in his arms, while The Kid, pressed close to the man's

side, clutched one arm with a fierce intensity which

bespoke at once the nervous terror which filled him and

the reliance he placed upon his new found friend.

To their right, in the faint light of the flash lamp, a

narrow stairway was revealed leading to the second

story. Straight ahead was a door opening upon the black-

ness of a rear apartment. Beside the foot of the stair-

way was another door leading to the cellar steps.

Bridge nodded toward the rear room. "The stove is

in there," he said. "We'd better go on and make a fire.

Draw your pistol--whoever did this has probably beat

it; but it's just as well to be on the safe side."

"I'm afraid," said The Oskaloosa Kid. "Let's leave

this frightful place. It's just as I told you it was;

just as I always heard."

"We can't leave this woman, my boy," replied Bridge.

"She isn't dead. We can't leave her, and we can't take

her out into the storm in her condition. We must stay.

Come! buck up. There's nothing to fear from a dead

man, and--"

He never finished the sentence. From the depths of

the cellar came the sound of a clanking chain. Some-

thing scratched heavily upon the wooden steps. What-

ever it was it was evidently ascending, while behind it

clanked the heavy links of a dragged chain.

The Oskaloosa Kid cast a wide eyed glance of terror

at Bridge. His lips moved in an attempt to speak; but

fear rendered him inarticulate. Slowly, ponderously the

THING ascended the dark stairs from the gloom ridden

cellar of the deserted ruin. Even Bridge paled a trifle.

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