feeling that a terrible presence filled the place. I heard a noise
behind; I turned and saw Kaffar, his black eyes shining, while in his
hand he held a gleaming knife. He lifted it above his head as if to
strike; but I had the strength of ten men, and I hurled him from me. He
looked at me with a savage leer.

"Onward!" said a distant voice.

The temple vanished, and with it all my realization of life, save a
vague fancy that I was moving somewhere, I knew not where.

* * * * *

I stood by a well-remembered spot. I was by the side of Drearwater Pond.
Around me was a stretch of common land, on which grew heather and
furze. In front of me were noiseless waters, a dismal sight at the best
of times, but awful as I saw them. Across the pond in the near distance
loomed the dark fir trees. No sound broke the stillness of the night.
The wind had gone to rest, the moon shone dimly from behind the misty
clouds.

I stood alone.

Each minute my surroundings became more real. I recognized more clearly
the objects which had struck me during my first visit, while the stories
which had been told came back to me with terrible distinctness. I
remembered how it had been said that the pond had no bottom, and that it
was haunted by the spirits of those that had been murdered. The story of
its evil influence came back to me, and in my bewildered condition I
wondered whether there was not some truth in what had been said.

What was that?

The waters moved; distinctly moved near to where I stood, and from their
dark depths something appeared--I could not at first tell what.

What could it be? A monster of frightful mien? the ghost of some
murdered man or woman? I could have believed in either just then. It was
neither.

What then? A human hand, large and shapely, appeared distinctly on the
surface of the pond. Nothing more, not even the wrist to which it might
be attached. It did not beckon, or indeed move at all; it was as still
as the hand of death.

I stood motionless and watched, while the outline of the hand became
more clear; then I gave an awful shudder.

_The hand was red._

I gave a shriek, and for a time remembered nothing more.

* * * * *

I awoke to consciousness, fighting. At first it seemed as if I was
fighting with a phantom, but gradually my opponent became more real to
me. It was Kaffar.

I had only a dim hazy idea of what I was doing, except th