The Normal Record. May 1903

              THE NORMAL RECORD.
5
watchers grew as white as the one on the bed.
The mother's fan stopped; her hand trembled;
the father clinched his fist; the other watcher
hid his face with his hands. For a moment
they offered up a silent prayer and then listened. The knock was repeated much louder.
Motioning to Willram, Mr. Linsdale took a
gun and the two crept stealthily to the door.
Looking through the latch hole, Mr. Linsdale
saw a form outlined in the dim moonlight
which was not an Indian's; hut then it might
be a Frenchmau's and that was iust as bad for
he would certainly have Indians with him —
yes—and there they were, just a short distance from the house dancing about, gesticulating and flourishing their weapons; about a
dozen of them. Carefully aiming his gun
through a loophole iu the door, Mr. Linsdale
called out —, "What will you have stranger?"
"Turning quickly around the form replied,
Good evening, father Linsdale, I thought I
never should wake you. Have you room for
me tonight? I intended to come earlier but I
was stopped on the way."
"I'm right glad to see you John, but what
about tdose Indians out there?"
"O, don't be afraid of them father, they
are some friendlies 1 brought with me."
"Alright John, come in, come iu, sorry to
keep you waiting so long, but then you know
it's always best to be cautious in this country, "replied Mr. Linsdale carefully bolting
the door behrnd him.
"Yes, one never knows what (o expect out
here; but how is Dorothy?" "Well 'tis sad
news John, Dorothy has been badly frightened
by Indians probably. We were all awakened
by heariug the cry 'Iroquois' but in Dorothy's
room the lamp was burning and everything
was quiet. I knew something was wrong
because Dorothy would have blown the light
out, so I looked into her room and saw that
the window was open and that Dorothy had
fallen across the bed. It just beats me for I
haveu't seen or heard anything since and I'm
sure Dorothy hasn't been struck by anyone.
I guess she has fainted although 1 never considered that is one of her accomplishments."
Mrs."Linsdale was glad to see John and told
him that Dorothy was not better and was still
unconscious. John said little but he was
thinking thus—"If that confounded old Indian hadn't hurt bis foot, we'd have been
here iu time to stop all this trouble. Oh, Dorothy, wrll you ever speak  again?"
A little while after John's arrival Dorothy
became conscious aud we can only imagine
her joy at seeing her lover sitting   beside her.
John was finally persuaded to take a few
hours' sleep, and by murning Doiothy was
able to sit at the breakfast table. There were
so many things to talk over that they scarcely
heard the Indians at the door asking for "boss
John." John told them he would be out
pretty soon and after they had gone away
John told about his trip out there. He said
that he and his Indian scouts were out looking for a place (o build a fort and that it
would not be far from the Linsdale home.
They were all glad to hear that but when he
told them that he would probably be the captain of it Dorothy's joy was unbounded. After a while Dorothy thought it her turn to say
something so she asked John, "Don't you
think it was stupid of me to faint last night?"
"Why no; not at all," he replied gallantly,
"but then, Dorothy, 1 believe you saw something as well as heard a hideous cry;" then seriously, "There is some mystery about this.
Indians don't whoop around under windows
without doing some mischief; it is contrary
to their nature. Come, tell us about it; it
may be very important."
"Well I didn't see an Indian but I saw his
reflection in the mirror. I was sitting on the
bed reading your letter when I looked up at
the clock and then over to the mirror and
there 1 saw O! the horriblest Indian imaginable. His face was all wrinkled and painted
n ost dreadfully and his teeth showed in a
n urderous grin that made me shudder. I
could see that his knees were on the window-
s 11 and tint he had his tomahnvk stretched
out in his haul tot five feet (rom my head.
It so frightened me that I didn't move at all.
He must have noticed my looking at the mirror for he looked at it also and then as soon
as he saw his image in the mirror his look
turned to one of blackest hatred, he shook his
tomahawk at it and with a lot of horrible gestures and that howling cry 'Iroquois' he disappeared, aud then I must have fainted."
During this nairative they all shuddered to
think how narrow had been the escape but
they were also puzzled to explain the curious
actions of their midnight disturber. Lieutenant Miles was greatly interested in the description for several reasons, so he asked hurriedly — "Did he resemble those Indians I
brought with me last night?" Dorothy had
seen the Indians in the yard and she replied
that although all Indians resemble each other
a great: deal she believed there was more than
the usual resemblance belween that Indian and
the ones nut in the yard.
"But," asked John anxiously,   "didn't you