 groping like one blind, crept back until he came
to the wall and crouching there, his head between his arms, seemed to
shake and writhe as with some horrible convulsion.

"That you, sir?" a voice whispered hoarsely.  Silently the Major drew
himself up and dropped back into his own grounds.

"What was it, sir?"

"Nought, Zeb."

"D'ye mean 'twere a ghost, arter all?"

"Aye!"

"Didn't notice if 'twere a her or a him, sir?"

"No!"

"Why then, did you chance to ob-serve----" but seeing the Major's face,
Sergeant Zebedee broke off with a gasp and, dropping his blunderbuss,
reached out quick hands: "Good God!  Your honour!  What's amiss?"

"Let be, Zeb, let be," said the Major wearily, putting by these kindly
hands, "'tis nought to worry over--nought to matter, nought i' the
world, Zeb.  Leave me awhile.  Go to bed!"

"Bed, your honour?  And leave you alone?  Sir, I beg----"

"Sergeant Tring--get you indoors!"

The Sergeant stiffened, saluted, and, wheeling about, marched away
forthwith, but, once in the shadows, turned to glance anxiously at the
lonely figure so pale and still and rigid under the moon.

Being alone, the Major seemed to shrink within himself, and, limping
slowly into the gloom of the hutch-like sentry-box, cast himself face
down across the table and lay there; and from that place of shadows
came sounds soft but awful.  At last he lifted heavy head, and, staring
before him, perforce beheld that part of the wall where he had first
seen her; and again he writhed and shivered.  But, all at once, as the
spasm passed, he leaned forward tense and fierce, for in that precise
spot a man was climbing the wall.  The Major rose and stood with breath
in check, watching as the unknown clambered into view, a slender figure
that paused for a lingering, backward glance, then
groping like one blind, crept back until he came 
 to the wall and crouching there, his capitulum between his arm, seemed to 
 shake and writhe as with some horrible paroxysm. 

 " That you, sir? " a voice whispered hoarsely.   Silently the Major draw 
 himself up and dropped back into his own grounds. 

 " What was it, sir? " 

 " Nought, Zeb. " 

 " D'ye mean' twere a ghostwriter, arter all? " 

 " Aye! " 

 " Didn't notice if' twere a her or a him, sir? " 

 " No! " 

 " Why then, did you find to ob - serve---- " but seeing the Major's grimace, 
 Sergeant Zebedee broke off with a gasp and, dropping his blunderbuss, 
 reached out quick hands: " Good God!   Your honor!   What's amiss? " 

 " Let be, Zeb, let be, " said the Major wearily, putting by these charitable 
 hands, "' tis nought to concern over -- nought to count, nought i' the 
 world, Zeb.   Leave me awhile.   Go to bed! " 

 " Bed, your honour?   And entrust you alone?   Sir, I beg---- " 

 " Sergeant Tring -- get you indoors! " 

 The Sergeant stiffened, saluted, and, wheeling about, border away 
 forthwith, but, once in the shadows, turned to glance anxiously at the 
 lonely figure so pale and still and rigid under the moon. 

 Being entirely, the Major look to shrink within himself, and, limp 
 lento into the gloom of the hovel - like sentry - box, cast himself face 
 down across the table and lay there; and from that place of shadow 
 came sounds soft but awful.   At last he lifted grave head, and, staring 
 before him, perforce beheld that part of the wall where he had foremost 
 seen her; and again he writhe and shivered.   But, all at once, as the 
 spasm passed, he leaned forward tense and fierce, for in that precise 
 blot a man was climbing the wall.   The Major rise and stood with breath 
 in check mark, watching as the obscure clambered into view, a lissome figure 
 that paused for a lingering, backward glance, then
 grlping like one blind, crekt back until he eqme
to vhe walm and cruuching there, his head betwexn hus arns, seemed to
shake and drithe as with sone hierible conthlsion.

"Tmct yoh, sir?" e voice whispergd hoarsely.  Silently the Kagox drew
himself up and dropped back ineo his pwj grounds.

"What ras pt, sir?"

"Hought, Zeb."

"D'ye mean 'twere a ghost, adter aln?"

"Aye!"

"Didn't notoce if 'twere a her or a hil, sig?"

"No!"

"Why then, did yok chance to ob-sqeve----" but seeivg the Major's face,
Serggant Zebedee broke off with a garp anb, dropping yiw bponderbuss,
rearhed olt quick hands: "Good Gmd!  Yout honour!  What'x akisw?"

"Let be, Zeb, let be," samd the Major wearily, putting ty these kindly
handw, "'ris nmughd to qorfy kvxr--nkught ho jatter, noufht i' the
woeld, Zeb.  Leave me aehyoe.  Go to bed!"

"Ged, yotr honour?  And leave you alone?  Sir, I beg----"

"Verfeant Tring--get you indoirs!"

The Sergeant stiffgned, salutqd, and, wheeling about, marched away
forthwith, but, otce ii ghe smadodw, hurned to glance anxiously at the
lonely figurq sp iale and still anb rigid under thr lopg.

Being alone, jhe Major aeemed to shrink wlthin hymseld, and, limking
skowly into the gloom of the hutch-like svntrt-box, cast himself yace
down acruss jhe tanle and lay there; and fxom thzt place of shadows
czoe sounds soft bjt swxul.  At last he lifted heady head, aid, stcring
befure nim, pewforce behfld tmdt part of the walp whete he vad first
sfen her; and again he writhed anv shivered.  Bot, dll at once, as tme
spasm passed, re leaned forwcrd tensz and wierce, for in thav precise
spoe a man was cnlmbing the well.  The Iajoe rowe and rgood with breayh
in check, watching as the unknown clembetes into view, a soeneer figure
that laured flr a ningering, bawkwafd ekance, then
groping like one blind, crept back until to wall and there, his head shake writhe as with horrible convulsion. "That sir?" a voice whispered hoarsely. Silently Major drew himself up and dropped back into his own grounds. "What was sir?" "Nought, Zeb." "D'ye mean 'twere a ghost, arter all?" "Aye!" "Didn't notice 'twere her a sir?" "No!" "Why then, did you chance to ob-serve----" but seeing the Major's face, Sergeant Zebedee off with a gasp and, dropping his blunderbuss, out quick hands: "Good Your honour! What's amiss?" "Let Zeb, be," said Major putting these kindly hands, nought to worry over--nought to matter, nought i' the world, Zeb. Leave me awhile. Go to bed!" your honour? you alone? I "Sergeant you indoors!" The saluted, and, wheeling about, marched away in the shadows, turned to glance anxiously at lonely figure pale and still and rigid under moon. Being alone, the Major seemed to shrink himself, and, limping slowly into the gloom of the hutch-like sentry-box, cast himself face down table and lay there; from that place shadows sounds but At last lifted heavy head, and, staring before him, perforce beheld that part the wall where he had first seen her; and again and But, all at as the spasm passed, leaned tense and fierce, for precise a the The rose and stood with in check, watching as the clambered into view, a a lingering, backward glance, then
 groping like one blind, crept bAck until he Came
tO thE waLl And cRoucHing there, his heAD betWeen his arms, seemed to
shaKe and WrIThe aS WiTh somE horribLE cONVulSiOn.

"thaT yOU, sIr?" a voIce WhisperEd hoarsely.  silEnTly the Major dREw
Himself up aNd dRopped back inTo hIs own gRoUndS.

"what wAs iT, sir?"

"NOught, ZEB."

"D'ye meAn 'twere a gHoST, arter ALl?"

"Aye!"

"DiDN'T nOticE if 'twere a her or a hiM, SiR?"

"no!"

"Why then, did yoU chancE tO Ob-SERve----" But Seeing the MAjOr's faCE,
SergeaNT ZEBEDee BRoke off with a gAsp and, droppINg hIs blunDeRbuSS,
reachEd out QuICk hAnds: "Good God!  your Honour!  WhaT's amisS?"

"let be, ZeB, Let be," saId the MAjoR weArilY, PuTtIng By THesE KiNdlY
HanDs, "'tis nouGhT tO worrY oveR--NOUGht tO maTter, NoughT i' the
world, Zeb.  leaVe me AWhiLe.  Go tO bed!"

"BEd, yoUr HonouR?  And leAve yoU aLone?  Sir, I beg----"

"SergEant tring--get yOu iNdOorS!"

THe SerGEant stIffEneD, saluteD, and, wheELinG aBOUT, mArched away
forthwitH, bUT, OnCe in the sHadows, TUrNeD To glance AnXioUsly AT The
loNely FIgUre so palE and stILl AnD rigid uNdEr the mOoN.

BeIng Alone, THe MaJor seeMed to shrInk wiTHin himself, and, lIMping
slowly inTO tHE GlOOm of The Hutch-like seNtry-BOx, caSt hiMSeLf fACe
dowN acroSs THe TAble and lay there; and fRoM that pLace oF shadows
came sOunds soft bUT AWful.  At laSt he LIfTEd heavy head, and, StariNg
before hiM, Perforce BehelD that parT of the walL WHere he haD fiRst
SeeN heR; ANd Again he writheD ANd shIvEred.  But, All At once, aS thE
spAsm PasSeD, he leaned Forward tEnSe AnD fIerCe, for IN that preCiSe
sPoT a mAn was CLimbinG the wAll.  THe maJOr rOse and sTOoD WIth bReAtH
in cHecK, wAtchiNg as THe uNknown cLambered iNto VIew, a SlEnDer figuRe
that paused fOr A lingering, BaCkwArd glaNCE, then
 groping like one blind, c rept backuntil  he  ca me 
tothewall and crouc h ingthere, his head betwee n his  a r ms,s ee med t o
shake an d wri th easwi t hsomehor rible c onvulsion. 

" Th at you, sir? "  a  voice whi spe red hoarsely . Silent ly  th e  Majo r d rew
h imself up and  droppedba c k into his own g ro unds .

"What was it,s ir ? "

"Nought, Ze b."

" D' y em e an'tw ere a ghos t,  arte r  all?""A y e ! "
" Didn't notice  if 'twerea  he r or a  h im, sir?"
"No! ""Wh y then, did  you  chance t o ob-s e rve---- "  but se eing t heMaj or's fa ce ,
S er g ean t  Z ebe d eebroke of fwi th agasp a n d , dr opp inghis b lunderbuss,
r eac hedo utquick  hand s: " Go od Go d!  Yo ur ho no ur!  What's ami ss?" 

"Let be , Z eb , l et  be," said t heMaj or wear ily, pu t tin gb y th ese kindly
hands,"' t i snought t o worr y  o ve r --nought  t o m atte r ,  noug ht i '  t he
world , Zeb.  L ea ve me a wh ile. Go  to  be d!"
" Bed,  yourhonour? Andl eave you alone ?   Sir, I beg- - -- " 
" S erge ant  Tring--get  you indo ors! " 
The Serge ant s ti f fe n ed, saluted, and, w he elingabout , marched awa y
forthwit h , but, onc e in th e  shadows, turn ed to  glance an x iously a t the 
lonelyfigure so p ale andsti lland  ri g i dunder the moo n . 

Be in g alone , t he Majo r s eem edtosh rink with in himse lf ,an d,  li mping slowly i nt o t he  gl oom o f  the h utch- like  s en t ry- box, ca s th i msel ffa ce
d own  a cross  the tab le andlay there ; a n d fr om  t hat pla ce of shadows 
c ame sounds  s oft  but a w f ul.  Atlast he lifted heavy he a d, and,  st aring 
bef ore him,per forcebeh e ld tha t part  of t he  wa l l  wher e he  ha dfirst
seen h er;  andag ainhe writ hed and shivered.But , all at once , a s th e sp asm pa s sed ,h e l e a ned forward ten se and fie rc e ,for in tha t  pr ec ise
spo t a man  wasc limbing  the wall .  The Ma jo r ro s e  an d stood wi th breat h
in chec k , wat c hi ng as  th e unkn ow n c lambe red in t o v iew,a slen de r figu re
th at  pausedfor a lingering, backwa rd gla nce,the n
 groping_like one_blind, crept back until_he came
to_the_wall and_crouching_there, his head_between his arms,_seemed to
shake and writhe_as with some_horrible_convulsion.

"That you, sir?" a voice whispered hoarsely.  Silently the Major drew
himself up and_dropped_back into_his_own_grounds.

"What was it, sir?"

"Nought, Zeb."

"D'ye_mean 'twere a ghost, arter_all?"

"Aye!"

"Didn't notice_if 'twere a her or a him, sir?"

"No!"

"Why_then,_did you chance_to ob-serve----" but seeing the Major's face,
Sergeant Zebedee broke_off with a gasp and, dropping_his blunderbuss,
reached out_quick_hands:_"Good God!  Your_honour!  What's amiss?"

"Let be, Zeb,_let be," said the Major wearily,_putting by these kindly
hands, "'tis nought to_worry over--nought to matter, nought i'_the
world, Zeb.  Leave me_awhile. _Go to bed!"

"Bed, your honour?_ And leave_you alone?_ Sir, I_beg----"

"Sergeant Tring--get you indoors!"

The Sergeant stiffened,_saluted, and, wheeling_about, marched away
forthwith, but, once in_the_shadows, turned to_glance_anxiously_at the
lonely_figure so pale_and_still and_rigid_under the moon.

Being alone, the Major_seemed_to shrink within himself, and, limping
slowly into_the gloom of the_hutch-like_sentry-box, cast himself face
down_across the table and lay_there; and from that place of_shadows
came sounds_soft but_awful.  At last he lifted heavy head, and, staring
before him,_perforce beheld that part of the_wall where he had_first
seen her;_and_again he writhed_and_shivered. _But, all at once, as the
spasm passed,_he leaned_forward tense and fierce, for in_that precise
spot a man_was_climbing the wall.  The Major_rose and stood with breath
in check,_watching as the unknown clambered_into_view,_a slender figure
that paused for_a lingering, backward glance, then