“‘Susan, Susan! Come here and see what sort of a creature this is coming through the grove!’
“There was a frightened ring in my mother’s voice which brought Susan promptly to her side.
“Just then the ‘creature,’ which was long and low and stealthy, reached the garden fence. It mounted the fence gracefully, and paused to look about.
“With a horrified gasp, mother caught me to her bosom, and whispered,—
“‘It’s a tiger!’
“‘No’m,’ cried Susan, ‘it ain’t no tiger; but it’s an Injun devil, which is pretty nigh as bad.’ And she ran and slammed down the window.
“The noise attracted the brute’s attention. He glanced our way, dropped to the ground, and crept stealthily toward the house.
“‘The attic!’ cried mother wildly. ‘All the windows down-stairs are wide open.’
“I need hardly assure you, boys, it didn’t take those two women and me very long to get up-stairs. As we reached the top we heard a crash in the parlor, and mother nearly squeezed me to death in her terror for me; but Susan exclaimed almost gleefully,—
“‘I declare, if he ain’t got in the wrong winder! Parlor door’s shut!’