This is the last in "The Salem Years 1689-1691" series. It was really interesting, & tied all the other stories together nicely.

In this story Josiah Hutchinson was trying to start a fire with a knife & flint the way Ezekiel Porter had instructed him. Then he saw someone in skirts moving in the distance. It was his sister, Hope Hutchinson, and he wasn't going to loose her this time. At one point he thought she was going to try to swim in the swamp, but that wasn't a good idea! Puritan children were expected to act as adults, so he & Hope had acted as allies in everything, at least until recently. Hope picked her way across some marshy ground on the Putnam property as if she were following someone. He was going to have to get wet if he were going to follow her without being caught. Josiah wasn't sure what caused the feud between the Putnam's & his family, but what was Hope doing on Putnam land? Only Silas Putnam would be around since his brothers were being punished for what they had done to Hope last spring. When Josiah saw Silas going toward his sister, he was concerned for her well-being. Silas wasn't as violent as his cousins, but he was still a Putnam and Hope may not have a chance to escape. When Edward Putnam called Silas & came over the rise, Josiah knew both he & Hope had to get out of there! Edward told Silas that the Putnam's had a lot to decide as a family. It seemed to Josiah that Silas didn't seem all that happy that his cousins were returning from Salem Town after being in the stocks for 5 days. Suddenly Josiah heard someone scream & saw a snake's head tumble over the bolder he was sitting on. The he realized that he was screaming from the pain in his leg! He cried for Hope to help him, but she couldn't hear him. ( )