tealthily in the dead of night; they come through the
shelter of the pinewoods, where it is dark, almost black, at night.
They come with faces masked--at least one face----"

He got no further. There was no lack of effect now. Diane was round
upon him, gazing at him with frightened eyes.

"You saw them?" she cried; and a strident ring had replaced her
usually soft tones.

"Them? Who?"

For a moment they stared into each other's eyes. He inquiringly; she
with fear and mingled horror.

"These--these visitors." The words came almost in a whisper.

"Yes."

"And what were they like?"

The girl spoke apprehensively.

Then Tresler told his story as he had told it to Joe Nelson. And Diane
hung on every word he uttered, searching him through and through with
her troubled eyes.

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked as he finished.

Tresler was struck with the peculiarity of the question. She expressed
no surprise, no wonder. It seemed as though the matter was in nowise
new to her. Her whole solicitude was in her anticipation of what he
would do about it.

"I am not sure," he said, concealing his surprise under a leisurely
manner. "I had intended to tell Jake," he went on a moment later,
"only the Lady Jezebel put it out of my head. I told Joe Nelson last
night. He told me I had seen Red Mask, the cattle thief, and one of
his men. He also tried to get me to promise that I would say nothing
about it to Jake. I refused to give that promise. He gave me no
sufficient reasons, you see, and--well, I failed to see the necessity
for silence."

"But there is a necessity, Mr. Tresler. The greatest." Diane's tone
was thrilling with an almost fierce earnestness. "Joe was right. Jake
is the last person to whom you should tell your story."

"Why?"

"Why?" Diane echoed, with a mirthless laugh. "Pshaw!"

"Yes, why? I have a right to know, Miss Marbolt."

"You shall know all I can tell you." The girl seemed on the verge of
making an impulsive statement, but suddenly stopped; and when at last
she did proceed her tone was more calm and so low as to be little
above a whisper. "Visitors such as you have seen have been seen by
others before. The story, as you have told it, has in each case been
told to Jake by the unfortunate who witnessed these strange movements
at night----"

"Unfortunate?"

"Yes. The informant has always met with misfortune, accident--whatever
you like to call it. Listen; it is a long story, but