“It will be a battle to the death,” he called back.
Simon, who looked the picture of disappointed rage, hurried from the room. I had only time to embrace and kiss Lucille, to tell her to keep up a brave heart, and then I rushed out to take my place among my men.
The din was terrific. Added to the yells of the savages, and the gun shots, were the cries of defiance from those within the stockade who had rallied to the fight, discharging their muskets as fast as they could load. So quickly had the attack of the Indians been met, due to the vigilance of the sentinels, that only a few of the red men gained the top of the palisades. These had been shot down, and the van of the storming force had been obliged to retreat, but they fired from behind rocks and trees, some of the bullets wounding our soldiers.
I reached the stockade at a point where there were none of my men, just as one savage, his scalp lock gay with feathers, gained the top of the posts, and with reckless bravery leaped down inside. No sooner had he recovered his footing than he dashed straight at me. I was so surprised at the suddenness of his appearance and action, that I stood still for a moment.
The Indian raised his arm, there was a flash of light, and his tomahawk grazed my temple, cutting the skin slightly. Then the fellow sprang at me. But my sword was out, and ere he reached me I had run him through the body. So he never threw any more tomahawks.
The attack on the fort was becoming more fierce every second. I was startled to see that the sun had gone down, and that it would be dark in a little while. This was borne upon me when I saw the ruddy reflection of a fire which the Indians had kindled in front of the block. It shone on the logs, but cast into shadow the savages who were behind it. Thus they could see whatever went on in the place, while we were blinded by the glare, and could not observe them.
Our only hope lay in keeping up a rapid fire, so that they might not get near enough to charge.[charge.] And this hope was bound to become futile soon. Indeed our position was most trying. I was encouraging my men all I could, firing a musket every time I saw so much as a finger of the enemy exposed, and all the while trying to devise some plan to beat off the foe when Captain Carteret sent a messenger to bid me come to him. Telling the men to be as sparing of the powder as they could, and to never leave the loops for an instant, I went to the commander.
I found him loading and firing away at a great rate. He took me to one side.
“I’ve been noticing some sort of a movement among the Indians at the rear of the place,” he said. “I fear they are up to some trick. It looks as if they were carrying brush and branches of trees about.”
“That means but one thing,” I said.