on a rock
which rose up like a gateway to it, and he vaguely resolved that later
he would go over and read them. But first he wanted to ask questions.

"Michael, what does all this mean?" Orville said; all the time
marveling that it was to his servant he turned for information.

Michael still smiled, and answered: "It means, sir, that we are
dead."

Orville was astonished that he felt neither shocked nor startled.
"Dead? I do not quite understand, Michael. You are not joking?"

"No, sir. It happened quickly. We went over the bridge a minute ago.
Our bodies are in the river now, but we are here."

"Where?" asked Orville.

Michael answered, "That I do not know, sir, except that we are in The
Land of the Dead."

"But you seem to know a great deal, Michael," said Orville.

"Yes," answered Michael; "I died a minute before you, sir, so I came
earlier. I was dead on my seat when we struck the chain and broke it.
One learns much in a minute here. But tell me, sir, can you see
anything at the top of that mountain?"

Orville looked up and saw a bright light before him on the very summit
and seemingly at the end of the road. As he gazed it took the form of
a Flaming Cross.

"I see a Cross on fire, Michael," he said. Michael answered simply:
"Thank God."

"I can see a Flaming Cross, too," said Callovan, speaking for the
first time. "I can see it, and what is more, I am going up to it; let
us not delay an instant"; and Callovan began to gird his
strange-looking garment about him for the climb.

Then Orville knew that he himself was drawn toward that Flaming Cross.
There was a something urging him on. His whole being was filled with
a desire to get to that goal, and he, too, prepared quickly for the
ascent.

"Wait a moment, sir," said Michael. "Do the others see nothing on the
mountain?"

Thornton and Marion, still frowning, were looking down into the haze
of the valley. They were paying no attention to their friends.

"Come, let us go," said Thornton to the girl, as he pointed to the
road which led down into the valley.

"No, no," said Michael, "not there. Look up at the mountain. What do
you see?"

Both Marion and Thornton glanced upward. "I see nothing," said Marion.

"I see a Cross, but it is black and repellant-looking," said Thornton.
"Come, Marion, let us go at once."

Orville, alarmed, called out: "Marion, you will surely come with me."

The frown on her face changed to a look of awful sadness, but