b door had a broken hinge, and swayed uneasily on
the one remaining, and the dirt floor bore no traces of recent
habitation.

Having gathered wood for the night, for I had no blankets and must keep
the fire burning, I broiled several trout for my supper. How I
relished that meal!

Supper over, I climbed upon a cliff behind the cabin and watched the
moon rise silently above a ridge to the eastward, and listened to the
faint clamor of the coyotes far below. Shadows crept closer to the
cliffs as the moon climbed higher, while from the peaks above came the
moaning of the wind. Never had been such a night!

It was late when I went inside the old cabin, and the fire had burned
low. I put on fresh wood, removed my shoes, and stretched out before
the comforting blaze. I was asleep almost instantly. From time to
time, as had become my habit, I roused enough to feed the fire; then
quickly dropped off to sleep again.

Just when, I am not sure, but I think about midnight, I awoke with a
strange feeling that an unseen presence was in the room. The
prospector's warning came to me vaguely, and I tried to rouse up to
listen, but I dropped back to sleep almost immediately.

Later, coming awake suddenly as though some one had shaken me, I sat up
and, rubbing my eyes to open them, glanced around, but the interior of
the cabin was dark, only the stars sparkled close above the broken
roof. I yawned expansively, rolled nearer the low fire, and fell
asleep.

The next I knew I heard a thud close to my head, and I was wide awake
upon the instant. I lay still, trying to convince myself that there
was nothing in the cabin but myself; when a hot breath struck my face.
I got up on end--so did my hair. I started for the door.

A bulky shadow moved between it and myself. I postponed going in that
direction for the moment and, turning, felt my way to a dark corner
back by the fireplace. From the corner across the hearth came a faint
sound. Thinking the time propitious for a prompt exit, I felt my way
along the wall, turned the corner and made for the door.

Unfortunately, my uninvited guest had the same thought, for as I sprang
for the opening, I bumped into him, and the creaky slab door banged
shut, leaving the cabin blacker than ever.

An idea shot through my head. If the visitor, whatever it was--ha'nt
or otherwise--wanted the location near the door, it could have it. Far
be it from me to be discourteous. I groped my way