A H IJ N T ER'S LI FE. 4t 



When morning came, the rain was pouring in torrenis. 

 The old man called me to him, and told me first to iiiuke 

 good fires in the kitchen, and then in the house. Dodd 

 assisted me, and we soon had blazing fires in both places ; 

 and then we fed the cows, six mules, and four or five 

 horses; which the children and old Dinah, the black wo- 

 niiiii, usually attended to. This task was soon done, and 

 all the family, together with the travelers, seated them- 

 selves by the blazing fire. By this time, the rain having 

 ceased, and the clouds scattered, 1 began to view the 

 strong walls that surrounded the house and kitchen. They 

 were made of trees, split into two pieces, and planted in a 

 ditch five or six feet deep ; one-half of a tree being placed 

 over each joint, to keep the balls of the enemy from com- 

 ing through. The clay was beat so hard round the ends 

 sunk in the ditch, that they could not be moved ; and these 

 walls were so arranged that the enemy could not approach 

 thera on any side without being exposed to a fire from 

 within. Inside the walls a strong log house, called a 

 Ijlock-hoiise, was built, in the form of a double square O ; 

 leaving room upon all sides to shoot, and also making it 

 impossible to set fire to any part of the fort or houses. 



This was all new to me, and I thought I would like tf> 

 have been with the braves who had defended themselves so 

 nobly in similar places. Mr. Caldwell told me that 1 

 should be his house-hand, to attend to the hauling of fire- 

 wood, go to mill, make fires, etc. "Now," said he, "don't 

 you see those mules at the stacks yonder ? " 



"I do, sir." 



"Well, go yoke up the oxen, and haul rails, and make 

 a fence that will keep them out ; after which, if you have 

 time this evening, haul a load or two of firewood." 



I gathered up my team and hauled the rails, with which 

 [ built a good fence b- one o'clock, and then set ol!" for a 



