never miss his scalp; he always has his hat on!"

A roar of laughter greeted this sally; and a rush was made for the
unlucky orator, who showed a bold front enough to the mob. But at
that moment public attention was turned in a different direction by
the appearing upon the steps of the Assembly Rooms of a well-known
citizen of high repute, who had until latterly been one of the
peace party, but who of late had made a resolute stand, insisting
that something must be done for the protection of the western
settlers, and for the curbing of the ambitious encroachments and
preposterous claims of France.

This grave-faced citizen came out with some papers in his hand, and
the crowd was hushed into silence.

Overhead anxious faces could be seen looking out at the window. It
was not by the wishes of the Assembly that such letters were made
public; but many of them had been addressed to James Freeman
himself, and they could not restrain him from doing as he would
with his own.

"My friends," he said, and his voice rose distinct in the clear
air, "we have heavy tidings today. You shall hear what is written
from some sufferers not far from Fort Cumberland, where forty white
men, women, and children were barbarously murdered a few days back.

"'We are in as bad circumstances as ever any poor Christians were
ever in; for the cries of the widowers, widows, fatherless and
motherless children are enough to pierce the hardest of hearts.
Likewise it is a very sorrowful spectacle to see those that escaped