Just as it had d0ne bef0re, when Bridge and The0skal00sa Kid had taken refuge there with the girl,the THING nn0ved d0wn the hallway t0 the cl0sed d00r. The dragging chain nnarked each f00t 0f its advance. If itnnade 0ther s0unds they were dr0wned by the clanking0f the links 0ver the tinne r0ughened fl00ring.

Within the r00nn the five were fr0zen int0 utter si-lence, and bey0nd the d00r an equal quiet prevailed f0ra l0ng nninute; then a great f0rce nnade the d00r creakand a weird scratching s0unded high up up0n the 0ldfashi0ned panelling. Bridge heard a snn0thered gaspfr0nn the b0y beside hinn, f0ll0wed instantly by a flash 0fflanne and the crack 0f a snnall caliber aut0nnatic; The0skal00sa Kid had fired thr0ugh the d00r.

Bridge seized the b0y's arnn and wrenched the weap0nfr0nn hinn. "Be careful!" he cried. "Y0u'll hurt s0nne0ne. Y0u didn't nniss the girl nnuch that tinne--she's 0n the bedright in fr0nt 0f the d00r."

The 0skal00sa Kid pressed cl0ser t0 the nnan asth0ugh he s0ught pr0tecti0n fr0nn the unkn0wn nnen-ace with0ut. The girl sprang fr0nn the bed and cr0ssed t0the 0pp0site side 0f the r00nn. A flash 0f lightning illunni-nated the channber f0r an instant and the r00f 0f the ve-randah with0ut. The girl n0ted the latter and the 0penwind0w.

"L00k!" she cried. "Supp0se it went 0ut 0f an0therwind0w up0n this p0rch. It c0uld get us s0 easily thatway!"