New England shuddered at what she saw was coming. The 24th of June, 1675, was appointed a day of fasting and prayer that the awful peril might pass by. The people gathered in their churches, and never were more fervent appeals sent to heaven than on that sultry Sunday in early summer, more than two hundred years ago. At the end of the services at Swansea, the people were walking quietly homeward, nearly every one talking of the dreadful danger that threatened, when without the slightest warning, a party of Indians hiding in the woods, fired upon them. One man fell dead, and several were wounded. Two others started on a run for a surgeon, but had gone only a few rods, when they were shot down. A general rush was made for the blockhouse or fort, and others were slain. The Wampanoags were very active, and in the course of a few minutes had several buildings in flames. Before the whites could rally, they dashed into the woods and were gone. The attack at Swansea was the opening of King Philip's War. The chieftain pressed the war "all along the line." Taunton, Namaskat, Dartmouth and other towns were attacked, and many lives lost and buildings burned. The settlements were so placed as to be much exposed in this method of warfare. They were far apart, the homes separated by no little space, and with slight means of defence. As a rule, each settlement had one large building, called a fort, specially intended for such danger. Corn and supplies were kept in these rude defences, into which the people rushed upon the first appearance of peril. The Indians showed no mercy, and old age, lusty manhood, feeble woman and helpless infancy went down before the tomahawk and scalping knife. There was no saying where the next blow would be struck. In the gloomy depths of the forest, on the shores of the lonely river, in the open,--everywhere, the warriors dashed like so many tigers savagely athirst for human blood. [Illustration: A STRONGHOLD OF THE INDIANS From an Old Print]