The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-01-08
with his mouth agape with astonish-

"Why, no, Joe. Grandma said she
only imagined it all, you know, because
she was afraid" explained wise Bess,
impatient of the interruption.
''And every night before I went to
Sleep" grandma continued, 81 heard
all sorts of noises, which I had no doubt
were Indians trying to break into the
house, shaking the bolts of the doors,
or tramping about on the roof over my
head. But as time passed on these fears
and imaginations gradually wore away,
and when summer came even | had for
gotten nearly all about Indians.
t'It had been late, cold spring. The
rain drippea off the caves and blurred
the windows nearly every day; and
when the sky was clear, chilly wind
blew, that frightened back the leaves
and blossoms, and stopped the birds
songs in their very throats.
'.But when June came, the weather
was so lovely that we children played
out of doors the whole day long
The flowers seemed to be making up for
lost time and crowded everywhere,
dressed in all sorts of pretty colors.
They peeped through the chinks of our
log cabin, climbed to its very roof in
pretty, graceful vines, and made it, as
crude and clumsy as it was, perfect
bower of beauty.
II was so weary after those long,
sunny days out of doors, that went to
sleep as soon as my head touched the
pillow, and heard no more shaking bolts
or feet tramping overhead. Mother no
longer searched every nook and corner,
every crevice and closet before going
to bed; and we often left the house by
itself In the daytime, with doors and
windows wide open, and nothing but
the sunbeams, or perhaps a stray chick
en-, had ever ventured to stray within.
cone warm afternoon in July, mother
and the boys went berrying, leaving me
at home alone Father was at work on
what we called the burnt land, three
quarters of mile away. I had expected
to be one of the berrying party; but as
| had been out of doors all the forenoon,
and was afflicted with a headache,
mother thought it would not do at all
for me te go out again under the hot sun.
s. You won't be afraid to stay in the
house alone, viii you, Nary? said she.
i don't know what could possibly
harm you. wish you would feed the
chickens about four o'clock. Be sure to
take the gingerbread out of the oven in
about ten minutes, and don't let pussy
get her nose into the custard-pies which
are cooling in the window
Il wasn't afraid the least bit in the
world. The sunshine was streaming in
at the open door; the birds were sing
ing in the bushes outside, and the
speekled kitten was chasing her tail
around the kitchen floor. Who would
think of being afraid, or even lonely,
when everything was so bright and
pleasant?
II took the gingerbread out of, the
oven. It was what folks called tin
kitchen, an affair with several shelves,
which stood before the blaze in the fire.
place. Everybody used it in old times,
before stoves were plenty.
''Then 1 covered the fire with ashes,
that it might not go entirely out When
it was time to boil the tea-kettle for sup
per, you could rake the ashes AWAY, and
and there would still be hot COATS under
them.
Then sat down and rocked by the
cool window, where a breeze blew in
through the morning glory tines, and
soon fell into sort of doze. But it was
not long before a bumble-bee came in
and wakened me, and, glancing out o.
the window, [ beheld sight which fair
" froze my blood with horror.
sit was tall Indian, dressed precise
ly as had seen Indians dressed in pic
lures, making long, but leisurely stride:
toward the house.
'He had sort of topknot feather:
on his head, ike that of one of oul
| cropple- crowned hens, and | could set
that his long, brown arms were quite
bare, and looked like copper in the sun
light.
what should / do? where could
hide myself? My heart was beating 81
violently that felt almost suffocated
1 and l stood for a moment in the middle
of the floor, unable to move or think
''But there was no time to be lost. III
was coming SO near that could almos
see his face now, and what, oh! what i
he should find me when he got into th,
house!
1T did not once occur to me to boil
the doors; but, II 1t had, there Woul(
have been hardly time, for the bolt
were very heavy, and it was as much a
/ could do to move them, and then tn,
windows were all open too, and though
they were very small, the Indian Nigh
have squeezed through one of them at ;
pinch.
II ran wildly toward the bedroom
and was about to creep under the bed
But no, that would not do, | thought
His long arms might reach me there
Then l rushed through the kitchen int,
the shed, and looked about me in ;
perfect frenzy.
Suddenly the huge brass kettle whicl
had been my grandmother caught m,
eye, hanging from beam overhead
and quick as thought climbed first OF
to fathers workbench, which stoot
underneath, thus, obtaining a footing
on wooden peg which was driven int
the wall, managed to swing myself OF
to the beam, and from thence let my
self down into the kettle, which wa
large enough to hide me completely.
'I had never accomplished such
feat before. hlIt T was n 1i0ht and MIN hi