A few days afterwards, a neighbor, who stood "on both sides of the fence" in regard to politics, went to Atchison, and he told us that nine South Carolinians hid in our woods to take father that night, but they had seen his light burning so late that they were afraid, and went back and told that he had forty armed men, who stood guard all night, and they could not take him.
But father was not by any means the only one whom the Border Ruffians molested.

They were continually riding around the country, frightening the people, and "pressing" horses--which was another name for stealing them.

And the Free State man who made himself prominent was liable to be shot any time they could catch him.

The Free State men kept their horses hidden in the brush, and often hid there themselves.

Every time any of the neighbors saw several horsemen riding over the prairie, they thought it was the Border Ruffians.
One day Caleb May saw quite a company of men riding toward his place.
He and his son and hired man stationed themselves under the bank, where both the house and the ford would be within range of their guns.
Mrs.May was to talk to the horsemen as they rode past the house, and, if they were Border Ruffians, she was to shut the door, as a signal to the husband to be ready for attack.