mill, but a sight of the man in mail with the far reaching gun was
enough to send them to a safe distance and rescue the property. Many
stories have been told of Prescott's prowess, but some bear so close a
resemblance to those credibly historic in other localities and of other
heroes, that there attaches to them some suspicions of adaptation at
least. Such perhaps is the story that in an assault upon the town "he
had several muskets but no one in the house save his wife to assist him.
She loaded the guns and he discharged them with fatal effect. The
contest continued for nearly half an hour, Mr. Prescott all the while
giving orders as if to soldiers, so loud that the Indians could hear
him, to load their muskets though he had no soldiers but his wife. At
length they withdrew carrying off several of their dead and wounded."

In 1673 Prescott had nearly attained the age of three score and ten. The
weight of years that had been full of exposure, anxiety and toil rested
heavily upon even his rugged frame, and some sharp touch of bodily
ailment warning him of his mortality, he made his will. It is signed
with "his mark," although he evidently tried to force his unwilling hand
to its accustomed work, his peculiar J being plainly written and
followed by characters meant for the remaining letters of his first
name. To earlier documents he was wont to affix a simple neat signature,
and although not a clerkly penman like his friends John Tinker, Master
Joseph Rowlandson and Ralph Houghton, his writing is superior to that of
Major Simon Willard.

JOHN PRESCOTT'S WILL.

Theis presents witneseth that John Prescott of Lancaster in the
Countie of Midlesex in New England Blaksmith being vnder the
sencible decayes of nature and infirmities of old age and at