Then downstairs, and out into the darkness and the crash of battle, she went.  The cannon balls scattered dust over her and the baby when they struck near her, but she got back to her family at last, carrying the baby safe in her arms.

A PRISONER AMONG THE INDIANS.

James Smith lived in Pennsylvania.  He was taken prisoner by the Indians just before the famous defeat of General Braddock.  He was then about eighteen years old.  The Indians took him to the French fort where Pittsburg now is.  They made him run the gauntlet; that is, they made him run between two lines of Indians, who were beating him all the way.  He was so badly beaten that he became unconscious, and was ill for a good while after.  But at length he got well, and the Indians took him to their own country in what is now the State of Ohio.

When they arrived at their own town, they did not kill him, as he thought they would; but an Indian pulled the hair out of his head with his fingers, leaving only the hair that grew on a spot about the crown.  Part of this he cut off short.  The rest was twisted up in Indian fashion, so as to make him look like a savage.  They pierced his ears, and put earrings in them.  Then they pierced his nose, and put in a nose ring.  They stripped off his clothing, and put on the light clothing that an Indian wears about the middle of his body.  They painted his head where the hair had been plucked out, and painted his face and body, in several colors.  They put some beads about his neck, and silver bands upon his arms.

All this time James thought they were dressing him up to kill him.  But, when they had decked him in this way, an old chief led him out into the village street.  Holding the young man by the hand, he cried out,—­

“Koowigh, Koowigh, Koowigh!”

All the Indians came running out of their houses when they heard this.  The old chief made them a long speech in a loud voice.  James could not understand what this speech was about.  When it was ended, the chief handed James over to three young Indian women.

James thought the young squaws were going to put him to death.  They led him down the bank into the river.  The squaws made signs for him to plunge himself into the water; but, as he thought they wished to drown him, he refused.  He was not going to drown himself to please them.  The young women then seized him, and tried to put him under water.  But he would not be put down All this time the Indians on the bank were laughing heartily.

[Illustration:  James Smith sitting on a Bearskin.]

Then one of the young squaws, who could speak a little English, said, “No hurt you.”  Smith now gave up to them, and they scrubbed him well, dipping his head under water.

When he came out of the water, he was dressed up in a lot of Indian finery.  The Indians put feathers in his hair, and made him sit down on a bearskin.  They gave him a pipe, and a tomahawk, and a bag of tobacco and dried sumach leaves to smoke.  Then they made a speech to him, which an Indian who could speak English explained to him.