270 
KANSAS. 
rence, and no carriage could go from the hotel, because horses 
were continually taken from wagons, carriages, or riders, and 
pressed into the service of “ law and order.” So, until the day 
after the next, as the stage went out only three days in the week, 
returning on the alternate days, we would be obliged to remain. 
This would have been unendurable had not the hotel still been 
in the possession of Massachusetts gentlemen. Five Massachu¬ 
setts families were still in the house, also Mr. C., of Philadelphia, 
who had sometimes made a home with us, had just returned with 
iiis wife from the Quaker city. 
The threats of destroying this hotel were still frequent, and 
nightly the danger of attack was imminent. The mayor of the 
city had kept out a guard one or two nights. But he had de¬ 
clined doing this longer, and, a meeting of the citizens being 
called, it was decided to ask the “ Eldridges ” to sell the hotel, to 
save it from the fury of South Carolinians and border men; they 
expressed to them at the same time their regret that such was 
the excitement against it. 
Again and again the mob had assembled, and with groans, 
whose hideousness no one can appreciate who was not forced to 
listen, and with yells, declared the house should come down. The 
“Eldridges” proposed their terms, which were accepted, and, on the 
morning of the tenth, the hotel passed into the keeping of two 
pro-slavery men. Little curly, woolly heads, sitting in the door¬ 
ways, proclaimed also the house was under a new rule. One, 
with skin slightly colored, and fiery red hair, looked oddly, and 
bore a marked resemblance to the little boy of his own size, whose 
attendant he seemed to be. 
On the second of June a battle was fought near Prairie city. 
For several days, a portion of the posse, Buford men and Caro¬ 
linians, together with Missourians, had been committing depreda¬ 
tions upon the settlers, taking several of them prisoners. Capt. 
Brown, on hearing of the outrages, called his company together, 
and started on the eve of Sunday, travelling all night. At day¬ 
light, Capt. Brown made the attack upon Pate and his company, 
who vere arranged behind their wagons. Pate also placed the 
unarmed prisoners, whom he had taken, in front of them, as a 
