hands now went about their work as usual, but always carried arms
with them, while one was constantly stationed on the watch-tower.
Harold resumed his fishing; never, however, going out of sight of the
house. Sometimes he took with him little Nelly Welch; it being
considered that she was as safe in the canoe as she was in the house,
especially as the boat was always in sight, and the way up from the
landing to the house was under cover of the rifles of the defenders;
so that, even in case of an attack, they would probably be able to
make their way back.

One afternoon they had been out together for two or three hours;
everything looked as quiet and peaceable as usual; the hands were in
the fields near the house, a few of the cows grazing close to the
gate. Harold had been successful in his fishing and had obtained as
many fish as he could carry. He stepped out from the canoe, helped
Nelly to land, slung his rifle across his back, and picked up the
fish, which were strung on a withe passed through their gills.

He had made but a few steps when a yell arose, so loud and terrible
that for a moment his heart seemed to stop beating. Then from the
cornfields leaped up a hundred dark figures; then came the sharp
crack of rifles, and two of the hands dashed down at full speed
toward the house. One had fallen. The fourth man was in the
watch-tower. The surprise had been complete. The Indians had made
their way like snakes through the long corn, whose waving had been
unperceived by the sentinel, who was dozing at his post, half-asleep
in the heat of the sun. Harold saw in a moment that it was too late
for him to regain the house; the redskins were already nearer to it
than he was.