Westways Author:Silas Weir Mitchell Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE difficult lessons on the use of snow-shoes took up day after day, until weary hut at last eager he followed her tireless little figure far int... more »o the more remote woods. "What's flirt?" he said. " I wanted you to see it, John." It was an old log cabin. " That 'e where the first James Penhallow lived. Uncle Jim keeps it from tumbling to pieces, but it's no use to anybody." u The first Penhallow," said John. " It must be very old." " Oh ! I suppose so — I don't know — ask Uncle Jim. They say the Indians attacked it once — that first James Penhallow and his wife fought them till help came. I thought you would like to see it." He went in, kicking off his snow-shoes. She was getting used to his silences, and now with some surprise at his evident interest followed him. He walked about making brief remarks or eagerly asking questions. " They must have had loop-holes to shoot. Did they kill any Indians ? " "Yes, five. They are buried behind the cabin. Uncle Jim set a stone to mark the place." He made no reply. His thoughts were far away in time. realizing the beleaguered cabin, the night of fear, the flashing rifles of his ancestors. The fear—would he have been afraid? " When I was little, I was afraid to come here alone," said the girl. " I should like to come here at night," he returned. "Why? I wouldn't. Oh! not at night. I don't see what fun there would be in that." "Then I would know—" " Know what, John ? What would you know ? " " Oh!' no matter." He had a deep desire to learn if he would be afraid. " Some day," he added, " I will tell you. Let's go home." "Are you tired?" "I'm half dead," he laughed as he slipped on his snow- shoes. A long and heavy rain cleared away the snow, and the more usual softness of the end of N...« less