ll know its track jus' as quick 's I see it."

"Do you mean you have seen a Windego track?"

"_Monjee_, seh, _don't_ say its name! Let us go back," said Jawnny.
"Baptiste was at Madores' shanty with us when it took Hermidas
Dubois."

"Yesseh. That's de way I'll come for know de track soon 's I see it,"
said Baptiste. "Before den I mos' don' b'lieve dere was any of it. But
ain't it take Hermidas Dubois only last New Year's?"

"That was all nonsense about Dubois. I'll bet it was a joke to scare
you all."

"Who 's kill a man for a joke?" said Baptiste.

"Did you see Hermidas Dubois killed? Did you see him dead? No! I heard
all about it. All you know is that he went away on New Year's morning,
when the rest of the men were too scared to leave the shanty, because
some one said there was a Windego track outside."

"Hermidas never come back!"

"I'll bet he went away home. You'll find him at Saint Agathe in the
spring. You can't be such fools as to believe in Windegos."

"Don't you say dat name some more!" yelled Big Baptiste, now fierce
with fright. "Hain't I just seen de track? I'm go'n' back, me, if I
don't get a copper of pay for de whole winter!"

"Wait a little now, Baptiste," said Tom, alarmed lest his party should
desert him and the job. "I'll soon find out what's at the bottom of
the track."

"Dere's blood at de bottom--I seen it!" said Baptiste.

"Well, you wait till _I_ go and see it."

"No! I go back, me," said Baptiste, and started up the slope with the
others at his heels.

"Halt! Stop there! Halt, you fools! Don't you understand that if there
was any such monster it would as easily catch you in one place as
another?"

The men went on. Tom took another tone.

"Boys, look here! I say, are you going to desert me like cowards?"

"Hain't goin' for desert you, Mr. Tom, no seh!" said Baptiste,
halting. "Honly I'll hain' go for cross de track." They all faced
round.

Tom was acquainted with a considerable number of Windego
superstitions.

"There's no danger unless it's a fresh track," he said. "Perhaps it's
an old one."

"Fresh made dis mornin'," said Baptiste.

"Well, wait till I go and see it. You're all right, you know, if you
don't cross it. Isn't that the idea?"

"No, seh. Mr. Humphreys told Madore 'bout dat. Eef somebody cross de
track and don't never come back, _den_ de magic ain't in de track no
more. But it's watchin', watchin' all round to catch somebody what
cross its track; and