The broken barricades prevented the door from falling to the floor, but the moonlight streamed into the room, and revealed the defenders to the Indians. Simultaneously with their success, they essayed to enter over the stricken portals, but the rifles of the besieged cracked again, and two more Indians fell dead on the porch.
The death-work momentarily drove the foe from the door, and before they returned to their work, Swamp Oak had torn the useless barricades away, and supplied their places with new ones. A settler’s cabin is always supplied with two sets of barricades, and in case of an attack the extra set is placed beside the door.
When the enemy returned to the attack, they greeted the new defense with wild yells, and the renewal of the attack was met with a volley from the besieged which sorely wounded no less a personage than Segowatha.
In tones of rage and pain the stricken Pottawatomie ordered his braves from the attack, and for many minutes silence reigned beyond the fort.
“They are concocting something devilish,” whispered the young girl.
“Yes, the evil spirit is playing with their hearts,” said Swamp Oak.
A moment later, they heard the voice of the Yellow Chief.
“You had better surrender; the Indians are mad now,” he said.
“Let them eat themselves for rage,” cried Kate Blount, heroically. “We will not surrender.”
“Then die!” yelled Jules Bardue.