O, I must tell you about the scare we had. You know how noises do sound in the night. At first whenever a squirrel would run over the roof somebody would squeal, but we are used to that now. Once a mouse ran around the big room, and must have been scared to death, I judge, when we all jumped up on our cots and shrieked. Anyway we did not see him again.
This time it was moonlight and we were all asleep, our shutters opened as usual, the big doors “bolted and barred”. The windows are all screened and rather high from the ground. Cathalina sleeps just across from me, and when I suddenly woke up that night I saw her sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes and looking startled. “What was that?” she whispered over to me. We listened and heard the bushes rustle and crackle and it seemed as if a stone rolled down the bank. Then we imagined that some one was coming up the steps in front. By this time nearly all the girls were sitting up to listen, and Patty woke up too.
“What are you all awake for, girls?” she asked.
“Just listen,” several of us whispered, and put our fingers on our lips to warn her. Just then came a terrible bump on the door. Marion screamed and ducked down in bed. Cathalina flew over to Lilian, whose cot is not far from hers. Patty jumped up as if she were shot, and went toward the door, putting on her bath robe, while Hilary picked up a baseball bat that was standing in a corner and joined Patty. She tried to laugh, and said, “I will protect you or perish, Miss West,” but I’m sure her teeth were chattering.
“Sh-sh,” said Patty.
Next we all flew to our windows and looked out. They’re screened tight, so we couldn’t lean out. Not a thing could we see but moonlight on the bushes and trees.
“Open the back door and look, girls,” said somebody. “Not on your life,” said Nora.
“Nobody could get up there.”
“Yes they could; they could climb!”
“Somebody go to the club house!”