"Is it a general uprising?" queried one of the settlers.
"It is, an' they say the Injuns are burnin' cabins an' killin' all the settlers everywhere. I just came from McReary's place. It's burnt down, an' McReary is dead, an' so is his old mother. Higginby's place is gone, too, and so is Spodd's. But Spodd got away and said he was going to Winchester."
"Daddy Farker's place is burnt down," said Rodney.
"It's a black day for this section of the country," went on Sam Barringford. "The Injuns are fairly wild and I was told some of 'em are acting like mad-men. They hung up one man over to Bedford by the heels and cut him all to pieces." And this statement, revolting as it was, was strictly true.
When the Morrises and Barringford reached the homestead they found Joseph Morris and his wife much agitated over the condition of affairs. The good woman of the home was glad to see her daughter come back in safety, and hugged the girl many times. The twins crowed loudly at the old frontiersman's appearance.
"If matters grow worse we'll have to go to Fort Cumberland," said Joseph Morris, as he limped to the doorway to look out. "I'd hate to leave the place, but we can't stay here to be butchered."
"Let us leave while there is yet time, Joseph," said his wife. "Remember, if we are surrounded, all escape will be cut off."
"I will have Sam go out and see how the land lies first," answered Joseph Morris. "Things may not be so bad after all. In such excitement as this, affairs are greatly exaggerated."
Sam Barringford went out half an hour later, when he had somewhat recovered from his hard ride. Dave went with him, leaving the others to prepare for flight at a moment's notice.
We, who live in the security of these days, cannot realize the hardships and horrors of the years gone by. The settlers, and especially the women and children, dwelt almost constantly in the fear of the red mans war-whoop, with its burning and plundering, its tomahawking and scalping. Every man dwelt with a gun behind his door, and when he went to the field to plow, or to hoe corn, he took the weapon with him. Nearly every cabin had its hiding-place, where the women and children might huddle in case there was not time to flee. Some people made free to confess that they did not get a whole night's sound sleep sometimes for a month, and when they arose in the morning it was with the thought whether or not the day would bring more trouble from their red neighbors. So treacherous had some of the Indians been in the past, that many would no longer trust them, no matter what professions of friendship they made.