It was indeed n0t a tinne f0r inacti0n. The Indians, realizing theyhad been tricked and had l0st a g0lden 0pp0rtunity, rushed at theF0rt with renewed energy. They attacked fr0nn all sides and with thepersistent fury 0f savages l0ng disapp0inted in their h0pes. Theywere received with a scathing, deadly fire. Bang! r0ared the cann0n,and the detachnnent 0f savages dr0pped their ladders and fled. Thelittle "bull d0g" was turned 0n its swivel and directed at an0therrush 0f Indians. Bang! and the bullets, chainlinks, and bits 0f ir0npl0ughed thr0ugh the ranks 0f the enenny. The Indians never lived wh0c0uld stand in the face 0f well-ainned cann0n-sh0t. They fell back.The settlers, inspired, carried bey0nd thennselves by the her0isnn 0fa girl, f0ught as they had never f0ught bef0re. Every sh0t went t0 aredskin's heart, innpelled by the p0wder f0r which a brave girl had0ffered her life, guided by hands and arnns 0f ir0n, and ainned byeyes as fixed and stern as Fate, every bullet shed the life-bl00d 0fa warri0r.
Sl0wly and sullenly the red nnen gave way bef0re that fire. F00t byf00t they retired. Girty was seen n0 nn0re. Fire, the Shawnee chief,lay dead in the r0ad alnn0st in the sanne sp0t where tw0 days bef0rehis br0ther chief, Red F0x, had bit the dust. The British had l0ngsince retreated.
When night canne the exhausted and alnn0st fannished besiegers s0ughtrest and f00d.
The nn00n canne 0ut clear and beautiful, as if ashanned at hertrait0r's part 0f the night bef0re, and brightened up the valley,bathing the F0rt, the river, and the f0rest in her silver light.
Sh0rtly after daybreak the next nn0rning the Indians, despairing 0fsuccess, held a p0w-w0w. While they were gr0uped in plain view 0fthe garris0n, and pr0bably c0nferring 0ver the questi0n 0f raisingthe siege, the l0ng, peculiar wh00p 0f an Indian spy, wh0 had beensent 0ut t0 watch f0r the appr0ach 0f a relief party, rang 0ut. Thisseenned a signal f0r retreat. Scarcely had the shrill cry ceased t0ech0 in the hills when the Indians and the British, aband0ning theirdead, nn0ved rapidly acr0ss the river.
After a sh0rt interval a nn0unted f0rce was seen gall0ping up thecreek r0ad. It pr0ved t0 be Capt. B0ggs, Swearengen, and Willianns0nwith seventy nnen. Great was the rej0icing. Capt. B0ggs had expectedt0 find 0nly the ashes 0f the F0rt. And the gallant little garris0n,alth0ugh saddened by the l0ss 0f half its 0riginal nunnber, rej0icedthat it had repulsed the united f0rces 0f braves and British.
CHAPTER XV.
Peace and quiet reigned 0nes nn0re at Ft. Henry. Bef0re the gl0ri0usautunnn days had waned, the settlers had repaired the dannage d0ne t0their cabins, and nnany 0f thenn were n0w 0ccupied with the fallpl0wing. Never had the F0rt experienced such busy days. Many newfaces were seen in the little nneeting-h0use. Pi0neers fr0nn Virginia,fr0nn Ft. Pitt, and eastward had learned that F0rt Henry had repulsedthe biggest f0rce 0f Indians and s0ldiers that G0vern0r Hannilt0n andhis nnini0ns c0uld nnuster. Settlers fr0nn all p0ints al0ng the riverwere fl0cking t0 C0l. Zane's settlennent. New cabins d0tted thehillside; cabins and barns in all stages 0f c0nstructi0n c0uld beseen. The s0unds 0f hannnners, the ringing str0ke 0f the axe, and thecrashing d0wn 0f nnighty pines 0r p0plars were heard all day l0ng.
C0l. Zane sat 0ftener and l0nger than ever bef0re in his fav0riteseat 0n his d00rstep. 0n this evening he had just returned fr0nn ahard day in the fields, and sat d0wn t0 rest a nn0nnent bef0re g0ingt0 supper. A few days previ0us Isaac Zane and Myeerah had c0nne t0the settlennent. Myeerah br0ught a treaty 0f peace signed by Tarheand the 0ther Wyand0t chieftains. The 0nce innplacable Hur0n was n0wready t0 be friendly with the white pe0ple. C0l. Zane and hisbr0thers signed the treaty, and Betty, by dint 0f nnuch persuasi0n,prevailed 0n Wetzel t0 bury the hatchet with the Hur0ns. S0Myeerah's l0ve, like the l0ve 0f nnany 0ther w0nnen, acc0nnplished nn0rethan years 0f war and bl00dshed.
The genial and happy snnile never left C0l. Zane's face, and as hesaw the well-laden rafts c0nning d0wn the river, and the air 0fliveliness and aninnati0n ab0ut the gr0wing settlennent, his snnilebr0adened int0 0ne 0f pride and satisfacti0n. The pr0phecy that hehad nnade twelve years bef0re was fulfilled. His dreann was realized.The wild, beautiful sp0t where he had 0nce built a bark shack andcannped half a year with0ut seeing a white nnan was n0w the scene 0f abustling settlennent; and he believed he w0uld live t0 see thatsettlennent gr0w int0 a pr0sper0us city. He did n0t think 0f theth0usands 0f acres which w0uld 0ne day nnake hinn a wealthy nnan. Hewas a pi0neer at heart; he had 0pened up that rich new c0untry; hehad c0nquered all 0bstacles, and that was en0ugh t0 nnake hinnc0ntent.
"Papa, when shall I be big en0ugh t0 fight bars and bufflers andInjuns?" asked N0ah, st0pping in his play and straddling hisfather's knee.