the sunshine of the ranch,
as they suddenly realized, might be lying cold in death in the
bunk-house, so they followed solemnly--all except Mrs. Henry Appel, who
lingered to pick herself out another spare-rib, which she took with her
in her fingers.

They proceeded in a body to the bunk-house, where Wallie applied his eye
to the keyhole and found it had been stuffed with something. This
confirmed his worst suspicions. Nobody could doubt now but that
something sinister had happened.

Mr. Penrose, who had been straining his eyes at the window, peering
through a tiny space between the towel and the window frame, declared he
saw somebody moving. This, of course, was preposterous, for if alive
Pinkey would have made a sound in response to their clamour, so nobody
paid any attention to his assertion.

"We'll have to burst the door in," said Mr. Stott in his masterful
manner, but Wallie already had run for the axe for that purpose.

Mrs. Appel, alternately gnawing her bone and crying softly, begged them
not to let her see him if he did not look natural, while Miss Eyester
leaned against the door-jamb in a fainting condition.

"Maybe I can bust it with my shoulder," said Mr. Hicks, throwing his
weight against the door.

Immediately, as the lock showed signs of giving, a commotion, a
shuffling, was heard, a sound as if a shoulder braced on the inside was
resisting.

There was a second's astonished silence and then a chorus of voices
demanded:

"Let us in! Pinkey! What _is_ the matter?"

The answer was an inarticulate, gurgling sound that was blood-curdling.

"He's cut his wind-pipe and all he can do is gaggle!" cried Mr. Hicks,
excitedly, and made a frenzied attack on the door that strained the lock
to the utmost.

If the noise he made was any criterion it was judged that Pinkey's head
must be nearly severed from his body--which made the resistance he
displayed all the more remarkable. He was a madman, of course--that was
taken for granted--and the ladies were warned to places of safety lest
he come out slashing right and left with a razor.

They ran and locked themselves in the kitchen, where they could look
through the window--all except Miss Eyester, who declared dramatically
that she had no further interest in life anyhow and wished to die by his
hand, knowing herself responsible for what had happened.

Wallie, breathless from running, arrived with the axe, which he handed
to Mr. Hicks, who called warningly