The redskins, finding that to attempt to break down the gate, or to scale the wall would be to lose a number of their braves, turned their attention to the houses, and began helping themselves to the contents. When they had taken everything that they cared for, they set the houses on fire, and the settlers were forced to stand there and see their homes go up in flames. “The fiends!” growled James Holden, the leader of the colony. “Why couldn’t they have let the houses stand? They got most of our goods. They might have been satisfied with that.” “They’ll stay till after dark and try to get in here at us, likely,” said Henry Perkins. “I know these Cherokee Injuns. They are mean when they get their mad up, and these seem to be very much in earnest.” “Yes,” said Holden. “We wounded several of them when they were chasing us into the settlement. This naturally aroused their anger.” “It was bad enough to have to live in a neighborhood where there are a good many Tories, without having to be bothered with the Injuns too,” said another of the settlers. “The redcoats have put them up to going on the war-path,” said Perkins. “It was a mean trick to do, to get them started.” “You’re right,” agreed Holden, “but look at that terribly black cloud over to the north. There is going to be a storm and that right quick or I miss my guess.” The Indians, having finished setting fire to all the houses, retired to a little distance, squatted down on the ground, and watched the structures burning. Then, when the buildings had burned down, the redskins began dividing the plunder they had secured from the houses, and when this was finished, they advanced as close to the fort as they dared. Here they stopped and held a council, of some sort, evidently trying to decide upon some plan for getting into the fort and at the settlers. They talked and gesticulated at a great rate, and were apparently not agreed, or at a loss to determine upon any further procedure. “I don’t think there is much danger of their making an attack during daylight,” said Holden, when they had watched the redskins a while. “No, but they’ll try to get into the stockade to-night, without any doubt,” said Perkins. “Unless,” he added “that storm drives them away. Somehow the Indians don’t seem to notice its coming at all.” “They are lower down in the gulch and perhaps do not see about as well as we do up here,” said another. The other men all thought the same, but while they did not expect an attack before nightfall, yet they did not relax their vigilance. They kept their eyes on the enemy. “I wish that General Greene would come down this way, with his army,” said another of the settlers. “Mebby he will come down here,” said another. “I heerd that he is up in North Caroliny.” “There are going to be terrible times around in the neighborhood of Ninety-Six, pretty soon, I think,” said Holden. “And it would be a good thing if General Greene came here.”