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Cobo leaned forward, mildly astonished Of all his villainous troop, this ination of this sort "What did you see?"

"A ghost,else La Cumbre is no place for an honest Christian"

The colonel burst into a h "An honest Christian! YOU! Of all my vile ruffians, you are the vilest Why, you're a thief, a liar, and an assassin! You are lying to ive you the co you the truth," protested the soldier "Flog ht in those trenches You know that old quinta?"

"Where Pancho Cueto oat of himself? Perfectly Do youwith his head in his hands?"

"No, but I saw that she-devil who fell in the well and broke her neck"

"Eh? When did you behold this--this o She was there beside the well and her face shone through the night like a lantern Christ! There was fire upon it She caht I tell you I repented of hed at hed at the others But last night two of the doubters went up there"

"Exactly And they saw nothing"

"Your pardon, my Colonel They caht on their knees The woht? Well, her face was aglow, like that, so they said They heard the clanking of chains, too, and the sound of ha froh, when you know the story But it is terrifying"

"This is indeed aed, "but of course there is sos, are --they are like thin air How, then, could they rattle chains? You probably saw soined the rest"

"Indeed! Then what did I hear with these very ears? Whispers, roans, and the clinkety-clink of old Sebastian's chisel For his sins that old slave is chained in some cavern of the mountain Soundless! I'm no baby! I knohen I'm asleep, and I knohen I'm awake That place is accursed, and I want nohis cigarette to sers He was not a superstitious man and he put no faith in the supernatural, nevertheless he was convinced that his sergeant was not lying, and reference to Pancho Cueto had set his e channels He had known Cueto well, and the latter's stubborn belief in the existence of that Varona treasure had more than once impressed him He wondered now if others shared that faith, or if by chance they had discovered a clue to the whereabouts of thea secret search It was a fantastic idea, nevertheless Cobo told hi about those deserted premises it ith some object, and their actions would warrant observation The presence of the wolow of phosphorus upon her face was puzzling, but the whole affair was puzzling He deterate After a time he murmured, "I should like to see this spirit"