She went to the little square, where her father, John Ware, Ross and
others were in conference.
"Father," she exclaimed, "I will show you how to get the water!"
Mr. Upton and the other men looked at her in so much astonishment that
none of them replied, and Lucy used the opportunity.
"I know the way," she continued eagerly. "Open the gate, let the women
take the buckets--I will lead--and we can go to the spring and fill them
with water. Maybe the Indians won't fire on us!"
"Lucy, child!" exclaimed her father. "I cannot think of such a thing."
Then up spoke Tom Ross, wise in the ways of the wilderness.
"Mr. Upton," he said, "the girl is right. If the women are willing to go
out it must be done. It looks like an awful thing, but--if they die we
are here to avenge them and die with them, if they don't die we are all
saved because we can hold this fort, if we have water; without it every
soul here from the oldest man down to the littlest baby will be lost."
Mr. Upton covered his face with his hands.
"I do not like to think of it, Tom," he said.
The other men waited in silence.
Lucy looked appealingly at her father, but he turned his eyes away.
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