Boone’s men had been cautioned, time and again, to save their powder and bullets, and not one fired until he could make sure of his aim. As the Indians hurled themselves against the stockade the rifles of the pioneers spoke up and fully a dozen red men were either killed or wounded.
After this first savage assault, the red men retired to the shelter of the forest, and for half an hour nothing was seen or heard of them.
“They are up to some new trick,” said Joe. “The Indian is at his worst when he is quiet.”
Several sharpshooters were in the trees inside the stockade and they now announced that the red men had built several camp-fires at a distance.
Then came another shout from the forest, and fully thirty Indians appeared. Each had a flaming arrow fixed to his bow, and this he let drive over the stockade among the various buildings within.
“They are going to try to burn us out!” called out a number of the pioneers.
“Put out the fires!” ordered Daniel Boone, and he himself went around stamping out one arrow after another. The women appeared with buckets of water and wet swabs, and soon every arrow but one was extinguished. This arrow was on a sloping roof and burned fiercely.
“I reckon I can get that,” called out Harry, and, throwing down his musket, he started to climb to the top of the building.
“Have a care there!” called out Daniel Boone.
“I’m on the watch,” answered Harry.