Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-23

was fully awake. This was no dream. A
message was being delivered. / thought Of nv
early efforts and failures in search of occult
experiences. As reused myself the wind, which
had subsidized to a breeze, concentrated itself
into a mOmentary gust. and the rain came down
in a rush for several minutes. Then it stopped
ALI my senses were on the alert. 1t must have
been full minute before the drops began to
fall again l listened intensely. There were
two or three meaningless splashes, then these
words we're plainly. slowly and Enthusiastically
spelled out
The Indians are between you and Fort
Mountain. Return to Fort William.
EVELYN SAINToN."
I arose, threw my blankets from me and
walked dozen yards from my tent. The rain
had almost ceased. There was no moon and
perfect darkness surrounded me, save for the
spot Of light made by fire near the guard
tent. The sentry was at the far end of his
beat and the only sound was a remark-proba-
bly, about the weather-from one of the mules
at the picket line. Certainly l was in full
almost abnormally acute-possession Of ali my
senses. WAS awake, sober and sane. l re-
turned to my tent and sat down on the bed.
The dripping had ceased. but in q few mo-
ments it resumed as the rain was again falling.
and after preliminary splash came precisely
the same words
This was simply horrible. 1 was in a cold
perspiration. After covertly ieering at the
major fears how could confess that shared
them, and, further, that had been moved t.
terror by something which any waking person
would naturally call nightmare? The mes
sage, without variation, was licked a third time
before pocketed my pride and went to the
jor's tent to wake him. / made n narrow
escape from being shot for hostile Indian be.
fore l succeeded In arousing him. He tried to
treat my story with light and airy incredulity
but most people who regard ghost stories al
food for babes in broad daylight are willing &c
! lend a fearsome ear to them when night and
circumstances seem to suggest their probabll
i:y. The major, his son and sat upon my bed
for fully half an hour, trying to coax that
phenomenon to repeat itself, but 1t was useless
| The rain fell with u stupid monotony
We'll. major. what shall we do?' asked
Il believe it's practical joke on the part o,
some one at the post" he began, stoutly.
made no reply to the manifest imbecility oil
whether / should be justified in pushing or
under the circumstances. in view OF the amount
I'm carrying. Now, il it were only myself, yor
know" and he paused, suggesting the insanit,
of valor which he would show were it only
| question of his own skin, while his son winket
Unexpectedly behind his back I did not In
terrupt his arguments to justify himself in my
eyes and his own in retreating. TENDED in oul
starting at daybreak to return over the roac
| We had travelled the evening before.
| We had not gone hall way back to For
William when we met . small detachment O
| cavalry in command Of a sergeant on their waN
| to warn Us OF danger and bearing an order K
from Fort William had very Unexpectedly ar
rived in that post at midnight after . running
/ fight with the Indians, who were returning
from Mexico contrary 70 the calculations o
the military authorities. and that the direction
they had taken after the engagement in tn,
road to Fort mountain. So our danger hat
been very real