him to the top floor, and
he cornered the chase at the end of a short passage.

"Barnes!" he whispered. "Barnes!"

Something stirred in the darkness. A small circular window at the end of
the passage just softened the blackness and revealed the dim outlines of
a motionless figure. Meagle, in place of advancing, stood almost as
still as a sudden horrible doubt took possession of him. With his eyes
fixed on the shape in front he fell back slowly and, as it advanced upon
him, burst into a terrible cry.

"Barnes! For God's sake! Is it you?"

The echoes of his voice left the air quivering, but the figure before him
paid no heed. For a moment he tried to brace his courage up to endure
its approach, then with a smothered cry he turned and fled.

The passages wound like a maze, and he threaded them blindly in a vain
search for the stairs. If he could get down and open the hall door----

He caught his breath in a sob; the steps had begun again. At a lumbering
trot they clattered up and down the bare passages, in and out, up and
down, as though in search of him. He stood appalled, and then as they
drew near entered a small room and stood behind the door as they rushed
by. He came out and ran swiftly and noiselessly in the other direction,
and in a moment the steps were after him. He found the long corridor and
raced along it at top speed. The stairs he knew were at the end, and
with the steps close behind he descended them in blind haste. The steps
gained on him, and he shrank to the side to let them pass, still
continuing his headlong flight. Then suddenly he seemed to slip off the
earth into space.

Lester awoke in the morning to find the sunshine streaming into the room,
and White sitting up and regarding with some perplexity a badly blistered
finger.

"Where are the others?" inquired Lester. "Gone, I suppose," said White.
"We must have been asleep."

Lester arose, and stretching his stiffened limbs, dusted his clothes with
his hands, and went out into the corridor. White followed. At the noise
of their approach a figure which had been lying asleep at the other end
sat up and revealed the face of Barnes. "Why, I've been asleep," he said
in surprise. "I don't remember coming here. How did I get here?"

"Nice place to come for a nap," said Lester, severely, as he pointed to
the gap in the balusters. "Look there! Another yard and where would you
have been?"

He walked carelessly to the edg