The colored servant Dinah never knew how near she came to being shot by her own master. Had she delayed speaking for a second, he would have discharged two more of his revolver, and the distance was so slight, and her head was in such position, that there could have been no miss.  
“Good Heavens!” the captain, “I never dreamed that was you, Dinah.”
 
“But I knowed it war you. How is you gettin’ ’long?”
 
“I’m all right, but where is your mistress?”
 
“Downsta’rs tending to tings.”
 
“But––but do you know there’s an Indian in the house?”
 
“I reckons so; we didn’t know it at fust, but we found it out putty soon after he arrove; why didn’t you told us?”
 
 
“I tried to do so, but was afraid you wouldn’t hear my voice.”
 
“We heerd you say somefin, but couldn’t quite make out what it was.”
 
“But what of the Indian?” asked the captain, who was now at the with his hand on the door.
 
“He am all right; and if you don’t t’ink so, jes’ come down and see for you’self.”
 
Dinah stepped out of the way, and her master lost no time in through the opening into the dark room below.
 
“Fasten the door, for there may be more of them trying to enter.”
 
“I doesn’t t’ink so,” was the confident reply.
 
Nevertheless, Dinah reached up and fastened the hook in place, making it as secure as before.
 
“Is your mistress safe?” asked Captain Shirril, the moment he was within the apartment.
 
“Didn’t I jes’ tole you she was? Does you t’ink I would try to deceibe you?”
 
“But tell me how it is; this strikes me as the strangest part of the whole business.”
 
thus, in the stillness and gloom of the upper room, the servant related in her characteristic way the extraordinary experience of herself and mistress with the dusky intruder.
 
As she had said, the warning which the captain shouted from the roof was heard by them, but the words were not understood.
 
Mrs. Shirril, however, was keen-witted enough to suspect the truth. The tones showed that her husband was on the roof, while the noise of the body dropping upon the chair proved that someone had entered by that means. That being the case, the stranger of necessity must be a , against whose evil intentions they must prepare themselves without delay.
 
“One of the Indians has dropped through the scuttle,” said the startled lady.
 
“Anoder ob dem warmints has comed into my room, eh?” muttered the angered servant; “I’ll sarve him wuss dan the oder one.”
 
 
“You will not find the task so easy; keep at my side, make no noise, and don’t stir till I tell you.”
 
By this time, the embers on the were so low that they gave out only a faint illumination, which extended but a foot or two into the room. The women had kept their places near the door, where, as will be remembered, they noticed a pressure, as if someone was trying to shove it open.
 
Light-footed as was the Comanche, his weight was too great, and his descent too sudden, for him to keep the knowledge from the women below-stairs. They stepped softly away from the door, and into the gloom, where they were unable to see each other, although their persons touched. In this attitude, they could do nothing for a time but listen with rapidly beating hearts.
 
The dusky intruder dropped so squarely on the chair that it did not overturn. He kept his place, instantly securing the scuttle against the entrance of the white man, whom he had baffled with such cleverness. Probably he had some idea of taking a shot at 155him, but the little manœuvring in which he indulged told him the danger was too great, and he gave over the pu............