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Show 232 INDIAN DEPEEDATIONS volver balls, with plenty of powder behind them. Mrs. Lee assisted in the loading to be sure of under-standing all about it, with this preparation the fam-ily retired to rest in blissful unconsciousness of the danger that was even then hanging over them. All night, however, the wolf howls continued and the two dogs barked and fretted. Before light next morning, the family was astir and as soon as the back ( west) door wa opened, the dogs barked so furiously toward a low ridge only a few rods away on the north, that the two men took their guns when they stepped out to reconnoiter. There was still no daylight, but the sky line showed faintly the ragged crest of the brush crowned bench. " Mr. Lee," said Lillywhite, " I see something mov-ing. Shall I fire ? ' ' Hail first, Joe, ' ' answered Mr. Lee, " for if it should be Indians, and we fire first, it will be said that we brought trouble on ourselves." Accordingly the young man hailed ; and for re-ply received a volley of bullets, one of which went through his right shoulder. He reeled and the gun fell from his helpless hand; but he staggered into the house before he fell. Mr. Lee, with other bul-lets singing past him, watched the young man till he gained cover; then fired one barrel of his shotgun at the place where he saw the flashes, and sprang into the house, forgetting to recover the rifle. The doors and windows had not yet all been opened. Such as were open were now hastily closed, just barely in time to prevent the entrance of the In-dians as they rushed yelling down the hill. The front or east door had only a wooden but-ton on a screw for a fastening, and the west one had a broken gimlet stuck nail- fashion into a small hole |