Year: 1876

| body, and make us careless on our gate
front. But as long as we seemed on our
guard no general attack would be made.
Therefore few persons might safely go
after water, if the garrison would make
show of watchfulness in their defense.


At this suggestion, one of the mothers
proposed that the women should go after
the water in their usual way, while the
men made show of being on the alert.
" Probably" she said, the women could
go to the spring and return unharmed if
they would do so without acting as if they
suspected an enemy nearer than the corn.
| The Indians would not forfeit their hope
of taking the stockade by surprise, just
for the sake of killing few women


This bold project met at first much OPP
position. Some of the men would not
listen to the proposal that their wives and
daughters should run such risk; few
children, catching the idea, set up a
frightened wailing; and certain of the
women, as was natural, had no relish for
the dangerous Undertaking. | remember
one in particular, Il bOastful creature, who
had always seemed to consider herself as
brave as the brayest men, but now showed
herself great coward, eXclaiming: Let
the men bring the water. We are not
bullet-proof! The savagcs will take Il
woman's scalp as soon as a mans"


But our leaders urged so many and such
good reasons for our going to the spring,
and 50 many of the older women were in
favor of it, that in few minutes all
agreed to the plan, and it was decided
that every woman in the stockade able to
bring pail of water should go, so as to
show no partiality. We were not to go
all in a crowd, but stringing along two
Or three together, as naturally as possible,
so as to excite no suspicion among the
Indians.


Then we got our buckets, some of us
carrying two. Oh, how plainly remem-
Der those few minutes. Many of US wore
shoes or moccasins, but we all took them
off so as to run the faster it we had need.


We stood all together by the picketing,
and paler-faced crowd Of women was
never seen. But th>re was no fainting,
as in these days is so common among
| Iodies


| The men, each with two or three loaded
guns near him, gathered along the stock
ade, at the portfolios, ready to fire on
the Indians if they attacked us. Two Of
the strongest were to manage the gate.
Finally, when all were ready, my
mother suggested that prayer should be
offered before we went out, for, said she:
"If God does not shield us we shall never
come back" This idea pleased all, both
men and women.


Mr.. Reynolds, whose son was Captain
of the garrison, knelt down on the ground,
while every body knelt around him; and
such prayer as that old man prayed
The people in those days, ministers and
all, do not know how to pray as folks
prayed in those bloody times. You do
not feel your need of God as you would if
thousand wild Indians were at your very
doors, painting to kill you and all your
loved ones You do not nowadays, hour
ly, hold your lives in your hands, and
feel that you have no hope but in the
| Lord.


A white-ha old man in a quavering
voice told God our very hearts, and it did
seem as if God was right there to hear
him. How wives were going forth from
husbands into the jaws Of death how
young daughters were running the risk OF
captivity worse than death; how moth
| ers were leaving their babes, whom they
loved more dearly than life-thus he
prayed; and as his words were literally
true, we all felt them in such prayerful
earncstness as people do not feel in the
splendid modern churches, where prayers
are almost a mere form. And he besought
God, weeping, that every soul in Bryant's
stockade might, that day and that minute,
be born again and thus fitted to die or
live. was not until then Christian !;
but while I was kneeling there on the
hard -trodden earth l felt must give my
self to God, and l did; and from that
awful hour | date my hope Of heaven.
And / was not the only one every poor
sinner in the fort did the same. 1t was a
nearly two score persons were then and
there converted, and they held on faithful
unto death. That is the way men ought
always to pray, with blood-rcd feeling
and meaning in their hearts and words
for so God would always hear and an
swer. When we arose from our knees
men and all were in tears, and we kneo
God Mould take care of us, die or live


Then there was moment of sad and
fond farewells, and we began to slip
through the gate and start for the spring.
How vivid it is yet TO me, though it was
shout seventy years ago! can see and
feel it all, as if it were now before me;
the sun was some two hours high, and the
very air seemed as still as death; there
were the mocassins we had removed stand
ing in row by the picketing: the little
children were crying by the cabin doors
the men were going to their guns by the
pJrtholcs.


went out with my mother, and as we
were passing through the gate she said, in
a low tone:


"Walk behind me, Hetty, so if they
shoot they will not hit you till they kill
me-"


But l replied:


"No; for fathers sake and the chill,
dren, will keep between you and the
Indians"


And did; going TO the spring ! walked
before her, and returning kept behind
her. While we were dipping up the
water I Glanced 10 see under the bushes
the feet of one Indian and the hand of an
other grasping tomahawk; they were
not twenty steps from me, and | trembiee
SO could hardly stand.


But God heard the prayer, and within
few minutes every one was safe back II
the stockade, and the Indians had no
fired shot. But some Of the bucket
were not very full, for it is not an easl