d Peter Mauger's dead bodies.

He sweated cold terrors, for he was on the east headland right above the
bay, till the Senechal crawled over to him and whispered--

"Hear 'em?"

"Y-y-yes. What the d-d-deuce and all--"

"Knew you'd wonder what it was--"

"W-w-wonder?" chittered the Doctor.

"It's only the wind in the cave at the corner below here--"

"Ah! Thought it must be something of that kind," said the Doctor through
his teeth, clenched hard to keep them in order. "Don't wonder folks
fight shy of the Coupee. Sounded uncommonly like spirits. Might give
some folks the jumps."

On another dark and windy night it was the Senechal's turn to get
something of a fright.

As he lay in the heather, gun in hand, and well wrapped up in his big
cloak, with all his faculties concentrated on the wavering pathway
below, it seemed to him that he heard slow heavy footsteps approaching.

His nerves were strung tight. He craned his head to look down into the
cutting, when suddenly there came a wild snuffle at the back of his
neck, and as he jumped up with a startled yelp, one part anger and nine
parts fright, a horse that had grazed down upon him in the darkness,
leaped back with a snort and a squeal and disappeared into the night.

"Ga'rabotin! but I thought it was the devil himself," said the Senechal,
as the others came hurrying up. "Why the deuce can't people tie up their
horses as they do their cows? I'll bring it up at the next Chef
Plaids"--which consideration restored his shaken equanimity somewhat,
and made him feel himself again.

Nothing more came of all their watching, and over a jorum of something
hot one night, after they had returned to the Doctor's house, it was
himself who said--

"After all, it stands to reason. Some evil-possessed soul seeks victims,
and has fixed on the Coupee as the place best fitted for his work. No
one now goes near the Coupee at night--ergo, no victims; ergo,
no--er--no manifestations."

"H'm! Very clever!" said the Senechal, through his pipe. "Where does
that leave us, then?"

"We must have a decoy, of course."

"H'm! You'll not get any Sark man to act as decoy to the devil. Besides,
they would talk, and that would upset the whole thing."

"What about one of your men, Gard?"

"It's a dangerous game for any man to play, Doctor.... I don't quite see
how one could ask it of them,"--and after a pause of concentrated
thought and many slow smoke-puffs--"What would you say to me?