human
They appear to be gone, he said.
gpt
For the life of me I cannot understand what happened, but somehow, by God’s merciful providence, we have been spared.
human
But how—why—why did they go away like that? Joe demanded.
gpt
Does thee think they will return, Father?
human
It is a most mysterious proceeding. I do not know what to think of it. But I scarcely think they will return—at least not immediately.
gpt
I don’t believe they’ll come back, said Joe, who had been thinking hard.
human
Do you know, Father, I believe that there must have been two tribes. I believe they are at war with one another, and that the last ones that came—those that came on horseback—drove the others away. They didn’t come together. There weren’t many of those Indians that attacked us first, and they came on foot. We would have heard horses, but they crept up on us like shadows. If Spotty hadn’t warned us we might all have been murdered in our sleep. I didn’t hear a sound until he began to growl.
gpt
Nor I either, answered his father.
human
Thee may be right. Then suddenly for the first time the peculiarity of the question that the big chief had asked him flashed into his mind.
gpt
Why, I guess thee is right, Joe, he cried.
human
That big fellow with the eagle feathers in his hair held up a flag of truce. He asked me if I was a Quaker! I never thought about it until this moment. How strange—how passing strange! How did he guess—how could he know—it must have been he who saved us! Then suddenly catching sight of his wife’s deathly face he turned to her.
gpt
Go lie down, Hannah, thee is all used up. The danger is past for the time. What ever miraculous interposition of God’s mercy saved us it seems clear that we are saved. Our enemies have gone and we can sleep in peace. Go to thy rest, too, Joe. Thee has done well. I feel that I have a real man to depend on in these trying times.