142 
KANSAS, 
impossible for them to escape the observation of the enemy, and 
we watched them anxiously, almost breathlessly, as they slowly were 
nearing us. The horsemen, fortunately, instead of going on to the 
summit, kept a little under the eastern slope, and, thank God! our 
friends were safe. The reason of their coming oyer was a simple 
one. They had been guilty of aiding in the rescue of an innocent 
man from a gang of desperadoes. A gang of men had been 
prowling about their house all the morning; not all in one body, 
but at different points, and in such a manner as to excite suspi¬ 
cions of evil intended against them. Finally, this scouting band 
of the governor’s militia all at once started in the direction of 
their head-quarters, and our friends immediately came over the 
hills, seeking a safer place. Our messengers fly back and forth to 
town, and one of them concludes to go to his home in the states, 
for a little time. We send to his wife to come and see him, and 
for the first time I begin to feel that the horrors of war are open¬ 
ing upon us. Men, for doing an act of kindness, are hunted for 
their lives, and daily and nightly watching alone saves them from 
falling into the hands of the enemy. I go continually from one 
part of the house to the other, to see if any spies are about, and 
once fell into a laughable mistake. Having gone up stairs to have 
a long look out over hill and prairie, I saw a woman upon the west 
side of the hill. I ran down and said to the gentlemen, “ There 
is a woman coming to the house. Will you step in the dining-room 
and see if it is any one you would like to see; if not, you can go 
up stairs.” They looked out, and one of them said, “ Why, that’s 
my wife.” 
I laughed as heartily as they, but did not diminish my watch¬ 
fulness, because once I was “ more scared than hurt.” 
The men were at work on a part of the forts, while some were 
complete; entrenchments were being thrown up on each side of 
Massachusetts-street; the soldiers were drilling through the centre 
of the broad street; ladies were standing in the doorways look¬ 
ing on ; while little boys, having caught the general spirit of a 
resort to arms, were marching about in martial array, with feath¬ 
ers in their paper cocked-hats and imitation guns. 
D. R. Atchison, with twenty-five men, was said to be crossing 
