Ripley was talking upstairs, she heard voices below; so
that she knew Ben had a visitor. As she descended, she recognized
a neighbor who lived on the other side of the river.
"I called," said he, "to tell you that you must lose no time in
moving into Forty Fort with your little girl."
"You do not mean right away?"
"Not tonight, but the first thing in the morning."
"Is the danger so close as that?"
"Our scouts report the Tory Colonel Butler with a large force of
whites and Indians marching down the valley."
"But do you not expect to repel them?"
"We are sure of that," was the confident reply; "but it won't do
for any of the women and children to be exposed. The Indians will
scatter, and cut off all they can. Others of our friends are out
warning the people, and we must have them all in a safe place."
"Will you wait for your enemies to attack the fort?"
"I believe our Colonel Butler favors that; but others, and among
them myself and Ben, favor marching out and meeting them."
"That's it," added the lad, shaking his head. "I believe in showing
them we are not scared. Colonel Butler got leave of absence to
come to Wyoming; he has some regulars with him, and with all our
men and boys we'll teach the other Colonel Butler a lesson he won't
forget as long as he lives.
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