CHAPTER XIII.
In the mean time the little party consisting of Maggie and Eva Brainerd, Aunt Peggy, and the servant Gravity Gimp, and the eccentric New Englander Habakkuk McEwen, were improving to the utmost the advantage gained by reaching the eastern bank of the Susquehanna.
"I don't want to go away without papa," said Eva, as she looked longingly across the river, where the massacre was going on, as shown in the smoke of burning buildings, the crack of the rifles, the whoop of the Indians, the shouts of fugitives, and the flight of settlers, including women and children, who flocked to the river.
Despite the danger, Maggie shared with her sister the most tender solicitude for her parent.
"Perhaps he is among them," said she, in a lower voice, to Gravity.
"There's no telling where anybody is," replied the New Englander, "but I notice that the Tories and Injins right across from us are watching our movements pretty sharp, and it won't do for us to loaf about here many days, if we expect to get out with our lives."
"What a pity that Jake Golcher was not shot when we had the chance!" exclaimed Aunt Peggy.
"We're likely to get dat same chance agin," said Gimp, impressively, "and de next time de one dat don't took it has got to be shot for him."
"If we could do Richard any good," added Aunt Peggy, more thoughtfully, "we ought to wait here; but can we?"