“Barnes!” he whispered.  “Barnes!”

Something stirred in the darkness.  A small circular window at the end of the passage just softened the blackness and revealed the dim outlines of a motionless figure.  Meagle, in place of advancing, stood almost as still as a sudden horrible doubt took possession of him.  With his eyes fixed on the shape in front he fell back slowly and, as it advanced upon him, burst into a terrible cry.

“Barnes!  For God’s sake!  Is it you?”

The echoes of his voice left the air quivering, but the figure before him paid no heed.  For a moment he tried to brace his courage up to endure its approach, then with a smothered cry he turned and fled.

The passages wound like a maze, and he threaded them blindly in a vain search for the stairs.  If he could get down and open the hall door——­

He caught his breath in a sob; the steps had begun again.  At a lumbering trot they clattered up and down the bare passages, in and out, up and down, as though in search of him.  He stood appalled, and then as they drew near entered a small room and stood behind the door as they rushed by.  He came out and ran swiftly and noiselessly in the other direction, and in a moment the steps were after him.  He found the long corridor and raced along it at top speed.  The stairs he knew were at the end, and with the steps close behind he descended them in blind haste.  The steps gained on him, and he shrank to the side to let them pass, still continuing his headlong flight.  Then suddenly he seemed to slip off the earth into space.

Lester awoke in the morning to find the sunshine streaming into the room, and White sitting up and regarding with some perplexity a badly blistered finger.

“Where are the others?” inquired Lester.  “Gone, I suppose,” said White.  “We must have been asleep.”

Lester arose, and stretching his stiffened limbs, dusted his clothes with his hands, and went out into the corridor.  White followed.  At the noise of their approach a figure which had been lying asleep at the other end sat up and revealed the face of Barnes.  “Why, I’ve been asleep,” he said in surprise.  “I don’t remember coming here.  How did I get here?”

“Nice place to come for a nap,” said Lester, severely, as he pointed to the gap in the balusters.  “Look there!  Another yard and where would you have been?”

He walked carelessly to the edge and looked over.  In response to his startled cry the others drew near, and all three stood gazing at the dead man below.

[Illustration:  “All three stood gazing at the dead man below.”]