132 
KANSAS. 
to a community situated as we are. Eighty men from Topeka have 
arrived. 
4 tk. — Early morning calls are all I see of the doctor now, as 
there is continually something in the council-room to demand 
attention, and last night they held a council of war to decide upon 
what further measures shall be taken for our defence. 
Forts and entrenchments are to be thrown up, under the direc¬ 
tion of Col. Lane. Reports have come in of three hundred men 
between here and Westport, three hundred at the Wakarusa, some 
two hundred now crossing the Delaware Reserve towards Law¬ 
rence, — the Platte County Rifles being of the number, — making 
in all a force eight hundred strong for the destruction, the annihi¬ 
lation of Lawrence. 
Oar guard are now fired upon nightly. Last night a bullet 
passed through the hat of one of the guard, instead of his head, 
for which it was doubtless intended. 
The chilly breath of the last few days has given place to the 
warm, balmy airs of September. I watch the guard upon the 
hills, and stationed at different points in the prairies — foot guard 
as well as mounted. Some are standing quietly, while the two 
hours of some others have expired, and they are going through a 
rapid change of position. There are horsemen, also wagons, pass¬ 
ing up over the Lecompton road, to reinforce the company at 
Lecompton, and swift riders are going in and out of town, while 
the flag — the sign of invasion — floats over our house. This 
flag was run up days ago, and can be seen at a great distance. 
In the midst of my reveries arising from all this strange scene, 
the uncouth face of a Missourian presented itself close by me, 
only the window between. That we looked at each other, I am 
sure, and from the looks of his physiognomy, and from a certainty 
as to the nature of my own feelings, I am equally sure neither of 
us were pleased. He, however, seemed strongly attracted towards 
the house, was only content after taking a general survey of 
three sides of it, and came a little nearer than any rules of pro¬ 
priety would allow. He passed on, at length, and seated himself 
in the tall grass on the top of the hill for half an hour. He was 
evidently a spy, not upon us only, but the whole town. 
