“Don’t you be afraid about that. As long as our officers can lead us we shall fight, and some say we shall do our best when we haven’t one left to lead us. In plain honest English, Master George, we shall fire as long as we can load; when we can’t use our guns we shall use our fists, and when we can’t raise an arm we shall kick.”
“Yes, I know, I know,” I said, excitedly. “But what you are thinking of it so dreadful.”
“So’s lying down beat out to let savages knock out your brains, my lad; and so we’ve all made up our minds that when the worst comes to the very worst, it will be an act of kindness to everybody and a big lesson to the Indians to let settlers alone, and perhaps be the means of saving the lives of hundreds of poor creatures in times to come, if one of us—”
“Yes, I know,” I half groaned—“sets fire to this powder and blows everything away.”
“That’s it, Master George, and the right thing too.”
“Oh!” I cried, with a shudder.
“Don’t take on, my lad,” said Morgan, gently. “It’s fate, that’s what it is. We shan’t do it till the place is full of Indians, and they’ve begun their terrible work; then one touch with a spark and it’ll be all over.”
“Morgan!” I cried.
“Ay, my lad, it seems very horrid, and I don’t want to have it to do; but when we’re all half dead, and can’t lift a hand, it will be a mercy to every one; and I know if your poor father was here and listening to what we say, he’d think so too.”
“But—but—” I faltered, despairingly, “I don’t want to die.”