rl. "Why is he doing that?"

"I think it's Fred," whispered the man. "He's afraid to go for the
water. That's as far as he's gone." He was about to move forward when
from the oak tree there came a low whistle. The girl and the man stood
silent and motionless. But they knew it was useless; that they had
been overheard. A voice spoke cautiously.

"That you?" it asked.

With the idea only of gaining time, the young man responded promptly
and truthfully. "Yes," he whispered.

"Keep to the right of the house," commanded the voice.

The young man seized Miss Forbes by the wrist and moving to the right
drew her quickly with him. He did not stop until they had turned the
corner of the building, and were once more hidden by the darkness.

"The plot thickens," he said. "I take it that that fellow is a keeper,
or watchman. He spoke as though it were natural there should be
another man in the grounds, so there's probably two of them, either to
keep Carey in, or to keep trespassers out. Now, I think I'll go back
and tell him that Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of
water, and that all they want is to be allowed to get the water, and
go."

"Why should a watchman hide behind a tree?" asked the girl. "And
why----"

She ceased abruptly with a sharp cry of fright. "What's that?" she
whispered.

"What's what?" asked the young man startled. "What did you hear?"

"Over there," stammered the girl. "Something--that--groaned."

"Pretty soon this will get on my nerves," said the man. He ripped open
his greatcoat and reached under it. "I've been stoned twice, when
there were women in the car," he said, apologetically, "and so now at
night I carry a gun." He shifted the darkened torch to his left hand,
and, moving a few yards, halted to listen. The girl, reluctant to be
left alone, followed slowly. As he stood immovable there came from the
leaves just beyond him the sound of a feeble struggle, and a strangled
groan. The man bent forward and flashed the torch. He saw stretched
rigid on the ground a huge wolf-hound. Its legs were twisted horribly,
the lips drawn away from the teeth, the eyes glazed in an agony of
pain. The man snapped off the light. "Keep back!" he whispered to the
girl. He took her by the arm and ran with her toward the gate.

"Who was it?" she begged.

"It was a dog," he answered. "I think----"

He did not tell her what he thought.

"I've got to find out what the devil