rm flesh.

Startled as he was, Kent retained enough presence of mind to grasp the
hand tightly; the next second a man hurled himself upon him and he gave
back. Furniture in the path of the struggling men was overturned as they
fought in silent desperation. Kent would have given much for light. He
strained his eyes to see his adversary, but the pitch darkness concealed
all but the vaguest outline. As Kent got his second wind, confidence in
his strength returned and he redoubled his efforts; suddenly his hands
shifted their grip and he swung his adversary backward, pinning him
against the wall.

A faint, sobbing breath escaped the man, and Kent felt the whole figure
against which he pressed, quiver and relax; the taut muscles of chest
and arms grew slack, collapsed.

Kent stood in wonderment, peering ahead, his hands empty--the man had
vanished!

Drawing a long, long breath Kent felt his way back to the electric
switch and pressed the button, lighting both the wall brackets and the
table lamps. With both hands on his throbbing temples he gazed at the
over-turned chairs; they, as well as his aching throat, testified to his
encounter having been a reality and not a fantastic dream. His glance
traveled this way and that about the room and rested longest on the
opposite side of the room where he had pinned the man to the wall.
Wall--! Kent leaned against a tall highboy and laughed weakly,
immoderately. He had pushed the man straight against the door leading
into Rochester's bedroom, and not, as he had supposed, against the solid
wall.

The man had been quick-witted enough to grasp the situation; his
pretended weakness had caused Kent to relax his hold, a turn of the knob
of the door, which swung inward, and he had made his escape into the
bedroom, leaving Kent staring into dark, empty space.

Gathering his wits together Kent hurried into the bedroom--it was empty;
so also was the bathroom opening from it. From there Kent made the
rounds of the apartment, switching on the light until the place was
ablaze, but in spite of his minute search of closets and under beds
and behind furniture he could find no trace of his late adversary. Kent
stopped long enough in the pantry to refresh himself with a glass of
water, then he returned to the living room and sat down in an arm chair
by the window. He wanted time to think.

How had the man vanished so utterly, leaving no trace behind in the
apartment? The window in Rochester's r