“Eb!  Eb!  Get up!  Quickly, for God’s sake!” she cried.  A smothered exclamation, a woman’s quick voice, the heavy thud of feet striking the floor followed Betty’s alarm.  Then the door opened.

“Hello, Betts, what’s up?” said Col.  Zane, in his rapid voice.

At the same moment the door at the end of the hall opened and Isaac came out.

“Eb, Betty, I heard voices out doors and in the house.  What’s the row?”

“Oh, Isaac!  Oh, Eb!  Something terrible has happened!” cried Betty, breathlessly.

“Then it is no time to get excited,” said the Colonel, calmly.  He placed his arm round Betty and drew her into the room.  “Isaac, get down the rifles.  Now, Betty, time is precious.  Tell me quickly, briefly.”

“I was awakened by a stone rolling on the floor.  I ran to the window and saw a man by the fence.  He came under my window and I saw it was Miller.  He said he was going to join Girty.  He said if I would go with him he would save the lives of all my relatives.  If I would not they would all be killed, massacred, burned alive, and I would be taken away as his captive.  I told him I’d rather die before I’d go with him.  Then he said we were all doomed, and that my white-faced lover was already cold.  With that he gave a laugh which made my flesh creep and ran on toward the river.  Oh! he has murdered Mr. Clarke.”

“Hell!  What a fiend!” cried Col.  Zane, hurriedly getting into his clothes.  “Betts, you had a gun in there.  Why didn’t you shoot him?  Why didn’t I pay more attention to Wetzel’s advice?”

“You should have allowed Clarke to kill him yesterday,” said Isaac.  “Like as not he’ll have Girty here with a lot of howling devils.  What’s to be done?”

“I’ll send Wetzel after him and that’ll soon wind up his ball of yarn,” answered Col.  Zane.

“Please—­go—­and find—­if Mr. Clarke—­”

“Yes, Betty, I’ll go at once.  You must not lose courage, Betty.  It’s quite probable that Miller has killed Alfred and that there’s worse to follow.”

“I’ll come, Eb, as soon as I have told Myeerah.  She is scared half to death,” said Isaac, starting for the door.

“All right, only hurry,” said Col.  Zane, grabbing his rifle.  Without wasting more words, and lacing up his hunting shirt as he went he ran out of the room.

The first rays of dawn came streaking in at the window.  The chill gray light brought no cheer with its herald of the birth of another day.  For what might the morning sun disclose?  It might shine on a long line of painted Indians.  The fresh breeze from over the river might bring the long war whoop of the savage.

No wonder Noah and his brother, awakened by the voice of their father, sat up in their little bed and looked about with frightened eyes.  No wonder Mrs. Zane’s face blanched.  How many times she had seen her husband grasp his rifle and run out to meet danger!

“Bessie,” said Betty.  “If it’s true I will not be able to bear it.  It’s all my fault.”