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He rose from his seat, and bidding the company a friendly good-night, left the room with hiscrestfallen friend. The others saw them to the foot of the stairs, and having heard their door close, returned to the coffee-room.

"Well, I suppose the bet’s off?" said the stout commercial, poking the fire and then standingwith his legs apart on the hearthrug: "though, as far as I can see, I won it. I never saw a man soscared in all my life. Sort of poetic justice about it, isn’t there?"

"Never mind about poetry or justice," said one of his listeners; "who’s going to sleep withme?"

"I will," said Malcolm affably.

"And I suppose we share a room together, Mr. Leek?" said the third man, turning to the fourth.

"No, thank you," said the other, briskly; "I don’t believe in ghosts. If anything comes into myroom I shall shoot it. "

"That won’t hurt a spirit, Leek," said Malcolm, decisively.

"Well, the noise’ll be like company to me," said Leek, "and it’ll wake the house too. But ifyou’re nervous, sir," he added, with a grin, to the man who had suggested sharing his room,"George’ll be only too pleased to sleep on the doormat inside your room, I know. "

"That I will, sir," said George fervently; "and if you gentlemen would only come down withme to the bar to put the gas out, I could never be sufficiently grateful. "

They went out in a body, with the exception of Leek, peering carefully before them as theywent. George turned the light out in the bar and they returned unmolested to the coffee-room,and, avoiding the sardonic smile of Leek, prepared to separate for the night.

"Give me the candle while you put the gas out, George," said the traveller.

The waiter handed it to him and extinguished the gas, and at the same moment all distinctlyheard a step in the passage outside. It stopped at the door, and as they watched with bated breath,the door creaked and slowly opened. Malcolm fell back, open-mouthed, as a white, leering face,with sunken eyeballs and close-cropped bullet head, appeared at the opening.

For a few seconds the creature stood regarding them, blinking in a strange fashion at thecandle. Then, with a sidling movement, it came a little way into the room and stood there as ifbewildered.

Not a man spoke or moved, but all watched
with a horrible fascination as the creature removedits dirty neckcloth and its head rolled on its shoulder. For a minute it paused, and then, holdingthe rag before it, moved towards Malcolm.

The candle went out suddenly with a flash and a bang. There was a smell of powder, andsomething writhing in the darkness on the floor. A faint, choking cough, and then silence.

Malcolm was the first to speak. "Matches," he said, in a strange voice. George struck one. Thenhe leapt at the gas and a burner flamed from the match. Malcolm touched the thing on the floorwith his foot and found it soft. He looked at his companions. They mouthed inquiries at him, buthe shook his head. He lit the candle, and, kneeling down, examined the silent thing on the floor.

Then he rose swiftly, and dipping his handkerchief in the water-jug, bent down again and grimlywiped the white face. Then he sprang back with a cry of incredulous horror, pointing at it. Leek’s pistol fell to the floor and he shut out the sight with his hands, but the others crowding forward,gazed spellbound at the dead face of Hirst.

Before a word was spoken the door opened and Somers hastily entered the room. His eyes fellon the floor. "Good God!" he cried. "You didn’t—”

Nobody spoke.