loneliness and monotony are apt to break
down men who are not used to it."

"Turns some of them crazy and kills off a few," agreed a farmer, who
appeared to be well educated. "After all, worse things might happen to
them."

"It's conceivable," said Blake. "But what particular things were you
referring to?"

"I was thinking of men who go to the devil while they're alive.
There's a fellow in this neighbourhood who's doing something of the
kind."

"Rot!" exclaimed a thick voice, and a man's figure appeared against the
light at the open window. "Devil'sh a myth; allegorolical gentleman,
everybody knowsh. Hard word that--allegorolical. Bad word too,
reminds you of things in the rivers down in Florida. Must be some in
the creek here; seen them in my homestead."

"You go to bed," said Gardner sternly.

"Nosh a bit," replied the other. "Who you talking to?" He leaned
forward in danger of falling through the window. "Lemme out."

"It's not all drink," Gardner explained. "He has something like shakes
and ague now and then. Says he got it in India."

The other disappeared and a few moments afterwards reeled out of the
door and held himself upright by one of the verandah posts.

"Now I'm here, don't let me interrupt," he said. "Nice place if this
post would keep still."

Warned by a sign from Gardner, the others ignored him, and Harding
remarked to the farmer, "You hadn't finished what you were saying when
he disturbed you."

"I don't know that it was of much importance; speaking of degenerates,
weren't we? We have a curious example of the neurotic here: a fellow
who makes a good many dollars by victimizing farmers who are forced to
borrow when they lose a crop, as well as young fools from England, and
by way of amusement studies modern magic and indulges in refined
debauchery. It strikes me as a particularly unhallowed combination."

"No sensible man has any use for hoodoo tricks and the folks who
practise them," Harding said. "They're frauds from the start."

"Don't know what you're talking about," Benson broke in. "Not all
tricks! Seen funny things in the East; thingsh decent men better leave
alone."

Letting go the post, he lurched forward and as the light fell upon his
face Blake started. He had been puzzled by something familiar in the
voice, and now he knew the man, whom he had no wish to meet. He was
too late in hitching his chair back into the shadow, for Benson had
seen him and stoppe