Year: 1877

could not be seen from the cabin,
without going through the brush
Pressing the bed clothes under the
edge of the stack, she caught Kitty
up, flew back to the house, aud gath
cred as large bundle of bed cloth
ing as she could possibly carry, and
put it In with the bed. Back again
to the cabin for one more bundle,
consisting Of all their clothing which
was of value, and placing it with the
rest she threw hay around and over
it, so that it only seemed to belong
to the stack itself.


''It may be useless, but it's the best
l can do" she sighed, as she thought
that possibly savage eyes were watch
ING from the thick underbrush every
movement she had made. Now to
save ourselves, and God help us and
take care of u.s. And with one
more anguished look to heaven, as
the prayer of wild entreaty broke
from her lips, she took Kitty up, and
as she carried her back to the house
she tried to impress upon the child
what she was going to do, and that
she must keep perfectly still. Her
greatest apprehension was that Kit
ty would cry.


Mechanically she put some bread
in her pocket, lest Kitty should be
hungry. Then she prepared her hid
ing place, casting "a wistful glance
at the nice fat hogs that must be lost
to her family, as she went out into
the shed where they hung.


"They will have to go, but if | can
save ourselves and our beds and
clothes, it won't much NATTER" she
said, as with eager haste she tore off
the boards which had covered the
ash hopper.


The great hopper was built in the
form of a V and was nearly empty,
as the summer had not required
much fire in doors. 1t was some dis
tance from the house, under the low
hanging branches of some trees
Her hope was that the Indians
would not notice or trouble it.


"The pigs will be sure to attract
them," she said, "and perhaps keep
them from looking anywhere else
for plunder."


Mrs. Huggins was small woman,
and Kitty quite small for her age
The mother knew that by crouching
closely together there would be room
for both in the hopper. Tearing
some grass and leaves she sprinkled
over what ashes were in it. Then,
after lifting Kitty in, she climbed in
herself, and pulling the loose boards
over their heads. Taking the child
in her arms she crouched down and
found more space in the hopper than
she thought there was. Here she
waited, fervently praying that no
savage eyes might have seen her
hiding place, and that she and her
child might not be discovered.


She had not long to wait for her
cruel visitors, though it seemed an
eternity. The cries and shouts which
she had family heard from the direc-
ton of Morgan's had ceased before
her work was done, but now she
heard them again, much nearer to
her hiding place.


"They are comlng," she thought
with a shiver of horror, while the
blood seemed to stagnatein her veins.
There was air enough in the hopper
to breathe but Mrs. Higgins felt that
she must look out or die with the
terror. With eager strength she
pushed apart the boards of the hop
per on the side next the cabin
Through the crack she watched with
bated breath.


Louder shouts and the trampling
feet told her that her foes were ap-
preaching and soon she saw dozen
shady forms passing up the hill past
the spring. Their naked limbs were
hideously painted. Some of the saw
ages were on foot; three or four on
horseback. One Of the horses she
recognized as Morgan's big gray,
while OH the top of spear which one
of them carried, hung something
long, yellow, dangling, and bloody.
Mrs. Huggins thought of Sally Nor
gan's long yellow hair, and turned
sick, faint and blind, seeing nothing
and hearing nothing for few mo-
ments.


Then she was aroused by such
yells of triumphant malice as made
the hair stand upright on brave mems
heads. Collecting her senses, she
saw that the Indians had discovered
the slaughtered pigs and were bring
ing them out with yells and dances,
and fastening them across two of the
horses.


She glanced down at little Kitty:
The child was asleep. And IN all
their after lives, Thomas and Mary
Huggins, in thankfulness, never dar-
ed to think it was any other than a
special Providence, which held tina
little one quiet and asleep all through
the fearful noise and terror of that
afternoon.


Finding nothing else for plunder
in the shed, the savage devils rushed
into the cabin, and Mary knew they
were pursuing their tiendish work in
side.


In short time they came out and
very soon smoke and flame began to
escape from the windows and doors
and while the fiends danced and yell
ed and whooped around the cabin,
poor Mary, from the crack in the
hopper, watched her peaceful little
home burn to ruin and ashes.


1t began to grow dusk before the
flames died away, and then Mary's
heart grew cold with terror, not lest
the savages should come to her re-
treat, for they never turned in that
direction, but for fear they might
take the road toward the settlement
and meet Mr.. Higgins and Johnny
on their return home. But when at
last they did depart, she thanked
God that they went in the direction
of the creek, just opposite the way
she dreaded to see them take.


Their yeus and voices died away
1t was growing dark, but she dared
not leave her hiding place, although