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rather than meet with certain death, by rejecting them; and, accordingly, went out of my ⟨house⟩ with my gun in my hand, not knowing ⟨what⟩ I did, or that I had it. Immediately on ⟨my⟩ approach, they rushed on me like so many (illegible text)ers, and instantly disarmed me. Having me ⟨thus⟩ in their power, the merciless villians bound ⟨me⟩ to a tree near the door; they then went into ⟨the house⟩, and plundered and destroyed every ⟨thing⟩, carrying off what moveables they could; ⟨the⟩ rest, together with the house, they set fire and consumed before my eyes. The barbarians not satisfied with this, set fire to my barn, ⟨stable⟩, and out-houses, wherein were about 200 ⟨bushels⟩ of wheat, six cows, four horses, and five ⟨sheep⟩, which were entirely consumed to ashes, ⟨During⟩ the eonflagration to describe the thoughts, ⟨the⟩ fears, and misery that I felt, is utterly impossible, after this, they untied me, and gave me ⟨a⟩ great load to carry on my back, under which I ⟨travelled⟩ all that night with them, full of the ⟨most⟩ terrible apprehensions, and oppressed with ⟨the⟩ greatest anxiety of mind, lest my unhappy ⟨life⟩ should likewise have fallen a prey to those ⟨cruel⟩ monsters. At day-break, my infernal ⟨masters⟩ ordered me to lay down my load, when, tied my hands again round a tree with a small (illegible text)d, they then forced the blood out of my ⟨finger-ends⟩. They then kindled a fire near the
