no note of censure in his tone. It was as though he understood

the nervous reaction that had compelled the other's act.

"I couldn't help it, sir," said Sinclair. "Lord, it would take

an iron man to keep from shootin' at that awful thing. Do you

believe in ghosts, sir?"

"No," replied Bradley. "No such things."

"I don't know about that," said Brady. "There was a woman

murdered over on the prairie near Brighton--her throat was cut

from ear to ear, and--"

"Shut up," snapped Bradley.

"My grandaddy used to live down Coppington wy," said Tippet.

"They were a hold ruined castle on a 'ill near by, hand at midnight

they used to see pale blue lights through the windows an 'ear--"

"Will you close your hatch!" demanded Bradley. "You fools will

have yourselves scared to death in a minute. Now go to sleep."

But there was little sleep in camp that night until utter

exhaustion overtook the harassed men toward morning; nor was

there any return of the weird creature that had set the nerves of

each of them on edge.

The following forenoon the party reached the base of the barrier

cliffs and for two days marched northward in an effort to

discover a break in the frowning abutment that raised its rocky

face almost perpendicularly above them, yet nowhere was there the

slightest indication that the cliffs were scalable.

Disheartened, Bradley determined to turn back toward the fort, as

he already had exceeded the time decided upon by Bowen Tyler and

himself for the expedition. The cliffs for many miles had been

trending in a northeasterly direction, indicating to Bradley that

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