by W. W. Jacobs
"Don't be afraid! It is I--Meagle!"
There was no answer. He stood gazing into the darkness, and all the timethe idea of something close at hand watching was upon him. Then suddenlythe steps broke out overhead again.
He drew back hastily, and passing through the kitchen groped his wayalong the narrow passages. He could now see better in the darkness, andfinding himself at last at the foot of the staircase began to ascend itnoiselessly. He reached the landing just in time to see a figuredisappear round the angle of a wall. Still careful to make no noise, hefollowed the sound of the steps until they led him to the top floor, andhe cornered the chase at the end of a short passage.
"Barnes!" he whispered. "Barnes!"
Something stirred in the darkness. A small circular window at the end ofthe passage just softened the blackness and revealed the dim outlines ofa motionless figure. Meagle, in place of advancing, stood almost asstill as a sudden horrible doubt took possession of him. With his eyesfixed on the shape in front he fell back slowly and, as it advanced uponhim, burst into a terrible cry.
"Barnes! For God's sake! Is it you?"
The echoes of his voice left the air quivering, but the figure before himpaid no heed. For a moment he tried to brace his courage up to endureits approach, then with a smothered cry he turned and fled.
The passages wound like a maze, and he threaded them blindly in a vainsearch for the stairs. If he could get down and open the hall door----
He caught his breath in a sob; the steps had begun again. At a lumberingtrot they clattered up and down the bare passages, in and out, up anddown, as though in search of him. He stood appalled, and then as theydrew near entered a small room and stood behind the door as they rushedby. He came out and ran swiftly and noiselessly in the other direction,and in a moment the steps were after him. He found the long corridor andraced along it at top speed. The stairs he knew were at the end, andwith the steps close behind he descended them in blind haste. The stepsgained on him, and he shrank to the side to let them pass, stillcontinuing his headlong flight. Then suddenly he seemed to slip off theearth into space.
Lester awoke in the morning to find the sunshine streaming into the room,and White sitting up and regarding with some perplexity a badly blisteredfinger.
"Where are the others?" inquired Lester. "Gone, I suppose," said White."We must have been asleep."
Lester arose, and stretching his stiffened limbs, dusted his clothes withhis hands, and went out into the corridor. White followed. At the noiseof their approach a figure which had been lying asleep at the other endsat up and revealed the face of Barnes. "Why, I've been asleep," he saidin surprise. "I don't remember coming here. How did I get here?"
"Nice place to come for a nap," said Lester, severely, as he pointed tothe gap in the balusters. "Look there! Another yard and where would youhave been?"
He walked carelessly to the edge and looked over. In response to hisstartled cry the others drew near, and all three stood gazing at the deadman below.
"All three stood gazing at the dead man below."]