"It has been an awful time, and I had almost given up hope of ever seeing you alive, again." "I told you, dear, that I felt confident we could beat off the scum of the town.

Of course it was a sharp fight, but there was never any real danger of their breaking in.

We only lost about half a dozen, out of nearly a hundred and twenty, and some twenty of us were wounded.

My injury is not at all serious, and I shall soon be all right again.

It is only a broken collarbone.
"However, it has been a terrible time.