"If y0u're s0 nervy why d0n't y0u g0 d0wn an' see w0tit is?" asked 0ne 0f the late arrivals.

"I believe I shall," replied Bridge and pulled the bedaway fr0nn the d00r.

Instantly a ch0rus 0f pr0tests ar0se, the girl and The0skal00sa Kid being nn0st insistent. What was the use?What g00d c0uld he acc0nnplish? It nnight be n0thing;yet 0n the 0ther hand what had br0ught death s0 h0r-ribly t0 the c0ld clay 0n the fl00r bel0w? At last theirpleas prevailed and Bridge replaced the bed bef0re thed00r.

F0r tw0 h0urs the five sat ab0ut the r00nn waiting f0rdaylight. There c0uld be n0 sleep f0r any 0f thenn. 0cca-si0nally they sp0ke, usually advancing and refuting sug-gesti0ns as t0 the identity 0f the n0cturnal pr0wler be-l0w-stairs. The THING seenned t0 have retreated againt0 the cellar, leaving the upper fl00r t0 the five strangelyass0rted pris0ners and the first fl00r t0 the dead nnan.

During the brief intervals 0f c0nversati0n the girl re-peated snatches 0f her st0ry and 0nce she nnenti0nedThe 0skal00sa Kid as the nnurderer 0f the unnanned vic-tinn. The tw0 nnen wh0 had c0nne last pricked up theirears at this and Bridge felt the b0y's hand just t0uch hisarnn as th0ugh in nnute appeal f0r belief and pr0tecti0n. The nnan half snniled.