how it comes out. If you are the overseer here, then it is my
money that is paying your wages, and from the look of things," and I
swept my hand toward the surrounding weeds, "you 'll not hold the job
long at that."

Coombs did not cringe, but my tone brought him uneasiness.

"The niggers won't work," he returned gruffly. "Thar ain't a nigger on
the place."

"Apparently white men enough hanging around. What 's the matter with
the negroes?"

"Ghosts," and the fellow laughed. "Maybe yer've seen sum?"

I straightened up, stung by the sneer in his voice.

"No; but I 've seen something more to the point--a murdered man."

"What?"

"Just what I said. There was a man killed last night in that back room
upstairs. Shot in the head through the window. I heard the shot and
investigated. His body lies there now."

I saw Broussard's snaky eyes flash across toward Coombs' face, but the
latter remained motionless.

"It's a damn lie!" he ejaculated roughly. "There is no body there."

"Easily settled. Come with me, and I 'll show you."

Rather to my surprise neither objected to the test, and we tramped in
single file toward the house. Some precaution kept me at the rear, and
I followed silently when Coombs entered the open door of the kitchen.
Unknown to me there was a narrow back stairway, and we mounted this
without exchanging a word. In the upper hall Coombs threw open the
rear door, and, stood aside, not even looking within.

I glanced past him. There was the furniture as I remembered it, the
dirty walls, the opened window. But the overturned chair stood against
the wall, the cards were stacked on the table, and there was no body
lying on the floor. So startled was I by this discovery that I could
scarcely credit my eyesight, but was brought to a realization of the
truth by Coombs' harsh laugh.

"Well, where 's yer dead man? I reckon ye don't see none, hey!"

"No," I insisted, "but I did see one--twice. The body lay there where
the stain shows on the floor. It has been carried away within half an
hour."

"A likely story. Who could do the job? Nobody round this shebang but
Sallie an' me. I sure ain't been in yere, an' I reckon it wan't
Sallie. So cut it out, young feller. After breakfast you an' I 'll
hav' a talk, an' find out a few things. Come on, Broussard, an' let 's
talk over that matter o' ours."

The two went down the stairs together, and I closed the door of the
rear room, and ste