"I don't think it will be safe for her father to come after her,
when the flurry is over."

"Why not?"

"He will be with the Iroquois, even though his tribe doesn't like
them any too well; for the Iroquois are the conquerors of the
Delawares, and drove them off their hunting grounds."

"Well," said Mrs. Ripley, with a sigh; "even if he never comes for
her, she will always have a home with us."

The dwelling of the Ripleys was on the eastern shore of the Susquehanna.
On the other side stood Fort Wintermoot and Forty Fort, the former
being at the upper end of the valley. That would be the first one
reached by the invaders, and the expectation was that it would give
up whenever ordered to do so, for nearly all in it were friends of
the Tories.

It was evident that when Omas left his child with her friends, and
spoke of returning the next day, or soon thereafter, he did not
know how near the invasion was. Mrs. Ripley expected that when he
did learn it, he would hasten back for her.

The night, however, passed without his appearance, and the hot July
sun came up over the forests on the eastern bank of the river, and
still he remained away. It looked as if he had decided to let her
take her chances while he joined the invaders in their work of
destruction and woe.