I stood upon one of the stools and looked through a loop-hole. It was very dark, but as the Indians stood on the hill, there was clear sky behind them as low down as their waists, and I could perceive their motions, as they appeared to be receiving orders from their chief; and they advanced to the door of the cabin with axes and tomahawks. My mistress had mounted on the table at the same time that I had got on the stool. We now got down again without speaking, and, each taking a musket, we kneeled down at the lower loop-holes which I have described. On second thoughts I mounted the stool, whispering to her, "Don't fire till I do." The Indians came to the door and tapped, one asking in English to be let in. No reply was given, and they commenced their attack upon the door with their axes. As soon as this aggression took place, I took good aim at their chief, as I presumed him to be, who was now standing alone on the hill. I fired. He fell immediately. As I leaped from the stool my mistress discharged her musket, and we both caught up others and returned to the loop-holes below. By this time the blows of the axes were incessant, and made the cabin-door tremble and the dust to fly down in showers from the roof; but the door was of double oak with iron braces, and not easily to be cut through; and the bars which held it were of great size and strength. It was some time before we could get another shot at an Indian, but at last I succeeded, and as his comrades were taking the body away my mistress shot another. After this the blows of the axes ceased, and they evidently had retreated. I then went into the inner room and extinguished the lamp, that they might not be able to see us--for the lamp gave a faint light. We returned to the table, and loaded the muskets in the dark. As I put my musket on the table, my mistress said, "Will they come again?" "Yes;" replied I, "I think they will; but if you wish to talk, we had better retreat to the fire-place: there we shall be safe from any shot." We retreated to the fire-place, and sat down on the ashes; it just held us both, and my mistress took this opportunity of embracing me, saying--"Dear Alexander, if I had a thousand lives, I would sacrifice them for you." "We have but one," replied I, "and that one I will devote for your defence; I can do no more." "Who did you fire at?" said she. "The chief, as I believe, who was on the hill giving orders. He fell; and I think that he fell dead." "Then depend upon it they will retreat," said she. "I think not; they will be revenged, if they possibly can; and we must expect a hard fight for it." "Why, what can they do? They never can break through the door, and when daylight comes we can shoot them by dozens." "Depend upon it," said I, "they will try to burn us out. The wind is high, which is all in their favour, and I suspect they are now gone to collect fire-wood."