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Show INDIAN DEPREDATIONS 235 Mr. Lee hastened to speak again lest the enemy suppose that the woman had spoken because he was disabled. Now the defenders learned the real reason for the stay of proceedings and the parley; for little puffs and lines of smoke began to come in between the roof and the walls of the unceiled rooms. The Indians had brought sagebrush and pushed bundles of it with poles up under the eaves, and fired them. Providentially, there had been snow sometime lately, and although the most of it was gone from sight, the roof of boards and slabs was so damp it would not blaze. The underside, with the burning brush against it, took fire but only smoudered, and poured into the rooms clouds of bitter smoke. It floated high for awhile, and then settled down like doom upon the defenseless inmates. It grew so dense that strangulation threatened ; and baby Eose gasped and struggled so that she seemed about to die. At one time some one discovered that under the best bed was better air, and Mary was appointed to take the child there and tend her. The other children stuck their heads into cupboards and even the dutch oven, and wherever they could find a little air. There was still a little water in the house, which was hoarded carefully. The wounded man contin-ously moaned for water, the baby drank eagerly, the others must have a few sips, and there was very little to spare for the fire, but that little was cautious-ly applied so as not to waste one precious drop. Emma had used some to make a cup of coffee for her father who dared not be off his guard for a single minute; and she had also given the children drinks of milk and bits of bread; but the parents |
