Hitherto the danger had not appeared pressing to the eastern part of the colony.  They were in no danger from Indian raids, and they had small pity for their brethren on the western frontier.  Between them and the encroaching Indians lay a population, mostly German, that acted like a buffer state to them; and notwithstanding that every post brought in urgent appeals for help, they passed the time in wrangling with the Governor, in drawing up bills professing to be framed to meet the emergency, but each one of them containing the clause through which the Governor was forced to draw his pen.

Governor Morris had written off to England stating the exceeding difficulty of his position.  His appeals to the Assembly to defend the colony were spirited and manly.  He was anxious to join with the other colonies for an organized and united resistance, but this was at present extremely difficult.  Others before him had tried the same policy, but it had ended in failure.  Petty jealousies did more to hold the colonies apart than a common peril to bind them together.  Political and religious strife was always arising.  There was nothing to bind them together save a common, though rather cold, allegiance to the English King.  Now and again, in moments of imminent peril, they had united for a common object; but they fell apart almost at once.  Each had its own pet quarrel with its Governor, which was far more interesting to the people at the moment than anything else.

Julian and Fritz listened in amaze as Ashley, who was a well-informed man and a shrewd observer, put before them, as well as he was able, the state of affairs reigning in Pennsylvania and the sister states.

“I am often ashamed of our policy, of our bickerings, of our tardiness,” concluded the good man; “yet for all that there is stuff of the right sort in our people.  We have English blood in our veins, and I always maintain that England is bound to be the dominant power in these lands of the west.  Let them but send us good leaders and generals from the old country, and I will answer for it that the rising generation of New England will fight and will conquer, and drive the encroaching French back whence they came!”

Chapter 4:  An Exciting Struggle.

It was an exciting scene.  Susanna stood at the window, and gazed eagerly along the street, striving hard to obtain a sight of the seething crowd in the open square.

She could see the tall, haggard form of her Uncle Charles, as she called him.  He was standing upon a little platform that his friends had erected for him in front of the Assembly Rooms, and he was speaking aloud to the surging crowd in accents that rang far through the still air, and even reached the ears of the listeners at the open window.

For once Hannah made no protest when the girl thrust out her head.  She herself seemed to be striving to catch the echoes of the clear, trumpet-like voice.  Her colour came and went in her cheeks; her breast heaved with the emotion which often found vent in those days in a fit of silent weeping.