ADVENTUEES IN LOUISIANA. 199 



" ' They're coming ! ' cried he ; 'a hundred of them 

 at least.' 



" ' Are they are far off 1 ? ' said Asa, quite quietly, and 

 as if he had been talking of a herd of deer. 



" ' They are coming over the prairie. In less than 

 half an hour they will be here.' 



" ' How are they marching "? With van and rear 

 guard 1 In what order 1 ' 



" ' J^o order at all, but all of a heap together.' 



" ' Good ! ' said Asa ; ' they can know little about 

 bush-fighting or soldiering of any kind. Now then, 

 the women into the blockhouse.' 



" Righteous galloped up to our fort, to be there first 

 in case the enemy should find it out. The women 

 soon followed, carrying what they could with them. 

 When we were all in the blockhouse, we pulled up 

 the ladder, made the gate fast, and there Ave were. 



" We felt strange at first when we found ourselves 

 shut up inside the palisades, and only able to look out 

 through the slits we had left for our rifles. We 

 weren't used to be confined in a place, and it made 

 us right-down wolfish. There we remained, however, 

 as still as mice. Scarce a whisper was to be heard. 

 Rachel tore up old shirts and greased them, for wad- 

 ding for the guns ; we changed our flints, and fixed 

 everything about the rifles properly, while the women 

 sharpened our knives and axes all in silence. 



" Nearly an hour had passed in this way when we 

 heard a shouting and screaming, and a few musket- 



