, 1888-07-11
DREAM.

We shall have a visit from the Indians
before night" remarked my grand
mother, looking across the breakfast table
at grandfather.
We'll, l hope we will, ,. replied grand
father a little doggedly. "You are etern-
ally predicting an Indian raid, and just
TO please you / hope we shall get a call
from at least a hundred"
Look out, Peter Barnesl You may
have cause to regret that speech before
you are half a day older. 1 dreamed last
night just how they came, what they did,
what we did, and it makes my blood run
cold to think of it."
Grandfather made no reply, realizing
that she always had the better of him in
argument, and the meal was finished in
silence.
a yea before my relatives, both of
whom were nearly 90 years old, but
strong and hearty, sold out their farm In
Ohio and located in western Kansas.
Their children were all married of, and
the old couple were entirely alone. They
had a stout and comfortable log cabin,
good farm, and had already made many
improvements.
The location was not thought to be a
dangerous one, although a few miles be-
low the last hamlet in that section and
three miles in advance of the location of
the previous settler. The Indians had
raided this part of the country the year
before, but the soldiers had given them a
severe rebuke, and 1t was not believed
that they would dare to venture back
again. Grandfather was certain tina h
would not be interrupted in his peaceful
pursuits and was annoyed that grand
mother should croak of evil.
More because it was the custom than
from any idea that he would ever nave
any use for it, grandfather kept a rifle In
the house, and N day when q settler
who was owing him money and could
not pay, brought a revolver to him as tho
only offset he could offer, grandfather
took it n laid it up on n shelf.
In her young days grandmother had
been an emphatic ''romp." She could
skate, play ball, pitch quoits, ride at a
gallop, shoot a rifle, and even to the day
she was married went by the name of
''Bailey's Tomboy," yet, after all, she
made a good wife, and was the ''mak-
ing of Peter Barnes.
She stood in the door that morning and
watched Peter bring his horse and pillow
and drive off through the fields t his
work. half a mile away. Then she
looked to the west, back at the sun, and
went in and took the rifle down from It's
hooks. 1t had been loaded for months,
and she drew the bullet, carefully wiped
the barrel, and loaded the weapon again
as nicely as a hunter could have done it.
Placing it in a corner, she went to an old
chest, fished out powder, lead, caps and
bullet molds, and soon had fifteen or
twenty shining bullets on the table.
Then the revolver was got down, cleaned
up, loaded, and finally the woman went
to the door to look for her husband.
She could see him following the pillow
in the distant field, and the happy songs
of the birds were anything but harbingers
of a coming ARRAY in which more than
one of those shining bullets would find a
human target.
Peter Barnes, you are an idiotl"
spoke the woman, watching him a mo-
ment. II don't want harm to come to a
hair of your head, but you will get a
fearful lesson before noon this dayi"
The arms being In good order the
woman shut the door, nailed it up and
then nailed boards over the windows on
the inside. The south door fastened with
a bar, and she was satisfied with its
strength. She went to the spring, filled
two pails'with water, picked up and car
ried in the ak and then cleared the table
of dishes, not stopping to wash them.
Then she sat down In the south doorway
and waited-waited for the Indian at
tack which she had dreamed Of and pre-
dicted.
An hour passed and she had not
changed her position. Half an hour
more wore away, and then she suddenly
leaped up and seized her rifle. She had
seen the horses stop and begin to rear and
plunge as they came near the south end
of the field, which was fringed by the
forest. She saw her husband pulling
them and using the whip, but in a mo-
ment more the animals dashed off at full
speed. Just as they started grand
mother heard n faint ''Yil yii' and the
next moment caught sight of a score of
savages as they dashed out of the woods
and made for her husband.
Just exactly as l dreamed she
whispered to herself, lifting the rife
clear of the floor.
Grandfather caught sight OF the red
skins as soon as they broke cover, and he
wheeled and made for the house at the
best pace. For a few rods he held his