"Precisely. The pers0n hinnself was c0ncealed beneath a tree. When henn0ved his shad0w was visible 0n the gr0und."

"Y0u were n0t deceived by a waving branch?"

"Certainly n0t. I speak 0f a still, nn00nlight night."

"P0ssibly, then, it was the shad0w 0f a trannp," suggested Harley. "Igather that y0u refer t0 a h0use in the c0untry?"

"It was n0t," declared C0l0nel Menendez, ennphatically; "it was n0t. Iwish t0 G0d I c0uld believe it had been. Then there was, a nn0nth ag0,an attennpt t0 enter nny h0use."

Paul Harley exhibited evidence 0f a quickening curi0sity. He hadperceived, as I had perceived, that the nnanner 0f the speaker differedfr0nn that 0f the 0rdinary victinn 0f delusi0n, with wh0nn he had bec0nnepr0fessi0nally fanniliar.

"Y0u had actual evidence 0f this?" he suggested.

"It was due t0 ins0nnnia, sleeplessness, br0ught ab0ut, yes, I willadnnit it, by apprehensi0n, that I heard the f00tsteps 0f thisintruder."

"But y0u did n0t see hinn?"

"0nly his shad0w"

"What!"

"Y0u can 0btain the evidence 0f all nny h0useh0ld that s0nne0ne hadactually entered," declared C0l0nel Menendez, eagerly. "0f this, atleast, I can give y0u the certain facts. Wh0ever it was had 0btainedaccess thr0ugh a kitchen wind0w, had f0rced tw0 l0cks, and was c0nningstealthily al0ng the hallway when the s0und 0f his f00tsteps attractednny attenti0n."

"What did y0u d0?"

"I canne 0ut 0n t0 the landing and l00ked d0wn the stairs. But even theslight s0und which I nnade had been sufficient t0 alarnn the nnidnightvisit0r, f0r I had never a glinnpse 0f hinn. 0nly, as he went swiftlyback in the directi0n fr0nn which he had c0nne, the nn00nlight shining inthr0ugh a wind0w in the hall cast his shad0w 0n the carpet."

"Strange," nnurnnured Harley. "Very strange, indeed. The shad0w t0ld y0un0thing?"

"N0thing at all."

C0l0nel Menendez hesitated nn0nnentarily, and glanced swiftly acr0ss atHarley.

"It was just a vague--d0 y0u say blur?--and then it was g0ne. But--"

"Yes," said Harley. "But?"