Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . just possible we might do as wesaid. He ordered his men to halt, and called out to us not to firetill he had explained what they came for. Then cut it short, cried Asa, sternly. Youd have done betterto explain before you burned down our houses, like a pack of Mo-hawks on the war-path. As he spoke three bullets whistled from the edge of the forest,and struck the stockades within a few inches of the loophole atwhich he stood. They were
Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . just possible we might do as wesaid. He ordered his men to halt, and called out to us not to firetill he had explained what they came for. Then cut it short, cried Asa, sternly. Youd have done betterto explain before you burned down our houses, like a pack of Mo-hawks on the war-path. As he spoke three bullets whistled from the edge of the forest,and struck the stockades within a few inches of the loophole atwhich he stood. They were fired by the Creoles, who, althoughthey could not possibly distinguish Asa, had probably seen his riflebarrel glitter through the opening. As soon as they had fired, they THE BLOODY BLOCK-HOUSE. 25 sprang behind their trees again, craning their heads forward to hearif there was a groan or a cry. Theyd have done better to havekept quiet; for Eighteous and I caught sight of them, and let fly atthe same moment. Two of them fell and rolled from behind thetrees, and we saw that they were the Creole called Croupier, andanother of our horse-dealing friends. ?. TWO OP THEM FELL AND ROLLED BEHIND THE TREES. When the Spanish officer heard the shots, he ran back to his men,and shouted out, Forward! To the assault! They came onlike mad, for a distance of thirty paces, and then, as if they thoughtwe were wild geese, to be frightened by their noise, they fired avolley against the block-house. Now then! cried Asa, are you loaded, Nathan and Eight-eous ? I take the captain—you^ Nathan, the lieutenant—Eighteous,the third officer—James, the sergeant. Mark your men, and wasteno powder. The Spaniards were still some sixty yards off, but we were sure 26 THE BLOODY BLOCK-HOUSE. of our mark at a hundred and sixty; and that if they had beensquirrels instead of men. We fired: the captain and lieutenant,the third officer, two sergeants, and another man, writhed for an in-stant upon the gras
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectfrontierandpioneerli
