d his flesh to creep. And then the
man's voice:

"No, you don't like it. I knew that all along. But you're going to stay
here for seven weeks while I shoot holes in you!" He laughed again, his
voice high and shrill, its cackling cadences filling the place.

"Seven weeks in Devil's Hollow!" came the voice again. "Seven weeks!
Seven weeks!"

Hollis felt his heart thumping heavily against his ribs, while a sinking
sensation in the pit of his stomach told him that his courage was
touched. He realized now why the man had not shot him down immediately.
He was a maniac!

For a few terrible seconds Hollis sat in the saddle while the world
reeled around him; while the rocks and cliffs danced fantastically.
Courage he had to be sure; he had already become resigned to death
before the man's rifle, but he had imagined the man to be in full
possession of his senses; imagined his death to have been planned out of
the deliberate coolness of reason. Such a death would have been bad
enough, but to meet death at the hands of a man mentally unbalanced!
Somehow it seemed different, seemed horribly unreal--like a terrible
nightmare.

It was some seconds before he regained control of himself, and then he
steadied himself in the saddle, assuring himself in a burst of bitter,
ironic humor that death at the hands of a crazy man could be no worse
than death at the hands of a rational one.

He looked up again, a defiant smile on his lips, to see that both man
and rifle had disappeared. In a flash he saw his chance and took
advantage of it. In an instant he was off his pony; in another he was
behind a convenient rock, breathing easier, his senses alert. For some
little time he remained in the shelter of the rock, awaiting the other
man's movements. He did not doubt that acting upon some freakish
impulse, the man had left his boulder and was even now stalking him from
some other direction. He peered carefully about him. He had no thought
of shooting the man--that would be murder, for the man was not mentally
responsible for his actions. His efforts must be centered solely upon
some plan for saving his own life.

To do this he realized that he must be careful. In view of the man's
unerring marksmanship it would be certain death for him to expose
himself for an instant. But he must take some chances. Convinced of this
he peered around the edge of his rock, taking a flashing glance around
him. The man was nowhere to be seen. Hollis waited som