liff_!"

There was no doubt about it now. Within thirty feet of us, it was
slowly walking up what must have been a steep ascent. Already it was
ten feet or more above our level. And it was behind the rocks of the
cliff! Shining in there as though the rocks themselves were
transparent!

Or were my senses tricking me? I whispered, "Is it back of the
rocks? Or is there a cave over there? An opening?"

"Let's go see." Don took a step forward; and called again:

"You--we see you. Stand still! Do you want me to fire at you?"

The figure turned and again stood regarding us with folded arms.
Obviously not Don's voice, but his movement, had stopped it. We left
the path and climbed about ten feet up the broken cliff-side. The
figure was at our level now, but it was within the rocks. We were
close enough now to see other details: a man's white face, with
heavy black brows, heavy features; a stalwart, giant figure, six and
a half feet at the least. The white garment could have been of woven
metal. I saw black, thread-like wires looped along the arms, over
the shoulders, down the sides of the muscular naked legs. There
seemed, at the waist, a dial-face, with wires running into it.

The details were so clear that they seemed substantial, real. Yet
the figure was so devoid of color that it could have been a
light-image projected here upon these rocks. And the contour of the
cliff was plainly visible in front of it.

* * * * *

We stood gazing at the thing, and it stared back at us.

"Can you hear us?" Don called.

Evidently it could not. Then a sardonic smile spread over the face
of the apparition. The lips moved. It said something to us, but we
heard no sound.

It was a wraith--this thing so visibly real! It was apparently close
to us, yet there was a limitless, intervening void of the unknown.

It stood still with folded arms across the brawny chest,
sardonically regarding us. The face was strangely featured, yet
wholly of human cast. And, above all, its aspect was strangely evil.
Its gaze suddenly turned on Jane with a look that made my heart leap
into my throat and made me fling up my arms as though to protect
her.

Then seemingly it had contemplated us enough; the folded arms swung
down; it turned away from us, slowly stalking off.

"Stop!" Don called.

"See!" I whispered. "It's coming out in the open!"

The invisible surface upon which it walked led it out from the
cliff. The