shall enter except over
my dead body! Pnt the loaded guns be-
side me-
Pale and exhausted after his exertions.
Nicholas reached the lower story, and
there, propped up by cushions, his eyes
glittering with feverish light and his hands
tightly grasping the guns, he listened to
the movements of the enemy outside.
\ faint smell of smoke crept through
the crevices. The case seemed Desperate
indeed And as Elsie beheld her brave
and wounded lover, her courageous little
brothers and sweet baby-sister sleeping
calmly in spite of the noise, her heart was
torn at the thought of the fate threatening
them
Seizing one of the loaded guns, she hur-
ried upstairs In the hope of seeing a foe
she might shoot, she peered through one
of the loopholes, and as she did so she felt
the high heel of her slipper caught in a
hole in one Of the planks Of the floor She
stopped to dislodge her foot, and then some
impulse made her examine the hole. Evi-
IDENTIFY there had once been IA knot in the
timber This had fallen out and the rats
had gnawed the aperture until it was con-
siderably larger.
Smoke was curling up through it and
Elsie knew by this that she was standing
just over the place where the enemys fire
was kindled, for, as has been already stated,
the upper story of the house projected over
the lower the space beneath forming sort
of porch And it was in this porch that
the Indians were gathered.
''The wretches p muttered Elsie. II
can hear what they say! Burn us out, will
they? If | could tear away few Of these
boards without the redskins knowing it L
might fire down and kill one or two. Ah!'
and the exclamation was jubilant, for Elsie's
quick wit had suggested plan.
Hurrying downstairs, she said to the
boys: 'Peterkin, carry my washtub up
stairs no more noise about 1t than
you can help Hans, come with me.
While Peterkin obeyed the command Of
his sister, the latter, with Hans aid, began
carrying upstairs pailful after pailful of the
boiling hot soap, which was then poured
into the tub waiting for it.
''Elsie," whispered Nicholas, as she pass
ed him on one of her upward journeys
''Elsie, the door is beginning to burn L
can hear the wood crackle! As a last re-
sort, when the crash comes, you take little
Liza and the boys and rush out the back
door! | will try and detain the savages as
long as | can, SO as to give you chance.
Make for the river as fast as you can. Ii
your fathers boat is still there, get in it
and row across. Keep in the shadow and
coax Liza so that she won't cry. Kiss me
goodbye, sweetheart, and may the kind
God above watch over and protect you =
Elsie stopped and pressed a kiss upon
his pale, pain-wrought face. "Oh Nieho-
las \! [ cannot leave you to die here alone
no, no, not even for the children! Per-
haps we may all be saved have plan
oh, pray that it may not fail'-and with
one more passionate embrace Elsie again
rushed up the narrow, oaken stairs.
Reaching the place where the knothole
was. she knelt down, and, with a small
hatchet, began to tear away the boards
Ere long faint gleam of the fire blazing
below was seen through the cracks. Then
a little more careful work and she could
see the plumed heads and cOpper-colored
shoulders of the dozen savages, who were
so intent upon their task of feeding the fire
and battering the door that none Of them
saw the work that was going on over their
heads!
sElsie." whispered Peterkin-"E Elsie,
Nicholas says that they have nearly burned
and cut hole through the door, and that
YOU must come down and get ready to flee!
Oh whats that p as the report of Il musket
was heard below.
For Nicholas, seeing that small opening
had been made in the door, placed his
musket to it and fired a random shot, which
was attended with excellent results, for one
of the savages fell wounded to the ground.
a Il Jol NTH fha rurofh
full wells of the Indians as they bent over
their fallen comrade, Elsie, with the boys
aid, tipped up the tub over the hole in the
floor and the next instant stream OF scald-
ing hot soap was poured down upon the
enemy!
And then what howls Of pain What
mad caperings, as the Indians vainly strove
to free themselves from the burning mass
that had fallen on their heads, shoulders,
arms and bodies! Everything else was
forgotten in their efforts to ease their pain
.lThe river screamed one, and like a
pack of frightened infuriated animals away
they rushed down the grassy slope, hoping
to relieve their burns by plunging in the
cold stream. But in this instance the old
saying, ''out of the frying pan into the fire,
was verified, for, scarcely had they reached
the rivers bank, when they received such
volley of bullets that two-thirds of their
number fell to the ground killed or mortal
ly wounded
1t was Herr Meyer and a party of sol.
diers from the fort. They had come across
the river in boats, and had come ashore
just as the savages came rushing down.
''Thank God that we were in time,' said
Herr Meyer, few minutes later, he enter
ed the besieged house and fondly embraced
his family.
"Ah, buty you wouldn't have been iii time, y
said Elsie, half-laughing and half-cfying-
''you wouldn't have been in time if it had
not been for my kettle of soft soap
Mary E. Brush.