Calico Captive

Phineas Whitney is the last guest to leave the Johnsons’ party, and he stops to talk to Miriam Willard. The other party guests are walking to the fort, the men carrying their muskets. Phineas mentions that this is the 15th time they’ve met, and Miriam thinks that she orchestrated many of those meetings because she wanted to see him. Phineas is going to Harvard soon to become a minister. After he leaves, Miriam announced she wants to have another party, but Susanna points out she sat and sewed all day on her new dress instead of helping prepare for this party. Susanna softens and admits Miriam’s dress looks very nice. James and Susanna tell Miriam that she could come with them back to Massachusetts, and she is very excited at the prospect.

Miriam wakes to a knock on the door from a neighbor, Peter Labaree. When James opens the door, Abenaki warriors push past Labaree, “pouring into the cabin with horrible yells” (15). Miriam tries to climb out the window, but the three small children watch her, and her nephew Sylvanus scrambles after her, so she pauses. The pause allows her to be caught.