William Welch.

"Are you sure they have gone?" he asked.

"Sure as gospel," he answered, "and they've been gone twenty-four
hours at least."

"How do you know that?"

"Easy enough. I found several of their cooking places in the woods;
the brands were out, and even under the ashes the ground was cold, so
they must have been out for a long time. I could have walked straight
on to the house, then, but I thought it safer to make quite sure by
searching everywhere, for they might have moved deeper into the
forest, and left a few men on guard here, in case the young uns
should come back. But it aint so; they've gone, and there aint a
living soul anywhere nigh the clearing. The young uns can come back
now, if they will, safely enough."

Before doing anything else the farmer assembled the party together in
the living room, and there solemnly offered up thanks to God for
their deliverance from danger, and implored his protection for the
absent ones. When this was over he said to his wife:

"Now, Jane; you had better lie down and get a few hours' sleep. It is
already two o'clock, and there is no chance whatever of their
returning tonight, but I shall go down to the lake and wait till
morning. Place candles in two of the upper windows. Should they be
out on the lake they will see them and know that the Indians have not
taken the house."