Princesses in Disguise

This week, in the girls’ room, we have started reading the book Daughters of Destiny by Noelle Wheeler aloud before bed.  If you are not familiar with it, it is a compilation of true stories depicting godly women from throughout history.  We are thoroughly enjoying it.  I would like to share one of our favorite stories from this book with you as it is simply amazing.  I encourage you to look up this book if you’ve never read it as it’s sure to be a hit in your home as well!

Alert At Her Post ~ Mrs. Mack

During the French and Indian War, and while the northern border was being desolated by savage raids, a hardy settler named Mack, with his wife and two children, occupied a cabin and clearing in the forest a few miles south of Lake Pleasant, in Hamilton County, New York.  For some months after the breaking out of the war the Mack family had not been bothered, probably due to their shielded surroundings.  Encouraged by this immunity from attack, and placing unbounded confidence in the vigilance and courage of his wife, Mr. Mack, when summoned to accompany Sir William Johnson’s forces on one of their military expeditions, obeyed the call and prepared to join his fellow-borderers.  Mrs. Mack cheerfully and patriotically acquiesced in her husband’s resolution, assuring him that during his absence she would protect their home and children or perish in the attempt.

The cabin was a fortress, such as befitted the exposed situation in which it lay, and was supplied by Mr. Mack before his departure with provisions and ammunition sufficient to stand a siege. It was furnished on each side with a loop-hole through which a gun could be fixed or a survey could be made in every direction.

Yielding to the dictates of prudence and desirous of redeeming the pledge which she had made to her husband, Mrs. Mack stayed within doors most of the time for some days after her husband had bade her farewell, keeping a vigilant look-out on every side for the prowling foe.  No sound but the voices of nature disturbed the stillness of the forest.  Everything around spoke of peace and repose.  Lulled into security by these appearances and urged by the necessities of her outdoor duties, she gradually relaxed her vigilance until she pursued the labors of the farm with as much regularity as she would have done if her husband had been at home.

One day while plucking ears of corn for roasting, she caught a glimpse of a moccasin and a brawny limb fringed with leggings, projecting behind a clump of bushes not twenty paces from her.  Repressing the shriek which rose to her lips, she quietly and leisurely strolled back to the house with her basket of ears.  Once she thought she hard the stealthy tread of the savage behind her and was about to break into a run; but a moment’s reflection convinced her that her fears were groundless.  She steadily pursued her course till she reached the cabin.  With a vast weight of fear taken from her mind she now turned and cast a rapid glance towards the bushes where the foe lay in ambush.  Nothing was visible there, and having closed and barred the door she peered through each of the four loop-holes of her fortress, but saw nothing to alarm her.

It seemed to her probable that it was only a single prowling savage who was seeking an opportunity to plunder the cabin.  Accordingly with a loaded gun by her side, she sat down before the loop-hole which commanded the spot where the savage lay concealed and watched for further developments.  For two hours all was still and she began to imagine that he had left his hiding place, when she noticed a rustling in the bushes and soon after descried the savage crawling on his belly and disappearing in the cornfield.  Night found her still watching, and as soon as her children had been lulled to sleep, she returned to her post and straining her eyes into the darkness, listened for the faintest sound that might give note of the approach of the enemy.  It was near midnight when overcome with fatigue she leaned against the log wall and fell asleep with her gun in her hand.

She was conscious, even in her slumbers, of someone watching her.  Awakening with a start, she saw for an instant a pair of snaky eyes looking directly into hers through the loop-hole.  They were gone before she was fairly awake, and she tried to convince herself that she had been dreaming.  Not a sound was audible, and after taking an observation from each of the loop-holes, she became persuaded that the fierce eyes that seemed to have been watching her was the figment of a brain disturbed by anxiety and vigils.

Once more sleep overcame her and again she was awakened by a rattling sound followed by heavy breathing.  The noise seemed to proceed from the chimney to which she had scarcely began to direct her attention, when a large body fell with a thud into the ashes of the fire-place, and a deep guttural “ugh” was uttered by an Indian who rose and peered around the room.

The first flickering light which follows the blackness of midnight, gave him a glimpse of the heroic woman who stood with her piece cocked and leveled directly at his breast.  Waving his tomahawk, he rushed towards her yelling so as to disconcert her aim.  But the brave woman with unshaken nerves pulled the trigger, and the savage fell, dead upon the floor.  Almost simultaneously with the report of the gun, a triumphant warwhoop was sounded outside the cabin, and peering through the aperture in the direction from which it proceeded she saw three savages rushing toward the door.  Rapidly loading her piece, she took her position at the loop-hole that commanded the entrance to the cabin, and taking aim, shot one savage dead, the ball passing completely through his body and wounding another who stood in range.  The third made a hasty retreat, leaving his wounded comrade who crawled into the cornfield and there died.

After the occurrence of these events we may well suppose that the life of Mrs. Mack was one of constant vigilance.  For some days and nights she stood sentinel over her little ones, and then in her dread lest the Indian should return and take vengeance upon her and her children for the slaughter of their companions, she concluded the wisest course would be to take refuge in the nearest fort thirty miles distant.  Accordingly the following week she made all her preparations and carrying her gun started for the fort with her children.

Before they had proceeded a mile on their course she had the misfortune to drop her powder-horn in a stream: this compelled her to return to the cabin for ammunition.  Hiding her children in a dense copse and telling them to preserve silence during her absence, she hastened back, filled her powder-horn and returned rapidly upon her trail.

But what was her agony on discovering that her children were missing from the place where she left them!  A brief scrutiny of the ground showed her the tracks of moccasins, and following them she soon ascertained that her children had been carried away by two Indians.  Like the tigress robbed of her young, she followed the trail swiftly but cautiously and soon came upon the savages, whose speed had been slowed by the children.  Stealing behind them she shot one of them and clubbing her gun rushed at the other with such fierceness that he turned and fled.

Pursuing her way to the fort, with her reclaimed children, she met her husband returning home from the war.  The family then retraced their steps and reached their home, the scene of Mrs. Mack’s heroic exploit.

Excerpt from Daughters of Destiny, compiled and edited by Noelle Wheeler