. For a moment I heard
nothing but the soft padded foot-fall of the cat as, stealing from her
place on the foot of the bed, she moved restlessly about the room. "It
must have been her springing off the bed that awoke me," I thought,
nestling back into the pillows again. I closed my eyes, but opened
them quickly as a soft rustling outside of, and almost directly
underneath the bed-room window, came to my ears.

The window-shade was pulled down, but it was hung several inches below
the top of the window, which had been left open for ventilation.
Through this uncurtained space the moonlight streamed into the room;
by its light I saw the cat retreating into a corner farthest from the
window, her tail swelled out like that of a fox, her hair bristling,
and her yellow eyes glaring vindictively. She disliked strangers, and
commonly resented their presence in just this manner. I wondered, as
my eyes followed the cat's movements with growing apprehension, if
she would act this way because of the vicinity of any large prowling
animal. I was sure now, as I crouched tremblingly under the blankets,
that the increasing noise that I heard was not made by any harmless
midnight prowler. If it had been, the cat, being a great hunter, would
have shown an eager desire to get outside the window, instead of away
from it. Accustomed to the knowledge that there were wild animals in
plenty up on the mountain slopes and in the encircling forests above
us, and having abundant reason to know that they often made stealthy
visits to the valley settlements at night, I soon reasoned myself into
quietude. Whatever the beast might be, I was in no personal danger;
the cows were safe in the high-walled corral, and the poultry-house
securely locked. Reassured, as I recalled these facts, I did not get
up to make any investigation as to the cause of the noise. "If it's a
bear, it isn't mine," I told myself, drowsily; "as Joe says, 'I ain'
los' no bear 'roun' yer.'"

I was half asleep again when a curious sensation, as of a bright light
playing over my closed eyelids caused me to open them suddenly. Then I
bounded out of bed, uttering a scream that might, I should think, have
been heard a mile. A broad sheet of yellow flame was streaming up
beside the house and over the uncurtained window space. Obeying an
impulse as irresponsible as the one that had caused that useless
scream, I seized the loaded rifle at my bedside, and sent a bullet
whistling and crashin